tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76462204151086060152024-03-21T03:37:37.633-07:00thefreshmexWhere politics and cats come together.Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-56290918925625019822015-09-19T12:19:00.000-07:002015-09-19T12:21:09.440-07:00Why I'm joining the 50,000 Latinos greeting Pope Francis in Washington, D.C. next week<span id="docs-internal-guid-67ecefa7-e70c-b8a2-f576-85b6b0821ff1"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was a single photograph that finally convinced me there was something very different about Pope Francis.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thinking about it, I could claim his openness to the LGBT community is what maybe won me over.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has goodwill, who am I to judge?”</span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/30/world/europe/pope-francis-gay-priests.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> he said in response to a question about ordaining gay priests.</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> It was a striking different tone than his predecessor, who once called homosexuality an “intrinsic moral evil.”</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I could claim that what I love most about Pope Francis was the moment when he — the spiritual leader of over one billion followers —</span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/06/pope-francis-sick-man-boils_n_4227595.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> stopped his Vatican City motorcade to embrace and kiss a disfigured man</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in a simple moment of humanity.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But what it really is, what really draws me and millions of other Latinos to him, is his message of compassion, dignity, and justice for immigrants, migrants, and refugees.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I knew something was very different when I saw the</span><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/worldnews/10166511/Pope-Francis-visit-to-Lampedusa.html?frame=2611649" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> image of Pope Francis</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> throwing a wreath into sea off the small Italian island of Lampedusa, in memory of the thousands of desperate African refugees and migrants who had drowned — and continue to drown — trying to reach the safety of Europe.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Who cried for the deaths of these brothers and sisters?”</span><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-07-08/pope-francis-condemns-indifference-to-world-s-migrants" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> he asked the world.</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> “We have become used to the suffering of others. It doesn’t affect us. It doesn’t interest us. It’s not our business.”</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In blasting “the globalisation of indifference,” Pope Francis lifts up our immigrant families when it feels like they’ve been all but discarded and forgotten by our legislators. It’s why next week, I’ll be one of the</span><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/worldnews/10166511/Pope-Francis-visit-to-Lampedusa.html?frame=2611649" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> estimated 50,000 Latinos trekking to Washington, D.C.</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for his historic visit and speech before a joint session of Congress.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many of us are making this journey because the Pope’s message is one we desperately long and need to hear right now.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the leading Republican candidate for President disgraces our political conversation with racist accusations that our immigrant family members are criminals and “rapists” — and other Republican candidates who claim to be friends to the immigrant community join in — the Pope’s words are,</span><a href="http://americasvoice.org/blog/in-floor-speech-rep-gutierrez-calls-pontiffs-upcoming-us-visit-the-antidote-to-trumps-anti-immigrant-venom/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> as Rep. Luis Gutierrez recently said, an “antidote” to the poison.</span></a></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m looking forward to meeting the people who make up our American immigrant community.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I write,</span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/we-belong-together/open-letter-presidential-candidates-100-immigrant-women_b_8154304.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 100 women are walking 100 miles</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> — a pilgrimage from Pennsylvania to D.C. that is spanning the course of seven days — to greet Pope Francis with messages of dignity and compassion for immigrants and refugees.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the pilgrims, Esmeralda, is walking for her husband, who is an undocumented immigrant. Esmeralda is also a cancer survivor, and up until a month ago, couldn’t even move without the aid of a walker. But when she heard that a group of women would be making this journey, she just knew she had to be a part of it.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today, wearing a bandana on her bald head and tearfully holding a picture of her husband and son,</span><a href="https://youtu.be/QROw8mi_8s4" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> she was part of a video</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> marking the completion of the 28-mile mark of their journey. And, she proudly announced, she was going to finish the walk, too.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shortly after his Washington, D.C. visit,</span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pope-francis-meet-refugees_55e8a384e4b0aec9f356a801" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Pope Francis is also expected to meet with and bless</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> a small group of undocumented immigrants and refugees in New York City — many of whom fled violence in Central America — and will hold a Mass at Madison Square Garden on a chair built by the hands of three immigrant day laborers.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/19/opinion/building-a-chair-simple-enough-for-a-pope.