Repost – Blogger – October 10, 2007 – Yes, They Are Bigots

Posted on April 20, 2014 by hbreck

Reposted from Blogger

Yes, They Are Bigots – October 10, 2007

 

Barely coherent rant alert…


I was driving to my girlfriend’s place from work at about 3 pm today. I was scanning through the radio stations, when I came across someone talking about gay marriage. I always enjoy controversial topics, so I stay on the station for a minute. Fairly quickly, I realize the people talking are definitely against gay marriage. Mostly for religious regions, it appears. Obviously people I disagree with, but for some reason I ended up listening to the discussion for the entire 35 minute drive.

The hosts of the radio show (89.7 FM, which is either out of Baker University in Baldwin City, KS or it’s a station in Great Bend, KS) spent the half hour that I was listening talking about the issue with each other and several call-in guests. Now, I understand that there are people who don’t like gay people. But, it never fails to baffle me how people like that can justify their bigotry.

As I listened, several things stood out to me. First and foremost was the underdog mentality. To the people on this show (I never did catch the name of the show), the “gay agenda” is being foisted on them by a vast left wing conspiracy of “activists.” Repeatedly the word “juggernaut” was used. To these individuals, it is almost inevitable that gay marriage will soon be forced upon an unwary and apathetic populace. A common mentality among all sides of pretty much any political debate is that everyone is an underdog (of course, with the silent support of the the majority of the populace) and they are fighting the good fight against an implacable and unstoppable foe. The anti-gay hosts and callers of this show had this particular mentality in abundance. Despite the fact that a depressingly large majority of Americans seem to be against legal marriage for gays (according to recent polls).

Another common theme was the resentment. Resentment that people who are anti-gay are often labeled as bigots. The hosts mentioned several times that they don’t appreciate being compared to racists. They cite their support of interracial relationships as a sign of their lack of bigotry. Implicit in this observation is the unspoken statement that gay people are okay to discriminate against. They are apparently somehow less important or more dangerous than other marginalized groups of people. The hosts of this radio show seem to think gay people are less worthy of being treated like every other human being. That they are not worthy of the same rights as “straight” people. And why is that? Because the Bible says that gay people are inherently immoral. Because most conservative religious movements are afraid of or genuinely hate homosexuals. The hosts of the radio show that I listened to believe that people’s personal consensual relationships are reason enough to deny the same rights everyone else has to one group. What gay people do is apparently their business. And they feel that the “gay agenda” is a movement intended to corrupt their idea of civilization.

Wow.

Scary stuff, as far as I’m concerned. As I’ve said before, I’m not naive enough to be surprised by this. But the way people justify fear and ignorance still astounds and disgusts me. And yes, wanting to deny millions of people the same rights that the rest of the country gets because of their personal sexual preferences is bigotry. Some people just seem to have the urge to tell other people what to do. To tell other people not to be who they are. It sickens me. And when someone criticizes this bigotry, the bigots claim that THEY are the ones being discriminated against.

The hosts of the radio show seem to want the country run as a conservative Christian theocracy. One where millions of people would be treated like second-class citizens because they are different. Because they don’t conform to a narrow world-view. That’s not bigotry? What the hell? And when they mention the Constitution, the hypocrisy makes me nauseous. That little part about not basing any laws on religious reasons appears to elude these people.

I know, I know. There are many religious people who aren’t that ignorant. There are, in fact, many religious gays. That’s fine, but it scares me when people espouse the notion that millions of people are unworthy of marrying each other because of what’s written in a book. And the number of people who feel this way is vast. Possibly a majority of the United States.

The hosts of the radio show somehow feel that their “way of life” is being threatened. Because the “sacred institution of marriage” is being opened up in a handful of states to all citizens, these bigots think that gay people are fundamentally bad people, or at least morally inferior to heterosexuals. And then they cry when they are compared to racists. My goodness, how can they miss the hypocrisy?!

Before I let this rant get too out of hand, I better stop. I just want to conclude with an observation.

When people from other countries worry that America is full of crazy bigots and hate-mongers, this kind of thing is part of the reason. It isn’t helping our standing in the international community. Ignorant fear doesn’t solve problems or make friends. but, I guess to some people, that doesn’t matter.

