Folks, the Pentagon Report on DADT came back supporting "open" gays in the military. Read the HRC email below, and put in your two cents with your senators!
Human Rights Campaign
Dear friend,
Breaking news: Pentagon report finds NO REASON to bar open service by lesbians and gays.
But the Senate won't be in session long – so we need to act now. Tell the Senate:
"No more delays. The time to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is now."
As of this afternoon, there is absolutely no excuse to delay the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Now it's time to act.
The Department of Defense has released its landmark study, 9 months in the making. It came to the same conclusion as numerous experts' reports and 25 other countries.
They all agree on one simple, inescapable truth: Lesbians and gays should serve openly in the U.S. military.
My fellow troops have spoken. Generals have spoken. Think tanks have spoken. The American people have spoken.
From this point forward, any delay is nothing more than discrimination and partisan politics. It needs to end. The Senate is holding critical hearings this week and won't be in session long – so we must act now.
Tell your senators: No more delays. The military and the American people have spoken. Do the right thing. Repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" now.
I was the first American wounded in Iraq. I lost my leg. I almost lost my life. When I returned home, I came out – and spoke out against a policy that forced me to hide who I was.
I've talked to elected officials on both sides of the debate. They all need to hear from us today. The ones with the courage to fight for equal rights still need to hear that voters want them to make it a priority. And the ones who have supported discrimination can still be convinced by the facts highlighted in this new report. I've seen it happen.
The evidence is on our side. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has always been wrong. But now, it's not just me or you saying it – it's the Pentagon’s own study.
We're on the brink of ending injustice – but we all must stand together, right now.
The clock is ticking and the Senate won't be in session too much longer. Raise your voice today.
Let's make this happen – for my brothers and sisters in arms who put themselves on the line to defend us, and for the good of this nation we all love.
In solidarity,
Eric Alva
Eric Alva
Retired Marine Staff Sergeant
P.S. If you have a minute, we need you to make two quick calls. Call (202) 224-3121 right now, ask to be connected to your senators' offices, and tell them to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" before they leave for the holidays. Be sure to make two calls, one for each senator in your state. Then report your calls. Thank you!
30 November 2010
26 November 2010
AssociatedContent.com is Now Under the Yahoo! Contributor Network Banner
Hey All,
One of the sites I posted to regularly is now part of Yahoo! Way to go AssociatedContent.com! I'm not sure how life will be under new management, but, I'm excited by the new connection, I mean, Yahoo has a level of name recognition that Associated Content just didn't have. We're still talking user submitted content networking, but now, the prestige of Yahoo! I wonder if they are going to bring in editors and beef up the content submission process with extraneous requirements (you know, like Demand Media did after picking up eHow.com--another user submitted content networking site, now, requiring writing samples and editorial squads)? Well, the good news is that I am now a Yahoo! Contributor how cool is that?
One of the sites I posted to regularly is now part of Yahoo! Way to go AssociatedContent.com! I'm not sure how life will be under new management, but, I'm excited by the new connection, I mean, Yahoo has a level of name recognition that Associated Content just didn't have. We're still talking user submitted content networking, but now, the prestige of Yahoo! I wonder if they are going to bring in editors and beef up the content submission process with extraneous requirements (you know, like Demand Media did after picking up eHow.com--another user submitted content networking site, now, requiring writing samples and editorial squads)? Well, the good news is that I am now a Yahoo! Contributor how cool is that?
24 November 2010
Louisiana Renaissance Festival in Hammond, Louisiana
Okay, so I finally got to go to my first Ren-Fest. I see the beginning of a bright a burgeoning future (um, past?). Oh, and let's be honest, the company one keeps directly influences the outcome of the good-time clock. I now have in my possession one blue Robin Hood-esque hat equipped with a bright green pimp feather. That's right folks, I've got my first piece of Ren-wear. How I've thought of this moment. (I'm such a ren-dork. That's okay, you keep coming back, makes me think within you may lie the heart of ren-dorkiness or, are you a ren-dork advocate?) I now harbor memories of primitive living with three awesome women, campfire cooking, and "That season we were loaded with pizazz. Earrings of fuchsia and peach. Mind you, peach. And hats. Hats, hats, hats. Hats for career girls. How I adored Paris." Oh, you know the lines. If you don't know it from To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything Julie Numar, then you might know it from "D.V The Autobiography of Diana Vreeland." If you don't know it, well, that's cool too, cause I only know it from To Wong Fu, just saying.
11 November 2010
Fw: Fighting for our rights on Veterans Day - with your help
Hey all,
I received the following email from Iraq Veterans Against The War (IVAW). I have chosen to pass this message along because I know what it's like to have the military jack you over, especially in the health department. This soldier went AWOL to take care of his health. Read the email, research the story, tell me what you think.
The first step to healing is taking your own health in your own hands.
