If you are a living, breathing person (at least as it is currently defined) who resides in Anchorage, Alaska, you have noticed a tension in the air over the past year. It started with the election, which pit neighbor against neighbor on a more pronounced platform than ever before, with both our own Governor making headlines as she toured the lower 48 on the Straight Talk Express, and Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich taking on Uncle Ted for his Senate seat. Most people had never even known that profound differences in ideology existed from one mailbox down the street to the next. But all of a sudden, things were looking a lot different, and many people did not care for it one bit; shocked at the reality they had unintentionally unearthed. The predisposition that many of us had to stop when someone has a flat tire, or to be ready to break out the jumper cables when you see someone looking distraught, staring at their old car in the Fred Meyer parking lot, seemed to wither away and devolve into public screaming matches over health care, stimulus money, equal rights for our LGBT, growing homelessness, the city budget in Anchorage, among a host of other divisive topics. All of a sudden, the sense of community that we’ve all shared with each other – the neighborly convictions that have defined Alaskan hospitality – have turned into angry sneers seen in the rear view in reaction to whatever bumper stickers are placed on your car and therefor define you. The times are changing, and they are changing quickly. But, for all the tension that already exists, and has been mounting…

You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

Meet Christopher Kurka, a 22 year old Eagle River resident who quietly submitted a proposal for an initiative to Lt. Governor Craig Campbell back in August, which Campbell approved in late October, allowing Kurka to begin collecting the 32,734 signatures needed to get the initiative placed on the ballot for Alaskans to vote on. The topic? Kurka seeks to afford constitutional rights and protections to the unborn. And, if successful, our state constitution would be amended to reflect that, causing a maelstrom of possible, and probable, implications.

Although both the Lt. Governor and Attorney General Dan Sullivan said that this does not seek to outlaw abortion or overturn Roe v. Wade, the intent of such a proposal, and admittedly it’s author, is exactly that. The summary for the bill, suggested by Campbell, reads: “This bill would extend legal person status to the pre-birth stages of human development. Under this bill a legal person would be recognized starting from the point of conception through birth and until death. This bill would not amend or repeal existing state law regulating abortion, but could impact some areas of the law to extend rights prior to birth.”

“The state responsibility is to protect our rights, and the most fundamental of those rights is the right to life. So what we’re doing here is asking the people of the state to sign this initiative, to get it on the ballot, and then to vote for it, so the unborn will be recognized as a person just like the rest of us,” Kurka told KTUU back in October.

His argument seeks to change the most common framing of the debate around abortion. Just this past week, we’ve seen the fairly publicized battle between Catholic Bishop Tobin and Patrick Kennedy heat up regarding whether or not pro-choice Catholics should be allowed communion. On MSNBC’s Hardball, Chris Matthews interviewed Tobin and made this statement:

“What should be the penalty for a young woman, or a girl even, to have an abortion, and if there’s no penalty for it, are you really outlawing it?”

His broader point was that it is one thing to take a personal, moral stance against abortion because it conflicts with your own individual world view or ideology. But, to this point, we have not impacted other people who may

from KTUU

have a differing belief, nor have we imposed sanctioned against people for ending a pregnancy, because while we may disagree on the practice, the majority of Americans do not feel that the act is a criminal one. It is a deeply troubling decision a would-be mother must make; but we have not felt that it is one she should serve time for.

This initiative seeks to change this policy. It seeks to make abortion criminal, and would seek to prosecute women who terminate pregnancies for murder or manslaughter. And the implications could be a lot further reaching. Despite the Lt. Governor’s explanation that finds the proposal acceptable; that it does not seek to “amend or repeal existing state law regulating abortion,” it would have to, if written into law. If constitutional rights are afforded at the point of conception, which is the specific aim of Mr. Kurka’s efforts, then we could very easily be looking at the abolition of choice, contraception being made criminal, rape and incest resulting in children born into horrendous and often violent living conditions, among countless other concerns. And we would be forced to try in a court of law those who performed and/or underwent abortions as murderers. I hate to sensationalize the radical implications that could possibly ensue, but this is the exact wording of the proposal. This is in no way a hyperbolic account of possible outcomes.

Jeffrey Mittman and the ACLU also find the language in the proposal to contradict the law unconstitutionally.

“The ACLU is supporting a lawsuit filed this week by plaintiffs that include Vic Fischer, a former Democratic legislator and delegate to the state constitutional convention. The suit argues that Lt. Gov. Craig Campbell shouldn’t have certified the measure and seeks to stop the sponsors from collecting signatures to get it on the ballot.” [ADN]

“To me, it looks like they are trying to return us to back-alley abortions,” Clover Simon, Alaska vice president of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest told the Alaska Star.

As Matthews and others point out, thus far the Catholic church as a whole has not gotten behind this sort of legislation, and hesitate when suggesting the idea of prosecuting women for undergoing the procedure. But fetal personhood proposals are popping up all over the country, in states as red as Montana, blue as California, and confused as Florida.

Be assured, we will see many in our religious community jump on board, especially in the wake of the troubles getting the needed signatures for the “Parental Consent” law petition trumpeted by the Alaska Family Council.

The Focus on the Family off-shoot, led locally by Jim Minnery, has been frantically attempting to meet the required number of people to sign their support which would force minors to notify their parents when they sought to terminate a pregnancy. This is the result of a similar billed which passed in 1997, but was struck down in 2007 when the Alaska Supreme Court found the law unconstitutional, citing their stance that sharing this information with parents violated the privacy of their teenage daughters. While a parental notification and consent law might sound beneficial, as a first impression, it loses merit when taking into account that Alaska ranks as the worst state in the union when it comes to rape, and in addition, according to Health and Human Services:

Since 1976, Alaska has ranked in the top five states in the nation for the highest rate of reported rape per capita. In 1993, Alaska ranked 1st in the nation: highest per capita incidence of rape.
Alaska has 6 times the national average of reported child sexual assault.
1 in 4 girls before the age of 12 and 1 in 6 boys before the age of 18 nationally will be sexually assaulted.
Fairbanks Health Center surveyed 419 clients over a 3-week period and found that 24% reported physical abuse in the past 6 months while 39% reported some form of sexual abuse (1995).
In 3 out of 4 reported cases, the victim knew the offender, the most commonly reported type of sexual abuse is a father who commits incest with his daughter–usually the eldest daughter.
As many as 4 out of 5 offenders were sexually assaulted as children.
One-third of incest victims’ mothers were sexually abused as children.
Alaska’s rape rate is 2.2 times the national average overall.

