Thursday, March 06, 2003


Dig this. there was a time in America, as late as 1966 and this is true, that women were not allowed to run in marathons. Totally true. They would apply and they would be denied and laughed at. It was thought that the female body was not capable of running far distances, or for that matter participating in any sports, except maybe grass hockey. A lot of us just don't remember this because we grew up watching women in sports. But year after year women would try to apply to the Boston marathon or the New York marathon and they would be denied. Finally two different women found a way to sneak in to the marathons, by only using their initials on the application and saying they were men. They got in and they finished the races. Both Kathy Switzer and Bobbi Gibb were disqualified from the races—in fact, Kathy Switzer was physically attacked by the Boston marathon promoter while she was trying to run the race. But they proved that women could participate in sports without keeling over and dying or worse. 
Hearing about things as ridiculous as this going on just thirty years ago inspires me to contemplate what similar travesties are going on here in America and all around the world that will one day seem hard to believe and silly. [I have to take this one, forgive me] but I guarantee that one day humanity will look back at the war monger mentality that is currently occupying America’s White House and find it very hard to fathom that our president’s mind could only go as far in his thinking ability as “I'm scared. They’re a threat. Lets invade them.” and of course a majority of the American people go right along with him. I wonder how different the “American people” would be thinking if we had someone different, someone more transcended in that same position. Someone more enlightened and creative. Hhhmmmm. Would they help up the evolutionary ladder in everyone just through their position of leadership? 
Well here's another one, one that we can actually do something about. There are fifty-two men who are about to be put to death in Egypt for being gay. You read it right. as ridiculous as it sounds, it's unfortunately true. Amnesty international has a great record of initiating change in the face of primitive thinking adversity. Here’s more:
Urge Egyptian authorities to call an end to the retrial of the 50 Men in the "Cairo 52" case. Your immediate help is needed.
Learn More
Visit OUTfront, Amnesty International USA's program on human rights and sexual identity. OUTfront is part of an international network of Amnesty activists mobilized to fight violations of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
» Go there now
Don't ever try to convince me that we are all at the same evolutionary level here on earth just because we are all human beings. Perhaps physically yes, but in consciousness there are peoples who are hundreds maybe even thousands of years behind others still. these governmental men in power in Egypt have somehow got their values all mixed up and think that ‘sexual normalcy’ or God knows how they label it is some kind of virtue, and don't yet understand the true noble virtues of respect for others or privacy. And so it's through the careful respectful cautious efforts of the rest of us to help show them another road.   
Reminds me of when Oprah Winfrey came on television here in the states and announced that she would no longer partake in the schlock and sensationalism of talk-show TV. But instead would use her talk show to educate and enlighten. Many people said it wouldn’t work. But it did. she changed the face of talk shows. Sure Jerry Springer is still on, but Oprah is the one with all the respect and awards now. 
So today I ask myself, ‘what else is going on that will seem totally anachronistically backwoods and retarded in ten years?’ how can we help push the envelope now?  

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