No Longer Safe?

http://www.citylab.com/2016/06/the-importance-of-safe-queer-muslim-space/486842/?utm_source=nl_link4-061516

Vigil for the Orland shooting victims
AP Photo/David Goldman
citylab.com

Hello Everyone:

Today we are going to continue our discussion of the Orlando shooting with a look at the importance of Queer Muslim spaces.  The terrible event brought the Muslim Gay and Lesbian people into the spotlight.  It sounds like a contradiction, Muslim LGBT people but it is not.  Tanvi Misra's recent CityLab article, "The Importance of Queer Muslim Spaces," highlights the complexity and contradictions of being both Muslim and being Gay or Lesbian.  Can one be both queer and Muslim?  It may seem like a simple yes or no question but if you dig deeper, the answer may not be so clear.  No religion has the market on homophobia.  What is easier to understand that the toxic mix of gun violence, undiagnosed mental illness, and warped ideology has made it possible for the shooting at Pulse to happen.  However, what is like to be both queer and Muslim?   We being with the experience of Qais Munhazim, a 31-year-old Ph.D who related his reaction to the Orlando shooting and what it means for him to be both Muslim and a homosexual.

Poland Gay Pride Parade
afterellen.com

Sunday, June 12, 2016, one week into Ramadan and Qais Munhazim woke up early for Suhoor-the pre-fast meal that sustains Muslims until sundown during the holy month.  Like just about everyone with a smartphone, the 31-year-old Ph.D candidate check his phone which broadcast of the news of the worst mass shooting in American history.  As read the retails of how an American of Afghan heritage opened fire on the patrons of Pulse nightclub.  As he continued to read, Mr. Munhazim, who is from Afghanistan and gay, shock overtook him.  He told Ms. Misra,

It was so painful for me to see that this was happening in a community so close to me...This was so close to home...This [was an attack on] the LGBTQ family that I consider my family.

Too upset to go back to bed, he remained awake to follow the developments, silently hoping the perpetrator was Muslim.  When it was revealed that the killer was indeed Muslim, Mr. Munhazim began to cry.  Ms. Misra writes, "...He knew the incident would now become much messier and painful than it already.."

"Safe spaces for Gay Muslim to Pray"
theatlantic.com

Qais Munhazim is right.  The issues swirling around this tragedy are too complex to be reduced to simplistic headline, political talking points, and self-congratulatory tweets.  Never one to let a moment go unexploited, Donald Trump took to the opportunity "...to punctuate a battle cry against 'Islamic terrorism,' and by illogical extension, against all Muslims."

The tragic event event placed Mr Munhazim and other American LGBTQ Muslims in the epicenter "...of a clash of civilizations and identities."  He told Ms. Misra,

And here I am-a part of the Muslim community and the LGBTQ community...I can't detach myself from either of my identities.

The succeeding days have put these contradictions in the white-hot glare of the spotlight.  Can one be a member of both the LGBTQ and Muslim community?  Even when LGBTQ Muslims do not feel the two are mutually exclusive, they exist in a space that does feel the opposite.  There are very few space they can coexist, be accepted, and whole.

The Gold Coast
West Hollywood, California
yelp.com

The the LGBTQ population at large, gay bars and nightclubs are places of refuge from the prejudice and violence unfortunately so common in their lives.  Richard Kim writes of his first experience in a gay bar, the Crowbar in New York City.  He fondly describes it as a place where,

...you'd go to buy drugs.  It smelled like mildew, using, cheap vodka, and Designer Imposters body spray...  (http://www.thenation.org)

The Crowbar eventually fell victim to gentrification but for Mr. Kim,

...Gay bars are like therapy for people who can't afford therapy; temples for people who lost their religion, or whose religion lost them; vacations for people who can't go on vacation; homes for folk without families; sancuarties against aggression...  (Ibid)

Muslim women at prayer
theatlantic.com

Consider the experience of Ify Okoye, a nurse from Baltimore, Maryland shared her experience as black, queer, hijab.  The headscarf she wears means there is no hiding her religious devotion anywhere, including LGBT spaces.  Ms. Okoye told Tanvi Misra,

For Muslims who outwardly present as being Muslim, it's a little awkward...We're visibly different in that space.

Yet, in strictly religious settings, i.e. Mosques, one seldom sees outward signs of queerness.  Ms. Misra writes, "When Munhazim cam out about his sexual orientation, for example, he was told to leave the Minneapolis mosque he attended." Qais Munhazim relates,

Somebody who was there knew that I was out...he told me to leave because I am making the space impure and I'm bringing sin to a scared space.

