Author: refinish69

This election year is one of the most exciting ones I have ever seen in my 41 years of being involved in politics and civil rights.  There is all the buzz about the presidential campaigns, Texas being in play for the first time in decades and exciting races such as Rick Noriega for Senate and all the Texas Legislative races.  

Well, there are another set of elections that will take place in June at the Texas Democratic Party Convention and I have decided to throw my hat into the ring.

(cross posted @ Texas Kaos, Daily Kos, Doing My Part For The Left, Burnt Orange Report, My Left Wing)
Every two years the delegates at the State convention elect the Senate District Committeeman and Committeewoman to represent our Senate Districts on the Executive Committee of the State Party.  Rich Bailey, who is the current Committeeman for Travis Senate District 14 is stepping down after 2 terms as is the tradition in Travis County.

I am announcing my candidacy for this seat. I believe it is time for the SDEC to have a grassroots activist and blogger as a member who is willing to try and move the party in a new direction.  The extreme numbers of new voters and activist across the state need a voice and I believe I can be that voice.  

I have been involved in politics and civil rights since I was 8 years old and since having moved to Texas 5 years ago, I have worked to help elect many fine Democrats.  I have also been involved in civil rights fighting to stop the marriage amendment in 2005 and helping stop Rep. Talton’s amendment to a house bill that would have stopped Gays and Lesbians from being foster parents.

I have worked with all age groups, genders and ethnic groups to try and make this a better state and a better country for all Americans.  I believe my passion for making a difference is something that needs to be expressed more loudly at SDEC .  

If elected to this position, I plan to attend as many different Democratic and Progressive clubs and meetings as possible so I can hear from the people and also join with them to make Travis County even bluer than it is now.  I will also listen to the concerns and issues from people in the district and make sure their voices are heard at SDEC.  We can improve things in Texas and even in Travis County but it will take all of us working together to make this happen.

Since many of you only know me as refinish69, let me introduce myself.  I am Steve Whichard.  I am asking for your support to help Take Texas Back!!!

Today is the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.  I still remember hearing the news and being shocked that this great man had been killed.  Growing up in a small town in North Carolina, I had heard him called many things besides great but disagreed with those who wanted to teach racism and continue the history of injustice in America.  I was just a small scared white boy but I knew things were not right.  

(cross posted @ Daily Kos, Texas Kaos, Doing My Part For The Left)

I remember going to school the next day.  Schools had not been desegregated yet but there were a few black children who attended Bridges Elementary School.  Jetta Knight was in my class and a sometimes friend. Her eyes were red and you could tell she had been crying.  I tried talking with her but the words sounded so fake and unreal even to my young ears.  I could not understand the loss the black community was feeling but I could feel the deep sadness.  Our housekeeper, Annie, had the same sense of sadness and resignation about her that morning when she arrived at the house.  Annie was my second mom and I ran to her and cried in her arms as she patted me on the back and said ” Hush, child.  Things will be okay.  We will survive this.”  I really didn’t understand what she meant but as the years have gone by I realize she meant that Black Americans would survive the killing of their great Leader as they had survived many hardships before and would survive the ones ahead.

At school the day after, a sudden stir started in the halls and classrooms.  There was a crowd of people marching down Panola Street.  There were singing “We Shall Overcome” and holding hands.  They were coming out of East Tarbaro-the black neighborhood and marching towards the Tar River.  The teachers were scared and had no idea what to do but soon enough an announcement was made that we were all being sent home.  Our Parents had been called and we would be released to an adult or taken home by bus.  I rode home with a neighbor as my mom was running an errand for her job and this was way before cell phones.   When I arrived home, Annie wanted to know what was going on.  I explained as well as I could and she just stood there listening and I could see the worry on her face.  I soon heard singing and ran out on the front porch and looked towards Main Street.  The crowd I had seen on Panola Street had grown massive in my eyes by the time they had made it down town and then started along Main Street.  There must have been 500 or more people marching and singing:

We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome some day

Oh, deep in my heart
I do believe
We shall overcome some day

We’ll walk hand in hand
We’ll walk hand in hand
We’ll walk hand in hand some day

Oh, deep in my heart
I do believe
We shall overcome some day

We shall all be free
We shall all be free
We shall all be free some day

Oh, deep in my heart
I do believe
We shall overcome some day

We are not afraid
We are not afraid
We are not afraid some day

Oh, deep in my heart
I do believe
We shall overcome some day

We are not alone
We are not alone
We are not alone some day

Oh, deep in my heart
I do believe
We shall overcome some day

The whole wide world around
The whole wide world around
The whole wide world around some day

