Southern Equality

On March 26, 2013, a group of around 150 gathered on the beach in Gulfport MS for a bonfire and candle light vigil so that all Americans can enjoy equal rights. Currently the US Supreme Court is hearing debating on the issue of gay marriage.

The first person I introduced myself to was Sara Bell. In January, she and her wife tried to apply for a marriage license at the Forrest County Circuit Clerk office. They were denied. It was heartbreaking to her and the other stories at the vigil. All they want is the freedom to spend their lives legally with the person they love. Nine states have legalized same sex marriages.

And yet, because of DOMA, those marriages are not recognized by the federal government or other states in which same sex marriages are not legal.

How can we, as Americans, deny the right to marry to others? It wasn't so long ago that bi-racial marriages were considered immoral and a threat to "traditional" marriages.

Thanks to groups like Campaign for Southern Equality there was hope among those gathered at the vigil. I hope Rose and Lynn and the many other couples there will soon have equality.

It seems as though everyone in the South defends the 2nd Amendment loudly and argue against "Big Government" interfering in their lives. Well the DOMA Act and many state laws do just that. Those other amendments are just as important. The 14th Amendment reads thus:

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

It seems states like mine are denying equal protection to gays who wish to marry. It is time for this discrimination to end.

"Aspirin Between the Knees"

Foster Friess, the billionaire backer of Rick Santorum, doesn't seem to have much smarts in spite of his accumulated wealth. When speaking of the birth control issue that is frothing around, especially in Santorum's camp, this is what Friess had to say during an interview:

“Back in my day, they used Bayer Aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees and it wasn’t that costly,” he said Thursday on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports, setting the host back for moment.

I haven't heard a phrase like that in over thirty years. My Mom said it to me just before I started having my period. What she was trying to tell me was that the best thing to do is abstain from sex before marriage. Then she told me about birth control.

The Republicans are trying their best to make the birth control health coverage issue about religious freedom. But it's not about religious freedom at all. It's about women's health. Some women need to be on birth control because of hormonal issues. Some need to be on it because they could die if they have children. The hearing today, led by Representative Issa was a farce and played for the 28% of those Americans who believe that women are incapable of making their decisions about their health. Their "expert panel" didn't have any health professionals and consisted solely of men.

It would be nice if teenagers chose to abstain from sex and that there isn't a need for birth control. The reality is that teens will have sex. Mississippi has only teaches abstinence in its schools now.

Mississippi now has the highest pregnancy rate among teens:

Mississippi, a comparatively poor state in the South, had a rate of 68.4 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 19 in 2006, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report. That marked a 13 percent increase over 2005.

And that's not all:

It has rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis among youth practically twice that of the national average.

Additionally, the Sex Information and Education Council of the U.S. reports that:

“Nearly 60 percent of Mississippi high school students report ever having had sexual intercourse compared to 47.8 percent of high school students nationwide. Moreover, teens in the state are nearly twice as likely to have engaged in sexual intercourse before the age of 13, and 50 percent more likely to have had four or more sexual partners than their peers nationwide.”

Rick Santorum, Representative Issa, most Republicans in Congress, and billionaires like Foster Friess are sadly deluded if they think people are going to us an "aspirin between the knees" or abstinence as birth control.

Rick Santorum views on sex:

Here is an actual Rick Santorum quote: “One of the things I will talk about, that no president has talked about before, is I think the dangers of contraception in this country.” And also, “Many of the Christian faith have said, well, that’s okay, contraception is okay. It’s not okay. It’s a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be.”
...
It’s pretty basic: Rick Santorum is coming for your contraception. Any and all of it. And while he may not be alone in his opposition to non-procreative sex, he is certainly the most honest about it — as he himself acknowledged in the interview.

Rick Santorum wants to do away with all birth control because its against his religious views. Kinda of scary that this man is actually in the running for President of the United States. I mean, do you really want Rick Santorum telling you how you must live your married life and you as a couple have sex?

Martin Luther King Jr

Today, we honor a real American hero, Martin Luther King Jr. He understand the term equality. He marched peacefully even when state violence was directed at him and those who marched with him across Alabama. He spoke eloquently of the oppression blacks suffered at the hands of state policies in places like Mississippi. He spoke against the poll taxes, literacy tests, and other measures used by the state to suppress the voting rights of blacks. He spoke bravely even while around him, black churches were bombed, Freedom Riders, black leaders were murdered and states, especially Mississippi, covered up the evidence.


