being right in the far left

In case anyone is fearful that I will not be toting a clipboard in the school parking lot this year, you can rest easy.

Now that I have warmed up with chocolate milk, I have moved on to a more emotionally laden issue: gay marriage.  Let me tell you, if you think people get ruffled about chocolate milk (trust me, they do) you should try talking to them about letting the gays get hitched.

As one woman I asked said, "Oh... that's a tough one."

Tough for who?

For those of you who don't live in Maine, here is the scoop.  Two years ago our governor signed a bill legalizing gay marriage.  Signatures were collected and it was taken to referendum where it was repealed in a heartbreaking loss for all the fair-minded people in our state.  It was a collossal embarrasement with the nation watching as we moved in the wrong direction. We considered a move to Vermont or possibly Norway. 

Equality Maine has seen to it that the issue be revived.  I personally thought it was a bit too soon but they are drumming up support and a lot of it, in fact.  In order to get the issue on the ballot as a referendum again, they need 58,000 signatures.  They have set their goal at an overkill 80,000 to account for some unverifiable signatures.  So far they have about 40,000 and the deadline is in early January to get on the ballot next November.

The same women who told me it was a tough one also said, "Didn't we already vote on that?"

Yes, we did honey.  Clearly this is not an important issue to you that you think it is repetative to do it again.

If you ask me the smartest thing they've done is put a stipulation in the referendum protecting "religious freedom" which means a church can refuse to marry whoever they want.  This was a major sticking point and had a lot to do with the loss on election day.

I learned my lesson with the chocolate milk thing.  I get my heart on the line and I become easily hurt by critcism when something is important to me.  For this reason, I have only asked people I'm fairly certain will say yes to sign this petition.  I am proud to say I only wanted to cry once (my only rejection by the woman who felt it was hard) and I have obtained over 30 signatures!

Beth, who is doing a kick ass job heading up the Equality Maine office in our area, said she is noticing that when people decline to sign they almost seem a bit ashamed.  I can't help but think this is a step in the right direction.

When we took the girls rollarskating the other day (there is free rollarskating for kids her age from 12-1 on Saturdays so they can learn)  and I looked out on the not so crowded rink to see a mix of caucasian, asian, indian and african american children out there.  This shouldn't be a notable occurance but in our homogenous area it is.  I was so proud to see diversity in our community.   Having different cultures and ethnic heritages come together always feels like it makes space for the full spectrum of people that exist and creates, not so much tolerance, but maybe even appreciation of the texture that differences among people provides.

There was an article in our local paper the other day about potatoes being a leading cause of obesity and how there is a push to limit them in school lunches.  Under the comment section someone wrote:

"Hey in Hampden the do-gooder liberals got rid of the chocolate milk at the elementary school..now the kids drink more sugary juice drinks. Stuck on stupid is a way of life with these people."

My friend Katie sent is to me to inform me I was famous.  Then she told me that she would get me a t-shirt (made of organic cotton, of course) that says "liberal do-gooder." 

At first I wanted to cry and then I thought, but wait, I so AM a liberal do-gooder.  So I told her I would take the shirt in a medium.

Sandi's sister Tricia just got engaged (yay Trish and Brock!).  I know Brock asked for her "hand" so to speak from her parents before proposing. I was talking to their dad about this the other day and what his thoughts were.  I told him I was feeling him out to see if, when the time came, I should "ask" for the right to marry Sandi.  He's had 11 years to think about my worthiness.  He laughed hard. 

I couldn't help but think this is a joke made somewhat within the realm of possibility now.  A year from now will marriage really be on the table for us?  This liberal do-gooder is going to fight hard to see that it is.