Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Pondering 2008 in the Show Me state...

A bitch may have been born in Minneapolis but my ass was raised in Missouri. The Missouri of my childhood had plenty of problems…a history of racial segregation and oppression, regional adoration of all things insurgent and Confederate, rigid class divides and unemployment.

But we were also proud to be the Show Me state…a place where people questioned shit rather than just accept it and where being willing to change your mind and learn was something to brag on.

Sadly, the Missouri of my youth is not the Missouri I returned to some five years ago and nothing illustrates that better than the current crop of ballot initiatives set to divide us in 2007.

The tried and true affirmative action ban...
My first reaction to this was that it is kind of warped to have a ban on affirmative action practices in a state that’s hemorrhaging jobs and talent at a record pace.

My second reaction was disgust because Missouri was chosen for this ban for a reason.

For what we have always been and what we no longer work not be…a state where the klan is listed on highway beautification signs, confederate flags adorn too many pick-up truck bumpers and the St. Louis Post Dispatch calmly publishes articles explaining that white people are leaving a school district because the black population is growing.

These assholes coming to Missouri is like ants swarming a kitchen...something called out to them that this was the place to be and that's nothing to be proud of.

The so-called abortion ban…
Another year equals another assault on choice in Missouri.

Gawd forbid energy and effort be put towards education and prevention in Missouri. St. Louis city's std infection rates are an example of what decades of the war on choice can do.

And here we are again…at war over a ballot initiative when we should be working to educate our youth, empower women and their doctors and support the kind of family planning that builds strong communities.

Nothing can not be pro-family if it is anti-woman…but then again, there’s nothing pro-family about this ballot shit.

The fear of a brown majority immigration initiative…
When I moved back to St. Louis city I was thrilled to learn that we have a large immigrant population because it made me feel that my city was welcoming and inclusive. We should be proud of the diversity immigrants have brought to St. Louis in the past and continue to bring.

Instead, we’re looking at a ballot initiative that seeks to profile against anyone brown and possibly of Mexican descent.

The last thing we need in this state is local law enforcement having the legal right to ask for “papers” from people of color. I get enough grief trying to shop/vote/drive while black as it is.

Top that shit sundae off with the English Only measure and I just don’t recognize this place anymore.

The Missouri state motto…which is in Latin and would become illegal should that English only measure pass…is Salus populi suprema lex esto.

Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law.

Come November 2008, Missourians will Show Me and the rest of the country what that means to us and what we stand for.

Lawd, have mercy.

5 comments:

Samantha_K said...

I'm from Missouri also. I would get started on all of my problems with the ballot initiatives, but I would fill your whole comment box up with a rant.
Seeing as how this is your blog and all, I'll just let you do it. LOL!
(exciting to find another Missourian, btw!)

Frogspond said...

Unfortunately I can't come up with something original for this one, so back to what I said on another post...

seems to me that only the stupid people are breeding these days.


However I just came up with a new thought...

Seems to me that only the stupid people are voting these days.

Yep, no matter what, I am going to make sure I vote so that perhaps there may be even the possiblity of change and the slimmest of hopes that we with brains can overcome those without.

Anonymous said...

Shark-fu my dear,

you mentioned in August how much you enjoyed your trip to New Mexico. And you certainly adorned our fair state with a hairstyle we see far too little of...so if you're not satisfied with the results of Whack the Pinata '08, come on back.

We'll find a place for you.

Shark-Fu said...

Oooh, New Mexico was fantabulous.

A bitch will keep that in mind, but I am a midwestern bitch at the core.

But it is nice to know I've got options!

faboo mama said...

I'm from Kansas City originally and that's where my family is still. I've been hearing it up and down from everyone. My email is full of gripes and complaints about the situation in Missouri. I don't even know how it will turnout, since I don't live there. We had similar initiatives in CA and some have passed, others were flat out rejected. The sad part is these are clearly anti-Latino initiatives and Asians and Arabs don't quite understand via their own bigotry that they'll get caught up in it too. I was astounded last year to watch the Asian communities in and around LA finally recognize the double-eged sword of voting in these racist laws and finding themselves on the receiving end of it.

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