He died for the dream of little black and white children playing together. Most of his dreams have since come true. Even Mississippi has since prosecuted the murderers of the Freedom Riders. Little black and white children play together.

But there is an insidious force at work across the nation, especially in the South, to suppress voting rights.

After Mississippians voted for initiative 27, many voters will see their rights curtailed and suppressed. The poor, blacks, and the elderly will be the ones most affected by these changes.

Mississippi had been making such great strides to overcome its brutal past. November 11, 2011 proved we haven't quite caught on to that whole equality thing. I encouraged my friends and family on Facebook to oppose 27. I don't know how successful I was. Most people do not see it as a hardship to have to present a photo ID and most cannot imagine the feeling of intimidation some may feel when asked to show ID at the voting booth. I remember how intimidated I felt when a poll worker questioned whether I was at the right polling place even though I had been voting there for 12 years.

I can still hope and dream....

Yes, I have a dream this afternoon that one day in this land the words of Amos will become real and "justice will roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."

I have a dream this afternoon that we will recognize the words of Jefferson, "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with some inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Vote No On Amendment 26

If you value taking personal responsibility in your life, then vote no on Amendment 26. Government should not interfere in health issues.

Tropical Storm Lee

Tropical Storm Lee is sitting off the coast of Louisiana dumping huge amounts of rainfall along the Louisiana and Mississippi coast. The rain is much needed as both states have been suffering through a drought. The rain has been light with periods of intense rain which is expected to last for three days or more. The winds have begun to pick up a little.

Winn Dixie alert in D'Iberville!!!! The store is out Lay's sour cream and onion chips.

Update: Declares state of emergency. State officials must do this in order to receive help from FEMA.

The expected rainfall totals will close heavy flooding.

Td Thirteen : Radar : Weather Underground

Time to get the umbrellas, boats, etc out. Three days of expected 10-12 inches of rain.


Td Thirteen : Radar : Weather Underground

Biloxi_BP's Mess

I took these photos on Sunday and Monday along the Biloxi beach:

The Beach at Gulfport

I took these photos yesterday at the beach in Gulfport. It is in the area where President Obama visited today. From news reports, he was on the east side of the pier.

The black skimmer skimmed over this dark patch and then resumed its hunting.


I cannot tell if this bird washed ashore is a black skimmer, a heron, or an egret. This is the same in which 15 dead sea turtles washed ashore last Friday.



On the west side of the pier, patches of beach are slowly being stained black.



Yesterday, protective berms were being placed.





The water in some spots had this weird stringy stuff.






Walking on the east side of the pier, I couldn't detect any smell of oil. However, walking on the west side, the closer I walked to where the Veterans home used to be, the smell of oil was strong. It made my eyes sting. As long as the oil keeps gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, I fear we can expect more turtles, birds, fish, and other marine life to be washed ashore. Time, the winds and currents we tell if and when the beaches of Mississippi will be covered with same toxic muck now trashing the shores of Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida.

One Third!!!!

NOAA has now closed one third of Federal Gulf of Mexico waters.

Oil has reached Petit Bois Island. The island is a barrier island about 12 miles south east of Pascagouls Mississippi.

United States Attorney General Eric Holder is launching a criminal probe.

I cannot seem to feel rage at this mess. The scope of the disaster is just too vast. I try to go to the beach everyday just so I can still it without it being oil stained. The freshness of the salty air is gone already. The sweet smell has been replaced.

I wonder what all the sea birds will do for food. I had hoped that perhaps they could make it to the shores of Florida but it seems Florida's beaches are next in line. Perhaps Texas, but again the oil seems to be spreading. Soon, it seems there will be no save haven for wildlife that call the Mississippi Gulf Coast home.

Usually when I go to the beach, once on the many piers I can watch the minnows and bait fish but there seems to be a dearth of them. I've only seen a few here and there.

No matter what figures are correct, the 20 million or the 40 million, the gallons of oil swirling around the Gulf of Mexico are hard to comprehend but as each new closer of Federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico, perhaps you can get an inkling.

An entire ecosystem that spans four states is now being threatened. Birds, crabs, shrimp, fish, and mammals such as dolphins as wallowing in an oil-stained mess.

A Manmade Disaster

Waiting to how bad the oil spill will be is almost as bad as waiting for a hurricane to hit.

Fighting Oil with Fire.

