To a fantastic woman.
It's unfortunate to be typing this sentence when it is so obvious, but America is running out of decent public figures. Today was the last day for Rosa Parks, who I think was one of America's greatest heroes. She was, and is still a great inspiration to many, and she got to meet the Pope. Pope John Paul, not the new one, which is probably better for everybody involved.
This post might come across as being incredibly self-deprecating and hypocritical, and I'm trying to restrain myself, talking about model Americans when I am in no way a model New Zealander. Rosa Parks was a true hero, in that she didn't show disrespect, but instead stood up for a right that was denied to her. And it's unfortunate that many people in America are still denied rights that should be given to them freely. Minorities of all sorts are denied fair and just trials, the promise that discrimination will not be used, that the authorities will be unprejudiced to them. Many parts of our lives are getting more corrupt by the day. And if you're black or Jewish or fat or gay or Asian or depressed or atheist or Gothic, you're running the risk that someone will behave in a biased way towards you, and that it will affect your life in drastic ways.
And nobody, anywhere, should have to put up with it.
This year, I'm not sending Christmas cards. I'm sending postcards. I figure there's a hell of a lot of stuff I'm not saying to people that I should be saying, so, inspired by my favourite art exhibition/website, I'm writing these things down on postcards. Stuff I wish I told them, stuff that I never thought I'd say. No negative stuff, though. Spirit of the season and whatnot.
If any of you are expecting postcard greetings this year, tell me, by all means. I got a lot of time on my hands and not enough postcards to write. I'll need addresses though. Postcards tend to be less useful without addresses.
I realise it's only October, but I already know my Christmas wish, despite the fact it'll never come true. Haha, cynicism rocks.
This post might come across as being incredibly self-deprecating and hypocritical, and I'm trying to restrain myself, talking about model Americans when I am in no way a model New Zealander. Rosa Parks was a true hero, in that she didn't show disrespect, but instead stood up for a right that was denied to her. And it's unfortunate that many people in America are still denied rights that should be given to them freely. Minorities of all sorts are denied fair and just trials, the promise that discrimination will not be used, that the authorities will be unprejudiced to them. Many parts of our lives are getting more corrupt by the day. And if you're black or Jewish or fat or gay or Asian or depressed or atheist or Gothic, you're running the risk that someone will behave in a biased way towards you, and that it will affect your life in drastic ways.
And nobody, anywhere, should have to put up with it.
This year, I'm not sending Christmas cards. I'm sending postcards. I figure there's a hell of a lot of stuff I'm not saying to people that I should be saying, so, inspired by my favourite art exhibition/website, I'm writing these things down on postcards. Stuff I wish I told them, stuff that I never thought I'd say. No negative stuff, though. Spirit of the season and whatnot.
If any of you are expecting postcard greetings this year, tell me, by all means. I got a lot of time on my hands and not enough postcards to write. I'll need addresses though. Postcards tend to be less useful without addresses.
I realise it's only October, but I already know my Christmas wish, despite the fact it'll never come true. Haha, cynicism rocks.