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">According to the New York Times,</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the three men etched their names onto the back of the chair. It perfectly symbolizes the special connection between Latinos, immigrants, and this Pontiff.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But, most of all, I hope the Pope’s message reaches those whose hearts have closed to the immigrant. I hope it reaches those who have forgotten this country was built on the backs of and by the hands of immigrants. I hope it reaches those who use the Bible to oppress their fellow American, yet forget the Bible also preaches to welcome the stranger, because we were once strangers, too.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the pilgrims from the 100 mile walk,</span><a href="http://americasvoice.org/blog/pilgrimage-for-the-pope-a-salve-against-trump/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in an interview with columnist Maribel Hastings</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, but it best:</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“As the highest authority he can change the mindset of those who are anti-immigrant, because he will touch their hearts as he has done with each one of us.”</span></div>
</span>Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-23678858733424572372015-03-28T17:25:00.002-07:002015-03-31T06:28:35.658-07:0020 years later, why Selena remains iconic to LatinosThe young Tejano music star had been breaking concert attendance records in Texas and had released a string of bestselling Latin RIAA-certified albums, but to the general American audience, she remained a virtual unknown.<br />
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That all changed on March 31, 1995.<br />
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Throughout the day, Latino families -- mine included -- were transfixed to their televisions as Spanish-language media broadcast a hostage situation at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas.<br />
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With a SWAT team encircling, Yolanda Saldivar, a former nurse turned low-level music executive, had cordoned herself off in her red truck, gun pointed at her temple, and, in between cell phone calls with a FBI Crisis Negotiation unit, was threatening to pull the trigger.<br />
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It was the same gun she had used to murder Selena Quintanilla Perez just hours before.<br />
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Selena’s murder rocked the Latino world, the Tejano music industry, and American pop culture. Fans had seen her career skyrocket from playing local parties, to a record-breaking concert before 69,000 fans at the Houston Astrodome just a month before her death. She’d won her first Grammy Award in 1994, and in that same year released Amor Prohibido, selling 500,000 units in the United States -- almost unheard of for a Spanish-language album in the U.S. music industry.<br />
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The record’s success had set the stage for the singer’s next move, and the realization of her own life-long dream: To release a crossover English-language album. In fact, on the very day of her death, she was set to go to the studio. But in a matter of a few hours, her dream -- along with those who in her saw their own struggles and aspirations -- was gone.<br />
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To Latinos, especially young girls, Selena represented more than a singer who mesmerized audiences in her now-famous bustiers. In an English-language-dominated American culture, when few -- if any -- brown faces made it onto MTV or the Billboard Hot 100 chart, she was their lone voice and hope that maybe one day there could be space for them, too.<br />
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To these young girls, Selena was more than a superstar -- she represented their dreams.<br />
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U.S.-Latinos struggling to find an understanding between their own American and Mexican identities connected to her as well. When U.S. media termed Selena the “Mexican Madonna” in an effort to familiarize her with white audiences, some Latinos felt frustration. Selena was a third-generation Mexican-American, born in the U.S. like her father and his father before him, no less American than Madonna. But still, she was cast as a stranger in her own home.<br />
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And like other Mexican-Americans, Selena also struggled to find a way to connect to her ancestry. During a promotional visit to Mexico (a moment later popularized in the biographical film about her life) she feared her rough conversational Spanish would leave her at the mercy of press and Mexican audiences (a popular Spanish saying, ‘ni de aquí ni de allá,’ ‘from neither here nor there,’ comes to mind).<br />
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Rather than facing a potentially embarrassing moment in front of the cameras, Selena greeted the three dozen Mexican reporters one-by-one in her choppy Spanish, and substituting English when she didn't know the word. By the end of the press tour, one paper had dubbed her <i>"una artista del pueblo" -- "</i>an artist of the people."<br />
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"(Selena) represents a young, Hispanic girl — equal parts Mexican and American — who was successful and unabashedly living her dream, but never abandoning her identity," Betty Cortina, editorial director of Latina magazine, later wrote. "There was a great amount of pride when she was on stage because she was representing who we are. She was the quintessential American success story, and to have that cut off is tragic."<br />
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In death, Selena achieved near-sainthood status in Latino households, and the reaction to her killing marked the start of a cultural shift in American pop culture. When her English-language album -- 1995’s Dreaming Of You -- was posthumously released, it sold a staggering 331,000 copies in its first week (a then-record for a female artist). It eventually sold almost four million units, setting yet another record for a Latino artist that still stands today. <br />
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By the end of the 1990’s, Selena had been declared the best-selling Latin artist of the decade.<br />