Update: 4/30/10

Five foot waves are overtopping the protective booms. The oil now drifting into the South Pass of the Mississippi River. The oil is expected to reach the Mississippi Coast on Saturday. I'm sickened by the thought of the potential loss of wildlife. Once the oil hits the marshes, it can linger for decades.

Click for more on the efforts to contain and clean the oil spill.

Update 2 4/30/10 Mississippi Gulf Coast cities declare a state of emergency.

This is going to be bad. We were just starting to see some positive recovery from Hurricane Katrina. This oil spill will affect everything from the shrimping industry, shipbuilding, casinos, and tourism.

Update 3 4/30/10:

NOAA forecast graphic

It Snowed!

For a little while. The forecasts call for more this afternoon and evening.

Let It Snow!

The forecasts appear to be correct. It has already started sleeting and snow is forecast for later tonight and early tomorrow morning. It looks like where I live might see 5 inches!

The last time it snowed here along the Mississippi Gulf Coast was in December 2004. There was just enough snow that on my car for me and my kid to have a snowball fight.

Over 100,000!

My video has had 100,192 views!

My Katrina: Four Years

Looking at all the rebuilding and reconstruction that has happened since Katrina struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast four years, I can still recall the feeling of despondency at all the destruction Katrina caused. One of the hardest places to visit was the beach at Gulfport. This is where I spent a lot of my childhood and where I took my son when he was younger. These pictures are also from my brother's neighborhood.





Biloxi's beach was annihilated by Hurricane Katrina. Buildings over 150 years old were just gone. Below is the harbor master's building.

This a view from Water street in Biloxi looking toward some condominiums that have since been torn down.

Hurricane Katrina destroyed the place I work. We've since rebuilt but this is what it looked like.






The FEMA trailers helped give shelter to those who lost their homes. 65,000 homes were destroyed in Mississippi by Hurricane Katrina.

This is a photo of Bay St Louis. In front the house used to be a road. It was completely washed out by Hurricane Katrina. Bay St Louis was inundated by an estimated 24 foot storm surge. It is an estimate because many of the instruments used to determine storm surge were washed out to sea. Many feel that Katrina's storm surge was much higher.


Below are some posts I did 4 years ago:

This one was done while waiting for Katrina. It was 9 days before I could post again.

This was my first post after electricity had been restored.

This was my first trip to Biloxi after Katrina.

My first glance of where I work.

Thankful for all those who came and helped us

Sobering stats

My New World

We are still rebuilding. I made the following video last year. I hope we and those in New Orleans continue to dance and to rebuild stronger, together.



I feel so thankful. Even though it's been hard these past four years, I thank HaShem that no one in my family lost their homes, that no one I knew lost their lives, and that things have improved tremendously. I cannot describe the joy my congregation felt as we dedicated our new synagogue in May of this year and that we will be able to have our High Holy Day services in our synagogue and not at the Keesler Air Force Base chapel.

Memories

Saturday will mark the 4th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I've been thinking about the things I was doing and the feelings I had while we watching the weather reports.

BK (before Katrina), hurricanes to me were a source of fascination and wonder. They still are but now it is tempered by the knowledge of the great destructive powers hurricanes can hold.

If I remember correctly, I had my son mow the grass and at work, I started planning the times I would begin making computer backups.

I remember going out to take photos after work and there was this sense of urgency to take photos of everything along the beach front. It was an urgency I didn't heed.

Who could imagine everything being wiped away?

I remember the dreams I had before Katrina hit. Nightmares really of a red sky and howling winds. Having been through Frederick, Georges, and other hurricanes that came at night, I knew the skies are usually very dark with an eery glow. The glow seems to speak of the awesome power of the hurricane.

Little did I know the awesome power Hurricane Katrina was set to unleash upon the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Fledglings

I have two bird feeders at my home. It's fun to watch the birds. I have cardinals, blue jays, mourning doves, ringed necked doves, chirping sparrows, red-headed woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, Eastern bluebirds, and occasionally gold finches. There's a pair of cardinals that have been nesting in one of my oaks the over 10 years.

Another pair have been nesting for a couple of years. It's been fun to watch them with their fledglings. For a few days, the parent birds will continue to feed them. But after awhile, they stop. The fledglings flap their wings, open their beaks and chase their parents around. The parents tolerate this behavior for a few days and will feed the youngsters every once in a while. But then the parents start chasing the fledglings away. They've taught their babies what's good to eat, to be aware of predators, and how to fly. They've given them the skills necessary to survive on their own.