Oh, deep in my heart
I do believe
We shall overcome some day

We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome some day

As I stood there transfixed by the deep sadness and raw pain in the voices, I felt the need to join in the singing and the marching.  I started singing in my tiny voice and started off the porch to go and join the people on Main Street.  Annie grabbed me by the shoulders and hugged me and said “You are a sweet boy, but you need to stay here.  This is not the time to go getting involved.  Your day will come to help but today isn’t it.  Just remember this day and what you are feeling.  You will know when the time is right.”

I turned and looked at her and watched the tears stream down her face.  Annie was crying and I don’t even know if she realized it at all.  I buried my head in her chest and cried along with her.

To this day I remember the sadness and hopelessness I felt until I saw all those people marching and singing.  I knew things had to change and would but not how they would change.  Time has marched on and now 40 years later, I am still fighting for those changes and working to make this a better America and World for all People.  The speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. still ring in my ears from the TV broadcast and replays I have heard of them since.

“I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Martin Luther King, Jr., delivering his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech from the steps of Lincoln Memorial. (photo: National Park Service)

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “For Whites Only”. We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!””

We have a long way to go yet but We Shall Overcome.

It has come to my attention that a Democratic County Chairperson called and asked an Obama delegate to switch to at large so they could move an Alternate delegate up.  Depending on the make up of the alternate pool in any county or  precinct, there is no guarantee that the alternate moved up to take a delegate’s place would have the same presidential preference.  This is called playing a numbers game and is deplorable.  

(cross posted @ Daily Kos, Doing My Part For The Left, Texas Kaos
The only time an alternate being moved up is guaranteed to be the same presidential preference is an at-large delegate who has to be replaced.    I am calling on all Obama Delegates and Alternates to ignore the latest ruse being played by the Clinton campaign in Texas.  You were elected as a delegate to represent the people in your precinct and should be proud to do so.    I am sure you can hold fund raisers in your area to help defray cost to the convention.

There is already plans being made to help with housing and the like for delegates from out of town here in Austin and I will keep you informed as soon as I know more.  

Proud Obama Delegate

A little video for your enjoyment:

Today is a GREAT DAY to be a TEXAS DEMOCRAT!!!!  Thousands of Texas Democrats across the state will meet in county and senate district conventions to help decide the delegate count for Obama and Hillary.  No matter who you are supporting in the race it is a great day to be with literally thousands of other concerned Democrats and announce your support.

THIS TEXAN IS IN A BLUE STATE OF MIND

Bring your patience, your sense of humor and even your ipod with your favorite tunes as we spend the day making a difference in TEXAS!!!!!

Texans For Obama

Hillary in 2008

Of course I will be wearing

OBAMA 2008

A couple of nights ago when the Obama Delegation from my precinct got together to plan strategy and decide who would be nominated and elected to go on to the state convention, I was selected as one of the two delegates from our precinct to go to the state convention.

Each person running was allowed to give a two minute speech and here is what I said or as close as I can remember as I always do speeches off the cuff.

 I have been involved in politics and civil rights since I was 8 years old in North Carolina.  I have worked on many issues political campaigns in that time.  I will admit I was a John Edwards supporter up until the day he dropped out of the race. I had to do a lot of soul searching and research before I decided who to support out of the last two candidates.  I went back and listened to speeches and forums from both candidates and spoke with many of my friends in the activist community.

I saw something that amazed me.  I saw a man who had a plan and a vision that wasn’t just for me or liberals.  I saw a man who had excited people of all races, creeds, ages, financial back grounds and was willing to work with everyone for the common good of America.  Here was a man who was talking about making a change and actually meant it.  

I have been a victim of bigotry.  I have been beaten and almost killed 4 times in my life for being gay.  I have had friends killed for being gay, black, or just different from the norm- whatever the hell that is.  Barack Obama is a man who brings hope to a weary nation and to this weary political and civil rights activist.  

Will electing Barack Obama cure all ills in America?  No.  It will only be the beginning. We, as Texans and as Americans must pull together and elect other great leaders into office to help with the work and we must hold the accountable.  

