Remembering the real reason to celebrate July 4

While most people will celebrate July 4 with hot dogs and fireworks, strolling down street fairs and checking out music festivals, I would like to remind everyone why we have this day off to do as we please–our forefathers determination to give this country and its residents a better life than they had known in the past.

Yes, I know, it’s hard to believe that we have more to celebrate than a paid day off. Well, actually, since the time those who founded this country risked life and limb to give us liberties never before heard of, we are now the fattest country in the world, one filled with hatemongering for minorities and we capitalize on the poor and give huge tax credits to the rich.

Hmmm…

While we still are the best country in the world, given the freedoms we have that most do not, I still think we have a long way to go. Even though we have the freedom to practice any religion, there is still persecution for not believing the same way. Even though we have the freedom of expression, hate crimes still abound. Even though we have the right to free speech, many believe the press should be suppressed.

Not exactly what our forefathers intended. And while many might fall back and assume that our founding fathers’ idea of a utopia for the US should be based on Puritan theology, I believe we would be discrediting them STUPENDOUSLY to think they would ever believe the only way to live was based on a single religion.

This July 4th, think of more than just yourself and what makes you happy. Think more than what you THINK this country should be like and actually OPEN your eyes to what is going on and accept it for all its greatness and flaws. Think about unity between all those who hate each other for nothing more than a difference of race, religious preference, gender or anything else. Think about how great we have it while so many suffer world wide because of oppression. This July 4th set off a firework for a truly unified nation where love abounds and hate is destroyed.

Just my idea of utopia…

Protests in Iran–Americans are spoiled and still we complain

After watching Neda, the young aspiring college student, die while protesting the election results in Iran, I couldn’t help but reflect upon our own country and how good we got it.

Sure, we got crime and debt, hunger and poverty and health problems–but unlike those protesting in Iran, WE created our own demise. We don’t watch out of the poor, so the poor form gangs and commit crimes in order to get by and to compete in a society based on “who has the most wins.” We rack up our credit card bills and live beyond our means, but when it comes time to pay, we cry about it and say the CC companies are being unfair by making us pay it back.

We have those who are starving and live in poverty, but we have billionaires and more than half of people living in this country are obese. But still we complain about everything we have, don’t have or got stuck with and blame it on everyone else since clearly, we can’t be held responsible for the misery we live in.

And there are people living in a country where there voices are not heard and innocent lives are being taken during peaceful protests. We have the right to question and even mock our government. What do they have? A backwards government that claims it is democratic but is in essence a dictatorship.

A revolution is happening there. A passion for justice, a movement to be heard instead of just being told what to do.

We should start taking cues from these people and stop pointing the finger at everyone else. We are spoiled in this country and it is about time we started being responsible for our own actions.

Getting donations in a recession is like pulling teeth

Earlier last month, I picked up the phone to hear this woman speaking rapidly about doing something important to help kids with muscular distrophy. She was talking so fast that all of a sudden I realized I had signed up to be locked up and raise bail money for children with MD.

So, I set off to raise money to help these little ones out and I sent e-mails to those I thought would be the most generous–a devout catholic, a revered lawyer, a retired journalist… and to my surprised, nothing. Not a one made a donation.

A few of my mothers friends and a couple of colleagues made donations–I did too. But no one else.

I was shocked and very disappointed. Now I know I am not best friends with everyone I sent e-mails to seeking such a donation, but good grief. 3 minutes and $5 didn’t seem like too much to ask.

And I guess I can’t blame my friends that I know are broke… but just a little bit would have done some good.

But I digress.

I now have a new found respect for all those who do fundraising for a living, something I believe everyone should try to do at least once.  You will finally be able to experience what it is like being in that person’s shoes, trying to help a nonprofit fulfill its mission of helping the less fortunate.

13-year old shot in La Colonia in Oxnard–One step forward, two steps back

After reading the story about the boy shot in Oxnard this morning, I couldn’t help but think– Well, the gang injunction is supposed to stop crime, but what’s this?

What a tragedy!

I know the intention of the injunction was to stave off criminal activity by not allowing certain clothing in certain areas that could cause an uproar amongst rival gangs.