The sparrows are much the same way. Except when their fledglings first jump out of the nest, their parents so them places to hide. They do this until the fledgling sparrows have more experience to fly. One fledgling had some sort of accident. He is without one leg. It is very difficult for him to hop across the ground in search of seed. But he manages.

The woodpeckers are fun to watch. The downey woodpeckers will climb down a tree while the red-headed ones climb up. The northern flickers root for bugs on the ground and generally ignore the bird seed and sunflower seeds provided.

There are two major flocks. There are about 30 mourning doves and about the same number of sparrows. The ring-necked doves usually do not flock but one Saturday, there were about 8 of them.

The cardinals have been prolific this year. At any given time, I can count up to eight cardinals at one feeder and another 4-5 at the other.

I started the bird feeders because I was concerned about the amount of land that was cleared close to my home. The developers promised they would keep the oak trees but sadly, a lot were torn down. The birds lost feeding grounds. The developer bull dozed the area and put in paved roads on what were dirt tracks. It has been over 6 months since the developer has done any work. The ground is slowly recovering. Perhaps the developer is a victim of the current financial crisis. I suspect it is because of the large number of apartments built in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. There are so many now that rent prices have dropped.

Perhaps the cleared area will once again grow into a nesting area and refuge for other animals. There's a turtle my son calls Bob that lives in the shed and a possum that lives there as well. A coyote has been spotted by others in the neighborhood. I haven't seen any sign of the deer that used to come to my yard in the winter looking for acorns.

I wished I had started the bird feeders sooner. The antics of the birds can bring a smile. The squirrels do as well. There's one that is super hyper and vigilant. He spends more time scampering up and down the trees more than he does eating. There are about ten squirrels. For winter, I'll add another feeder and another bird bath.

Being Prepared

Today is the start of hurricane season. It will end in November. Mississippi Emergency Management has numerous lists on preparing your home in the event of a hurricane, what to do if you are ordered to evacuate, etc, etc. The CTA will provide transportation for those who need it.

There are so many things that need to be done well before a hurricane or tropical storm threatens. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best is all anyone can do when a hurricane threatens your home.

I've been through Frederick, Elena, and others. Nothing prepared me for the devastation Hurricane Katrina caused. It wiped out sights I've seen most of my life. Being prepared for the nine days without electricity, the month of boiling water, and the problems with phone lines was the easy part.

I and so many others along the Mississippi Gulf Coast were not prepared for the emotional devastation. Even through our tears, we vowed to rebuild better and stronger. In many ways our community is so much stronger. Our communities are adopting SmartCodes so that homes can withstand hurricane force winds. Many are having to elevate their homes 20 feet above ground to meet the new flood elevation requirements.

I made the following video almost a year after Hurricane Katrina hit:



The port containers are long gone from my brother's neighborhood. The place I work has rebuilt with the exception of new offices(I'm sorta of tired of these trailers we've been renting!). The miles upon miles of debris are long gone. There are still many empty spaces. It's take awhile to rebuild 65,000 homes but we're getting the job done.

Thursday, Congregation Beth Israel moved into our new home in Gulfport. For 3 1/2 years, we've been using the meeting hall at Beauvior Methodist Church for our services. Hurricane Katrina heavily damaged our shul in Biloxi.

We danced our Torahs in on Thursday. All of us, were home at last!


Our new shul is capable of withstanding 155 mph winds. It is 12 miles inland. Our plans called for being prepared for the worst. Our hope is for the best.

Shabbat Shalom!

This week's Torah portion is B'midbar. B'midbar is the wilderness. Since Hurricane Katrina, Congregation Beth Israel has been in the wilderness. We've been wandering for only close to 4 years but we are so close to being home. Tonight is the last night we'll have Kabbalat Shabbat services in the hall at Beauvior Methodist Church.

Next Thursday, we dance our Torahs into our new home. Friday, especially appropriate since it is Shavuout, we will hold our first Kabbalat Shabbat services in our new synagogue. We will no longer be in the wilderness.

Don't Panic!!

Along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we are closely monitoring a low which is slowly becoming better organized.

A lot of us feel some apprehension, me included. The scars of Hurricane Katrina go deep. But for now:

Good to Be Last

Mississippi ranks last in about everything from education to health. For once, I'm glad to see Mississippi at the bottom. As of today, there are only four states that do not have any confirmed cases of swine flu, Mississippi is one of them.