He recently attempted to return to the Mosque but his greetings went unreturned and people averted their eyes.  Mr. Munhazim recalls,

It was so sad because I went to the mosque not feel alone, but I was actually more lonely there.

Poster for the 2016 LGBTQ Muslim Retreat
issuu.com

One place nearly every queer Muslim person Tanvi Misra spoke to mentioned the annual LGBTQ Muslim Retreat (http://www.lgbtmuslimretreat.org).  This year, the treat was held over Memorial Day weekend in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and brought together a diverse group of over 100 people who shared about their experiences with Islam.  Ms. Okoye told Ms. Misra, In other spaces

...we're always having to justify, we're always on the defensive.  It's almost like you have to put on your armor to do battle...But at this retreat, there's no hiding, explaining, or justifying who you are.  

Qais Munhazim added,

I wait impatiently for those three days to feel alive.

Yasmin Ahmed, the co-founder of the Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity (http://www.muslimalliance.org), the organization behind the retreat, continued,

While transformative for many, the retreat as a concept and practice is not new...The LGBTQ Muslim community has a long legacy of organizing and building community both in and outside the U.S.-of creating the spaces and sanctuaries that the current systems don't provide us.

Iftar
k4pblog.org

Every major American city typically has informal spaces where LGBTQ Muslims can gather.  Frequently they meet to break the Ramadan fast at each others's home, public libraries, or the movies.  Eman Abdelhadi, a queer Arab-American Ph.D candidate at New York University shared with Ms. Misra how she stumbled into one these groups when  she moved to New York City.  Ms. Abdelhadi recalled "...the ease with which people talked, and how all genders prayed next to each other. It was a testament that neither Islam nor queerness are monolithic."  This is why these space are absolutely important.  Ms. Abdelhaid said,

To be able to say, 'Actually, we exist.  We are not a contradiction'...If we contradict your narrative, there's something wrong with your narrative, not us.

The shooting in Orlando changed all that, "...no indoor or outdoor 'third space' seemed safe.  thus, it becomes more urgent to make a space for LGBTQ Muslims, who are overburdened with Islamophobia, racism, homophobia, and transphobia, leaving them vulnerable to violent attacks on all fronts.  Bilal Qureshi put it best in his  June 13, 2016 opinion piece for the New York Times:

...What I do know is that there will be more dark days to come if we don't build the psychological, political and spiritual space within out communities to embrace the remixes that possible only in this country.  (http://www.nytimes.com)

Is There More To Come?

http://www.citylab.com/politic/2016/06/the-extraordinary-common-v_e-against-lgbt-people-in-people-in-american/486788/?utm_source=nl_link3-061316

Anti-LGBT violence protest
glaad.org

Hello Everyone:

Now that the dust is beginning to settle in the heinous Orlando shooting, it is time for the analysis.  Without a doubt, this was the worst mass shooting in American history but as Emma Green reports in her CityLab article, "Violence Against LGBT People in America Is Astoundingly Common," reminds us that nothing happens in a vacuum.  As appallingly shocking as the senseless deaths of 49 people and the injuries suffered by 53 people, this was not an isolated crime.  Strangely enough, violence against the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender community is more common than we think.

There still seems to some mystery as to why Omar Mateen (the one time Blogger will mention this criminal's name) picked the Pulse nightclub or what motivated him to pull the trigger.  What is clear is that he specifically targeted a gay club, during Pride month, coinciding with the weekend when cities from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles were hosting celebrations and parade.  Ms. Green reports that according to Saddique Mateen, the shooter's father, believes "...his son may have been motivated by anger toward LGBT community; other reports suggest he may have pledged allegiance to ISIS in advance of the attacks."  On a personal note, Blogger spoke, via Facebook, with a friend in Alexandria, Virginia who was feeling to melancholic to attend the parade in Washington D.C.  This is an unheard of shooting in terms of the scale and carnage, but not in type.  It is, according to Ms. Green, "...an extraordinary example of an extremely common kind of violence in the United States: hate-motivated attacks on LGBT people."