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Repost – Blogger – April 27, 2007 – I Just Don’t Get It

Posted on April 20, 2014 by hbreck

Reposted From Blogger

I Just Don’t Get It – April 27, 2007

 

I was listening to a segment on NPR a few hours ago, that was discussing a ruling in New Hampshire that legalized civil unions for same-sex couples. Naturally, it was a contentious issue, one that riled up people on both sides. But, the more I listened to those who are opposed to same-sex unions, the more confused I became. The reason one guy gave for being against the civil unions had nothing to do with religion, or morality, or anything like that. He basically just finds gay people gross. He didn’t understand why gay people even exist. Listening to the program, I was shocked. I’m not trying to sound naive. I understand that there are ignorant people in the world. I understand that people are scared of things they don’t understand. But, it still bothers me. Gay people are human, just like straight people. They harm nobody by pursuing relationships with each other. And yet, people still seem to want to tell them not to do what comes naturally.

I guess this just comes down to my general attitude of civil libertarianism (small-l). If a person isn’t harming someone else, and their personal relations are between consenting adults, then they should be able to do pretty much what they want. Seems simple enough to me, and yet so many people don’t get it. One person complained that “this lifestyle is being forced on us,” or something of that nature. Really? I wanted to ask the guy who was forcing him to marry another man. I want to know why people feel so threatened by gay people being able to have legal civil unions.

I honestly do understand most of these attitudes come from ignorance and fear, but it doesn’t make it right. I just wish I knew what we could do to help people get over their fears. Because right now, fear often dictates legislation, and that is where our civil liberties become infringed. That to me is much scarier than whether or not consenting adults wish to engage in legal and completely harmless relationships.

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Repost – Blogger – April 8, 2007 & August 11, 2007 – “What the Hell is Wrong With Clay Chastain?” & “More on Clay”

Posted on April 20, 2014 by hbreck

Reposted from Blogger

What the Hell is Wrong With Clay Chastain? – February 7, 2007

More on Clay – August 11, 2007

I’m posting these together because they fit a common theme back in 2007. A “local” activist named Clay Chastain spent large amounts of time from his home in Bedford, Virginia campaigning to pass light rail proposals in my hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. All but one of his proposals failed at the ballot box, with the exception of one in 2006, which was essentially labeled as unfeasible by the city. Since that point, the city has passed a different proposal, and construction of this new light rail system is currently underway, as of April 2014.

What the Hell is Wrong With Clay Chastain? – February 7, 2007

Back in November 2006, voters in Kansas City unexpectedly approved a ballot issue which authorizes a 3/8-cent sales tax to pay for a light rail system. I was surprised that the light rail proposal passed, as several have been offered in the past decade or so, and every single one has not made it past the voters. This one did. Like the previous initiatives, this one was championed by Clay Chastain, a former KC resident and general annoyance.

Apparently, most people didn’t actually read any of the details of the proposal. The tax that was approved to pay for the construction of the system isn’t likely to come close to covering the enormous cost of the project. The proposed route essentially means shutting down Broadway, which may very well cripple traffic in Midtown. The gondolas Chastain wants in Penn Valley Park don’t meet federal guidelines. Due to the fact that the line would cross a bridge owned by the state, and pass through another city (Gladstone), there are many jurisdictional issues. Federal funding will be vital to the success of the light rail system, but there are no guarantees that the money will come.

I am not against the concept of light rail in Kansas City. One of this city’s weakest points is our lackluster public transportation system. A large land area, low population density, and a long local history of auto manufacturing means that we are much more dependent on cars than we should be. The problem is, the plans that Chastain constantly forces down our throats have all been unrealistic and unfeasible. The plan that actually passed is one of the worst yet.

City Manager Wayne Cauthen has stated that there is a need to rework the light rail proposal into something more workable. A tweaked ballot initiative with a shorter route (preferably down Main St. instead of Broadway) and a greater understanding of city infrastructure is required. Almost everybody who has actually studied the plans seems to agree. And yet, Chastain, who isn’t even a resident of the city anymore, is threatening to sue unless the proposal is carried out in exactly the way that he wants it. Is this guy trying to destroy KC? Does he really dislike this town as much as his actions indicate?