As many of you know, I will be the precinct chair for Travis County Precinct 424 as of April.  I am also planning on running for the State Executive Committee Man from Senate District 14 if I am elected as a delegate to the State convention.  I want to work to make sure that the energy and power this campaign has unleashed in Texas is not squandered or allowed to go to waste.  This is our time to harness that energy and make a difference in Texas and in America.

Barack Obama gives us the power to believe “YES WE CAN!!” and with your help Yes We Will!!!

Yesterday was a long, exciting and tiring day. A lot of time spent in line and waiting as at most conventions. LOL I got there about 7:20 am and the business of the convention did not really start till after 2 pm. I got to see lots of political activist from all over the county and I was officially elected as a delegate to the state convention. I could not have managed my job as delegation chair without the help of a lot of great people in the Obama delegation and the Hillary delegation. We all left there as friends who are looking forward to the state convention and electing good democrats in November.

The delegate count to the state convention from Travis County is:

Senate District 14:

313 delegates for Obama

144 delegates for Clinton

Senate District 25:

70 delegates for Obama

40 delegates for Clinton

With 133 counties reporting out of 287:

3,107 Obama Delegates

2,436 Clinton Delegates

Once the writers at Burnt Orange Report, they will start updating numbers as they can get them. They finally called it a night at midnight. LOL

This story of the events of the day Barack Obama gave his speech about Race and politics was sent to a group I belong to and I wanted to share it with the readers here.  

Yesterday, as Barack was giving his speech I took a break at work so I could watch. I knew then that it was historic… I knew then that he was so much more than a politician… I knew then he was a visionary.

My day went on as usual, finishing work… I came home, changed clothes and went to workout. I wore, as I often do one of my five Obama t-shirts. So I finish working out and it was a tough workout. I was exhausted, sweaty, nasty and just wanted to go home, shower and relax. But I had to get gas and I am so glad I did.

I pull in and it was windy as could be and start pumping my gas. Then this huge blue truck with a guy in his forties, beard, rough looking actually gets out. I notice he’s staring at me and I’m thinking “ok this is it, I’m gonna get my ass beat right here for being a white, gay, Obama supporter from Kentucky.”

cross posted @ Texas Kaos, Doing My Part For The Left

   With a deep southern drawl, he say’s: “I like him.”

    “Who? I think”

    “The man’s got it… He’s smart… He’s real… (insert cursing, anti-Hillary remarks here) and he’s got my vote.”

    “That great” I say, not only cause he’s supporting Barack but because it looks like my life has just been spared!!!

    Then I asked him if he saw the speech.

    “Yup, that’s why I’m voting for him… if he can change my mind and let me see the error of my ways… he can sure as hell change this country.”

    “Wow” I’m thinking. Then I remember I had an extra Obama, “yes we can” bracelet in my pocket. I reach in, pull it out and toss it to him, telling him what it is and pointing to the one on my wrist. You would have thought I had just given him a million bucks. Then he does something I will never forget as long as I live. He goes to the back of his truck and slowly peels off a confederate flag bumper sticker, “the south will rise again” right next to a “sportsmen for Bush” bumper sticker and tosses it in the garbage.

    The ironic thing about all of this is that both the worst experience in my life and one of the best experiences of my life happened at a gas station. As you may recall in 2006 I was stabbed in a restroom at a gas station because I was gay…

    Barack Obama is our next great President, just ask the gun waving, redneck, that turned out to be one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, kinda guy who he’s voting for.

    Pass this along as you wish and thanks for reading!!!
    We can change the world
    ~ted

Having been the victim of hate crimes not once but 3 or more times before we had a term for them, I understand this young man’s story and the hope that Obama’s speech gives to many as we see how everyday Americans respond to it.  People can call it rhetoric and hype and get tired of hearing Obama and his supporters talk about hope but after the results of the past 12 or more years of divisive politics and politically and religiously endorsed bigotry, maybe hope is what this country needs.

Oklahoma Rep. Sally Kern has stated that Homosexuals are more deadly  and a bigger threat than Terrorist or Islam.  I have many things I could say about this ignorant Bigot but the letter from an 18 year old who lost his mother in the Oklahoma bombing in 1995 says it more clearly than I ever could.  Tucker tried to deliver his letter to Rep. Kern but like most hate filled Republicans, she refused to see him and had the state troopers stop him.  Nothing like a chicken shit Representative who refuses to see her constituents.  Listen to her comments and then read Tucker’s wonderful letter.

cross posted @ Doing My Part For The Left, Texas Kaos
“Rep Kern:

On April 19, 1995, in Oklahoma City a terrorist detonated a bomb that killed my mother and 167 others. 19 children died that day. Had I not had the chicken pox that day, the body count would’ve likely have included one more. Over 800 other Oklahomans were injured that day and many of those still suffer through their permanent wounds.