A comparison of hate crimes across protected and unprotected groups
williamisntitute.law.ucla.edu

  In 2011, the Southern Poverty Law Center published a study, Anti-Gay Hate Crimes: Doing The Math, of FBI hate crime statistics.  (http://www.splcenter.org).  The author of the study, senior fellow Mark Potok concluded,

The bottom line: LGBT people are far more likely than any other minority group in the United States to be victimized by violent hate crime.  (Ibid)

Why are LGBT people twice as likely to to be the targets for hate crimes, in comparison to Jews, African-Americans, Muslims, Latinos, and Caucasians?  Ms. Green writes, "...the population of LGBT Americans is relatively small, and the number of hate crimes against that group is significant, LGBT individuals face a higher risk than other groups of being victims of an attack."  Mr. Potok continued,

They are more than four times as likely as Muslims, and almost 14 times as likely Latinos (Ibid)

According to 2013 FBI crime statistics, sexual orientation violence accounted for about 20 percent of hate crimes, the only other factor that accounted for more was race.  (http://www.fbi.gov)

"Hate Crimes Motivated by Sexual Orientation Bias"
whynotgayrights.blogspot.com

To be clear, "The vast majority of those cries are not carried out by Muslims extremists," writes Ms. Green.  Mark Potok added,

It's a mix of white supremacists and their ilk and people who would be considered relatively normal members of society...The majority of attack on gay people do not come from people who are members of organized hate groups.

The Pulse was not the first gay nightclub that was targeted violence.  In 2014, Musab Masmari was convicted and sentence to 10 years for setting fire to the Capitol Hill club in Seattle, Washington.  (http://www.seattlepi.com)  There were 750 people in the club and, thankfully, no one was injured or killed.  As horrifying as these incidents are, they do not account for the majority of violent acts committed against LGBT people, which more often occur in homes, on the road ways, streets, and in educational institutions.

LGBT violence
motherjones.com

Emma Green writes, "Discriminatory attitudes toward LGBT people are still common, despite advances in LGBT rights over the past several years."  Mark Potok picked up the conversation thread,

LGBT people have been vilified for as long as any of us can remember and vilified in a particularly nasty way...They're described as perverts, as people who seduce children, as people who engage in horrible unnatural practices.  There's all kinds of hatred in this country, but it's rare to have a group described in such incredibly demeaning terms.

According to a 2014 study, A Shifting Landscape: A Decade of Change in American Attitudes about Same-sex Marriage and LGBT Issues, published by the Public Religion Research Institute (http://www.publicreligion.org), "...a majority of Americans said they believed gay sex is morally unacceptable, and 14 percent of Americans said they believed AIDS might be God's punishment for immoral sexual behavior..."  There does not appear to be any casual relationship between disproval of homosexuality and mass murder.  Be that as it may, negative LGBT feeling and rhetoric, not uncommon, are part of the greater American social context, "...in which more than half of LGBT-idnetified people say they're concerned about being a victim of a hate crime."

No H8
pinterest.com

The Pride movement was born out of sexual orientation-associated violence and rhetoric. Ms. Green writes, The first parades were held 46 years ago in commemoration of the 1969 Stonewall riots, in which LGBT people protested a police raid of a Greenwich Village bar, the Stonewall Inn."  The premier Pride parade was held in New York.  Fred Sargent recalled in a 2010 article for Village Voice, "1970: A First-Person Account of the First Gay Pride March,"

...There were no floats no music, no boys in briefs.  The cops turned their backs on us to convey their disdain, but the masses of people kept carrying signs and banners, chanting and waving to surprised onlookers.  (http://www.villagevoice.com)

Over the succeeding decades, Pride events have spread across the nation.  Emma Green writes, "Cities celebrate their LGBT citizens with parades and festivals, and gay bars and clubs often hold events like the one at Pulse..."  These event are typically happy and celebratory occasions-safe places for people to openly express their identity and sexuality-spaces that have come along way from their somber protest foundation.

However, this year seems to be a regression to a time when LGBT people were unacceptable members of society.  Already, we have seen a succession of laws passed, including the unenforceable HB2 in North Carolina, that once again aims to marginalize people based on their sexual orientation.  On the same day as the Orlando shooting, a man in Santa Monica, California was arrested by authorities for carrying explosives and ammunition in his car with the intention of doing violence at the Pride Parade in West Hollywood.  The dead were mourned with silent protests staged by the Human Rights Campaign.  There is a feeling of impending doom, the Orlando shooting may have been a sign of things to come.  Ms. Roberts reports, "...in the 10-year period between 2004 and 2014, the share of hate crimes based on sexual orientation increased."  The optimist hopes that this trend will not continue.  The realist, Mark Potok,  says

I very much dread what is coming next

Blogger Candidate Forum: What Does Senator Sanders Want?

Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders before a debate in Brooklyn, New York
wmagazine.com

Hello Everyone:

This is the week to spend time in the Blogger Candidate Forum.  The Forum can finally breath a sigh of relief now that the Primaries are finally over.  This has been a tumultuous Primary season, to say the very least.  Now that the dust has settled, the presumptive candidates, Secretary Hillary Clinton (D-New York) and Donald J. Trump (R-New York), have  emerged ready to battle it out for the Oval Office.  However, today Blogger would like to spend some time looking at the future of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont).  Senator Sanders ran a remarkable campaign and deserves every ounce of praise.  As the Gentleman from Vermont begins to wind down his triumphant campaign, he envisions a greater role for his movement within the Democratic party.

The Democratic National Convention 2016
demconvention.com

Yesterday evening, following the Washington D.C, primary, the Gentleman from Vermont and Madame Secretary sat down for a private meeting.  For nearly two hours they discussed forming alliance for the general election to combat Mr. Trump.  Senator Sanders opted to withhold his endorsement of Secretary Clinton, not that she expected it, because he wants her to earn it.  Fair enough.  The meeting was characterized, by the Clinton campaign, as "a positive discussion about their primary campaign, about unifying and about the dangerous threat that Donald poses to our nation." (http://www.nytimes.com).  The joining of forces could prove to be a potent weapon against the vitriol coming from the Trump campaign.  By combining forces, Sec. Clinton and Sen. Sanders can focus the General Election race on the issues important Americans such as: raising the minimum wage and reducing the cost of attending university.  The meeting ended on a positive note with the two agreeing to continue working on their shared agenda, including platform development for the upcoming convention.

Senator Sanders at a press conference
usatoday.com

Also on Tuesday, Senator Sanders held a press conference outside his campaign's Capitol Hill office: "The Democratic Party needs to be transformed, and he plans to push for that all the way the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia." (http://www.politico.com).  The Gentleman from Vermont was joined by campaign manager Jeff Weaver and national spokesperson Symone Sanders (no relation), ticked off a list of priorities of changes he wants for the party.  Senator Sanders said,

We need a person at the leadership at the DNC who is vigorously supporting and out working to bring people into the political process...the most progressive platform ever passed by the Democratic Party.  A platform which makes it crystal clear that the Democratic Party is on the side of working people.  (Ibid)

Debbie Wasserman Schultz
en.wikipedia.org

When Senator Bernie Sanders calls for a change in party leadership,  he is making a reference to Democratic National Committee Chairperson Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL).  The Gentleman from Vermont has had several disputes with Ms. Wasserman Schultz, whom he believes is biased toward Madame Secretary.  His disagreements with the DNC chairperson runs so deep that he is supporting her opponent in the primary.  It is not likely that his demand that she be replace will be honored.  Another item high on his agenda is the elimination of the super delegates.  The super delegates are elected officials (present and former) that are free to vote for whom ever at the party convention.  Senator Sanders told the New York Times, 

...we need obviously to get rid of the super delegates.  (http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com).

Another high-priority agenda item on Senator Sander's list is open, same day registration.  Specifically he said,

...that means anybody in this country can walk in and get registered to vote on the day of a primary or a caucus.  We need adequate staffing and training to run elections in a way that is appropriate for our democracy" (Ibid)

While the idea of same-day registration sounds great, the problem with that is it does not give the individual state secretaries of states time to verify if the registrant is meets the qualifications (i.e. a native born or naturalized citizen; had their voting rights restored).  Granted adequate staffing and training is absolute must for the precinct polls.  Blogger once again would like to give a big shout to Lee and all his fellow poll workers who staffed the Park La Brea precinct.  You all did a great job.  However, not every precinct had a positive experience, some were mired with long wait times and lack of ballots.

Senator Sanders at rally in Santa Monica, California
cnn.com

What does Senator Bernie Sanders actually want in exchange for his support of Secretary Hillary Clinton?  That was left open at the conclusion of their meeting yesterday evening.  The Wall Street Journal is reporting that he is not being vetted as a potential running mate.  Probably a good thing.  Does he want an administration post?  Secretary of what?  What is certain is that the Gentleman from Vermont does want his top policy priorities -i.e. higher minimum and more affordable university-adopted by the Clinton campaign.  To the former, Madame Secretary and the Gentleman from Vermont are not that far apart: she wants a $12 national minimum wage and he wants a $15 minimum wage-split the difference, maybe?  The biggest bone of contention is reigning in Wall Street excesses.  Here, Sen. Sanders is a weary of Sec. Clinton's plan, given her financial connections to the banking industry.