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Later, when <i>People</i> released a commemorative issue about the singer, few at the magazine thought it would sell. Publishers were shocked when the issue sold one million copies, and then its entire run within a matter of weeks. Editor Betty Cortina called it “unheard of,” and it was credited with sparking the start of Spanish-language magazines like <i>People en Español </i>and <i>Latina. </i>The singer also arguably paved the way for future Latino artists, including Jennifer Lopez, who, in the film about Selena’s life, became the first Latina to earn $1 million for a film role.<br />
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20 years later after death, Selena still resonates with Latinos as much as she did when she famously twirled on the stage of the Houston Astrodome in 1995. To Latinos, especially the generation who grew up with her, Selena remains a source of pride, iconic and unmatchable, but still representative of who they are and who they can become. Perhaps Jennifer Lopez, in an interview to Billboard, sums it up best:<br />
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“It has always bugged me that people would try to think that there's a ‘next Selena.’ It's like saying there's another James Dean or Marilyn Monroe. People like that don't come along every day. There is never going to be another Selena.”Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-28554905375309929042015-03-23T18:20:00.000-07:002015-09-19T12:22:16.301-07:00Cuban Ted Cruz is running for President -- and it won’t help his party’s “Latino Problem” one bit.<div dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">After going from “self-deportation” to “mass-deportation” in a scant two years, most Republicans still concerned about their party’s national relevancy would probably be thrilled at the thought of running a Latino candidate in 2016.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What better way to start making amends with Latinos than to run a candidate they can relate to? Someone who might sound and look like them, someone who might even know the challenges that Latinos, immigrants, and their families face on a daily basis.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well, unless that candidate’s name happens to be Ted Cruz.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cruz made his 2016 announcement late Sunday evening -- and Republican reactions were all over the map. The RNC account, @GOP, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/GOP/status/580036310175481856" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">tweeted a polite congratulations.</span></a><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> But their Spanish counterpart, @RNCLatinos, </span><a href="http://act.mtv.com//wp-content/uploads/act/2014/06/ShrugEmoticon-1024x682.jpg" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">zipped their lips,</span></a><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> instead preferring to continue talking Hillary Clinton’s emails, RNC Chair Reince Priebus’s birthday, and other issues apparently of dire importance to Latinos.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some might argue, </span><span style="color: black; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well, Ted Cruz is Latino, an immigrant’s son. Shouldn’t that help the GOP? Shouldn’t that impress Latinos just a bit?</span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Under other circumstances, maybe. But we’re talking Ted Cruz here. And when it comes to relationships with Latinos and immigrants, few others in the Senate have managed to be as contentious, as combative, and as toxic as him. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After all, this is the same Ted Cruz who, when Mitt Romney’s landslide defeat among Latinos spurred some Senate Republicans to finally do</span><span style="color: black; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> something</span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> -- anything! -- on immigration reform, </span><a href="http://americasvoice.org/blog/reflections-for-sen-cruz-why-citizenship-matters/" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">proposed a nasty amendment</span></a><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> preventing all undocumented immigrants from ever being able to attain citizenship. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the same Ted Cruz who not only </span><a href="http://americasvoice.org/blog/sen-durbin-slams-ted-cruz-campaign-end-daca-deporting-dreamers-country/" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">proposed ending DACA</span></a><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for hundreds of thousands of young DREAMers, </span><a href="http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/ted-cruz-immigration-swing-2016" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">but also managed to blame them</span></a><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for the child refugee crisis -- kids escaping rape and death from countries like Honduras, the murder capital of the world -- last summer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And this is the same Ted Cruz who called ending President Obama’s immigration action protecting millions of immigrant moms and dads from deportation his “</span><a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/ted-cruz-next-fight-immigration-109017.html?hp=t1" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">top priority</span></a><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.” What a Republican champion for immigrants and Latinos, right?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So it should come as no surprise that Latino Decisions, the foremost polling firm on issues facing U.S. Latinos, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/LatinoDecisions/status/579793823036882944" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">has Cruz losing the Latino vote</span></a><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> so badly (73% to 24), he makes Mitt Romney look as popular as Ricky Martin.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even if Cruz doesn’t manage to become his party’s nominee (</span><span style="color: #545454; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">¡</span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">JAJAJAJ!) and instead gets picked to be a VP running mate, 49% of Latinos say they would be </span><span style="color: black; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">less</span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> likely to vote for the GOP ticket as a result.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cruz doesn’t put a band-aid on the GOP’s Latino Problem -- he makes it hemorrhage. And if Republicans truly are sincere about repairing their burned bridges with Latinos, they’ll stay as far away from him as possible.</span></div>
Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-83541101432429391342014-07-23T14:51:00.000-07:002014-07-23T14:51:19.390-07:00This left me speechless.Powerful.<br />
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<br />Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-7347000269308354172013-11-16T09:49:00.002-08:002013-11-16T09:52:08.226-08:00Disfigured man embraced by Pope Francis: "I felt only love."I can't forget this image.<br />
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The pictures of Pope Francis embracing a man suffering from <i>neurofibromatosis</i> have made even the most cynical of religion pause at a man who seems to be the polar opposite of his predecessor (<i>whatever did happen to that guy?</i>). </div>
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My Twitter pal <a href="https://twitter.com/HolaBrody" target="_blank">@HolaBrody</a> found <a href="http://news.panorama.it/cronaca/Papa-Francesco-Bergoglio-neurofibromatosi-benedizione" target="_blank">an Italian-language interview</a> with the man embraced by the Pope, but I've been unable to find anything in English. I tried plugging the article into Google Translate, but the English-language results were horrendous. Using it to translate from Italian to Spanish, however, wasn't as bad. </div>
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A couple of very moving excerpts from the interview with him: </div>
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<i><b>"I tried to speak, but nothing came out. I was too emotional."</b></i></div>
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<i><b>"The Pope was not afraid of me...he hugged me."</b></i></div>
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<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
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<i><b>"I'm not contagious, but he didn't know that...when he touched my face, I felt only love."</b></i></div>
Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-79700167311632892952013-09-12T05:41:00.003-07:002013-09-12T05:41:36.411-07:00Oh boy.I spent a morning at an anti-immigration rally. With the Tea Party. In Arizona. And survived.<div>
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Check out the blog post <a href="http://americasvoiceonline.org/blog/deflated-anti-immigrant-tour-involves-violent-note/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-44567855193213596122013-07-08T18:42:00.001-07:002013-07-09T06:13:51.242-07:00Dear anti-choice men of America: Let's make a dealOne thing that really irritates the eff out of me is the angry, anti-choice American man.<br />
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Not just any man. This kind of man:<br />
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Unless you're the product of some medical miracle, you don't regret your abortion, buddy. That's because you've never had one, and never will.<br />
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I was raised by women in a house of women. I leave the subject of abortion up to them, and I support them if they've accessed this medical procedure, and I support them if they've chosen not too. In fact, my sisters are divided about it.<br />
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This kind of decision is not up for me to make.<br />
<br />
I'll never be pregnant. They have been.<br />
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But some men, like the man above, see it as their job to become the primary custody-holders of a woman's private area.<br />
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Life begins at conception, they argue. Someone must stand for the voiceless. Someone must protect life, no matter how small it seems.<br />
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<i>Someone must protect life, no matter how small it seems.</i><br />
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Alright, guys. Then let's make a deal and put your money where your mouth is.<br />
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You argue that all living things deserve a chance to live. So if a fertilized egg deserves a chance to live, you would obviously agree that sperm deserve the same. Sperm, after all, is <i>alive</i>. Carbon-based lifeforms created by the Almighty.<br />
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I feel you hesitate, Mr. Man. It's alright. This is where the woman comes into play. Much like you've assumed the role of Great Protector of the Vagina, a woman can do the same to a penis.<br />
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With proper legislation, women will make sure you don't let your hand wander down to murder your unborn while scrubbing in the tub or looking at pictures of Kate Upton.<br />
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Women will make sure to shove the law of the land down your crotch, because even if they don't have penises, they know better than you.<br />
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And women will make sure to march into the halls of state legislatures across the nation to make sure that you are subjected to a government-mandated ultrasound if you are caught touching your no-no area. After all, that's life you've just taken.<br />
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No matter how small.Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-73858575309442895192013-07-03T10:48:00.003-07:002013-07-03T10:49:15.506-07:00An honor, really<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After his asshat actions in Texas recently, it's an honor. Really.</div>
Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-2268620650095213842013-04-28T18:14:00.001-07:002013-04-28T18:23:30.504-07:00Sarah Palin hates the WHCD event assclowns. Except for when she attended in 2011Oh, Sarah Palin.<br />
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I'm soon reaching a point where I'll no longer be able to write about Alaska's most famous unemployed hillbilly without gagging -- even at this blog, where my readership extends to only my mom -- but I couldn't resist this gem.<br />