So, maybe being legally forcing kids to tell dad that they’re pregnant after he just lost his job and has been drinking all month isn’t the greatest idea.

Most Alaskans get this, even if they do not agree with abortion. But the Alaska Family Council is determined to curb choice at every turn. Minnery’s AFC newsletter:

“You’ll find more info on our website at www.alaskansforparentalrights.org but suffice it to say that we need roughly 40,000 signatures and to date – we are about 10,000 short of that mark.  We have only a few precious weeks to get the remaining signatures and we are simply not going to reach our goal without more churches stepping forward.”

With the story about this new fetal personhood initiative, which would take care of the parental consent notification as well as the larger issue, the website advertised above is already offline. They can’t get the signatures one way, so they’re on to try their luck with a different extreme. I don’t think it’s too mavericky to assume that Wal*churches like Prevo’s Anchorage Baptist Temple will follow suit as the knowledge of this initiative begins to circulate.

As for Christopher Kurka, his fight goes on. In a bold display of creepy disconnect (that may ring all too familiar with many in Anchorage), he tells the Alaska Star: “This is what I enjoy. Some people have a favorite football or basketball team they cheer for. For me, this is my sports team, and I am a dedicated fan.”

Only in Alaska would you see a man walking his reindeer downtown…

Former Alaska Public Safety Employees Association Executive Director John Cyr (left) and Alaska State Trooper Mike Wooten, Sarah Palin's former brother-in-law and the trooper at the center of the Alaska Govenor Palin Troopergate Scandal.

The Alaska State Trooper at the center of Sarah Palin’s so-called “Troopergate Scandal“–which impeded her run for the vice-presidency and stained her record as Alaska governor–has broken his more than year-long silence since his embattled divorce with Palin’s sister, Molly, became a cause celebre during last year’s presidential campaign.

After reading passages from Palin’s memoirs Going Rogue that deal with his marriage and subsequent divorce, a “fed up” Mike Wooten, 37, who still serves as an Alaska State Trooper in Anchorage, called the book “a pack of lies.”

According to Wooten, Palin and her father, Chuck Heath Sr., have “interfered with my life–and my children’s lives–for at least the last five years. And it is still going on. I’m done with it.”

Characterizing his adversaries as “snakes,” Wooten said he has kept quiet long enough. “From this point on I’m speaking my mind,” he declared. “I’m speaking the truth. Let the chips fall where they may.” He acknowledged that he is considering taking legal action against Palin on multiple fronts.

Although Palin would try to claim otherwise during the presidential campaign, an independent investigation ordered by the bipartisan Alaska Legislative Council (composed of ten Republicans and four Democrats) and conducted by former Republican prosecutor Steve Branchflower, resulted in the finding “that Governor Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act.”

The report issued by Branchflower documented more than thirty occasions in which then Governor Palin, her husband Todd or members of her staff tried to influence Alaska’s highly regarded Commissioner of Public Safety, Walt Monegan, to fire Wooten. When Monegan refused, Palin fired him instead.

In addition to the finding that Palin “abused” her office, the Alaska Senate cited Todd Palin and nine other state employees for “contempt” for ignoring legislative subpoenas to testify in the Troopergate investigation.

A native of California whose father immigrated to the United States from Honduras, Wooten served 10 years in the Air Force and three more in the Air National Guard Reserves. He participated in a trio of U.S. military operations in the Persian Gulf War–Desert Storm, Desert Shield and Restore Hope–before returning stateside to Alaska at Elmendorf Air Force Base, about 45 minutes from Wasilla.

Partially disabled from his military service, Wooten pointed out that neither Todd nor Sarah Palin, or Chuck Heath for that matter, served in the armed forces. Wooten said he was particularly “disgusted and incensed” by Palin’s “insincere” dedication in Going Rogue to “our men and women in uniform.”

Wooten further noted with irony that many of those who have been victimized by Palin during her political career–including former Wasilla police chief Irl Stambaugh; Monegan and himself–were all veterans. “Sarah is only about Sarah,” Wooten said. “She doesn’t care about the ‘men and women in uniform.’ It’s all about advancing Sarah’s career.”

Public records from Alaska–some of which have been revealed for the first time–chronicle a half-decade long obsession with Wooten by Palin, her father and, later, by Palin’s husband Todd.

“They’re like poisonous snakes in the grass who spew nothing but venom,” Wooten said. “They just lay in wait and they attack you until you’re dead.”

In Going Rogue, Palin mentions none of Wooten’s military record, but cites many charges that were brought against Wooten that were subsequently dismissed. She contends that there were “ten different” citizen complaints field against Wooten–without acknowledging that all of them were filed by members of her family or close friends. “They filed every stinking one of the charges,” Wooten contends. “But it’s been more like two dozen.”

In an interview conducted in Alaska this past summer, John Cyr, the former Alaska Public Safety Employees Association Executive Director, confirmed Wooten’s charges:

Not one complaint has ever been made about Mike Wooten’s professional performance from any member of the public other than the Palin/Heath family and their closest friends. The troopers that I’ve talked to that have worked with Mike tell me Mike is the kind of guy they’d go through a door with. That he does his work. He’s a professional. You know, just no complaints out there about Mike’s work.