That terrorist was neither a homosexual or was he involved in Islam. He was an extremist Christian forcing his views through a body count. He held his beliefs and made those who didn’t live up to them pay with their lives.

As you were not a resident of Oklahoma on that day, it could be explained why you so carelessly chose words saying that the homosexual agenda is worst than terrorism. I can most certainly tell you through my own experience that is not true. I am sure there are many people in your voting district that laid a loved one to death after the terrorist attack on Oklahoma City. I kind of doubt you’ll find one of them that will agree with you.

I was five years old when my mother died. I remember what a beautiful, wise, and remarkable woman she was. I miss her. Your harsh words and misguided beliefs brought me to tears, because you told me that my mother’s killer was a better person than a group of people that are seeking safety and tolerance for themselves.

As someone left motherless and victimized by terrorists, I say to you very clearly you are absolutely wrong.

You represent a district in Oklahoma City and you very coldly express a lack of love, sympathy or understanding for what they’ve been through. Can I ask if you might have chosen wiser words were you a real Oklahoman that was here to share the suffering with Oklahoma City? Might your heart be a bit less cold had you been around to see the small bodies of children being pulled out of rubble and carried away by weeping firemen?

 I’ve spent 12 years in Oklahoma public schools and never once have I had anyone try to force a gay agenda on me. I have seen, however, many gay students beat up and there’s never a day in school that has went by when I haven’t heard the word faggot slung at someone. I’ve been called gay slurs many times and they hurt and I am not even gay so I can just imagine how a real gay person feels. You were a school teacher and you have seen those things too. How could you care so little about the suffering of some of your students?

Let me tell you the result of your words in my school. Every openly gay and suspected gay in the school were having to walk together Monday for protection. They looked scared. They’ve already experienced enough hate and now your words gave other students even more motivation to sneer at them and call them names. Afterall, you are a teacher and a lawmaker, many young people have taken your words to heart. That happens when you assume a role of responsibility in your community. I seriously think before this week ends that some kids here will be going home bruised and bloody because of what you said.

I wish you could’ve met my mom. Maybe she could’ve guided you in how a real Christian should be acting and speaking.

I have not had a mother for nearly 13 years now and wonder if there were fewer people like you around, people with more love and tolerance in their hearts instead of strife, if my mom would be here to watch me graduate from high school this spring. Now she won’t be there. So I’ll be packing my things and leaving Oklahoma to go to college elsewhere and one day be a writer and I have no intentions to ever return here. I have no doubt that people like you will incite crazy people to build more bombs and kill more people again. I don’t want to be here for that. I just can’t go through that again.

You may just see me as a kid, but let me try to teach you something. The old saying is sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you. Well, your words hurt me. Your words disrespected the memory of my mom.

 Your words can cause others to pick up sticks and stones and hurt others.

 Sincerely

 Tucker”

I can only say that Tucker’s mom would be proud of him.

Sen. Hillary R. Clinton
Washington, DC

Dear Sen.,
You say you want to be President to be a leader for the American People.  Your campaign and rhetoric is showing anything but true leadership.  Your negativity and whining to win at any cost are ripping the Democratic Party apart and you seem not to care at all.  This is not about another line to add to your resume but about the future of America.

(cross posted @ Doing My Part For The Left, Texas Kaos)
In the last month, you have suddenly become the champion of the Florida and Michigan voters when you earlier agreed to abide by party rules when both delegations where denied.  You only changed your mind when you realized you were behind in the popular vote and delegate count.  Your campaign (which speaks for you) is now threatening to sue the Texas Democratic Party because you lost the caucus part of the Democratic Primary.  Sounds like sour grapes or just plain whining to me.  Texas is proud to have had the largest voter turn out in decades and more people active in the precinct conventions than ever before.  You now want to negate all the hard work and effort people made to attend and do their best to be part of the democratic process because you didn’t win.  Is this a sign of leadership or just a spoiled brat acting out?

Your callous statement that McCain is a more experienced leader in international affairs and would better handling a crisis than Barack Obama showed that you no longer care about America or the American People but just your fight to stay alive in a political campaign you are losing.  The negativity of your “3 AM” ad was a tactic taken straight from Karl Rove’s play book on how to defeat Democrats and should have been beneath you but wasn’t.  Your hesitation and vague answer when asked did you believe Barack Obama was a Muslim just added fire to a rumor the Republicans have been spreading for months.  Instead of asking for Geraldine Ferraro to step down and apologize for her racist comments about Obama’s candidacy, you let it keep playing out in the media.  If someone had stated that you were only in your position because you were female, you would have been the first one screaming at the top of your lungs.  

At one time, I respected the work you had done and was proud of your candidacy and what you were bringing to the picture in American politics and history. I can only say now that I am ashamed of you and your pettiness.  The Democratic Party and the Nation would be better served if you dropped out of the race and saved us all from your fight to stay alive in a race you have lost.  You seem to have forgotten the big picture.  This is about America- not Hillary.

Respectfully yours,
refinish69
Worried Democrat

December 1st is the day to honor the memory of all the people we have lost to AIDS and say a prayer in our hearts for those living HIV & AIDS.  The world has lost so many men, women, and children to this horrific disease.  

(This is a repeat of a dairy I posted last year with  a link to my WORLD AIDS DAY 12/01/2007 Podcast.  I have nothing to add but more tears for those we have lost.)
This is the 19th World AIDS Day.  I remember attending a meeting to organize a remembrance 19 years ago in an apartment in Raleigh, North Carolina.  If anyone had told me I would still be attending or helping with World AIDS Day events 19 years later, I would have called them a liar but here I am. I refuse to rant or rave about the stupidity that has caused this disease to continue and worsen for so many years.  Today is not the day for that.  However, I will share some stories from my life.  

I have lost over 1,000 people I call friend to this disease.  I will not list all the names but they are burned into my heart and soul.  I will tell you about a few special people who touched my life, my heart and my soul.

The first person I lost to AIDS was David Pendergras.  He was one of the most beautiful men I have ever met.  I had a huge crush on David that finally became one of the best friendships I ever had.  David was the brother my brother could never be to me.  We would spend hours talking about everything from our latest boyfriends, clothes, music, movies, books, plays, and even family.  It was nothing for us to sit up all night talking, laughing and watching old movies.  I still miss his smile and wacked out sense of humor.   One time when we were out shopping with my Mom, David screams from across the store “Would you come on Miss Thing. We are ready to go.”  I was mortified.  We were in Raleigh, North Carolina and I had only come out to my mom the previous year.   To my surprise, my mom laughed and hugged David.  I think he actually helped her understand me and what it meant to be a gay male.  Neither David nor I were nelly in anyway but did love to cut up once in awhile.  I still talk to David and tell him my dreams, fears, and aspirations and he is still listening and cracking jokes.  David, I love you and I miss you.

In July of 1999, I lost two incredible people in 10 days time.  Keith Mcelhenny had been a friend for 8 years.  I had met him and his lover Carl when I was dating a mutual friend and bartending part time at a country western bar in San Francisco.  Keith was one of the gentlest souls I have ever known.  He was an artist, a writer, a furniture builder and designer.  Keith and I would get lost in the bookstores while our respective lovers would fuss and complain.  I loved attending plays, movies and concerts with Keith & Carl and talking about them afterwards.  For many years, any holiday was spent either at their home or with them at my home.  Dinner parties were a common occurrence and I always knew the food would be wonderful and would help with my own contributions.  The last two times I ever attended church were for Keith.  He was inducted as a deacon to the MCC church he and Carl belonged to and he asked me to attend.  Unknown to me, I was asked to participate in the lying on of hands part of the ceremony.  I tried to refuse as I am not a practicing church member of any kind and he and the minister said I had a Christian heart and the service would not be complete without me.  The next time I attended was for his memorial service.  I had promised Keith in the hospital that I would cater his memorial to make sure it was nice and not just thrown together.  Keith’s memorial was delayed for several days since his Minister and the majority of the congregation of the church was at an MCC World Conference.    I was honored to do this for him and still miss him terribly.  He will always hold a special place in my heart and mind.