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Last night, the Quitter-in-Chief angrily tweeted about the 2013 White House Correspondents Dinner (no Facebook post though -- in between sharing cat pictures, those are reserved for world events only). It seems Sarah was irritated that even Newt Gingrich and his latest wife were extended invitations, but nothing managed to make its way to Wasilla:<br />
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Funny. Sarah didn't seem to feel that way when her husband Todd attended WHCD events in 2009:<br />
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She also didn't remember to call out the event when she attended WHCD after-parties in 2011:<br />
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I'm sure it simply slipped Sarah's mind, especially after that drink from Maddow at the "lamestream media" MSNBC party:<br />
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Jealousy is a hell of drug.Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-63240172212321893712013-04-18T20:44:00.002-07:002013-04-20T12:48:36.553-07:00When it comes to Texas, everything is bigger. Including the greedTexas Governor Rick Perry want his federal disaster dollars, and he wants them now.<br />
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"We greatly appreciate [President Obama's] call, and his gracious offer of support, of course, and the quick turnaround of the emergency declaration that will be forthcoming, and his offer of prayers," <a href="http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/04/18/rick-perry-asks-obama-for-a-quick-turnaround-on-federal-aid-after-explosion/" target="_blank">Perry said at a press conference</a> following the tragic explosion at a fertilizer plant in Waco earlier this week.<br />
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It's quite a change from the Rick Perry of GOP presidential primary yesteryear, who not only railed on <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/05/22/1093906/-Obama-did-not-go-on-federal-spending-binge-Pace-of-increase-now-lowest-it-has-been-in-decades" target="_blank">imaginary claims of overblown federal spending</a> during his short-lived campaign, but also <a href="http://americablog.com/2012/11/draft-let-the-south-secede.html" target="_blank">threatened to secede from the United States</a> (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCyTQEANlmM" target="_blank">if only he could remember how to</a>).<br />
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None of that matters now apparently. Rick wants his federal bucks. No matter that he once called President Obama's stimulus "failed," and then took $17.4 billion in stimulus to plug the hole in his state's budget -- twice.<br />
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No matter that those same evil stimulus dollars saved or created 50,000 jobs in his state.<br />
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No matter that Texas remains the <a href="http://farm.ewg.org/region.php?fips=48000">number one recipient of USDA farm subsidies</a>, having received $25.9 billion in federal funds from 1995-2011.<br />
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And, worst of all, no matter that Texas' delegation in Congress voted AGAINST Hurricane Sandy aid. That includes Senator Ted Cruz, who dared to call the relief <a href="http://blog.chron.com/txpotomac/2013/04/commentary-after-opposing-superstorm-sandy-pork-will-ted-cruz-vote-against-emergency-aid-for-texas/" target="_blank">"pork."</a><br />
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When it comes to Texas, everything is bigger. Including the greed.Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-91804168662284657682013-04-03T17:25:00.002-07:002013-04-03T17:27:20.045-07:00NC GOPers want to make Christianity the official state religion. No, really.It seems "small-government" Republicans in North Carolina aren't satisfied enough just <a href="http://thefreshmex.blogspot.com/2013/03/north-carolina-republicans-are-coming.html" target="_blank">regulating your marriage</a> (I'm talking about you, heterosexuals).<br />
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Now they want to thumb their nose at the Constitution and <a href="http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/04/03/17588359-next-stage-in-the-culture-war-official-state-religions?lite" target="_blank">declare an official religion in the state</a>, a clear violation of the Establishment Clause of the Bill of Rights. They go even further by seeking to nullify any federal ruling against public prayer across the state.<br />
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That prayer being Christian, of course. Don't get any ideas, Muslims.<br />
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Maddow's Steve Benen adds that the legislation refuses "to acknowledge the force of any judicial ruling on prayer in North Carolina – or indeed on any Constitutional topic."<br />
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"These North Carolina Republicans are arguing, with a straight face, that
U.S. courts can't decide what's constitutional under the U.S.
Constitution," he adds.<br />
<br />
"They're also arguing that the First Amendment doesn't
apply to North Carolina, so they're free to make their faith the
official religion on their state."<br />
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You want a theocracy, North Carolina? Try Iran.<br />
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<br />Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-47947455049663985662013-04-01T15:00:00.000-07:002013-04-01T15:15:13.148-07:00Is your seven-year-old failing in math? Tennessee Republicans are prepared to let you starveLawmakers in the state legislature have advanced a bill that would tie the assistance families get to the educational performance of the kids in those families.<br />
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This means kids with problems in math or English would not only have to worry about that dreaded quiz tomorrow, but they would also have to worry that a failing grade will mean their families will not eat.<br />
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<a href="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/04/01/1802811/tennessee-advances-legislation-that-would-tie-welfare-to-childrens-grades/" target="_blank">From Think Progress:</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Tennessee already ties welfare to education by mandating a 20 percent
cut in benefits if students do not meet attendance standards, but this
change would place the burden of maintaining benefits squarely on
children, who would face costing their family much-needed assistance if