“It’s the product of an ugly divorce and custody battle,” Cyr said of the complaints against the State Trooper. “It’s nothing more than that.”

Wooten has acknowledged several mistakes he made while “I was younger” and admitted there were several things he “would have done differently,” but he chose to remain silent as the McCain-Palin campaign portrayed him as a “rogue” Trooper (note the irony here) who Tased his step-son and went off on violent, drunken binges, to the point of threatening to kill Palin’s father.

Wooten calls the version of events rendered in Going Rogue an “outright lie.” Either it “didn’t happen [the way she alleges],” he says, “or she exaggerated it all beyond recognition. I look forward to telling my side of this story.”

Wooten now joins an ever-growing array of figures from John McCain on down who have challenged the veracity of Palin’s memoirs. The list also includes McCain senior advisers Steve Schmidt and Nicolle Wallace, Palin’s former legislative director John Bitney, her former political ally Andree McLeod, and former Alaska gubernatorial candidate Andrew Halcro. All Republicans. Wooten identifies himself as a “conservative” as well.

Palin contends “the chapter for our family was closed” with the divorce but fails to acknowledge any of the sustained harassment of Wooten, which, he says, continues to this day.

The father of three (two of whom are with Palin’s sister), Wooten, still living in Wasilla, is described by his friends as a “very involved father,” active as a coach in all of his three children’s extracurricular sports activities–hockey, football and soccer. “I’ve committed my life to these children and being a good dad,” he says. “I’m simply not going to allow the Palins or Chuck Heath to interfere in our lives any longer.”

Palin recounts a story in Going Rogue that Wooten “asked me to write him a recommendation for the Alaska State Trooper Academy.” What she doesn’t acknowledge is that she wrote more than one on his behalf. In a letter dated January 1, 2000, written on official City of Wasilla stationery, Palin praises Wooten profusely, though she fails to declare her then-pending familial relationship with him.

It is my pleasure to provide character reference examples for Mr. Mike Wooten. Since I have become acquainted with Mike I continue to be impressed with his integrity, worthwhile community spirit and trustworthiness…
On a personal note, I have witnessed Mike’s gift of calm and kindness towards many young kids here in Wasilla. I have never seen him raise his voice, nor lose patience, nor become agitated, in the presence of any child. Instead, Mike consistently remains a fine role model for my own children and other young people in Wasilla.

I wish America had more people with the grace and sincerity that mirrors the character of Mike Wooten. We would have a much kinder calmer trustworthy nation as a result.

I believe the United States Air Force has been fortunate to have the services of Mike the past 10 years. His work ethic, his American patriotism, his obvious dedication to traditional values, and his strong faith in God and truth is witnessed in Mike’s everyday living.

–Sarah Palin, Mayor

None of which, of course, is mentioned in Going Rogue.

For his part, Wooten recalls a telling conversation with an associate of Palin’s campaign team when she was running for Governor in 2006. “You could probably bring the whole campaign down,” the aide said. “You probably know things about her that she doesn’t want other people to know.”
Award-winning writer and filmmaker Geoffrey Dunn’s book The Lies of Sarah Palin: The Untold Story Behind Her Relentless Quest for Power will be released by St. Martin’s Press in spring 2010.

Geoffrey Dunn
The Huffington Post

I think this is the shooting that will turn it all around for those who desire a better America. I think that this shooting, even though the boy didn’t die from his wounds, will really be taken to heart by the NRA. After all, when we learn that babies are being killed by defective cribs, we get rid of the cribs through the recall process. We don’t advocate for the purchase of more defective cribs. I’m positive that the NRA will now make the connection between gun ownership and shootings. Sure. Of. It.

The Houston Cougars hoops team opened their 1st tournament of the season in Anchorage with #25 Oklahoma who was looking for a bounce back after losing to San Diego the night before. The Coogs looked lost for the 1st several minutes but they would figure things out eventually.  The offensive plan was… well… there didn’t appear to be a plan. Oklahoma came out in a zone and the Coogs responded by standing around the perimeter and then surprising the Sooners by continuing to stand around. They launched 3 after 3 without even thinking about attacking the lane. To compound that the Sooners and freshman Steven Pledger were on fire from the floor.

Pledger and Oklahoma hit their first 3 tries from deep on their way to a 20 – 6 lead at the start. That was due in part to their hot shooting but it also was due to poor play by UH. Desmond Wade led a 3-on-2 break and, instead of a layup, the Coogs ended up with a pull-up 3-point try by Adam Brown. And while the Cougars were pulling up for terrible jumpers, the Sooners were going right down the middle of the lane repeatedly.

The only thing that Houston had going was offensive rebounding (because they were missing so many shots) and Kirk Van Slyke was playing much better than he did last game against Nevada. Kelvin Lewis was shooting the ball well but Houston’s other star, Aubrey Coleman, was forcing the issue and taking some really bad shots as Oklahoma took a big lead. Things did begin to look better for UH though.

The Coogs roared back with a 9 – 0 run as Maurice McNeil’s free throws got the lead down to single digits. The good play was a result of increased defensive pressure as Coach Tom Penders decided to full-court press. The raised tempo also benefited Coleman; he started to attack the rim instead of settling for the tough jump shots he had been shooting. He had a fantastic drive and scoop down the middle and Van Slyke followed that with a 3 right before the half to make it a 5 point game.

Pledger had 20 in the half but Lewis countered with 16 for UH. The Coogs only shot 39.5% compared to 56% for Oklahoma who also shot 8 more free throws and 8/15 from the arc.  

52 – 47 Oklahoma at the half.    

But the Coogs would be as good in the 2nd half as they were bad in the 1st half. Houston was really keepnig the defensive pressure on but Oklahoma was still able to stretch the gap to 10 because the Coogs couldn’t get their shots to fall. Aubrey Coleman was bound to get it going at some point and he finally did.