Blogger does not anticipate Senator Bernie Sanders fading into the background for good.  Rather, yours truly is hoping that both the Gentleman from Vermont and Madame Secretary will work together not just in the coming months but also following the General Election to make the United States of America an even better place.

Blogger Candidate Forum: The Orlando Shooting

Police directing family members away from Pulse
Orlando, Florida
cnn.com

Hello Everyone:

Once again, current events take precedent over our usual chat on all things architecture, historic preservation, urban planning and design.  In this case, it is the heinous mass murder of 50 people at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.  By now, we all know what happened: a gun man (Blogger will not dignify him by mentioning his name), pledging allegiance to ISIS, entered Pulse and began shooting into the the crowd.  By the time the shooting spree was over, 50 people were killed and another 53 were injured.  Pulse is a nightclub that caters to a homosexual clientele.  This shooting came 24-hours after senseless killing of Christina Grimmie, a singer who was doing a meet and greet following a concert.  This was a tragic weekend for the Gay and Lesbian community,  city of Orlando, the state of Florida, the United States.  Even more tragic was the reaction by presumptive Republican nominee Donald J. Trump.

Trump tweet: Orlando shootings

© Twitter

bbc.com

We all saw and read the tweets-Mr. Trump appearing to take a victory lap in the wake of "word terror attack on U.S. soil since 9/11.."(http://www.cnn.com)  Once again, Mr. Trump called for tighter controls on immigration from Muslim countries.  Read the tweet on the left-hand side.  It makes you wonder about the man who Republicans are about to nominate as their standard bearer in the fall campaign.  Mr. Trump went on to erroneously claim that the shooter was born outside the United States.  The shooter was born in New York to parents who came from Afghanistan.  Further, he used the occasion to blast the presumptive Democratic nominee, Secretary Hillary Clinton, on policies that he presumed would increase the threat of terror.

Trump tweets with responses
hollywoodlife.com

In a speech at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire today, Mr. Trump said,

We have to screen applicants to whether they are affiliated with or supporting radical groups and beliefs...We have to control the amount of future in this country and we have to prevent large pockets of radicalization from forming inside America  (Ibid)

He went on to say,

She wants to take away Americans' guns and then admit the very people who want to slaughter us...

Donald Trump went on to say,

This is a very dark moment in America's history. A radical Islamic terrorist targeted the nightclub because he wanted to kill Americans but in order to execute gay and lesbian citizens because their sexual orientation...Remember this, Radical Islam is anti-woman, anti gay and anti American...This is not just a national security issue, it's a quality of life issue.

What we have is a candidate who appears to be capitalizing on a tragic event in order to score political points.  Mr. Trump has gone as far as to accuse Madame Secretary of doing nothing more than "paying lip service" to the LGBTQ community about protecting them by allowing more Syrian refugees into the country.  He said,

She can't have it both ways.  She can't claim to be supportive of these communities while trying to increase the number of people coming in who want to oppress these same communities... (Ibid)

Trump on same gender marriages
snopes.com

If anything, Mr. Trump is using this tragedy to score points with the LGBTQ community and the greater electorate at large by pitting one group against another.  In this case, the Muslim versus LGBTQ.    Mr. Trump's show of support for the LGBTQ community rings hollow because he has stated his opposition to same gender marriages.  When Mr. Trump says,

It's an assault of the ability of free people to live their lives, love who they want and express their identity... (http://www.nydailynews.com)

You get the impression that he is paying lip service to the LGBTQ community.  This statement sounds like something his speech writers cobbled together to make their candidate sound less incendiary, which would make complete sense given the Trump campaign is trying to tighten up and avoid any rhetorical missteps.  Even if Mr. Trump is trying to sound more presidential, his record on support of the LGBTQ community is mixed.

