“Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

 I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!”   

William Arthur Ward

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Before I start sharing my thoughts on my next topic, let me address  a few comments, questions and requests that I have received via my blog:

1) A MILLION THANKS to all of you who have taken the time to write and tell me how valuable, enjoyable, informational my blog have been for you – please know it is greatly appreciated.

2) Next, here are some answers to your questions:

: Survival Blog – I do not know and will not start a survival blog nor will I be providing survival tips as I am definitely not an expert in this arena.

: If you would like to take part of my blog content for yours, feel free to do so. However, please make sure you reference where you obtained the information – it is extremely critical that you do so.

: I do not know how to include plugins or targeted keywords so blogs can be ranked higher in the cyberspace world

: Here’s how you subscribe to my blog:

Step Two:         Click on  “Entries” on the blog page. It is located on the top right of the page (just above my headshot)

Step Three:      Depending on the Internet source, the “Entries” page will look different. If using Mozilla Firefox, simply select an option you wish to subscribe from, and click “Subscribe Now.”

If using Microsoft Outlook, the most recent entry should appear in a folder marked “From the Desk of Dean Waite”, beneath the RSS Feeds.

Step Four:        If using Internet Explorer, click on the Link “Subscribe to this feed”, and select in the drop down menu where you would like to subscribe from. Next, click  on the button “Subscribe”.

If using Microsoft Outlook, the most recent entry should appear in a folder marked “From the Desk of Dean Waite”, beneath the RSS Feeds. Click on the button “Subscribe”.

Step Five:         All finished!

 If you are using Outlook, a folder, “From the Desk of Dean Waite” should appear below the RSS Feeds.

 : The web host I used is wordpress.com.

: No, you may not affiliate link to my host.

: I do not know why my site load so fast but this is how it was developed . . .

This site was developed by Chatham University’s IT department, which privately created the template, as with other Chatham blogs, and chose Word Press as the blogging source. The blog is user friendly, simple, and well managed because it was created by a University department. Usually, whatever Internet browser you are using may affect the overall appearance and how quickly the blog loads.

3) I do appreciate all the comments that I am receiving from my blog – in fact I am blown-away by it. Please know that I do review them once in a while but the numbers and the speed that they are coming in makes it impossible to keep up hence, please do know that I will more likely not respond to the comments. If you truly need a respond please indicate so.

Hang tight – my next blog is on its way, Zauyah.

On June 25, 2011 the same sex marriage bill in New York passed.  Now there are six states (12%) of the country that allow same sex marriages. What I really like about NY’s law is that same sex couples don’t have to be residents of NY. On September 20, 2011, the U.S Military ended its “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that has been a joke since the day it was first introduced.

It is hard for me to believe that prior to 1967, my marriage to Jim would have been illegal in Missouri and 15 other states.  There was a time in recent US history where interracial marriages were not recognized in every state. Couples in such a marriage were found in violation of law if they moved to another state that didn’t recognize that marriage.

Jessica Rinaldi, Reuters / Landov

Time for a little history lesson . . .  Back in 1958, Virginia couple Mildred (African American) and Richard Loving (Caucasian) got married in Washington DC, where it was legal.  Upon returning to Virginia they were charged with violation of the ban of marriages between white person and non-white persons.  Ultimately, they were charged for breaking a law that prevents inter-racial couples from being married out of state and then returning to Virginia.  The Lovings pleaded guilty and were sentenced to one year in prison, with the sentence suspended for 25 years on condition that the couple leave the state of Virginia. They moved to the District of Columbia.

Mildred & Richard Loving

In 1964, frustrated by their inability to travel together to visit their families in Virginia, Mildred wrote in protest to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Kennedy referred her to the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU filed a motion to vacate the judgment and set aside the sentence. This began a series of hearings that ultimately wound up at the U.S. Supreme Court.  On June 12, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the convictions in a unanimous decision, which allowed interracial marriages to be legalized throughout the country, and that each state must recognize marriages from other states.  Sadly, Richard Loving died in 1975 at the age of 41 when a drunken driver struck their car. Mildred lost her right eye in the same accident. Mildred died in 2008 in Virginia from pneumonia at the age of 68.  On June 12, 2007, the 40th anniversary of Loving v Virginia, Mildred issued a rare public statement, which commented on same-sex marriage. The concluding paragraphs of her statement:

In 1967 the Supreme Court struck down the ban on interracial marriage in Virginia, after hearing the case of Loving vs. Virginia. Mildred and Richard Loving at a press conference announcing the decision. Richard Loving's lawyers on the eve of their oral argument before the Supreme Court, asked him if there was anything else he wanted them to add to their arguments. He replied, "Tell the Court I love my wife."

“Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don’t think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the ‘wrong kind of person’ for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people’s religious beliefs over others…Especially if it denies people’s civil rights. I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard’s and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That’s what Loving, and loving, are all about.”

We really do owe a great deal of personal homage to the Loving’s for taking a stand on doing the right thing. THANK YOU MILDRED & RICHARD!

Same Sex Marriage Bill in New York

Many advocated openly for the passing of the Bill. All are considered heroes in their own rights.  In actuality, there were many unsung heroes involved with making this happen. One of them is Mark Grisanti.

Jessica Rinaldi, Reuters / Landov

It was reported in the NY Times that “with his position still undeclared, Senator Mark J. Grisanti, a Republican from Buffalo who had sought office promising to oppose same-sex marriage, told his colleagues he had agonized for months before concluding he had been wrong. “I apologize for those who feel offended,” Mr. Grisanti said, adding, “I cannot deny a person, a human being, a taxpayer, a worker, the people of my district and across this state, the State of New York, and those people who make this the great state that it is the same rights that I have with my wife.”

State lawmakers voted Friday to legalize same-sex marriage, making New York the largest state where gay and lesbian couples will be able to wed and giving the national gay-rights movement new momentum from the state where it was born. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo later signed the bill into law. Credit: Nathaniel Brooks for The New York Times

It takes a great deal of integrity to make a stand like this when it goes against someone’s personal morals and beliefs.  I am a firm believer that the more we educate our society, the more progressive thinking and ideologies will become the norm.  Congratulations Mark Grisanti for having the conviction to change your belief system and do it in such a public way.  He would get my vote if I lived in his district.

Jessica Rinaldi/Reuters People reacted outside the Stonewall Inn in New York City after the New York Senate passed a bill legalizing gay marriage.

I am happy to see our society become more open and accepting to differences.  I can only hope that the world will be a more open and caring place when my children (and future grandkids) grow older and wiser.  Thanks for reading.

Patricia Cronin, Artist and Professor of Art at Brooklyn CUNY “ Since all I was legally afforded was death, I decided to make the most elegant a statement about it I could muster. With the help of the Grand Arts Foundation, I carved a three-ton Carrara marble mortuary sculpture titled "Memorial To A Marriage." It is a dignified double funerary portrait of my partner, artist Deborah Kass and me, lying half naked and entwined in each other's arms. I chose a nationalist form for the work, nineteenth century American neo-classical sculpture, to address what I consider a federal failure - not allowing gay Americans the right to marry.”

Resources

http://www.virginiamemory.com/online_classroom/shaping_the_constitution/doc/loving_v_commonwealth

http://www.aclu-wa.org/blog/happy-loving-day

The New York Times, June 24, 2011

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/gay-marriage

We like to travel together as a family and believe it is important to expose our children to the amazing world outside of Pittsburgh.  It is a blast to witness our kids’ comments and expressions when they see or hear something new – these precious images will forever be embedded in our memories. To date, all of our trips have been dual purpose trips – we are very fortunate to have family and friends who live around the world. Traveling has also helped us value the United States of America and the freedom our democracy gives us.

Before I end, I want to share one tip on how we are able to make this happen as a family.  It probably comes as no surprise that you need to save and plan in advance as much as possible.  For us, it means giving up on driving a new vehicle every other year or purchasing that flat screen plasma TV.  In the end it is all worth the sacrifice.  We have a long bucket list and can’t wait for our next adventure.

NICARAGUA, April 2010

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/18/world/middleeast/18saudi.html?ref=women

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/16/opinion/l16saudi.html?ref=women

Excuse me while I look at my calendar – just want to be certain that it really is 2011.  One woman who posted photos of herself driving on Facebook was placed in jail for nine days – NINE DAYS for driving!  Others have been harassed by police and shunned by their communities.

When I was growing up in Malaysia I was told from a very early age that I was to become a teacher who was to marry a doctor or lawyer – not to become one!  Reading stories like this makes me step back and reflect upon just how fortunate we are to live in the United States of America, a country where basic human rights are valued and protected.  I realize the fact that a glass ceiling still exists but it is really amazing how far women’s rights have advanced in the past century.  We really owe a great deal of homage to all of the generations of women who came before us to fight for our rights.  Looking back helps to motivate me to look ahead.  I often ask myself what can I do to make the world a better place for my children and future grandkids.

