By request, my thoughts on the Morehouse Valedictorian story…

Okay, this bitch didn’t attend a historically black college or university but this story still jumped out at me.

As someone who has always been one of the few POC in every school environment through college…blink…I found the story of a white student's experience at Morehouse very interesting.

And let me be clear, I’m not bothered that the story of Morehouse graduating its first white Valedictorian made the news.

What bothers me is that I’m a news junkie and I can’t remember CNN ever covering the Valedictorian of a HBCU before.

Mayhap an exploration of that should be added to the Black in America segment line-up.

Blink.

Shopping…

Happy Monday!

A bitch went shopping this weekend.

Blink.

That’s a huge statement coming from this bitch!

I hate to shop for anything other than food, books or funktified Afro adornments so seeing me hit the shops is a rare sight indeed.

Anyhoo, a bitch needed some new lipstick and a pair of comfy sandals for the summer season soon to come. That meant a trip to the MAC Store (happy, happy, happy followed by joy times three!!) and…ummm, I had no fucking idea where else to go.

Shit.

Oh, I know where to go to get the same shoes I wore to the ground last year. But for some reason I decided I needed to shop around and make sure my feet weren't missing out on the shoe experience of a lifetime. Since C-Money got my shopping gene, I asked her where a bitch could find a large selection of comfy shoes and, of course, she insisted on joining me.

Off to the MAC Store we went!

Ah, there’s nothing like a new signature shade to pick a bitch’s mood up. Underworld has been replaced by Media! Oh, and a tube of Film Noir too for contrast.

Fantabulous!

Following our MAC-based indulgence we hit several shops where I did my best to try to find some new style of shoe that would destroy my reputation for buying the same shit year after year.

Alas a bitch ended up settling on a new pair of comfy sandals that look like the cousins of the pair I wore into the ground last year.

Sigh.

Fuck it.

My feet are happy (wink).

A victory for choice in Missouri!

From Planned Parenthood Affiliates in Missouri…

You've reached out to Governor Matt Blunt and the anti-choice extremists in Jefferson City. You have signed petitions, organized, tabled, and gone to Jefferson City to lobby legislators – you have done critically important work in protecting women's health.

Today, your work paid off. You helped to defeat the Abortion Restriction Act of 2008!

Every year for the past 5 years, the Missouri Legislature has passed restrictive bills or eliminated programs that could have reduced the need for abortion services through family planning and sex education. This year, you defeated their sixth attempt.

Not only did you fight and win against the Abortion Restriction bill of 2008, but you also laid to rest this year's effort by David Reardon to put a dangerous, anti-choice ballot initiative on the ballot in November!

On behalf of the thousands of Missouri women, men, and teens who rely on Planned Parenthood's services, thank you! Soon, we will update you on where your legislators stood on reproductive rights this session, but for now, rest assured that your work has paid off.

Thank you for continuing to stand up for choice!

And thank you to the folks at Planned Parenthood who work tirelessly to protect and defend choice in Missouri!

A victory for Missouri voters!

Woo hoo!

The proposed photo id legislation has failed to pass in Missouri!

Oh, hell yes!

Missouri lawmakers ended this year’s session without passage of photo id legislation that would have prevented up to 240,000 Missourians from voting.

Congrats to everyone who worked hard and voiced their opposition to this mess.

Today is a good day.

Now, get out there and vote!

Message sent…

A bitch would like to send a tip of the Afro to the several hundred graduates and members of the Wash. U. faculty who turned their back on Phyllis Schlafly in silent protest to her being awarded an honorary degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

And a special “Go on with your bad self!!” goes out to those faculty members who left the stage (daaaaaaaaamn!) to join graduates and turn their back on that heinous woman.

Be proud y’all! You made sure your voice was heard and that is a very powerful thing.

And it also means you’ve earned an honorary degree in keeping shit real!

Fantabulous.

Go on with your bad self California!

A bitch has been scrambling to read all the articles about the California Supreme Court ruling overturning that state’s ban on same-sex marriage.