Gay and Lesbian hands
ctlgbtlaw.wordpress.com

The Human Rights Campaign, an organization dedicated to the improvement of Gay and Lesbians around the world, outlined each of the candidates's position on issues central to the LGBTQ community.  As stated, Mr. Trump opposes marriage equality, supporting domestic partnership benefits instead.  He believes that federal should protect people from gender orientation discrimination and the landmark Civil Rights Act (1964) should be amended to include protection from sexual orientation discrimination. Yet, despite disagreeing with Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who refused to sign off on marriage licenses for same sex couples, he supports the alleged First Amendment  Defense Act which would create more situations like the one in Kentucky.  His record on Conversion Therapy, Adoption, and Anti-bullying is unclear. (http://www.hrc.org)

Donald Trump told Fox News Sunday that he would "'Strongly Consider' Appointing Judges To Overturn Same-Sex Marriage Decision..."  Speaking to the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, he pledged to protect and preserve religious liberty a reference to Christian and religious liberty." (breibart.com; 9-19-2015; Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition 9-19-2015; hrc.org) Mr. Trump has a history of going back and forth on important issues central to the LGBTQ community which makes Blogger wonder how genuine are his words of support following the Orlando shooting?

In the coming days and weeks, the investigation into the shooting will yield clues about the shooters's motive.  Further, it will also reveal how Donald Trump and Secretary Hillary Clinton lead in times of national tragedy.

Blogger Candidate Forum: Final Super Tuesday Wrap Up

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton
eonline.com

Hello Everyone:

It is Wednesday and time for the weekly edition of Blogger Candidate Forum.  This is a special edition because we are celebrating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton becoming the first American woman to become the presumptive nominee of a major party.  Say what you will about Madame Secretary, good or bad, you have to give her major respect.  the proverbial glass ceiling was shattered.  It is a sublime moment.  It was exactly eight years ago, on Tuesday, that Madame Secretary conceded the nomination to then-Senator Barack Obama.  It is a moment in history.

   Blogger knows that in some countries, a woman president or prime minister is common but in this country it is a big deal.  It is as big a deal as electing an African-American president.  It is a ground breaking event.  It came on the 96th anniversary of American women getting the right to vote.  The prospect of a woman president is pretty awesome.  Before we start planning Madame Secretary's Inauguration, we still have a long bumpy road ahead.  Let us talk about where we go from here.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont)
biography.com

First of all, congratulations to Senator Bernie Sanders on his victories in Montana and North Dakota.  For that matter, congratulations on running an outstanding campaign.  This was a real campaign, focused on issues not personalities.  The Sanders campaign successfully pushed Madame Secretary out of her centrist comfort, toward the left on the issue that matter.  His campaign, once thought a fool's errand, energized a large group of voters that would have probably remained disengaged from the process.  Major respect to the Gentleman from Vermont.

Blogger knows that Sen. Sanders has no real intention of conceding just yet and that is okay.  Keep going, you have a place on the national stage.  Blogger genuinely believes that the movement you started, together with the Clinton campaign, will be a potent force against the Red Team.  For the ardent supporters, you have a choice to make.  Yours truly knows that about a third of you plan to vote for Mr. Trump simply because you refuse to support Madame Secretary on principle.  However, Blogger asks you to think about it for a minute.  Before you switch your allegiance to Mr. Trump, please do your research on him and ask yourselves "Does this candidate genuinely reflect my values?  Will he craft policy that benefits the American people and nation?"  For now, let us see where we stand.

"Commitment 2016"
wmur.com

Where do things stand?  We now know who the presumptive nominees are: Mr. Trump and Madame Secretary.  Barring an indictment, man-made or natural disaster, they will be officially nominated at their respective national conventions.  Here are the numbers for the Super Tuesday of the Primary calendar.  On the Republican side, Mr. Trump has more than enough to secure the nomination outright.  His one-sided victories earn him 1,447 delegates and 95 unplugged delegates for a total 1,542. (http://www.nytimes.com)

On the other side of the aisle, Sec. Clinton's hard fought victories in California, New Jersey New Mexico, and South Dakota earned her 2,203 delegates and 574 Superdelegates for a grand total of 2,777.  (Ibid) Senator Sanders earned a total leaving him with  a total of 1,876 out the necessary 2,383 delegates to secure the nomination.  (Ibid) Senator Sanders seems to still be pinning his hopes on flipping some of the Superdelegates (i.e. office holders who are free to vote as they please) and snatching the nomination away from Madame Secretary.  That is a very steep challenge for the Sanders campaign.  The Gentleman from Vermont is not oblivious to the math.  The prospects for turning Clinton Superdelegates do not look good.  However, Senator Sanders does have a way to make an impact on the future of the Democratic party.