The offensive success got the defense playing even harder and the Cougars took the lead for the 1st time when Kelvin Lewis drilled a 3 off an Oklahoma turnover. The game would stay about even from there until about 9:00 to play.

Zamal Nixon made his 1st impact on the game with a steal that he took down for an “and 1″ layup to make it 74 – 71 Houston but he wasn’t done. He stripped Tommy Mason-Griffin on the next play and gave it off to Coleman for a dunk. Coleman made it 3 consecutive steals on the next play that he took the other way. Crocker could only stop Aubrey by wrapping him up and committing the intentional foul. It was only a 7-point run but it really swung the momentum to UH.

By the time 6:30 was left Coleman and Lewis had pretty much put the Sooners away. The Coogs decided to sit on the ball for the rest of the game. They started running the shot clock down much too early but it didn’t hurt them this time because the Coogs made free throws and the Sooners made mistakes. The only guy playing well for OU was Warren but he couldn’t do it on his own so the Coogs were able to get away with the win. Next time they need to keep the pressure on though when things are going well so they don’t chance losing the momentum.

100 – 93 final score.  

Next Up: Game 2 of Great Alaska Shootout Versus San Diego 10:30 Friday.

Positives:

1. Kelvin Lewi: 11/18 overall, 6/11 from 3, 28 points but more importantly he hit huge baskets to keep the Coogs in the game in the 1st half and then did the same thing to put the Sooners away inthe 2nd.

2. Aubrey Coleman didn’t shoot the ball well at first but his 11 rebounds show how hard he played and he really controlled the tempo in the 2nd half. He did a great job of running when it was there and pulling it out when it wasn’t. He was basically the default point guard and he played very well. Oh, and he had 29 points.

3. It was great to see this team continue to play hard even though they couldn’t make a shot in the beginning. The ability to press is going to do wonders for them this year because they are quick and finish well in transition.

4. The Mason-Griffin line: Tommy Mason-Griffin had 4 turnovers but he also made several more poor decisions. Add that to 14 more turnovers by the other guys and you can see the results of the pressure Houston’s defense was putting on the Oklahoma guards.  

Negatives:

1. This is the 2nd straight game in which they have started awfully. Against Nevada they couldn’t complete the comeback  but they got it done this time. Still, that is not an strategy you want to continue using. They really need to do a better job out of the gate.

Insights:

I like Van Slyke’s game at the 4. He has plenty of range and he can stretch the court for Aubrey Coleman to create. The development of freshman Kendrick Washington is going to be imperative to the Coogs’ success though because the post is going to be vacant unless he fills the void. The Cougars need a back-to-the-basket scorer and it will be interesting to see if he can become that guy for them. If he or maybe McNeil can become that kind of a threat, UH will have a nice mix of pennetrators, shooters and one guy in the paint on the offensive attack. The defense is already promising as long as they play hard like they did tonight so we could be looking at a tournament team for the 1st time since 1992.

Pleasantly Surprised,

Multatuli

The studio was full of personality and fun during this session. I had a great time with these kids and although the baby was sure it was torture to be there even she managed a few great smiles. This family flew in from another part of the state and I certainly think it was worth it after seeing these great expressions! Enjoy, many more to come soon. Also don’t forget to check out the ISG Photography Facebook page and become a Facebook Fan to receive exclusive offers, priority bookings, and to share your sneak peeks with your own Facebook friends.  http://www.facebook.com/ISGPhotography

Netflix: Taking Chance.

I am a U.S. Army war veteran and sometimes I hate or love films about that lifestyle. Most have to do with the battle itself and every now and then you get one about the honor and/or loss. This film is one of those. Having served as honor guard for military burial services I can tell you that Kevin Bacon did a great job depicting the uncomfortable feeling a soldier gets when in that situation. You are there to show honor to your fellow military brother and make sure their family and friends takes a sense of pride with them, about that person, from the funeral. The family, or people in general, give you so much respect and gratitude you have a very overwhelming uncomfortable feeling because you being there is all about that fallen soldier and not you in your eyes. At the same time you know it gives them a calming feeling knowing they can give you some of the love they feel for that person they have just lost because of your military bond with their loved one.

This film and Kevin did a great job showing the honor and respect involved in the United States Military that only members of the armed services can truly understand. Throughout this film I had this overwhelming feeling I should be standing up at attention the whole time I watched it. What a great film!! If you are a veteran or want to attempt to understand that bond in the military watch this film… will tear your heart out!

Well, I hope you missed my blog over the last few weeks. I could have posted from the Boston Library, where I was getting my email, but an hour was hardly time to sort thru the daily things. Okay, I should have carried my laptop, but no . . . it’s nice to visit a big city, but nicer to get back to Alaska. People comment that the cost of getting here is just too much, but it won’t be any less next year, I guarantee, so you should plan your visit now. Why come to Anchorage?
First, our weather is as good or better than Boston. It doesn’t rain all day, ever. The traffic is never more than a two red light wait, and drivers are polite. Usually, they are! Unfortunately, the highway engineers have been tampering with a satisfactory highway network, by forcing in roundabouts, and making some 4 lane major arteries 3 lanes. They say it improves the flow, but this is only because many avoid those roads now, causing less traffic. There was a successful campaign by the businesses on Fireweed Lane (a major east-west mid-town street) to keep these city planners out of the area.

Now, comparing museums, I have to admit the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is quite fabulous, and the $20 admission is acceptable, but there is a limited amount of time and energy to visit all the galleries in one visit. The Anchorage Museum of Fine Arts is also great, altho’ quite a bit smaller, but adequate, and the $7 admission is more reasonable.

Restaurants abound in both cities, but overall, the prices in Boston are much higher. Anchorage boasts umpteen Mexican restaurants, and I didn’t see any in Boston. The fast-food chains are in both places, and sidewalk cafes are inviting. Starbucks are found on most corners, it seemed, and shops between Copley Square and Arlington/Boston Commons are quite fancy. But Boston has no Nordstroms. How can that be! Anchorage has a downtown core with Nordie’s and J.C. Penney’s being the two major stores, and free parking at Penney’s garage. Forget about parking in Boston — it can be done if you want to pay $12/hr. Well, I don’t.