Monique Finley
Writer/Activist/Healer
I received the following email from Iraq Veterans Against The War (IVAW). I have chosen to pass this message along because I know what it's like to have the military jack you over, especially in the health department. This soldier went AWOL to take care of his health. Read the email, research the story, tell me what you think.
The first step to healing is taking your own health in your own hands.
Monique Finley
Writer/Activist/Healer
Dream: What else do you have to live for?
(Note: As usual, I have disabled the donation links. If you ever desire donating to any of the activist sites I mention, you should go directly to their websites.)
THE EMAIL
Dear Monique,
IVAW is defending the rights of veterans and service members this Veterans Day
(We are always doing this, but today is a day that more people listen.)
As I write this, Field Organizer, Chantelle Bateman, member, Zach Choate, and civilian supporter, Ryan Harvey, are traveling with AWOL soldier, Jeff Hanks, who refused to re-deploy to Afghanistan after the Army denied him medical care. They've been driving for hours through the Deep South, headed to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where Jeff will hold a press conference, then turn himself in to the Army medical center on base.
Jeff has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and was due to receive medical evaluation and treatment during a leave from his tour in Afghanistan, when his military commanders effectively cancelled his doctor appointments to send him back to combat. Jeff made the difficult decision to go AWOL to get the care he needed. IVAW's Operation Recovery Campaign has helped Jeff to get the civilian medical care he so desperately needs, and identify a lawyer to defend his right to heal.
Your past support has been critical to our work on Operation Recovery, and we are just getting started. Would you consider making a special Veterans Day donation to sustain our efforts?
Make a special Veterans Day gift now by clicking here.
We are taking action across the country today
Here are some highlights of the work we are doing today to honor Veterans and promote Operation Recovery:
* Members at University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana are tabling on their campus, then doing an art installation about the issue of veteran and soldier suicide.
* Savannah members are holding a teach-in and then are flyering GI hang outs near Fort Stewart, GA.
* San Francisco members are holding a teach-in and education forum on the issue of military and war trauma.
* In Manhattan, Kansas, members are flyering at the annual Veterans Day parade and doing outreach to GIs at Fort Riley.
* Our Chicago chapter has organized an art exhibition, Intrusive Thoughts, part of a month-long series of programs at the National Veterans Art Museum.
And this is just to name a few.
We could not do this work without your moral and financial support.
Help us continue our work with a special Veterans Day donation today.
IVAW files Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on traumatized soldiers in the U.S. Army
Today, we requested information from our government that will expose the scope of the problem of troops serving with un-treated trauma, including the number of troops that have reported or sought treatment for PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury, or Military Sexual Trauma. We specifically want to know about the 101st Airborne Division, the 1st Infantry Division, the 2nd Infantry Division, the 3rd Infantry Division, the 1st Cavalry Division, and the 10th Mountain Division. These troops are the most heavily deployed and are dealing with extremely high rates of suicide and depression. The U.S. Army has this information, but has not made it public.
Your financial support now will help us continue to expose what the military is so eager to suppress - the systemic problem of war trauma ravaging our military.
Thank you for making a special Veterans Day donation today. Click here to give.
In Solidarity,
Aaron Hughes
Field Organizing Team Leader
(Note: As usual, I have disabled the donation links. If you ever desire donating to any of the activist sites I mention, you should go directly to their websites.)
THE EMAIL
Dear Monique,
IVAW is defending the rights of veterans and service members this Veterans Day
(We are always doing this, but today is a day that more people listen.)
As I write this, Field Organizer, Chantelle Bateman, member, Zach Choate, and civilian supporter, Ryan Harvey, are traveling with AWOL soldier, Jeff Hanks, who refused to re-deploy to Afghanistan after the Army denied him medical care. They've been driving for hours through the Deep South, headed to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where Jeff will hold a press conference, then turn himself in to the Army medical center on base.
Jeff has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and was due to receive medical evaluation and treatment during a leave from his tour in Afghanistan, when his military commanders effectively cancelled his doctor appointments to send him back to combat. Jeff made the difficult decision to go AWOL to get the care he needed. IVAW's Operation Recovery Campaign has helped Jeff to get the civilian medical care he so desperately needs, and identify a lawyer to defend his right to heal.
Your past support has been critical to our work on Operation Recovery, and we are just getting started. Would you consider making a special Veterans Day donation to sustain our efforts?
Make a special Veterans Day gift now by clicking here.
We are taking action across the country today
Here are some highlights of the work we are doing today to honor Veterans and promote Operation Recovery:
* Members at University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana are tabling on their campus, then doing an art installation about the issue of veteran and soldier suicide.
* Savannah members are holding a teach-in and then are flyering GI hang outs near Fort Stewart, GA.
* San Francisco members are holding a teach-in and education forum on the issue of military and war trauma.