But apparently, placing restrictions doesn’t end the gang activity. It may even make it stronger–similar to when a child is told he can’t have or do something, if he is rebellious, he will do it anyways, even if he doesn’t like the activity.

Sad.

I wish there was more that could be done to convince these hardened criminals that there is more to life than territory and murder. I wish that bigorty and hatred couldn’t thrive and that tragic deaths were a thing of the past. I wish that as we progressed technologically that we would also progress civicly.

I wish for a better, more diplomatic society where all life was precious.

I digress because wishing just can’t make it so.

You’re fired, Miss California!

For the first time EVER, Trump’s catch phrase doesn’t irritate me.

I know what you are thinking, “Just another liberal, gay loving blogger!”

Well, yes, you may be right about that, but the truth is, with the rise in hate-based crimes, we don’t need any more “respected” people in the spotlight, trying to further their agenda and justifying a crazy person’s actions.

But let me set the record straight, Carrie Prejean wasn’t dethroned because she had a case of diarrhea mouth or because she let her breasts hang out. She was “fired” because she wasn’t fulfilling her duties as Miss California, failing to appear at 30 events.

And thankfully she didn’t. From what I have read about her, her mission was not to mentor at-risk youth, or to feed the hungry… or anything else. She took it upon herself to be the spokesperson for traditional marriage. And what exactly does that have to do with Miss California?

Nothing, as far as I can tell.

The real problem here is not that SHE personally thinks the traditional definition of marriage is between a man and a woman, but the fact is she represented California as though ALL residents should feel that way.

Well, she was way off.

Being diplomatic when you are in a role of leadership–being astute with your own values while representing the people as whole is the job.

I applaud Trump and the pageant to make such a difficult (yet easy for me to make) decision to fire her.

I am just wondering how much time will go by before we see her spread in Playboy…

Getting off on self defense claim won’t shed the memory of taking another life

When I read the press release from the attorney’s office who was defending the woman who stabbed former Oxnard police officer, Robert Perez, I thought, “Finally, some justice.”
Maybe I have been watching WAY TOO MANY episodes of Law and Order and NCIS, or perhaps I am subconsciously aware of how certain groups, especially based on gender discrimination, of professionals stick together (and by the way, journalists, for the most part, are too competitive to have the buddy system), but I was happy to hear that the DA’s office would not be filing charges against former’s sheriff’s deputy, Claudia Valenciana.
I know in the various places I have lived, there always seems to be a deeply rooted good ole’ boy system, where men will cover for other men no matter what they have done wrong.
But not here, and not this time. And hopefully never in the future–but at the same time, not accusing any wrong doing or defenses linked to good ole’ boy mentality in the legal system here in Ventura.
But I was disappointed to hear of the caliber of a man who had once been an Oxnard officer had been so abusive. Conversely, I was just as disappointed a former sheriff’s deputy wasn’t smart enough to get out of a relationship that led her to killing in self defense.
You would think with the stints in law enforcement, at least one of them would be smart enough to not linger around to this point.
But que sara sara.
Lesson learned.
Hopefully, this will be a lesson for everyone who has ever been in an abusive relationship. Because, regardless of the fact she will not have to endure prosecution or jail time, of this killing, Valenciada will never be able to shed that memory of taking someone else’s life–even if justified.

The will of the people is a failure–Proposition 8 upheld

It is a sad day today. The Supreme Court Justices announced their ruling to uphold Proposition 8 as well as leaving several thousand gay marriages in tact.

So I am happy for everyone who found their true love and was able to marry but terribly sad for those who will find love in the future and will not be able to marry.

I think of my own relationship to a wonderful man. I had been searching for love like this for a long time. And now that I have found it when I didn’t think it could exist, I have started to ruminate on the possibility of getting married. And I am lucky because I am straight. I am lucky because I get to marry at any time I desire in any state I chose to the man I love.

But what if I wasn’t straight? What if my son grows up and realizes he is gay? So the will of the people is to withhold this right from homosexuals? It is none of my business or anyone’s elses to CHOOSE what rights certain people get to have.