Congrats to all the legal minds and activists who worked on this case!

Regarding the three invitations to attend California-based weddings that a bitch received via e-mail today, trust that my ass shall seriously consider them.

I may not personally know any of you...blink...but a bitch could probably be wooed to California with the promise of an In N Out Burger (wink)!

But a bitch will have to check with Brother Rob on my qualifications to perform weddings through the United Church of Bitchitude and Latter Day Drunks. The Church (wink) is based in Missouri and they banned same-sex marriage here in 2004, so no member of the flock of bitchitude has ever requested that a bitch marry them.

Pause…consider…continue.

Will I have to wear one of those pointed pontifical crown-like things? Because that shit would seriously fuck up a bitch’s Afro…big time!

Ummm yeah, we’ll just skip the crown-like thing and bedazzle up some robes instead.

Fantabulous!

Finally!

Let’s jump right on in, shall we?

It feels like I’ve been waiting for this moment forever and a day!

But finally…after what must have been years of waiting and being frustrated and listening to verbal dancing…FINALLY, I heard the declaration I wanted to hear.

Pause…sip ice water…continue.

Joey B. (Senator Joe Biden to all y’all…we’re tight like that) called Scooter B.’s comments about Democrats appeasing terrorist “bullshit.”

What, you thought a bitch was talking about something else…mayhap a certain endorsement made yesterday? Yeah, like you didn’t see that one coming a mile away!

No, I’m talking about calling bullshit bullshit. As my father often said if it looks like it and smells like it call it what it is! Well Biden made his declaration off of the Senate floor. “This is bullshit. This is malarkey. This is outrageous. Outrageous for the president of the United States to go to a foreign country, sit in the Knesset…and make this kind of ridiculous statement.”

He went on to add…“He’s the guy who’s weakened us. He’s the guy that’s increased the number of terrorists in the world. His policies have produced this vulnerability the United States has. His intelligence community pointed that out not me. The NIE has pointed that out and what are you talking about, is he going to fire Condi Rice? Condi Rice has talked about the need to sit down. So his first two appeasers are Rice and Gates. I hope he comes home and does something.”

Oh Joey, look at you speaking the damned truth! That shit sounds like a foreign language after so many years of…well, bullshit.

Blink.

The situation to your right...

A bitch spent my evening catching up on the paperwork/spreadsheet side of one of my volunteer commitments so I had to pass on my usual primary watching mini-party.

Sigh.

But that shit was over last week....hell, last month if the exit polls are accurate. A certain Wendi just sent this bitch this link. Polling indicates that both Dems could beat McCain. Interesting, but the polling on that topic has been all over the place since McCain reached his Presumptive Nomineeship. I honestly think political polls were invented to give pundits something to talk about.

Anyhoo, Brother Rob and this bitch did talk politics last night…but not Democratic politics. Rather, we discussed the Ron Paul situation on the Republican side.

Blink.

C’mon, don’t tell me you forgot about Ron!

Don’t sleep, Republican voters are still pulling the lever for Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee. According to ABC news, 25 percent of primary voters chose someone other than McCain in recent contests.

Mayhap Ron Paul supporters plan to stir some shit up in Minny.

Hmmm.

This bitch plans to watch the Republican festival anyway.

There’s no way in hell my ass would miss watching the RNC try to launch McCain through the clusterfuck that is Scooter B.’s legacy.

Shit, it may not be appointment viewage but it’ll be TiVo worthy for sure…

A bitch is coming to San Francisco!

This bitch will be visiting San Francisco to participate in the BlogHer ’08 Conference July 18 through July 20!

Yay!

I will be on the What We Believe: How To Take Names and Be Taken Seriously as a Political Blogger panel with Morra Aarons-Mele, and Mona Gable.

I hope to see some of y’all there in a few months!

By request, friends don’t let friends award honorary degrees to Phyllis Schalfly…

Washington University will be handing over an honorary degree to Phyllis fucking Schlafly.

What the fuck are you thinking, people?