* In Manhattan, Kansas, members are flyering at the annual Veterans Day parade and doing outreach to GIs at Fort Riley.
* Our Chicago chapter has organized an art exhibition, Intrusive Thoughts, part of a month-long series of programs at the National Veterans Art Museum.
And this is just to name a few.
We could not do this work without your moral and financial support.
Help us continue our work with a special Veterans Day donation today.
IVAW files Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on traumatized soldiers in the U.S. Army
Today, we requested information from our government that will expose the scope of the problem of troops serving with un-treated trauma, including the number of troops that have reported or sought treatment for PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury, or Military Sexual Trauma. We specifically want to know about the 101st Airborne Division, the 1st Infantry Division, the 2nd Infantry Division, the 3rd Infantry Division, the 1st Cavalry Division, and the 10th Mountain Division. These troops are the most heavily deployed and are dealing with extremely high rates of suicide and depression. The U.S. Army has this information, but has not made it public.
Your financial support now will help us continue to expose what the military is so eager to suppress - the systemic problem of war trauma ravaging our military.
Thank you for making a special Veterans Day donation today. Click here to give.
In Solidarity,
Aaron Hughes
Field Organizing Team Leader
Revver.com Inaccessible
Hey All,
It just came to my attention that Revver.com is not accessible. Wikipedia says that the website was purchased in 2008 and apparently they haven't been making payments to content submitters. I have three videos on Revver.com, the link in my CV section will take you to a blank page. When and if they come back online, I'll let you know. The last thing on the Wiki article mentions business suspension in California (legal troubles?)
One of my professors asked me why I want to learn the fine arts of website creation, maintenance, and design. I told him that I fear losing material because websites go bunk; and if websites go bunk, it stands to reason that hosting sites may also go bunk; and if hosting sites go bunk it stands to reason that I would be better off hosting, creating, and designing my own website. Although, it would also stand to reason that my electric bill would rise, my air conditioning costs would rise, and my computer would really need an upgrade.
It's a life lesson we all can do with remembering: if you want it done right, do it yourself.
***UPDATE 11/24/2010***
Revver.com was accessible again the day after this blog was posted. Apparently there's been a little touch and go. Who knows, guess it was Gremlins in the Ether.
***UPDATE 08/14/2011***
Revver.com is once again inaccessible. However, I found a website that pings their pages to verify the connection: WebsiteNotWorking.com/revver.com. This site also has a section for the user to input other websites...it is a useful resource!
It just came to my attention that Revver.com is not accessible. Wikipedia says that the website was purchased in 2008 and apparently they haven't been making payments to content submitters. I have three videos on Revver.com, the link in my CV section will take you to a blank page. When and if they come back online, I'll let you know. The last thing on the Wiki article mentions business suspension in California (legal troubles?)
One of my professors asked me why I want to learn the fine arts of website creation, maintenance, and design. I told him that I fear losing material because websites go bunk; and if websites go bunk, it stands to reason that hosting sites may also go bunk; and if hosting sites go bunk it stands to reason that I would be better off hosting, creating, and designing my own website. Although, it would also stand to reason that my electric bill would rise, my air conditioning costs would rise, and my computer would really need an upgrade.
It's a life lesson we all can do with remembering: if you want it done right, do it yourself.
***UPDATE 11/24/2010***
Revver.com was accessible again the day after this blog was posted. Apparently there's been a little touch and go. Who knows, guess it was Gremlins in the Ether.
***UPDATE 08/14/2011***
Revver.com is once again inaccessible. However, I found a website that pings their pages to verify the connection: WebsiteNotWorking.com/revver.com. This site also has a section for the user to input other websites...it is a useful resource!
02 November 2010
November 2010 Election Results
Link to Louisiana Secretary of State website (for unofficial 2010 election results)
It saddens me to say it, but, I think I have been forced by my fellow voters to continue writing Senator David Vitter and Representative John Flemming. This saddens me because both of these men are adamant in their goal of working against equality for homosexuals. Well, that's fine Louisiana. That's fine Vitter. That's fine Fleming. I, too, am adamant in my goal of achieving equality for homosexuals. Take this as fair warning: Beware the pen that writes oft!
Soon, I shall let the missives fly through cyberspace.
Until then, may the muses guide you.
~Monique Finley
It saddens me to say it, but, I think I have been forced by my fellow voters to continue writing Senator David Vitter and Representative John Flemming. This saddens me because both of these men are adamant in their goal of working against equality for homosexuals. Well, that's fine Louisiana. That's fine Vitter. That's fine Fleming. I, too, am adamant in my goal of achieving equality for homosexuals. Take this as fair warning: Beware the pen that writes oft!
Soon, I shall let the missives fly through cyberspace.
Until then, may the muses guide you.
~Monique Finley
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