The other person I lost that awful July was my Lover Don.  What can I say about Don?  He was light of my world.  Here was the one man that was special enough for me to date, live with and love more than 6 months.  He was someone I wanted to grow old with and laugh about our past blunders, but that was not to be.  When I met Don, he had been HIV positive for 15 years.  That did not mean a thing to me.  I was in love from the first night we spoke.  I am not saying everything was perfect.  No relationship is.  We were total opposites in almost everything.  He loved bloody action movies and gambling.  I am a comedy or chick flick guy.  In his entire life, he had never seen a play, a classical concert or even a jazz concert.  He laughingly said that the only things we had in common were that we were both gay, loved dogs, and loved each other. He had this sleepy little smile that could melt my heart and make me forget any little dispute.  He would plan special occasions for me that would simply blow my mind.  He was probably one of the most romantic men I have ever met.  It was nothing for him to plan a special night on the town or an incredible dinner at home with flowers and candles all over the house.  He made me feel special and unique.  Don died on the Thursday before Keith’s memorial.  He died at our home with our two dogs, his cat and me.   One week after Keith’s memorial, I threw a party for Don.  I cooked all of his favorite treats and invited his friends and mine.  There was a poker table set up in one room, music and conversation in the living room. I decorated the house with every type of flower I knew he loved.  

Don will always be a part of me.  He touched my heart & soul as no other human being ever has.  I think of him always and still talk to him and listen for his answers.  He occupies my dreams when I am troubled and has even helped me find solutions.  I wish anyone in love 10 years for every 6 months that Don and I had together.  It was the best 5.5 years of my life.    

Take some time today to remember the loved ones you have lost and to say a kind word to those you know who are living with HIV and AIDS.  Wear a Red Ribbon and explain the significance to all that ask.

To enjoy some music and memories listen to the Doing My Part For The Left Happy Thanksgiving Podcast.

It is Thanksgiving Day and in Austin Texas, I have a lot to be thankful for.  This past year has been a very trying year for me.  Earlier this year I lost my job, my home and the majority of my personal belongings.  Luckily for me, some great people from all over the nation pulled together to get me through the difficult times and in all reality saved my life.  They opened their hearts and even wallets to assist me in getting through one of the worst periods of my life.
I am now working again, have a home for the Diva Dogs and I, and will soon be able to start paying back the people who contributed to my very survival when I needed it most.  I will be able to start paying back people once I am done paying for some dental procedures that have to be done to get my mouth out of constant pain. LOL  

While I can pay back the money people donated, I can never repay or express my true feelings about the love and compassion which was instrumental in my survival.  People helping other people is something I have always been involved in but never thought I would be the one on the receiving end.  Through the kindness of friends, bloggers, and people I had met through different campaigns, I was able to find the strength and get the help to move from one of the darkest periods of my life to a bright and hopeful future.  The wonderful gift these many people gave will always be with me and will be something I am thankful for as long as I live.  They give me hope for the future when so many can help someone they barely know.  I would list the names but I know some would not want me to do that.  You all know who you are and how much I appreciate your kindness and human warmth.

Thanksgiving has always been a special time for me.  I love the fun of gathering in the kitchen with a group of people and preparing a large feast for all to enjoy.  The cooking is sometimes more fun than the actual meal itself. LOL  In the podcast I share some memories of cooking Thanksgiving with my Mom and one of our dear family friends- Christine Peel- who is no longer with us.  

Kindness can be such a great gift to share and can be so easy to do.  At a brunch a few weeks back, I was sitting at a table by myself at the Hickory Street Café when I saw a couple trying to find a table outside.  The place was packed and so I offered them the two seats at my table.  I am so glad I did.  Brian and Brenda Shirk joined me for brunch and preceded to make it one of the most enjoyable brunches I have been to in years.  We discussed everything from religion, politics, relationships and music.  Brian is a Austin performer and I was lucky enough to hear him sing at Hickory Street Café the following week.  Worrisome Blues is featured in the podcast and is one of Brian’s songs.  You can reach Brian at his My Space Page, which I am sure he will be updating soon. LOL Austin has a great live music scene and I will be featuring more local artist in future shows.

I have joined the Capital City Men’s Chorus, which is the gay chorus in Austin, Texas.  The holiday show will be December 8th and 9th at Central Christian Church which is located at 1110 Guadalupe and 12th St in Austin.  Tickets are available at Capital City Men’s Chorus or people in the Austin area can contact me and buy tickets from me as I have them.  The chorus has been a great outlet for me as I can sing and meet great people doing something besides politics. Look for announcements about the Valentine’s Cabaret and the spring concerts as well as GALA in Miami next summer.