Of all the freaks in the world to honor you pick this one?!?

Pause...consider...continue.

Hold up and wait a minute!

There may be an opportunity for Wash. U. to get out of this and just look like a bunch of assholes.

See, a bitch is pretty sure Phyllis is against universities.

Blink.

What?

I’m serious!

The woman is about as anti-intellectual you can get…personally, a bitch thinks she’s worthy of reclassification as an Australopithecine but that’s for another post.

Anyhoo, odds are that sanctimonious throw-back will decline the honorary degree.

Come to think of it, I can’t think of an angle she could use to justify accepting it!

Wash. U. offers a domestic partner benefit program. Lawd knows Schlafly is seriously allergic to equality in the workplace. Accepting an honorary degree from a university that extends benefits to same-sex partners may throw her rancid ass into some sort of equality shock!

Wash. U. employs women.

What?

Given her history that alone should kill the deal.

And Wash. U. has a Women and Gender studies program too. Unacceptable in the Land of Schlafly!

Last but not least…

Wash. U. has an Anthropology program…pause to increase the drama…and they teach the chil’ren about EVOLUTION there (gasp)!

Mmmhmm, the only way Phyllis Schlafly can accept an honorary degree from Wash. U. is if she’s a complete hypocritical fraud who promotes hate for personal gain and not out of misplaced moral conviction.

So...has she turned it down yet?

***cue crickets***

Thoughts from the Missouri Democratic Convention or sausage making in progress – viewer discretion advised…

This bitch was invited to tag along with an at-large delegate candidate to be named later (ALDCtbNL) down to Columbia for the 2008 Missouri Democratic Convention. I was beyond tired after a busy week but too curious to pass that opportunity to observe up…plus the ALDCtbNL is one of the few people in the world a bitch would wake up at 6 o’clock in the morning on a Saturday for (wince).

Anyhoo, we drove towards Columbia and paused to grab a yummified breakfast at the Country Pride restaurant in SmallTownVille Missouri. As we chatted about all things political and presidential I couldn’t help but observe that the people in the restaurant were pretty representative of the diversity that is Missouri. There were older and younger people, gay and straight, various races and gender diversity as well…all gathered to catch all we could eat for $7.49.

I filed that away in my mind and we were off again.

We arrived at the Holiday Inn Select in Columbia, collected our stuff and walked on in. I knew a few folks there…hello Blue Girl Red State and all y’all Show Me Progress folks!!...and was pleased to see that the place was packed.

But then…well, ummm…yeah.

Observation #1…
Despite the fact that we live in a world where we can communicate instantly, merge files from one machine to another and send out information to hundreds of people at one time…sigh…there were multiple lists of at-large delegate candidates each containing different names and no master list to be found for clarification.

We went from one registration table (name not listed) to another (name listed) to a nice looking woman with a clip board and a smile (name listed but not as having filled out the proper form) only to be sent back the first table (name still not listed there) and told to find our Congressional District table-based area and start over.

Lawd, have mercy!

Observation #2…
Not once were the issues discussed or debated.

Blink.

Oh people made speeches about issues, but it was as if everyone in the room agreed on everything…and we all know that ain’t the case. When I thumbed through the program book I found that it was also devoid of policy statements.

I understand that the nominee will set the agenda and, to a large extent, determine policy…but this bitch can’t help but wonder why Missouri delegates to the convention wouldn’t want to discuss Missouri’s specific take on the issues so they could take that information to Denver and…

…oh fuck it twice then shred.

Observation #3…
If a random Missouri voter…for example, this bitch (wink)…walked in and tried to use the 2008 convention as a tool to better understand what Missouri Dems are up to they’d be confused as a motherfucker. And Lawd help them if they try to jump in and participate!

When we walked out the door they had over one hundred one-minute speeches remaining to get through.

And if that doesn’t bring a pain to your Afro then you’re a better bitch than I am.

In conclusion…
My mind went back to the folks at the Country Pride restaurant…and then I thought about all the V.I.P. name tags I saw in that convention hall...and I can’t help but feel that my ass would be better represented by the folks at the buffet table than the folks who are probably still making speeches in Columbia.