This whole situation reminds me of a Simpsons episode, “Marge vs. the Monorail.” In the episode (which was actually a nice homage to “The Music Man”), a huckster from out-of-town named Lyle Lanley shows up at a town meeting with an idea for how to spend a large surplus of money that was recently acquired. He proposes that the town build a monrail for public transportation. He sings, dances, makes the idea sound good, and cons the town into going for it. The monorail itself turns out to be a relic from the 1964 World’s Fair, and is a deathtrap. The entire monorail is a disaster. Does this episode sound familiar? Sly out-of-towner bamboozles town into building a costly public transportation system that has disaster written all over it from day one? Hell, they even both have alliterative names! In all seriousness, the City Council, the Mayor (both outgoing and incoming), and the City Manager should all put their foot down and tell Lyle Lanley, I mean, Clay Chastain, to back off and let us fix the mess he started. One man should not be allowed to wreck Kansas City.

More on Clay – August 11, 2007

Why can’t Clay Chastain just leave us alone? What did we do to him? I was listening to Chastain rant and rave on Steve Kraske’s show on KCUR Friday morning. Clay was argumentative, repetitive, and completely irrational. So one would ask, how is this any different from normal? Truthfully it’s not, but that’s part of the problem.

 

Chastain spent the interview arguing with the other guests, and hammering the same tired, discredited points over and over again. His light rail plan will cost MUCH more than what he claims. Including inflation (remember, even if his plan did get approved, actual work wouldn’t start for 5 or 6 years), his projected cost for the light rail proposal falls nearly a billion short. Even without inflation, he’s still 500 million short.

So Clay’s not an economist. So? Well, he’s also not much of a civil planner. His idea is to cross the Heart of America bridge and head north to the airport. It has been established by city engineers that the bridge cannot handle the weight of the trains and the infrastructure required to support them. His solution? A stoplight. That’s right, a friggin’ stoplight, to keep cars and trucks off the bridge while the train passes. Yeah, that makes sense. Even though he’s been told that the bridge can’t handle a train with or without cars, he still stubbornly clings to his stoplight idea. Why? Because reinforcing or replacing the bridge would cost at least 60 million.

 

Let’s see, what else is wrong with his plan? Oh yeah, Broadway. That’s right, Broadway is the main drag he wants the track to take. Businesses on Broadway have all objected to having light rail run down their street. Broadway was not built to handle light rail. Main Street, on the other hand, is. Businesses on Main want light rail. Light rail actually makes more sense on Main than on Broadway. So, of course, Clay wants light rail on Broadway instead. Jeez…

After all of this, Clay still is threatening to sue the city if they decide to propose a new plan. He’s been told that his idea as it stands now is unfeasible. He knows that the current city council and Mayor Funkhouser all want some form of light rail. Why does he have to be so irrational about this? For someone who doesn’t live here, he’s awfully obsessed with messing with the town.

 

I understand that his proposal did pass. I understand that the voters agreed to it. But I also understand a little common sense is in order. The description on the ballot was long, complicated, and I imagine very few people actually read all of it. The voters also didn’t realize the many errors in planning and funding that the proposal’s architect made. So, I don’t see the problem in throwing out something that simply won’t work, and replacing it with a new, more moderate and sensible proposal. I don’t think it’s undemocratic. The people of Kansas City will still get a chance at light rail. Hopefully though, with a plan that won’t screw up the city. Hopefully crafted by someone with some sense, and without an axe to grind.

Forgive me for constantly ranting about Clay Chastain, but I feel a certain amount of outrage. Here is a man who is hell-bent on spending taxpayer money on unfeasible projects. He’s correct in that Kansas City needs better public transportation. But, spending money that isn’t there for a huge train system that nobody will use is just plain lunacy. I personally think he should be banned from proposing ANYTHING for Kansas City again. Especially considering HE’S NOT A RESIDENT OF KANSAS CITY. I don’t care that he used to live here. He moved away, so he shouldn’t continue to haunt us.