And I don’t care if polygamy is legal either. If people want to get themselves into a mess having five or six wives, so be it if it means that the LGBT community can have the same rights as everyone else.

But no. We as a civillized society decided it would be best to dominate a minority by telling them what they can and can’t have.

So now let’s digress and go back to the civil rights movement–no marriages for black and white couples. Bye bye beautiful couple Heidi Klum and Seal. Let’s make sure Catholics can’t marry Jews–that is in the Bible too!

When all is said and done, the only solution is to put on the ballot another proposition that preserves the traditional definition of marriage–til death do us part!

What a sad day…

Preparing to say good-bye to an old and dear friend–the Ventura County Fairgrounds

The Los Angeles times reported today that the Governor has put the Ventura County Fairgrounds on the chopping block–a whopping $70 million.
While the idea of a redeveloped area for surfer’s point could be nice, I am still burdened by this thought.
I know a lot of people want growth and more people and more money, but what made this town great are the locals, not the tourists.
I couldn’t imagine two or three grand hotels on the waterfront there. I am actually rather sad thinking about it…
I know it could be better for everyone–more jobs, more business, more opportunities and don’t forget, home prices are likely to soar if and when a development of that kind should come about…
but I grew up here… I grew up playing in Marina Park as Greenock was lined with bungalows, not mini mansions. I grew up when Pacific View Mall was hip and happening… not as it is today where Target is the main reason to even go to the mall. Now we flock to the Camarillo Outlets.
I remember when downtown was eccelectic, not like it is today where chains are taking over.
I guess it was inevitable. Change is the only constant in life. And it could be for the better.
The most I can say about this is I am just glad I was able to have so many good times at the fair and at various concerts and derbies and be able to hunt for driftwood on the beach.
I am sure such drastic development changes are far away–maybe another 5 to 10 years…
Just makes me a little sad to think about it.

Ventura and Santa Barbara counties–earthquakes, fires and ???

Good grief.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Santa Barbara has been set ablaze–even my granny has been evacuated. She is no stranger to this sort of situation seeing that she watched her house burned down in another fire in the late 80s.

Then we have an earthquake in Ojai–4.2 at the epicenter sending shockwaves throughout Ventura County..

And tonight is a full moon.

We can’t forget the swine flu scare which has caused quite a bit of chaos for the last two weeks.

Well here we go.

I am sure some crazy group is going to start blaming Americans for this since so many of us approve of homosexuality. Or will it be because Obama approved federal funding for emrbyonic stem cell research… or is it because at the Reporter we want to treat illegal aliens like human beings instead of like outlaws.

This will be fun to see what is hatched out of this craziness!

Stay tuned!

Be aggressive in ending homelessness in Ventura–Monday night a good start

Although I personally was unable to attend the Ventura City Council meeting, I am happy to hear that the city is grabbing the issue of homelessness by the horns and actually doing something about it.

While my attention has been temporarily displaced and focused on code enforcement here, the bigger concern is not those who we think could become homeless, but those who in fact are homeless. And when I refer to those who could become homeless, I am only saying that I personally haven’t met anyone who has been tossed out on the street due to code enforecment and could not find housing .

Anyhow, last night Neal Andrews pushed for the city to make some aggressive decisions and that is admirable. But my fear is that there will be a lot of hot air and hype, and when it comes to making a final decision, it will be just as slow as usual.

I am hoping that is not the case. I heard about the option to use City Center Motel for quite some time. Let’s hope the City moves forward with an aggressive plan to obtain it.

I hope that all the residents of Ventura realize how important it is to fix this problem, to create a realistic plan to help our down and out, especially during this financially topsy-turvy time. Let’s stop the NIMBYism and step into someone else’s shoes.

Although many of us have thought out our life to ensure that we will never see such hardships, some  people haven’t been so fortunate. And once you become homeless, it is even harder to get back on track than if you were able to stay in your home during tough times.

Compassion is the underlying theme to all that is civil in the world. I hope Venturans continue to have compassion for the most down and out and be aggressive in actually making these ambitions a reality to end homelessness.