they don’t keep up in school. </blockquote>
Another reminder that for Republicans, a child matters most in the womb. After that, you're on your own.Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-78915443988180301632013-03-30T11:31:00.001-07:002013-03-30T11:31:48.947-07:00North Carolina Republicans are coming for your marriages now, straight peopleThe anti-gay activists who insist government has a role in "protecting traditional marriage" are about shoot themselves in the foot.<br />
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That's because Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are <a href="http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/gop-lawmakers-in-north-carolina-want-to-make" target="_blank">proposing a bill</a> that could make couples (the gays warned they'd come for you too, straight people) wait up to two years before being granted a divorce.<br />
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The "Healthy Marriage Act" doesn't even stop there. During those two years, couples would be forced to take marriage counseling classes. And if you've got kids, add another class about the negative effects your divorce will have on them.<br />
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So much for "small-government" Republicans, eh?<br />
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This proposal may actually end up having an inadvertent, pro-equality effect. If you believe that the government has a right to prevent gays and lesbians from marrying, why can't the government make sure you don't leave your own wife for that stewardess? Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-8789375350104707582013-03-25T19:39:00.001-07:002013-03-25T19:39:44.342-07:00Coretta Scott King at the 1996 Atlanta Pride Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-38659931442345631882013-03-24T09:05:00.000-07:002013-03-24T09:05:25.386-07:00Starbucks CEO's reply to angry anti-gay shareholder: "You can sell your shares"After Starbucks announced support of marriage equality, anti-gay bigots went bonkers, including launching a failed boycott that actually resulted in an <a href="http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/nom-boycott-so-effective-starbucks-shareholders-earned-38-percent-return/politics/2013/03/22/63026" target="_blank">increased shareholder return</a> for the company.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/watch-starbucks-ceo-tell-anti-gay-activist-lgbt-equality-matters-you-can-sell-your-shares/politics/2013/03/24/63149" target="_blank">Last week at a shareholder meeting</a>, an anti-gay activist disappointed with the company's pro-gay stance publicly threatened CEO Howard Schultz with another boycott.<br />
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Schultz's response?<br />
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"You can sell your shares of Starbucks and buy shares in another company. Thank you very much."<br />
<br />
Gotta love that free market. Right, #tcot?Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-52567417311084716632013-03-17T19:09:00.002-07:002013-03-17T19:09:35.320-07:00White House sources: Obama to nominate first Latino to second-term's cabinetWhite Houses sources say President Obama <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/obama-expected-nominate-perez-labor-post-003452015--finance.html;_ylt=A2KJ2Pbjc0ZR6DwAsULQtDMD" target="_blank">will nominate</a> the Justice Department's Thomas Perez to head the Labor Department, replacing outgoing Hilda Solis.<br />
<br />
Perez will become the first Latino chosen for Obama'a second-term cabinet.<br />
<br />
Perez currently serves as the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, confirmed by a 77-22 vote after Republicans blocked his nomination over his record on immigration matters, and
the fictional controversy over the administration's dismissal a New Black Panther Party case.Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-40650221062533423202013-03-17T18:20:00.000-07:002013-03-17T18:20:35.684-07:00Senate's Gang of Eight plans to alter waiting periods in upcoming immigration legislationThe NY Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/18/us/politics/senate-groups-immigration-plan-would-alter-waiting-periods.html?hp&_r=0" target="_blank">is reporting</a> that the Senate's Gang of Eight will propose immigration reform legislation with an altered waiting period for green cards and citizenship.<br />
<br />
While the proposed bill will cut down the waiting period for citizenship from five years, to a reduced three years, it will lengthen the waiting period for permanent residency from eight years, to ten years.<br />
<br />
This move is seen as accommodating Republicans who feel undocumented immigrants should face longer waiting periods, claiming they are "cutting in front" of others also waiting for legalization.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"'We can’t create a system where it’s faster for illegal immigrants than
for legal immigrants,' said one Republican familiar with the internal
debate who spoke on the condition of anonymity. 'Republicans are clear
that they are not going to create a special pathway to citizenship.'"
</blockquote>
However, pro-immigration advocates praised the proposed inclusion of a path to citizenship for the undocumented, after some earlier discussions excluded such a path and could result in a second-class of Americans unable to ultimately achieve citizenship.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"'It is an unusual construction, but it gets them to citizenship in the
same time as the administration plan,' said Kevin Appleby, the director
of migration policy at the <a href="http://old.usccb.org/mrs/" title="The organization’s Web site.">United States Conference of Catholic Bishops</a>. 'Most importantly, it eliminates the prospect of a permanent underclass
by ensuring that, in time, all will have the opportunity to become
Americans.'" </blockquote>
Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-4889319516745969602013-03-09T11:41:00.000-08:002013-03-09T11:41:05.421-08:00This is why everyone laughs at you, Fox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-_kniBYkr1TAuMKcztWLTLpaKQG1QPL8go7AZQQ58IklMeY7CM-EPAJlTfFbJjIvnyYS7L4YbdSFNDZidyO9KOxOJQQO49srMP5S9J-yZfbrJOzRUZchiSfa0FPc6a99Pr04F3zrzyqL/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-03-09+at+11.34.48+AM.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-_kniBYkr1TAuMKcztWLTLpaKQG1QPL8go7AZQQ58IklMeY7CM-EPAJlTfFbJjIvnyYS7L4YbdSFNDZidyO9KOxOJQQO49srMP5S9J-yZfbrJOzRUZchiSfa0FPc6a99Pr04F3zrzyqL/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-03-09+at+11.34.48+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Fox and Friends hosts pretend Thomas Jefferson stops by for an interview. Except he's been dead since 1826.</div>
Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-51294480060094997302013-02-18T11:35:00.000-08:002013-02-18T11:35:09.418-08:00CPAC invites gun nut Wayne LaPierre, but bans conservative gay groupSo much for "re-branding," I guess:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://americablog.com/2011/07/goproud-booted-by-their-fellow-hard-core-right-wingers-at-cpac.html" title="GOProud booted by their fellow hard-core right wingers at CPAC">For the second year in a row</a>, gay conservative group GOProud has been <a href="http://www.politicususa.com/conservatives-divide-cpac-invite-wayne-la-pierre-banning-goproud.html">banned from the CPAC conference</a>, the annual gathering of top conservatives in the nation.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“We got kicked out last year because we are gay,” <a href="http://www.joemygod.blogspot.com/2013/02/goproud-banned-from-cpac-again.html">tweeted</a> GOProud Executive Director Jimmy LaSalvia. “Nothing has changed. We won’t be at CPAC.”<b><br />
</b>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
While CPAC’s governing group decided to exclude the gay group from the event <a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2011/02/goproud-to-be-shut-out-of-cpac-2012.html">almost two years ago</a>,
the latest news remained stunning, considering the GOP’s recent
attempts at inclusion following the party’s devastating loss in the 2012
presidential election, most notably among Latino, female, and gay
voting blocs.</blockquote>
<a href="http://americablog.com/2013/02/draft-cpac-invites-gun-nut-wayne-lapierre-but-bans-conservative-gay-group.html" target="_blank">Read more of my post</a> at AMERICAblog. Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-29120778227143757082013-02-17T12:14:00.001-08:002013-02-17T12:15:22.288-08:00By remaining in the Vatican, the former Pope can retain immunity and legal protection from child sex prosecutionMost seniors retire to Florida or just decide to go on a two-week-long cruise to Alaska (<a href="http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/16/16986453-first-suit-filed-after-carnival-triumph-mishap?lite" target="_blank">just not <i>that one</i></a>).<br />
<br />
Joseph Ratzinger - formerly known as Pope Benedict XVI - is a completely different story. Reuters reports that Mr. Ratzinger will remain in the Vatican City in order to retain immunity and "<span id="articleText"><span class="focusParagraph">legal protection from any attempt to prosecute him in connection with sexual abuse cases around the world." </span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/15/us-pope-resignation-immunity-idUSBRE91E0ZI20130215" target="_blank">From Reuters</a>: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"It
is absolutely necessary" that he stays in the Vatican, said the source,
adding that Benedict should have a "dignified existence" in his
remaining years. "His continued presence in the Vatican is
necessary, otherwise he might be defenseless. He wouldn't have his
immunity, his prerogatives, his security, if he is anywhere else," said
one Vatican official, speaking on condition of anonymity.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="articleText">"It is absolutely necessary" that he stays in the
Vatican, said the source, adding that Benedict should have a "dignified
existence" in his remaining years.</span> </blockquote>
"Dignified existence" might also be a wish for the thousands of children and adults who have suffered childhood sexual abuse under Catholic priests, but never mind. Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-26802740814470733102013-02-17T10:42:00.002-08:002013-02-17T10:42:54.101-08:00Senator Rubio: Say "NO" to the NRA's ugly racism<span class="userContent">NRA's spokesman Wayne LaPierre claims Latinos
are "invading" US cities. Will the Republican Party's leading Latino
voice Marco Rubio return the <a href="http://org.credoaction.com/petitions/senator-marco-rubio-denounce-lapierre-s-racist-attacks-on-latinos-return-nra-donations" target="_blank">thousands in contributions he took from the NRA</a>? </span>Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-66064233625431935492013-02-04T09:34:00.002-08:002013-02-04T09:34:57.296-08:00Michelle Malkin hates me. There's one 2013 resolution accomplishedMy anti-Gun Appreciation Day tweet lead to a tsunami of Sandy Hook truthers, death threats, and slurs from Republicans, <a href="http://twitchy.com/2013/01/19/despicable-lib-blogger-gun-appreciation-day-celebrates-the-deaths-of-newtown-victims/?utm_source=autotweet&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=twitter" target="_blank">including a not-so-happy shout-out</a> from Michelle Malkin's Twitchy site. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://americablog.com/2013/01/sandy-hook-hoax-gun-appreciation.html" target="_blank">Take a look</a>.Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-64718181100336453512013-01-20T11:51:00.002-08:002013-01-20T11:54:45.097-08:00Oops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccKr3WnkRR9ULq-rZslu3Nlb0QrX_ViZbW5E_qE8tqFLQ6ZP1bUNKfPjahLztKgZmwhzJqSVwnL6d-TgxtbJO-Tzjr5v3nPATOK2zge15D3CchMJA3_bz3qPiH_kE0nIfbmXAS6tymUmT/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-01-20+at+11.48.54+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccKr3WnkRR9ULq-rZslu3Nlb0QrX_ViZbW5E_qE8tqFLQ6ZP1bUNKfPjahLztKgZmwhzJqSVwnL6d-TgxtbJO-Tzjr5v3nPATOK2zge15D3CchMJA3_bz3qPiH_kE0nIfbmXAS6tymUmT/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-01-20+at+11.48.54+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Maybe before criticizing someone's intelligence, Jimmy, you should first check your spelling. </div>
Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-84445874307645939822013-01-19T13:55:00.000-08:002013-03-25T19:32:27.995-07:00Remembering LGBT rights on MLK Jr.'s birthday<blockquote>
"For many years now, I have been an outspoken supporter of civil and human rights for gay and lesbian people. Gays and lesbians stood up for civil rights in Montgomery, Selma, in Albany, Ga. and St. Augustine, Fla., and many other campaigns of the Civil Rights Movement. Many of these courageous men and women were fighting for my freedom at a time when they could find few voices for their own, and I salute their contributions.”<br />
<br />