 

Phew, that feels better…

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Repost – Blogger – February 7, 2007 – “Stereotypes in race and sports”

Posted on April 20, 2014 by hbreck

Reposted from Blogger

Stereotypes in Race and Sports – February 7, 2007

I was listening to Dan Patrick’s radio show a couple weeks ago, and he came to an interesting topic. Dan and Keith Olbermann were discussing Joe Biden and George W. Bush’s recent comments describing Barack Obama as “clean” and “articulate”. Naturally, comments like that would cause an uproar, or at the very least, plenty of heated discussion. Dan and Keith were discussing those comments as seen through the filters of a sports fan. In sports, there are often coded words used to describe certain athletes of every race. “Clean” and “articulate” are often used to describe a black athlete who is generally media friendly. “Well-spoken” is another code phrase. Obviously, the general idea is that people are surprised to find out that a black person can actually be articulate and clean, and this is somehow a cause for astonishment and celebration. I do realize that words like that may not be intended by the speaker to be condescending, but in this age of political correctness, it would be naive of most people not to recognize how those words can sound.

I’m sure that Biden and Bush were not consciously using those words to express surprise at Obama’s intelligence or cleanliness, but they should have realized how it sounded. What, did they expect a United States Senator to be inarticulate? To have poor hygenie? To act like a punk or thug? To walk around acting like every negative sterotype of African-Americans? Bush isn’t that bright, but his handlers should have known better than to let him say that. Biden should have known better, period.

A lot of white Americans don’t seem to realize that blacks are not some monolithic, static group. There is huge variation between them. Some are smart and successful, some aren’t. Just like every ethnic group. Calling a black person, athlete or not, “articulate” and “well spoken” makes it sound like they aren’t normally that way. It is condscending, unconscious or not. In the sports world, you hear those cliches a lot. Black athletes are also often described as “athletic” and “physically gifted”, while their white counterparts are “gritty”, “hard working”, and “blue collar”. The idea there is that white guys can’t be good athletes, and have to compensate for their lack of athleticism with guts and determination. Conversely, black guys are naturally athletic, and don’t have to work hard to succeed.

These stereotypes are obviously absurd on the surface. And they aren’t usually meant to be used to stereotype people. I personally don’t try to find conspiracies and hidden meanings in everything. Sometimes though, these are code words used to describe someone’s actual feelings. And sometimes, the meanings behind these phrases are unconcious, playing at the stereotypes that many people often think of without realizing it.

Language can be a powerful thing. And when misused, it can hurt, even unintentionally. I don’t believe in censorship. Free speech is incredibly important. However, one consequence of free speech is the potential backlash from poorly thought-out commentary. Sure, Tim Hardaway can say he hates gay people, but he needs to be prepared for the understandable reactions to his ignorance. And senators and presidents can use thinly-veiled racial codes out of either malice or ignorance. But they shouldn’t be too surprised at the responses their words generate.

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Reposts from the old blog

Posted on April 20, 2014 by hbreck

I’m currently going over my old “askewedperspective” blog from Blogger. I still plan to re-post a few “classics,” but it won’t be all of them. Some of them are lists and vacation photographs, which I will try to avoid on this new blog, at least for the time being. For those who care, the links to the original Blogger pages are on my first post from yesterday.

I will try to avoid editing them, partially for the sake of continuity, partially for honestly, and mostly out of laziness. These are an accurate representation of where my mind was in 2007-2010. I may tweak a few obvious spelling and grammar errors, should they pop out at me, but that will be about it. Facebook notes that fit the same sort of political themes will also be added here.

Hopefully soon I will start posting some of my incoherent ramblings.

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First post on the new blog

Posted on April 19, 2014 by hbreck

For a few years, I posted irregularly on Blogspot, later Blogger. My last post was in 2010, and I just haven’t written much in the last 3+ years. Life, work, people, and excuses tended to get in the way.

Things have changed, lately. In the last few weeks, I’ve been writing more, and the current American and world political climate is quite inspiring to a wanna-be writer. I’m going to be another jackass voice in the increasingly-crowded world of 1’s and 0’s, and do my best to distinguish myself from the crowd, at least a little.