Sigh.

It was enough to put me off sausage for at least a week...

Protect the vote in Missouri!

This bitch was in Columbia over the weekend for the Missouri Democratic Convention.

I’ll get to that in a bit, but I wanted to bring to everyone's attention the fact that the same fucked up from the floor up Voter ID drama that resulted in nuns being denied the vote in Indiana is on the table here in Missouri.

The Missouri House passed a measure (shame, shame and more shame!!) that would require proof of citizenship through photo identification and Senators are meeting today to see if there is anyway to reach a compromise.

The vote is our power and that is why those who seek to silence the people seek to suppress the vote. This isn't about protecting the vote from outside forces...this is about protecting those in power from the vote!

The Missouri Supreme Court has stated that there are no known instances of people trying to impersonate voters at the ballot booth. So Republicans who argue that there is a perception of voter fraud are full of shit.

I’m a Missourian and the only sinister force I fear is attempting to highjack elections here is the Missouri Republican Party!

Please, please, please take a moment and call your Missouri State Senator and tell them to protect the vote by killing this measure. If you don’t have their contact information simply click here and type your zip code in where it says Legislator Lookup.

Lawd, it’s a sad day in Missouri when the people have to have their rights protected from the Senate…

Blink.

As purple is to lavender…

A certain Jaime sent this bitch an e-mail asking whether I believe that Senator Clinton’s run for the Democratic nomination has produced a split feminism.

Blink.

Great question and a nice segue into a topic this bitch has been agonizing about since WAM! 2008, so double thanks to you Jaime (wink).

Shall we?

A bitch has written and re-written this post so many times that I’m embarrassed to call out the number. I have come to the realization that my ass just needs to keep it real and not worry about style.

So, for better and hopefully not for worse, here’s where I’m at.

Senator Clinton’s run for the Democratic nomination has not produced a split in feminism. It just flushed away a lot of that tolerance bullshit and exposed a rift that’s been there since way back in the day.

This bitch just watched Iron Jawed Angels again and found myself screaming at the television set because it ended in a ‘go forth, sister, and be inspired by what these brave women did for you’ GreatBigHappyFuckingEnding after only a token acknowledgement of the deliberate cave by leaders of the Suffrage Movement to southern bigotry that left women of color on the curb for another 40 years!

But then I remembered my blood pressure and had to go to my calm happy place.

Shit.

Anyhoo, this rift ain’t new and it is layered with issues of class, race, orientation and identity that all play a role in our goals and tactics. The reason it may seem new is because we haven’t had a happening that demanded an unavoidable examination of our values and our goals in some time.

As my beloved father used to say, you don’t have to do anything but stay brown and eventually die. This is about what we choose to do and why we make the choices we make.

In that spirit, here’s my choice - this bitch ain’t going anywhere anytime soon.

I honor the decisions of those WOC who have decided to step back or stop blogging. This shit ain’t easy and it can be frustrating as hell. I hope they will return to add their voices to the chorus…but I understand if they don’t.

Pause…consider…continue.

As some of you know a bitch is not a fan of the school of tolerance and I blame a lot of this current drama on it.

We all need to do some inner work and ask ourselves some serious questions.

How do I define feminism?

Do I consider myself a part of the feminist movement?

Do I consider myself womanist?

Why do I consider myself a part of this movement?

What do I mean by the word oppression?

What do I mean by the word privilege?

What do I mean by the word progressive?

Am I keeping shit real and calling out those on the left for shit I would mercilessly correct had it come from the right?

Am I committed to social justice and do my actions reflect that commitment?

Only after we know ourselves can we be a part of something that will educate others and change the world for the better. Otherwise our unexamined drama will surface and define not just who we are but also what the movement is.

This isn’t a call for everyone to gather ‘round a campfire, feast on S’Mores and Come On Get Happy.

This is about keeping shit real…

…and a little something I like to call respect.