“We are all tied together in a single garment of destiny…I can never be what I ought to be until you are allowed to be what you ought to be. I’ve always felt that homophobic attitudes and policies were unjust and unworthy of a free society and must be opposed by all Americans who believe in democracy.”<br />
<br />
“Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood. This sets the stage for further repression and violence that spread all too easily to victimize the next minority group.”<br />
<br />
“Gay and lesbian people have families, and their families should have legal protection, whether by marriage or civil union. A constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages is a form of gay bashing and it would do nothing at all to protect traditional marriages.”<br />
<br />
“I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people and I should stick to the issue of racial justice. But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’ I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream to make room at the table of brother- and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people."<br />
<br />
– Various quotes from Coretta Scott King, on her support of LGBT rights</blockquote>
Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7646220415108606015.post-20923908671806521372013-01-09T20:18:00.000-08:002013-02-20T21:13:27.155-08:00When it comes to most vacationing president, George W. Bush wins goldAfter having to cut short his vacation in order to deal with the GOP-led fiscal cliff threat, President Obama's decision to resume his Hawaiian vacation has led to <a href="http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/01/04/vacation-outrage-right-slams-obama-for-hawaii-trip-ignoring-the-facts/">sharp attacks from conservatives</a>, mainly from Fox and Friends host Steve Doocy and talk show host Rush Limbaugh.<br />
<br />
“[Democrats] are secretly throwing parties over this [fiscal cliff deal]," Limbaugh <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/04/rush-limbaugh-obama_n_2411100.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003">railed on his show</a> last Friday. "Obama is! He's doing pep rallies. Obama went back to Hawaii to finish the vacation. That’s another slap in the face, by the way. He gets back on Air Force One as soon as the Republicans caved."<br />
<br />
Doocy wasn't any kinder, adding that "there are tens of thousands of people whose houses were destroyed by Sandy. The President of the United States [said] ‘I’m going to eliminate the red tape. I’m going to make sure that FEMA follows through.’ And now 60 days later, nothing.” Of course, this awkwardly comes after Republican John Boehner's <a href="http://americablog.com/2013/01/house-gop-kills-hurricane-sandy-relief-bill-last-act-before-closing-down-congress.html">short-lived decision to delay</a> the Sandy relief vote, which he later resurrected after getting <a href="http://americablog.com/2013/01/peter-king-stop-giving-to-gop-over-hurricane-sandy.html">verbally clobbered</a> by both sides of the aisle.<br />
<br />
Sadly, Rush and Steve might be shocked to find out that the most vacationing president in modern American history isn't Obama, but in fact former Republican President George W. Bush, <a href="http://politic365.com/2012/05/08/obamas-vacations-of-any-president-bush-racked-up-the-most/">who clocks in</a> at 1,020 vacation days taken throughout his two terms, or about a third of his presidency. At 958 days, only Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt (who was in office for 12 years, compared to Bush's eight) comes close to the record.<br />
<br />
Obama's first term vacation total, as of January 4, 2013? <a href="http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/01/04/vacation-outrage-right-slams-obama-for-hawaii-trip-ignoring-the-facts/">84 days</a>. At this point, the president would need to take off every day for the next three years in order to match Bush's record.<br />
<br />
Breaking down the numbers, reality becomes even more damning for Republicans. Obama <a href="http://www.factcheck.org/2010/01/president-obamas-vacation-days/">took 26 days off</a> during his first year in the White House, with former Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter following at 21 and 19 days, respectively. By comparison, Bush totaled 69 days at his Crawford ranch during his first year, totaling nine trips. Bush ended up <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-4728085-503544.html">making 77 Crawford trips</a> over two terms, totaling 490 days. Only Bush's fellow Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush come close to matching, <a href="http://www.factcheck.org/2010/01/president-obamas-vacation-days/">with 42 and 40 days taken</a> during the first year of their presidencies, respectively.<br />
<br />
Conservatives also <a href="http://www.whitehousedossier.com/2013/01/02/obama-returns-hawaii-added-cost-3-million/">complain about Obama's use of Air Force One</a> while going to and returning from vacation, something unprecedented for a president. Except for when Bush did it, at a <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2010/08/05/tantaros-thinks-obama-should-model-bushs-vacati/168835">reported cost of almost $20 million dollars</a> on Crawford trips alone.<br />
<br />
Surprisingly, Bush's vacation-taking was noticed by the Washington Post in 2005, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/02/AR2005080201703.html">noting</a> that Bush was poised to take the longest presidential vacation in over three decades, at almost five weeks. Bush's holiday was taken amidst Iraqi national elections, and an <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/25/AR2005082500294.html">increase in insurgent attacks</a> in the region.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, fact-based reporting hasn't been the case for all media. “Obama is taking a vacation every five minutes. He’s blowing off steam almost every day," Fox News contributor Monica Crowley <a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2010/06/22/after-agreeing-obama-should-clear-his-mind-moni/166613">openly lied on-air</a> in 2010. "He is got partying going on. He’s at the Nationals game. Bush took two vacations a year in August and at Christmastime. That was it.”<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Obama's current trip to his home state of Hawaiian is just his fourth during his presidency. Sure, it's not 77 trips, but who's counting?Gabe Ortízhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12874919795033374628noreply@blogger.com1