Democratic National Committee Convention
demconvention.com

The party platform is the most important way for the Sanders campaign to make a difference in the direction of the party.  The construction of the party platform is already a source of contention that is threatening to erupt at the Convention in Philadelphia in July.  The Sanders campaign is vying for control of the platform.  Why is the control of the platform so  important.  The party platform-Democrat or Republican-is a statement of values and beliefs.  Throughout the campaign, Senator Sanders has been pulling Secretary Clinton to the left on every issue.  Control of the platform offers the opportunity to enshrine those values and beliefs dear to the Gentleman from Vermont.  Senator Bernie Sanders has already won a key concession from the Democratic National Committee, seating five pro-Sanders people on the platform committee, Secretary Clinton secured six seats, and DNC Chairperson Debbie Wasserman Schultz picked four members.  The platforms fights to pay attention to are: Israel, Fracking, Keystone XL Pipeline, Trade, Wall Street, Minimum wage, Health care, Black Lives Matter, Campaign finance, and the Superdelegates.  While both campaigns are close on some of the plank issues, there is still enough friction between the both that could lead to open warfare.

Republican Nation Committee Convention
en.wikipedia.org

The Republican National Committee's platform seems a little more up in the air.  Fox News reported today that RNC has asked for the public's help in defining who the party is in 2016.  This in response to the Donald Trump-induced identity crisis. (http://www.foxnews.com)  To wit, the RNC has launched a website, http://www.platform.gop, for anyone to share what planks they would on the party platform.  Party Chairperson Reince Priebus, in a statement, told Fox,

While Democrats are letting party insiders write their platform behind closed doors, http://www.platform.gop is proof of our Party's philosophy of listening to the voice of the people and honoring he democratic process.

The website asks visitors to check six general policy subjects such as : foreign policy, the economy, natural resources.  The public can rate which is the most important by using a drop-and-drag tool to list pre-set topics into a top three list.  This strategy comes in response to tensions within the party over how Mr. Trump might try to adjust the platform.  Mr. Trump has eschewed party doctrine, remaining fluid on his position.  This has created suspicion that the Trump campaign might try to reconfigure the platform in his own image.  Former candidate, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, is urging his fellow conservatives to stand their ground in the platform committee.  For his part, Mr. Trump signaled that he was not planning any major changes.  Stay tuned.

Seal of the Vice President of the United States
en.wikipedia.org

For now, we have one more primary to go, Washington D.C., then decisions will have to be made.  Will Senator Bernie Sanders remain in the race through to the convention?  Theoretically, he still can continue to campaign for the nomination.  The Senator has indicated that he wants to continue campaigning but realistically, his chances for stealing away the nomination do not look good.  The DNC and the Clinton campaign must find a way to gently nudge the Gentleman from Vermont off the campaign trail without alienating his die-hard supporters.  Both candidates have begun vetting running mates.

Finding a running mate is like an arranged marriage-you put two people together and hope that things work out.  A good running mate will complete the candidate at the top of the ticket.  For Madame Secretary, ideally a someone who appeals to younger voters and shares Sen. Sanders's socialist values.  For Mr. Trump, it is anyone's guess who would be his ideal running mate.  A few names have been tossed around but nothing has landed, yet.

Of course Blogger would be remiss if she did not mention the Sword of Damocles hanging over the Clinton campaign-those emails.  Specifically, will Madame Secretary be indicated or not.  If she is indicated, then what?  Will Senator Sanders step back into the spotlight and be the party standard bearer?  Stay tuned everyone, we are in for a wild ride to the finish.

Blogger Candidate Forum: Game Day

Hello Everyone:

It is here.  Game Day.  It is time for Blogger's home state of California to cast its primary ballot.  To mark the occasion, Blogger sent human typist to the polls to do the honors and bring back the pictures.  A big shout out to Sylvie Brousseau, Deborah Gilman, and all the dedicated poll workers, especially Lee.

It's a beautiful day to vote

Arriving at the PLB Activities Center polling place

At the polling place

The fabulous Miss Debi Doodles 

Voting at a brisk pace

Voters in action

Checking in
Lee is hiding near the window on the right

Blue Team all the way

Add caption

Did you?

Cafe Bernie from the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue

Cafe Bernie

Table for the 99 percent

What she says
pinterest.com




Tomorrow, yours truly will have the weekly wrap up and will let you know who got Blogger's vote

         

The Green Book

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-route-66-20160516-snap-story.html

Lily Ho holding a picture of the Hayes Motel (1947)
Los Angeles, California
Photograph by Brian van der Brug/ Los Angeles Times
latimes.com

Hello Everyone:

It is Monday, the start of a busy week in the blogosphere. Tomorrow is game day-the June 7 primary-Blogger's turn to cast her vote.  There will be two posts dedicated to the occasion.  However, for today, we have a fascinating subject for discussion-a guidebook for African Americans to hotels along segregation-era Route 66.  Louis Sahagun's recent Los Angeles Times article "This guidebook helped African Americans find a hotel along segregation-era Route 66," is the story of the Negro Motorist Green Book.  The guidebook was a necessary travel companion for African American travelers along the famed Route 66 in search of hospitable lodgings and businesses.