Public transportation in Boston is pretty special. You can even take a subway to the airport (a shuttle takes you the last part right to your terminal) which is truly easier than turning in a rental car, or getting a lift there thru a toll-gate. Logan Airport is huge, and they’ve upgraded many restaurants and shops since 9-11, I understand. However, Anchorage has upgraded their airport, too, and it’s easy/free access. . .but there’s no public transportation to get there.

There are many educational colleges there. Northeastern Univ. just dropped their football program, but there’s Harvard right across the River and many smaller colleges. On the music scene, you have Berklee School of Music, New England Conservatory, and other smaller schools. In Anchorage, you have ME! Yes, I teach piano, but we have the University of Alaska, Anchorage (UAA) and Alaska Pacific University. . . and Charter College completes the diversity of offerings.

The sports scene at this time of year focuses on skiing, and Anchorage has Mt. Alyeska Resort, which is one of the best anywhere, and only an hour’s drive away. Boston offers trains to Conway, N.H. and other ski resorts in N.H. and Vermont. The cost is prohibitive and unlikely that most can afford such luxury, whereas in Anchorage/Alyeska, ski bums have it good, with a hostel nearby the mountain, and reasonable prices for lift tickets and food.

I guess you can say I’m hooked on Alaska, for so many reasons. We even have our own history, altho’ different from the elitists of New England. What can compare to the gold miners, and early settlers in Matanuska Valley. They have a story to tell, and it is just as colorful, in a different way.

So I guess the bottom line is that Alaska is a great place to visit, and even greater to live here. Come and see for yourself.

I have a friend who needs the community’s support. And we need his leadership.

A few months ago, while waiting for the start of the True Diversity Dinner, collecting myself in preparation for hosting the event, a stranger walked over to where I was sitting and randomly handed me a note card containing the names of every elected official in attendance. I was aware of most of the names, and had already planned on mentioning everyone. But there were a few important people who I had no idea had shown up, and all of a sudden, there they were, neatly compiled on the note card now sitting in front of me. This gentleman knew very well – better than I did – that it’s easier than you might think to blank on names while on stage (or during Katie Couric interviews), and he didn’t want me to leave anyone out; wanted to make sure the event went smoothly. Even after years of experience on stage, I had managed to space on a general rule. That’s how I met Christopher Constant. He had my back even before I knew his name.

Well, now Christopher wants to stand up for this community. He’s tired of the LGBT community being Jerry Prevo’s punching bag. He believes in this city and this state and thinks it’s about time that we drag that stubborn right foot out of the dark ages. Yesterday, I received this email from him:

“Please come support the effort to organize a campaign to elect an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender Alaskan elected official. To the best knowledge of everyone I know, Alaska has never elected an OUT gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender candidate elected to public office. NOW IS THE TIME.

I (Christopher Constant) have been invited and given a scholarship to the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute’s candidate and campaign training coupled with the 25th annual LGBT International Leadership Conference in San Francisco, Dec 2 – Dec 6, 2009.

I was awarded a $1,200 scholarship for the training. I have invested my own treasure substantially. I am hoping you can come and share a small bit of your treasure to help cover the rest of the cost. I could use your help.

People have asked what seat I am planning to run for. This effort is bigger than me. It is about electing a candidate. It may be me, but I have no plans in the next two years of running. Instead, I intend to take the time to organize so that when 2012 rolls around, the effort has more chance of success.

http://www.glli.org/training/candidate_campaign
http://www.victoryfund.org/files/conference2009/glli.html

I have consulted with APOC and because this campaign is neither connected with a specific candidate nor a specific piece of legislation, I don’t have to say ‘Paid for by’ anybody.”

This is a huge step forward for our community. Leadership needs to be built from the bottom up, or else you end up with a few folks, who were already at the top, in control of those at the bottom. Alaska is known for it’s established, corrupt leadership; in government and religious institutions alike. We have a lot of great people working to change that, but they need our committed support, as well as a steady flow of reinforcements. This is an uphill struggle against very well rooted opposition, as many here in Anchorage most recently saw over the summer during the battle for equality, which failed due to fear mongering from certain radio personalities, bused in masses from Wal*churches like the Anchorage Baptist Temple, Change Point, and the Independent Baptist Church of Wasilla, and a final veto from a Mayor who knows a little something about dynastic privilege.

There is a good chance that we will lose some key seats on the Assembly this April if we don’t start to dig our heels in and fight back against the “sky is falling” mentality that is already spreading faster than the lies that created it. This is a time to connect with each other, strengthen bonds, educate, prepare. It takes a strong character to have the courage to vocally stand up and fight, but that’s exactly the medicine that we so desperately need.

You may not know him yet, but Christopher Constant already has your back.

I’ll personally be donating $100 to his effort, and it would mean a lot to me, personally, and a lot of other people if you came down and showed support as well. Twenty bucks, five bucks; a beer and well wishes. Whatever you can afford.

Monday night, 6-8pm at Mad Myrna’s, 503 East 5th Avenue, downtown Anchorage.

I truly hope to see you there.

Thanksgiving Quiz – History.com – Thanksgiving History.

I thought doing more than just wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving and giving you all a little information about this holiday to go with it.

So, go ahead and click the link to the history channel and see what you already know and what you may have not known about Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Traveling is always a chore with a large family. Shoot, it takes us 25 minutes to figure out how we are getting to church every Sunday, and we go every Sunday! Are we taking the van or two cars? Do you need to be there early? Do we have any extra kids? Who is riding with dad? Are you getting a coffee? No, you can’t all ride with mom! No you can’t all go in later! Where are we going to eat? Where did all these extra kids come from?