My primary points of interest are politics, science, and boxing. My previous Blogger accounts were divided into a general political/current events commentary blog, with some personal diaries mixed in, and also a boxing blog. All my boxing posts were originally published on http://www.eastsideboxing.com. I plan to restart both blogs, but the boxing blog will likely start in a week or two. The primary political/science/current events blog is going to be this one. I will keep the personal stuff to a minimum for now. If a reader cares enough to know more about me, and isn’t satisfied with the next few paragraphs, I have a Facebook page, and even a rarely-used Twitter account.

I plan to repost most (not all) of my Blogger entries, primarily for the sake of continuity, and also because I like what I wrote, and I think most of those posts are still relevant, despite the entries being 4-7 years old.

I plan to update as regularly as time and motivation permits, but it will probably average out to about two posts a month. I hope to make them interesting enough to warrant some readership, though I’m not arrogant enough to think I’m going to inspire or change many minds. I just have opinions, like everyone else, and I enjoy writing about them.

I also write some fiction, and may eventually add a third blog to highlight some of the fiction, though that’s probably a few months down the road.

In the meantime, here I am. A quick biography is about to ensue. Please skip ahead if this part is going to put you to sleep. My name is Hunter Breckenridge, I’m from Kansas City, MO, USA, and I’m an “aspiring” writer and novelist, and have dabbled professionally in security, software development, taxes, telecommunications, political campaign work, and the occasional bouncing gig. Hey, sometimes you just need to kick a drunk out of a bar.

I enjoy writing, reading, rock climbing, hiking, exploring, trying not to break my car while making it impractically faster, cycling, boxing, most martial arts (Chinese in particular), baseball, music (blues, jazz, 90’s alt rock, industrial metal), science, technology, space exploration, languages, politics, and world affairs. The politics and world affairs are what I’m going to be concentrating on with this blog.

For an idea of what you’re going to see, I am an outspoken liberal (in the modern American sense of the word). I believe in regulated markets, progressive taxation, laissez-faire attitudes toward people’s personal lives, and a general sense of fairness. Universal single-payer health care, drug decriminalization, and some gun control are just fine with me. Gay marriage, liberal abortion laws, and the end of the death penalty are okay with me, too. Teachers should be paid at a minimum 50% more in every public school in America, and NASA’s budget should be tripled. I believe humanity’s future will eventually depend on expansion into space and it’s not too early to start exploring.

Government is not the problem (not exclusively), and can certainly be an answer. Having said that, government needs to be as democratic, open, transparent, and accountable as possible. Current campaign contribution laws seriously diminish the effectiveness and accountability of government. So yes, I’m pretty damn liberal.

I’m not anti-military, and I believe the U.S. armed forces can be a force for good in the world. However, the fact that the U.S. spends as much as the next 14 highest-spending countries combined seriously undermines what the government can do for the people. Even a 25% reduction would leave so much more for actual infrastructural improvements and social welfare enhancements. And we could still kick anyone else’s ass, should it be needed.

I also believe religion in general tends to be much more of a force for evil than good, though exceptions do exist. Religion tends to make people intellectually lazy and complacent. It hinders progress. There is value in questioning everything, including god. In fact, that’s what science is all about.

Yes, I’m a loud-mouthed  liberal atheist. And I will argue my point until you drop. But I also value debate and disagreement. Even the most intelligent and thoughtful people become fat and corrupt when left unopposed. I value a good fight, too, but without taking things too personally. Life is too short to be hateful over anything, including politics.

My first full post on my old Blogger account was a short obituary of Molly Ivins, and I will post that, and other old ones in the next few days. A couple posts that I only placed on my Facebook account will be added, as well. Newer content should follow in the next week.

In case you want to see what I wrote on my old blogs, here are the links:

 

http://askewedperspective.blogspot.com/

http://www.hunterboxing.blogspot.com/

 

Welcome to the slightly scattered contents of my brain! Don’t be afraid. This will be fun. Well, for me, anyway.

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