I am also thankful for all the great people who speak out to make a difference in the world for others.  The political and civil rights activists who put themselves on the front line everyday and spend so much of their energy to make this a better world for all people.  I also am thankful for the great people who are running for election or re-election.  It is not an easy thing to put yourself on the front line for what you believe in.  Any candidate or elected official leaves themselves as an open target.  People are always trying to catch them up or convince them into betraying their core values.  In America and Texas we are lucky to have some really great candidates running who refuse to lose themselves in the political games.  Here are just a few of the great candidates I am supporting and hope you will check out and help as well.

Rick Noreiga has stood by Texans in his 5 terms in the Texas Legislature.  He believes in Equal Rights for all Texans and supports Women’s Rights and Education.  He represents what a TRUE Leader should be and will be a welcome change from the sorry excuse of a Senator Cornyn is.  You can donate to Rick’s campaign at Doing My Part For The Left Act Blue page.

Dan Grant is running for US Congress to replace Mike McCaul who has been a total rubber stamp for the Republican party line of hatred and political lies.  We need a congressman who believes in an America for all Americans and not just the elite. Show Dan some love at Doing My Part For The Left Act Blue page.

You can see some of the other great candidates I am supporting such as Valinda Bolton, Sherrie Matula, Jim Neal and of course John Edwards for President!!!  They all need your contributions so they can make a difference and make this a better state and country for all people!!!

Rick Noriega, Dan Grant and John Edwards 3 Great Democrats To Get Elected

The Latest Podcast from Doing My Part For The Left

Enjoy! — refinish69

I am sick and tired of being told I should vote for someone just because they have a D in front of their name.  I refuse to vote for Blue Dog Democrats who do not represent me. If I wanted Republican Lite, I would vote Republican.  I want Liberal Democrats who believe in the people of this country and are willing to stand up for Equal Rights for all Americans.
Just look what happened this week in Congress when the wimps in the Democratic Party had to remove gender identification from Employment Non-Discrimination Act.  They didn’t have the votes to pass it with the language left in because of so many Blue Dog(Conservative) Democrats who are willing to throw the Transgender Community under the bus.  Well, I am sick and tired of this attitude and I say we elect Democrats with some balls and core values that represent Democratic Core Values!!!

In Texas we have a primary race heating up for the US Senate Race.  You can choice ANTI-CHOICE Candidate Mikal Watts whose only claim to electablility so far is how much money he can lend his campaign or you can chose a True Texas Leader- Rick Noriega.

Rick has served 5 terms in the Texas Legislature and has a 100% rating from NARAL and Planned Parenthood.  He has also stood up for the GLBT Community in Texas every time a vote has come up.  This is the type of Leader we need in D. C. Rick has been endorsed by Votevets.org as well as Democracy for Texas.  These are just a few of the great endorsements he has received so far. 

Join Team Noriega by donating to the campaign.

Noriega Express

Team Noriega

Mikal Watts For US Senate

Dan Grant is another great Texan running for US Congress in Texas Congressional District 10.

DAN GRANT FOR CONGRESS

A Fresh Start in a New Direction

Foreign policy expert Dan Grant has served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, and Kosovo as a civilian. Now he’s offering the families and small businesses of District 10 a fresh start and a new direction in Congress.

“We need a positive change in Washington to restore balance, integrity, and mainstream values to our representation in the corridors of Congress,” Grant says. “Let’s honor tradition but not be tied to it, learn from the past but not live in it, renew our faith in the future – and have the courage to step up and shape it.”

Grant returned this year to his hometown of Austin after serving as part of the international team in Baghdad. He is calling for positive change to improve national security, move toward energy independence, reduce the national debt, and provide a level playing field for middle-class families who work hard and play by the rules.

Grant has an unusually strong grounding in small-d democracy and foreign affairs. In Iraq, his duties included helping the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq prepare and conduct the historic elections of 2005. He consulted with international military forces and local leaders in Basra, Fallujah, and Mosul.

Read more about Dan at Dan Grant For Congress

John Edwards is the man to lead America in a new direction and make this country the great county it should be.  He is not afraid to speak out a say what needs to be done or that the work will be tough and take all Americans working together to make this change.  This is so refreshing considering the platitudes and non statements we are receiving from the other candidates.  Let’s elect a True Leader as President instead of continuing the Clinton Dynasty which brought us NAFTA or electing the King of Platitudes- Obama.

Down With K Street

TEAM EDWARDS