Now imagine trying to take a vacation. Just finding 10 seats is daunting, but then try and use your handy-dandy super simple companion fare in combination with you Alaska Airlines miles and find the cheapest fare. This always leads to a conversation with a ticket agent ( yes they still exist, near extinction, but those still alive have managed to maintain the skills their ancestors have passed down to them)explaining my fate and frustration of attempting to bring it all together. The result is always at least two separate flights. Two long separate flights arriving several hours apart, and arriving late, always.

Traveling is definitely a chore for a family our size, but it is almost always worth it. Our last family trip was to Orlando, and the end result was great, even though it did involve two travel teams changing planes twice each way and going through different cities and arriving at different times. I think it must be somewhat like childbirth. You forget the crying, the vomiting ( in the aisle of the plane), the nasty smells ( usually sitting by the bathroom) and the kicking and screaming in desire of breaking free from captivity, and then you have worry about the kids too. But alas, all that goes away as soon as you lay your head on the lounge chair by the pool.

I write this as we get ready to head to Anchorage for Thanksgiving, our yearly tradition. The kids love staying with Nana, going to the shootout, shopping, hitting up old Charles E. Fromage, and maybe even making an appearance at H2Oasis, a great place for a hairy old overweight man like myself to hang out. Alas, I have to keep this short because we are getting ready to leave and I need to open an Excel spreadsheet to figure out who is going to ride with who and who gets to bring what laptop, and who gets to sit in what seat, and where we will stop and potty, and where Tracy will want to stop and take some pictures…… oops we were suppose to leave an hour ago.

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend, and don’t forget to whom you are thankful.

I had a thought today that has always bothered me in the past…

As far as I could remember December 25th was always recognized as the birth of Jesus Christ, whether it was the actual date or not was really not all that important, and was always celebrated as such. The past few years a trend has started around this country where even mentioning the holiday in such a way was discriminatory of the other religions for some reason. Wishing someone a Merry Christmas has somehow become offensive.

That is where my beef starts on this post. I say Merry Christmas because I am celebrating my beliefs and wishing blessings and happiness onto others whenever I say that. I am not trying to convert anyone or say my beliefs are more important than anyone’s beliefs aside from my own. I am basically saying have a great day as this is a day of happiness and celebration of my own personal beliefs. I have not heard anyone complain about such things when the roles are reversed in such a situation. Why is it that when you are part of a majority you always have to apologize or retract your beliefs to make the rest of the minority groups and beliefs feel better about themselves. I would much rather say Merry Christmas and have someone , as just an example here, reply in saying Happy Hanukkah. See how easy that would be… no one needs to get mad or offended by the situation just celebrate your beliefs.

So, instead of the whole nation having to change the traditions of so many why not tolerate each other and your separate beliefs a little more? With that in thought; I would like to wish everyone a “Happy Thanksgiving” and a “Merry Christmas” as this week we finally got our lights up to help us celebrate our traditions and beliefs for the end of the year.

God bless

Andree McLeod sits during opening arguments in an Anchorage, Alaska court room Tuesday Aug. 4, 2009, in a lawsuit brought by McLeod challenging former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's use of private e-mail accounts for official business.

It’s tough getting up to the front of the line of those wanting to call Sarah Palin for the truckload of lies spewed in Going Rogue. Even John McCain has gotten into the act by charging Palin with fabricating a $50,000 bill she claimed she got stuck with for her “vetting” and by praising the two aides targeted by Palin, Steve Schmidt and Nicolle Wallace.

Up in Alaska, the line is just as contentious. Everyone from Palin’s first years on the Wasilla City Council to her gubernatorial aides have challenged Palin’s rendition of her political career in the Last Frontier.

But perhaps the nastiest and most duplicitous passages of all in Going Rogue are those directed at Andree McLeod, the longtime Republican watchdog out of Anchorage who filed many of the Alaska Ethics Act complaints that, by Palin’s own admission, hounded her from office.

Palin’s venom directed at McLeod is both racist and viciously inaccurate. Perhaps a court will one day determine if it’s also libelous.

McLeod, now in her mid-50s and who is of Armenian descent by way of Lebanon, is referred to as the “falafel lady” repeatedly by Palin throughout her book. It’s an intended slur of ethnic derision, loaded with all of Palin’s adolescent fury. It’s also reminiscent of those members of Palin’s “Team Sarah” who referred to Barack and Michelle Obama’s Inaugural Dance as the “Watermelon Roll.” The phrase is as appalling as it is infantile.

Perhaps most importantly–and this is the one issue that astonishes those in the Lower 48 when I talk to them about Palin and Alaska politics–McLeod is a tried and true Republican. So are most of Palin’s staunchest critics in Alaska, from Lyda Green to Rick Rydell to Andrew Halcro.

Never one to let facts get in the way of a good story–especially when it’s her story–Palin identifies McLeod as part of a left-wing conspiracy loaded for bear against her. This is a howler. McLeod actually ran as recently as 2004 for the Alaska House of Representatives as a Republican. McLeod, like many other Palin critics who filed ethics complaints, is a fiscal conservative. Palin continues to lie about the nature of her opposition to those in the Lower 48 because there’s an information disconnect between those who live in the Last Frontier and those who live “Outside.”

McLeod had made friends with Palin after she lost her bid for Lt. Governor in 2002 and before Palin served as the chair and ethics officer of the Alaska Oil & Gas Conservation Commission. They worked together during Palin’s highly publicized battle with Republican Party Chair Randy Ruedrich. None of that is included in Going Rogue. It’s a lie of omission–one of truly grand proportions.

And guess what else you won’t read in Going Rogue? Sarah Palin actually supported McLeod politically during her runs for the Alaska state house. Prominently displayed on McLeod’s campaign brochure was a supportive quote from the former Mayor of Wasilla:

Like many of us, Andree wants good government. She’s not afraid to stand up for what’s right. Though she ruffles a feather or two now and then, this intelligent Alaskan is exactly what we need during these times.– Sarah Palin

Of course, Palin is possessed of neither the decency nor the integrity to acknowledge any of this history or the depth of her relationship with McLeod in Going Rogue.

There’s a lengthy email correspondence between these two political allies dating back nearly seven years. Palin is often full of praise.

That was a great letter to the ed. this week Andree. I haven’t had time to call but wanted to tell you it was, again, insightful & educational & good writing. I’m still disenchanted with the whole issue of RR and state politics and am not even very optimistic about the call for an independent investigation. We’ll see. I guess I’ll believe it when I see it. Hope you’re doing well, staying warm & staying on top of all these state issues I’m hearing about on the news! Love, SP

Other Palin emails to McLeod refer to her as “intelligent,” “bold,” “powerful” and “encouraging.” In another email Palin wrote: “Ugh! I know you must get so frustrated because you’re all about accountability!”

Yet another, written in Palinese, declares:

wow! again! YOU ARE A WRITER… I’ll bet your son is, too. You will be thanked for summing up for others what many believe: that there’s nothing wrong with healthy debate and challenges to the status quo when something is wrong & it can easily be fixed!

Note Palin’s compliments about McLeod’s writing, but in Rogue she says that McLeod’s ethics complaints got “more and more sophisticated,” indicating that they weren’t being written by her. Palin also claims: “We always suspected that someone was funding and directing Andree’s efforts.”

McLeod calls this charge an “outrage.” There’s not a whisker of proof in Palin’s book (no footnotes, no bibliography, no index, and obviously no fact-check) presented for this in the text. It’s nothing less than despicable.

For the first time, McLeod has released another Palin email to her, written in August of 2003. The email not only reveals the closeness of Palin’s relationship with McLeod but also the ease with which they formerly communicated.

Hi Andree:Did you hear us talking about you on the Mike Pocaro show Monday evening?! It was a hoot! He was impressed with your efforts on the VanEten issue & I called in to say “Kudos to Andree… she’s obviously got tireless energy and desire to keep government and government officials accountable to Alaskans… we need more “Andrees” in this state… etc…” And then that gal, “Michelle” (who calls in a lot) called right after I did to say, “Sarah Palin just needs to stay out of Anchorage politics… blah blah blah…” and the show went on with you as the highlight for callers! It was awesome. Ya’ done good again!!!

Sarah

McLeod has dozens of emails between herself and Palin. But once Palin was elected governor, McLeod was suddenly persona non grata.

In Going Rogue, Palin would like everyone to believe that all of her problems began after she was named as McCain’s running mate, what Palin has defensively dubbed the “new normal.” (Her shameful rendition of “Troopergate,” which commenced in the summer well before her nomination, is astonishingly duplicitous.) In fact, McLeod ’s concerns about Palin began in the spring of last year, when, during the State Republican Convention in March of 2008, McLeod observed two top Palin officials–Frank Bailey and Ivy Frye–closely involved in partisan gamesmanship. That’s when McLeod first became concerned that Palin’s administration was crossing the line in terms of the state’s ethics act.

There was never a “normal” in Sarah Palin’s Alaska–ever.

Perhaps most importantly, Palin’s checkered political legacy in the Last Frontier may not be over yet. McLeod says that she will be filing more complaints involving Palin and her administration.

I’ve discovered emails which prove that Palin officials worked on the campaign while on the state payroll clock. That is wrong and should not be tolerated. Also, there’s the outstanding issue of Palin not turning over the reins to the Lieutenant Governor when she left to campaign as mandated by the Alaska Constitution. We deserve to know who was responsible for leaving Alaska without a master at the helm and why.

Award-winning writer and filmmaker Geoffrey Dunn’s book The Lies of Sarah Palin: The Untold Story Behind Her Relentless Quest for Power will be released by St. Martin’s Press in spring 2010.

Geoffrey Dunn
The Huffington Post

Today, a candlelight vigil was held for two young men on the Anchorage Park Strip.  No one attending had ever met either of the two boys, but around 20 people felt enough connection to them to stand in the cold for an hour and mourn their loss, and the losses that had come before.

You may not be familiar with the young men I’m talking about, so let me try to tell you a little about them as best I can.

Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado was a 19 year old, Puerto Rican man whose friend Pedro Julio Serrano remembers him as being a “very very dear friend” and “was a person who you only needed one minute to fall in love with.”  Mercado was an active volunteer for many gay causes, and seems to have had a wide group of friends.  Below is a video put together by his friends an family, who want Jorge remembered for the wonderful person he was, and not by what happened to him.  The majority of the text is in Spanish, but you can see from the pictures that he was cared for by many people.

Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado was a 19 year old, Puerto Rican man whose body was found by the side of the road near Cayey, Puerto Rico.  His body was brutalized, his arms were removed from his torso, and he was burned. The man who confessed to committing these acts is Juan Antonio Martinez Matos, a 26 year old man who has served time in prison in the past.  Matos apparently picked Mercado up in a red light district, where Mercado was dressed as a woman.  It is unclear as to when Matos made the decision to kill Mercado; some reports indicate that Mercado pulled a knife on Matos, other reports say that it was only after they started having sex that Matos realized that Mercado was biologically male.  Whatever the case, Matos says that he had a flashback to when he had been raped in prison, and then attacked Mercado.  It seems astonishing to me that a “gay panic” excuse may be used to justify the brutality that was visited on Jorge Mercado’s body after he was killed.

Juan Mercado’s mother, Miriam, released this statement after his death:

“When my son told me he was gay, I told him, ‘Now, I love you more.’ I want to tell the world that hatred is not born with human beings, it is a seed that is planted by adults and is fostered creating a climate of intolerance and violence. We must change our ways and understand that anyone could have been my son. And I want everybody to know that Jorge Steven was a very much loved son.”– Miriam

Jason Mattison Jr. was a 15 year old sophomore at West Baltimore’s Vivian T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy.  His English teacher, Ryan C. Jones, remembers how Jason handled harassment.  “[Jason] had a sharp, witty comeback at the ready, and he walked away smiling.  Even if it hurt him, he gave the other person the impression he was stronger.  He was outspoken and excited about everything he talked about,” Jones said. “Walking into school, he was the first one to share what he did over the weekend. He was very, very popular, and he was everyone’s best friend.”

Jason Mattison Jr. was a 15 year old sophomore whose body was found brutalized, gagged, and stuffed in the upstairs closet of his aunt’s house on November 10.  There was initial confusion as to what had happened, as his aunt discovered a T.V. missing and thought that someone had broken in to steal it.  After seeing blood on the banister leading upstairs, she called the police and reported Jason missing.  He was found gagged with a pillowcase and he had received multiple stab wounds to his head and neck.  The man who has confessed to these acts is Dante Parrish, a 35 year old man who is charged with first-degree murder in the case.  He was a longtime family friend of Jason’s cousin, Laquanna Couplin, but she would not say whether he lived there or visited.  It is also unclear as to whether Jason was living in his aunt’s house, or if he was just visiting when he was attacked.  Dante Parrish has a history of violence, described here:

“Parrish was 24 when he pleaded guilty to shooting and killing a man on Maryland Avenue in March 1999. In 2008, the Innocence Project, a group of attorneys who help people they believe were wrongly convicted, took up his case.

They found that Parrish had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder based on a faulty statement of facts read into the court record – there were two witnesses, not three, and a gun was found weeks after the shooting, not with Parrish when he was arrested.

A judge overturned his conviction, citing ineffective defense counsel, and in January, Parrish entered what is called an Alford plea, which allowed him to deny guilt but concede that the state had enough evidence to convict him. He was freed on time served, effectively cutting a 30-year sentence to 10.

Whether Parrish went from prison to live at the rowhouse on Llewellyn Avenue or frequented it could not be determined. Couplin would not elaborate beyond confirming that the man was a longtime family friend.”

Reports indicate that Jason had a “forced sexual relationship” with Parrish, but I was unable to find conclusive statements as to how long this may have been going on, or if Jason’s family knew about it.  I was also unable to find a statement given as to why Parrish murdered Jason.

I want to tell you about one more person.

Don’t worry, this one has a happy ending.

Christopher Narvaez standing up for equal rights in the Summer of '09

Christopher Narvaez is a 35 year old Alaskan resident who moved here from New York.  John and I met him over the Summer when we were fighting for the Equal Rights Ordinance that passed the Assembly, and was then vetoed by Mayor Sullivan.  Chris is a very genuine person, always happy to talk to new people and make them feel comfortable.   He and his partner share a loving  home and support each other while they both try to balance school and work.  Chris struck me as an amazingly patient person when I watched him try to talk to the people in red shirts out on the Loussac Library lawn.  He took the time to talk to them, to listen to what they had to say,

Christopher Narvaez reading statement from the victims' families

and then express why he was there.  Chris was fired from his job because he was gay, and because he wouldn’t quietly put up with the harassment that his co-workers found acceptable.  He has always struck me as the type of person who could find the positive side to any situation, and that is how he became involved with a vigil for two people that he had never met before.

Inspired by these two recent hate crimes, vigils have sprung up across the country to mark the tragedy that those in the GLBT community and their allies have experienced.  We may not have ever met these young men, but we know others who have been abused and mistreated.  We sympathize with the loss of their family and friends.  We wanted to mourn with them.

Trying to keep the flame going.

Chris organized the Candlelight Vigil for Hate Crime Victims, which took place this afternoon at 3pm.  He got a permit for the space on the park strip and sent out invitations through Facebook within the space of two days.  He organized the vigil, reading statements about Jason and Jorge from their friends.  He brought candles for people to hold, and walked around the crowd, re-lighting the wicks almost as soon as the wind blew them out.  Anchorage, and Alaska, is lucky to have such a dedicated person like Chris.  I know that John and I are proud to know him, and to have been a part of this gathering.

Candlelight Vigil for Hate Crime Victims

The last thought that I will leave you with is that while many of you are already aware that these actions could easily happen here in our community, some of you, especially those who don’t identify as a part of the GLBT community, may not understand the implications.  Both of these young men were loved and accepted by their friends and family.  They had support from those around them.  They were still victimized.  GLBT people will not be safe until they can have the full protection of the law.  Those of use who are allies must help them.  We must continue to be involved in the community, because they still need us.  We need to speak out (and loudly) to support those legislators that support equal rights, so that they are not replaced by more puppets of the Anchorage Baptist Temple and those who share their hate.  The fight for equality continues, even though the ordinance was struck down.

Those people that attended the vigil today can attest to it.  I can attest to it.  The fight will continue until we all can be safe.

Let's all try to keep the flame going.

The odds that this was done in self-defense, approximately zero.

Today at the Dena’ina center there is a major craft fair going on this weekend. There are 500 booths for you all to check out. Plenty of men stuff to… I will be checking out the bone pens and knives and such.

YouTube – Is Obama Poised to Cede US Sovereignty?.

OMG! This better not be for real…

I have heard from a great many that it is indeed a reality so get it together and stop the government from destroying our way of life. Read into what your officials are doing and act on it! A world government is not what I hoped for in my future. Is it a part of yours?

Obama’s Home Teleprompter Malfunctions During Family Dinner | The Onion – America’s Finest News Source.

I think the video says it all… our mantle piece uses his teleprompter well.

North Dakota Attorney Generals Tells Indian Supporters Of Sioux Nickname To Shut Up And Be Offended.

I say again most of the natives support and consider the mascot an mark of honor but a few extremists and their white liberal supporters, who do not know what they are talking about, are trying to make something out of nothing with this abusive claim to the Universities mascot.
When will it ever end…
Go Sioux!!!