Hope

There is a small glimmer of hope in the fight against A.I.D.S.  A recent study found that a vaccine had some effect.  True, those words don't exactly conjure images of rejoicing in the streets.  However, when viewed in light of the fact that in the history of A.I.D.S. research there have been no vaccines produced that can even remotely be called successful, this is an incredible moment.  It seems that no one knows why it worked in some and not in most.  But it opens scientists up to new questions.  Hopefully to more specific and more complex questions.  And hopefully it is the beginning of the path that leads to the total eradication of this horrible disease.  There is hope.

You may recall from a few days ago (or was it yesterday?) a story I mentioned about a gay college student in North Carolina receiving a rather hateful note.  On Wednesday, roughly 400 people gathered to condemn this hateful act.  There is hope.

According to Rep. Steve King (R-IA), gay marriage is "a radical social idea" and "is a purely socialist concept in the final analysis."  This leap in logic is pretty astounding.  Until you realize that, sadly, it's not.  When you read about these people day in and day out you begin to understand how they think.  It's a little bit like being Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs.  I'm pretty sure the logic went like this:  "What will scare the hell out of my constituents?  What can I say that will make no rational sense whatsoever but will strike fear right into the very soul of my listeners?  I know, I'll use the words 'radical' and 'socialist.'"  Because...you know...socialist governments have historically been exemplary in their treatment of gay people (go to this link and scroll down to "state repression").  

He also makes a point of saying that we're pushing the issue of marriage equality because we "want access to public funds and resources."  Well, here's the thing:  Of course we do, Jackass!!!  Of course, when he says it it's scary and ominous.  Why?  Because it implies that we aren't already here, that we don't already pay taxes and that we aren't already part of the public.  The implication is that we'd be wanting something for nothing; that we'd be stealing from "real" Americans.  Maybe it's more David Copperfield than Clarisse Starling.  It's got a sleight of hand feel to it.  Or maybe he and his voting base think that everyone should pay taxes but only those people they like should have access to the services provided by that money.

A 51 year old census worker, substitute teacher and single father was found hung from a tree in Kentucky with the word "fed" written across his chest.  I'm always amazed at the things we are capable of doing to one another.

One of my heros, Barney Frank, testified before the House on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.  His simple, wonderful, brilliant testimony could be called "ENDA for Dummies."  There is hope.

The fight to repeal Prop 8 has begun.  You can read the wording of the proposed amendment to the California Constitution by clicking on this link.  There is hope.

So ACORN had a big scandal and everyone in Washington jumped up and down and said this is unacceptable.  We can't fund pimping and prostitution.  This just won't do!  And they passed the Defund ACORN Act.  Makes sense.  Makes perfect sense.  Except that the Act was passed so hastily that its wording could conceivably take down the entire military-industrial complex.  An article by Jason Linkins also points out that the scope of ACORN's fraud is barely a blip on the radar screen when compared with some of the other fraud being investigated right at this very moment.

There is water on the moon.  There is hope.

More tomorrow.