In Defense of Anonymity

My friend, SW Iowa Guy, frequently takes U.S. Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa) to task for various offensive stances. The right-wing, homophobic, racist King provides plenty of source material and SW Iowa Guy pulls no punches. On this post, some readers posted comments lambasting Iowa Guy for his King-bashing anonymously.
Iowa Guy's posts are often biting and contain quite a few swear words (As if I never do that...yeah right). True, some people speak strongly, even brashly, under their real names - Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter are examples. Keith Olbermann on MSNBC is a left-wing counterpart. Gloria Steinem or Molly Yard, anyone?
Critics often slap the coward label on those who speak strongly while hiding behind anonymity. But in many cases it's necessary: Putting out your name on truthful but highly controversial material can be dangerous. The last thing SW Iowa Guy needs to do is help his enemies find him. (He can't afford bodyguards or a high-tech security system - I assume that Fux News takes care of O'Reilly.)
SW and his partner have always been gay, long before his blog and when the word "website" evoked only images of spiders. I've been in their home; they've been in mine. (Yes, I have been alone with them. They're safe.) Their home is...dare I say, ordinary? Inside, nothing unusual about the furnishings or decor; nothing creepy goes on there. They have the same needs, fears and dreams as we who prefer the opposite sex. Despite all that, some anti-gay extremists would kill them if given a chance. Among gay bashers are devoutly religious folks who conveniently forget that "Thou shall not kill" makes no exception for gents who prefer gents or ladies who prefer ladies, and that Jesus said, "all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them (Matthew 7:12)." Non-homicidal homophobes might vandalize their home, vehicles—or do something to their beloved animal companions.
Bloodthirsty bigots aren't the only reason to use a nom de plume. How many sites and newspaper columnists warn about how indiscreet blogging can jeopardize your preset or future job? Can those steamy musings about your now-ex-girlfriend/boyfriend come back to haunt you? Your Web-savvy auto mechanic hates ferrets or your company’s computer tech supports Steve King—and suddenly a wheel falls off your car or your office PC never works right again? You get the idea. But why refrain from your First Amendment rights because of that?
Iowa's insult to Stephen King the novelist needs to have his sins aired—especially before Election Day. (Crap, I'm on the wrong side of the Missouri River.) SW Iowa Guy, more power to you!

Skunk Totem joins ACLU

I have just joined the American Civil Liberties Union. Like why didn't I do this long ago. Some of the ACLU's key points are some that I take personally: especially privacy and rights of the poor. This thing called the Patriot Act scares the crap out of me (would you believe 1 million people on the terrorism watch list? (Source: ACLU website). And you don't have to be an explicit threat to get on it. Meanwhile, an employer denied me a job because they labeled me a potential thief because of my credit record! Never mind that the 100% legal and moral income would have squelched my money problems; and the employer's high security would mean trying to steal would most likely make me a jailbird who'd get lampooned on Star 104.5's "Crooks are Stupid" feature.

Prohibition of gay marriage also hits a nerve. While I am heterosexual, two of my best friends, one of whom writes as SW Iowa Guy are a gay couple that of course don't have their marriage officially recognized. These are good people and the bigotry against them hurts. At the same time, I know some opposite-sex couples who are married by law only and I'm not even sure that God endorses their pairing.

OK, enough said.

Homeowner kills herself after bank foreclosed on her.

A tragic story about Carlene Balderrama, a foreclosed homeowner who committed suicide. While the bank can't bear all the blame, I can't help but wonder if they could have done more to work out a payment arrangement. How big was the mortgage debt compared to the bank's profits? It's hard to believe a spouse and parent would take oneself away from his or her loved ones unless one absolutely couldn't see another way out.

Sadly, this probably isn't the last time that a foreclosure turns lethal. I've written before on how our society could do a lot better at handling depressed and suicidal people. These deaths are preventable - but not by giving the person the message that there is something wrong with the way he or she feels.

I feel for Mrs. Balderrama and her family.

Thought for the Day - Aug. 5, 2008

It's easier to say "you misunderstood/are overreacting" than "I'm sorry."

Iowa Guy 2.0: Commemorating the Legacy of Dubya

If you pardon the pun, this post is a crapload of fun to read!
Iowa Guy 2.0: Commemorating the Legacy of....#links

Storm claims several homes

Friday's extreme thunderstorm with its 80-mph winds spared my home. A neighbor wasn't so fortunate. Three uprooted 100-ft cottonwood trees hammered his property; one of them landed square on his house and the pickup truck in his driveway.

City crews swept in the next day and cleared much of the debris amid onlookers that came after media publicity turned my street into a twisted tourist attraction. (About half the city population was without electricity; the other half whose TVs still worked took turns driving by.)

It looks like only 1/4 of the house was destroyed; it is unknown whether it's repairable or if hidden structural damage has rendered the building beyond repair. The pickup truck looks as if a locomotive plowed into it.

My neighbor, R., is a good fellow who goes out of his way to help others and has kept his property well and provided assistance to others on the block (including myself) with our groundskeeping. Meanwhile, a nearby public nuisance and alleged "drug house" that collects graffiti and trash (the vehicular and human kind as well as what overfills the Dumpster) was untouched. The unfairness digs at me.

But the most important things were unscathed: R. and his beloved dog. Their survival puts a perspective on the whole disater.

Father's Day: In Memory of Dad

My father passed away this year following a losing battle with an antibiotic-resistant pneumonia. I literally heard him take his last breath when I was alone in his bedroom.

He had been in the hospital after an accidental fall and subsequent severe confusion that the doctors suspect was some kind of stress reaction, with symptoms like those included on this list from a CDC bulletin aimed at emergency workers. For unknown reasons, Dad's swallowing reflex disappeared, and despite attempts at special therapy, kept aspirating fluid into his lungs leading to the pneumonia.

After a fractured hip a few years back left my father (at least temporarily) unable to live on his own and take care of Mom (who had her own disabilities), both my parents spent the rest of their lives living in the in-law apartment in my brother's home. That meant dealing with a son and daughter-in-law who run a tight ship and pull no punches when it comes to criticism. (Brother: if you are reading this, if your inclination to speak harshly were inversely proportional to your material generosity and willingness to help those in need, you'd be the best damn brother anyone could hope to have.) Chronic criticism, even when given with good intentions, can form a black hole engulfing positive interactions and memories.

Mom passed away a year after the relocation and Dad lost his lifestyle piece by piece, including his driver's license. I think the fall triggered flashbacks of conflicts past and aggravated hopeless visions of the future.

Dad and I shared a lot in common: a love of animals (horses were to him what ferrets and skunks are to me), a talent for art and "handyman" work, a yen for motorhome travel, an eccentric sense of humor, a live-and-let-live philosophy. Why Dad instead of any of various people who have inflicted misery and/or death on others?

Dad, you were loved my many, and our memories of you will remain in our hearts. We miss you.

Why "Skunk Totem?"

In Native American traditions, animals were seen has having mystic powers and/or symbolism. Skunk teaches us how to give respect and demand it in return. I can relate to the skunk, a gentle animal that raises a stink only when threatened or pissed off. They are often disliked by people who don't understand them, but cherished by people who know them well, especially people who tend to accept others as they are, appreciating them rather than trying to change them.

For more on animal totems, read Animal Speak and other books by Ted Andrews.

To learn what skunks are really like, especially as pets, visit http://www.skunkhaven.net/