Societies, like much of humanity dislike change. The first challengers of unfair laws will almost always go to jail or be punished by those in power. Picture Susan B. Anthony for women’s suffrage or Rosa Parks for riding in front of the bus plus countless others. Those who disagree feel that by trying to put these women leaders in jail or punishing them, they can stop a movement. But once people see that someone is willing to stick their necks out, they will follow. The women who dared to drive have decided that it’s worth going to jail to get the movement started, so that ultimately their daughters will get to drive.

A lot of our freedoms and rights that we enjoy today are the results of those who dared to challenge. Hard to imagine that something as simple as driving will land a woman in jail. In the future when the women of Saudi Arabia are driving their own cars, they can thank their mothers, aunts, grandmothers who went to jail for challenging an unjust law.

Life is not always greener on the other side of the fence.  Sometimes we need not take for granted the freedoms that we do have and appreciate the fact that we live in a democracy that values women. This does not mean we can rest on our laurels – we still have work to do. Let’s use progress to motivate us.  Next time you start to feel depressed do me a favor…pick up the keys and go for a drive.

“Modern invention has banished the spinning wheel, and the same law of progress makes the woman of today a different woman from her grandmother.”- Susan B. Anthony

Pictures from: Silvija Seres, 12 April 2002; http://www.silvija.net/2002SaudiMay/medain.html; http://www.traveljournals.net/pictures/153259.html;(FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images);http://www.newint.org/features/2009/10/01/different-voices/;Wikipedia:publicdomain;Wikipedia:public domain

At the Chatham College for Women Student Government (CSG) meeting on March 31^st, 2011, Dr. Melissa Bell and students, Emily Hurley, Elizabeth Humphries and Amber Phillips shared their thoughts about the Pence Amendment . . . I listened intently and here’s what I have gathered from their presentation and my views after looking in to the matter . . .

The Pence Amendment, sponsored by Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., bans Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funds and reinstates the Global Gag Order permanently. The Republican-dominated House of Representatives approved the amendment 240-185 after a debate that featured Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier recounting the story of receiving an abortion due to a complication with a pregnancy.

According to an AOL News Review by contributor Torie Bosch, “If made into law, the Pence Amendment would prevent Planned Parenthood and 102 affiliated organizations from receiving any federal funds — including money for STD testing, pregnancy testing and cancer screenings. Planned Parenthood also charges that the Pence amendment would “cut off 48 percent of Planned Parenthood patients — approximately 1.4 million people — from their source of health care.” http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/18/what-is-the-pence-amendment-and-what-does-it-mean-for-planned-p

What Planned Parenthood does is it uses federal dollars to perform cancer screenings, as well as STD and STI testing. It is important to recognize that Federal dollars are not used to perform abortions unless the woman’s life is in danger, or in cases of rape and incest. Planned Parenthood provides low-cost and no-cost health care coverage on a sliding scale. With the proposed budget cuts under the Pence Amendment, that sliding scale will essentially disappear. Nearly half, 48%, of Planned Parenthood patrons will lose access to their services and (cut out) critical health care services. Of the various services provided in Western Pennsylvania, 20% were free of charge and 16% were reduced charge.

Currently, the Hyde Amendment (1976) bans the use of federal funds for abortion excluding instances of rape, incest, and threat to the woman’s life. Therefore, no funds are being cut from abortion. This amendment has no impact on abortion outside of rape, incest, and threat to the woman’s life.

Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana

If the Pence Amendment is enacted, we will not see more jobs, reduced deficit, and fewer abortions. We will most likely see an increase in sexually transmitted infections and diseases, an increase in unwanted pregnancies, an increase in untreatable cancers, a decrease in health care coverage, and an increase in uninformed – and consequently at-risk – students.

By not funding Planned Parenthood, the Pence Amendment will reduce spending by approximately $75 million dollars in upfront costs. That $75 million would fund only 3 hours and 51 minutes of the War on Terror. Also, for each dollar spent on contraception, $3 are saved on birth costs alone, not including the costs of raising a child, the decreased wages from unintended births, and the loss of tax revenue from those unable to work or are working less due to unintended birth.

I have shared my views and would love to hear yours. This is an important and controversial topic, one we likely do not – and need not – agree on.

What is your opinion on the Pence Amendment?

Let your Senators Robert P. Casey Jr. and Patrick J.Toomey know directly by clicking on the link:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=PA

Do you vote outside of Pennsylvania? To find Senators in your state, please go to:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm