FourScore
FourScore's JournalEdie and Thea's love story (and why it matters to all of us)
Wed Mar 27, 2013 at 08:00 PM PDT
Edie and Thea's love story (and why it matters to all of us)
by Scout Finch
Today, the United States Supreme Court will be hearing the second case for marriage equality this week. This time, it's a Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) challenge from Edith "Edie" Windsor and the American Civil Liberties Union. Here's Edie talking about the couple's nearly 50-year relationship and her case before the Supreme Court:
The ACLU, which is partnering with Edie to overturn DOMA, has more on their story:
When Thea died, the federal government refused to recognize their marriage and taxed Edie's inheritance from Thea as though they were strangers. Under federal tax law, a spouse who dies can leave her assets, including the family home, to the other spouse without incurring estate taxes.
Ordinarily, whether a couple is married for federal purposes depends on whether they are considered married in their state. New York recognized Edie and Thea's marriage, but because of a federal law called the "Defense of Marriage Act," or DOMA, the federal government refuses to treat married same-sex couples, like Edie and Thea, the same way as other married couples.
One brave challenge at a time, equality is coming. For Edie and Thea. For the 40,000 children in California who live with gay parents. For all of us.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/27/1197314/-Edie-and-Thea-s-love-story-and-why-it-matters-to-all-of-us
Use These, Share These, Post them on facebook! They're Yours!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200260259580896&set=a.1083848628180.13697.1585293027&type=1&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151770860683243&set=a.10150761120083243.438783.781448242&type=1&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=955002275754&set=a.542727946814.2093645.13301924&type=1&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200139355059849&set=a.1501919981193.2075561.1030015350&type=1&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151507735799255&set=a.416444264254.190398.43179984254&type=1&theater
http://campaigns.dailykos.com/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=353
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200961858515653&set=a.1640215212219.2089245.1441964863&type=1&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151309808105493&set=a.61232960492.81458.7292655492&type=1&theater
Doctor Shows Video Describing How Bullets Explode inside Body in front of Senate Judiciary Committee
X-posted from http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022571004
Doctor shows heartless GOP Senate video of what assault rifles do when bullet explodes inside you
Tue Mar 26, 2013 at 09:36 AM PDT
Doctor shows heartless GOP Senate vid of what assault rifles do when the bullet explodes inside you
by MinistryOfTruth
Senator Diana Feinstein had a Doctor who witnessed the horror of Sandy Hook testify before the Senate, and he brought a video that every American should see.
This is the difference between a hunting gun and a gun for war.
First, watch the video. They used a test rifle, the Bushmaster, to show how injuries from such a weapon are "unsurvivable".
. . . Here is a short transcript
Sandy Hook Doctor: (((clears throat))) "Yes, I was, I was, I was in the ER that day when the victims came in."
Sen. Feinstein: "Can you describe the kinds of wounds and the number of bullets in these small bodies?"
Sandy Hook Doctor: "There's privacy rules that prevent from detailing the type of wounds or, but, most of it, most of them, the victims that actually didn't come in, and we had such horrific injuries to little bodies, that's what happens. They never even make it in the hospital. The coroner from the State of Connecticut, when he did his review, and this is public knowledge, stated that each body had three to eleven bullets, okay, when the child has three to eleven bullets in them and it is an assault type bullet that explodes inside the body, it doesn't go through a straight line, it goes in and then it opens up, that, that, that's not a survivable injury. So, with respect to the families who lost loved ones and had them come into the emergency room for (inaudible) rules I, I, I can't describe the specifics but I hope I have at least painted a picture of what went on."
Sen. Feinstein: "Thank you very much. Did you have something that you wanted to show us?
Sandy Hook Doctor: "There was a very brief video, about one minute, and the point of the video is to highlight the difference between a bullet that goes into a body that's from a .22, and I'm not a ballistics expert, but just like basically a handgun versus an assault weapon, and it just highlights the difference in damage inside a person's body, so, if we may . . .
(((Video Begins . . . )))
SNIP
...Here's a thought. If you support the wars and want a gun designed for war join the armed forces, and if you can't do that you are a coward. You can have guns for hunting and guns for self defense, but guns for war are for soldiers and you shouldn't be allowed to play soldier in your backyard while we are fighting the war YOU demanded overseas with someone else's kid in harms way.
Here's another thought to all those anti-abortion fanatics, if you are brought to tears over a clump of unformed cells but choose your precious gun over someone else's fully formed child you aren't allowed to say shit about abortion anymore.
And how appropriate that the video ends with Senator Feinstein turning to her side and saying "Um, Senator Graham?"
I leave the floor to you.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/26/1197067/-Doctor-shows-heartless-GOP-Senate-vid-of-what-assualt-rifles-do-when-the-bullet-explodes-inside-you
My poem for Jane Doe
Tue Mar 19, 2013 at 12:56 PM PDT
My Poem for Jane Doe
by AmBushed
When I was growing up, in my (very big) family, we wrote poetry to one another. Sometimes funny, sometimes angry, often heartfelt and loving, always entertaining. I have been so overwhelmed with feelings during these last few days regarding Jane Doe and what life must be like for her...I resorted to that which is so familiar to me. I wrote her a poem. It really does no one any good for the poem to sit on my hard drive unshared. So, after much deliberation (mainly out of fear of getting either ignored or eaten alive) I have decided to post it here. I am not a professional poet. I am just a person who has a history of self-expression through poetry. And my heart is breaking for Jane Doe.
I DON’T WANT TO KNOW YOU
I don’t want to know you, and that is good
I know your family is there.
I will send my love, my hope, my courage from afar
And hope you hear my prayers.
I have read the news of the horrors that transpired
The callous brutality of that night
It leaves me
So, so sad
But wait! – It’s just a partial tale
Because it’s happening to you still
Via talking heads, comments and tweets, the callousness continues
And still against your will!
Images from that night keep flashing on the screen
Assaults, without your memory, haunt you in your dreams
“Didn’t you hear? She was drunk, I say!”
“Those poor boys, their lives are ruined.”
“It’s all her fault! This is how she is!”
STOP! STOP! STOP!
(There are other comments, much worse than those
I will not utter them here)
Let me tell you, dear girl, what you are
I do not have to know you to know this:
You are a child, an adolescent, a beautiful young lady
You are your parents’ baby
Your favorite childhood teddy bears and toys
Have not entirely left you
Perhaps they have even been there for you
During this time, to turn to
You’ve filled your parents’ hearts with such joy
And you do that for them still
These terrible assaults do not define you!
And they never will!
Time will heal, trust me please
And love, it will prevail!
Your destiny is so much more
Than this sordid tale
I am in awe of your bravery,
your honor and your might
Your testament is your willingness
To fight for what is right!
My dear, I don’t want to know you,
Because I want to give you space
And if, by chance, you can’t hear my prayers,
Here is what they say:
Find your power, Find your center, Find your goddess!
And live!
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/19/1195348/-My-Poem-for-Jane-Doe
On facebook - a few days old, but still hysterical!
over a silk Vera Wang empire waist tulle cocktail dress,
accessorized with a three-foot House of Whoville hat and
the ruby slippers Judy Garland wore in the Wizard of Oz, on his way to tell us it's Wrong to be Gay.
FB link: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10101337114743389&set=a.598886409929.2255552.25825450&type=1&relevant_count=1
BREAKING: Fukushima Daiichi plant has lost power
http://fukushima-diary.com/2013/03/alert-all-powers-been-down-in-fukushima-plant-for-over-3-hours-tepco-investigating-the-reason/:The coolant system of the spent fuel pools of reactor1, 3 and 4 has been out of operation for over 3 hours already.
Seismic isolation building has lost power too. Tepco is still investigating the reason.
It is currently the top Japanese news story:
http://enenews.com/fukushima-daiichi-power-blackout-top-story-japan-news-sites-video
LOSS OF POWER SEEN AT 2:49:
Live Cam Video 3 minutes = 1 hour
To make matters even worse, Fukushima is under severe storm warnings tonight:
http://fukushima-diary.com/2013/03/alert-common-pool-of-6377-fuel-assemblies-lost-power-too-fukushima-is-under-storm-warnings/
I will update as often as I can.
UPDATE: Tepco is receiving power from Tohoku-Electric Power Co, but they are having some problems with sending it to the coolant system of SFPs. http://fukushima-diary.com/2013/03/alert-fukushima-emission-to-reach-tokyo-area-from-afternoon-of-3192013/
MOST RECENT UPDATE FROM KYODO NEWS:
TOKYO, March 18, Kyodo
Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Monday a problem with electric power has occurred at its crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, leading to the suspension of the system to cool spent fuel pools of the Nos. 1, 3 and 4 units.
The incident, however, so far has not affected the ongoing water injection to the Nos. 1 to 3 reactors, which suffered core meltdowns in the early days of the March 2011 nuclear crisis, according to the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
No abnormality has been detected in radiation levels in areas surrounding the plant in Fukushima Prefecture.
UPDATE: Now up on AP. TEPCO states the spent fuel pools will remain safe for at least 4 days:
March 18, 2013 12:33 PM EST | AP
TOKYO — A power failure at Japan's tsunami-damaged nuclear plant on Monday night has left three fuel storage pools without fresh cooling water for hours, the plant's operator said.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. said the power failure at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant was brief at its command center but continued for hours at three of the seven fuel storage pools and at several other facilities, including one that treats water contaminated with radioactivity.
TEPCO said the reactors were unaffected and no other abnormalities were found. TEPCO spokesman Takeo Iwamoto said the utility plans to restore power to the pool cooling systems as soon as it can determine the cause of the failure.
The utility said the nuclear fuel stored in the pools will remain safe for at least four days without fresh cooling water...
http://enenews.com/ap-fukushima-plant-blackout-has-continued-for-hours-3-fuel-pools-without-fresh-cooling-water
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