Cover for The Negro Motorist Green-Book
en.wikipedia.org

One of those hospitable lodgings was the Hayes Motel in south Downtown Los Angeles.  The photograph, above left, is from its 1947 glory days.  In its time, the Hayes Motel was a sleek modern place to stay.  There was a sign posted outside the building, No Prostitution, No loitering, No Trespassing.  The current owner, Lily Ho, told Mr. Sahagun,

The original owner was very proud of this place

The original owner would cringe if he or she the peeling paint of the motel "...in a distressed neighborhood at the corner of Wadsworth Avenue and Jefferson Boulevard."  It might in a deshabille state today but it was a valuable part of Los Angeles history that has been listed on the inventory of the city's historic resources.

Louis Sahagun writes, "In particular the Hayes was a refuge for African American travelers who made their way west on the legendary cross-country U.S. Route 66, guided by a rich and illuminating travel publication know as the Negro Motorist Green Book."  The motel was part of 224 Los Angeles lodgings and business  considered friendly to African American traveling long American highways.

Clifton's Cafeteria Brooksdale exterior, c.1938
Whittington Photography Collection
USC Digital Library
la.curbed.com

The inventory of segregation-era historic resources is being put together by the Getty Conservation Institute and will help lay the foundation for "...rehabilitation and protection of significant historic structures."  Fortunately some of the Green Book stops are still standing and (cross your fingers) could be landmarked as Historic-Cultural Monuments.  Ken Bernstein, the principal planner for the Los Angeles Department of City Planning's Office Historic Resources, told Mr. Sahagun,

At the very least, these sites can be incorporated into city's online inventory...They are part of the story of African Americans in Los Angeles, and the story of Los Angeles itself writ large

The Green Book was assembled by Victor H. Green, a postal worker from Harlem, New York, in 1936 as a helpful way for African Americans to avoid, as called it, embarrassing moments once travelers started exploring the interstate roadways including Route 66. Although most of 224 Los Angeles sites have been either repurposed or demolished.  Good news, 56 of these resources remain such as: Clifton's Cafeteria, the Biltmore and Dunbar Hotel which hosted Lena Horne, Joe Louis, Duke Ellington Louis Armstrong, and other luminaries when they visited Los Angeles because white hotels would not host them.

The New Aster Motel
Los Angeles, California
abc.ca

   There were a plethora of lesser known places, including the Hayes; the Aster Motel, a modest wood-framed house on South New Hampshire, listed in the guidebook as the home of "Mrs. J.O. Banks."

The Green Books are a rarity these but they are than just evidence of the dangers of travel faced by African Americans in Los Angeles before the enactment of the Civil Rights Act in 1964.  In the age of Black Live Matter and social media, academics and historian use the the Green Books as research guides across the nation as a way to better understand the African American experience and build a national parks system that reflects the broad diversity of American culture and history.  The largest collection of Green Books is housed at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York City Library (http://www.nypl.org).  Twenty-three issues published between 1937 and 1966.  Mr. Sahagun reports, "High definition images of the books are offered on a center website."  Last year, a copy of the 1941 edition sold at auction for $22,000 at the Smithsonian Institute.

Biltmore Hotel, 1927
Los Angeles, California
martinturnbull.com

Frank Norris, a historian with the National Park Service which manages the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, enthused,

It's almost a miracle that there is such a diverse physical legacy of Green Book properties...I expect to see a number of these structures nominated to the National Register of Historic Places.

They are reminders of a hidden part of African American history of the the great American road trip.  Victor Green created the travel guide because he was aware of the potential trouble ahead for African American after Route 66 was opened in 1926.  The famous transcontinental highway stretched 2, 448 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles, crossing eight states, three time zones, dozens of "sundown towns" where segregation was vigorously enforced with laws, threats, and violence.

Map of Route 66
nps.gov

Travelers along Route 66 would typically travel east to west: passing the rolling Midwestern wheat field, the mighty Mississippi River, Missouri's Ozark Mountains and the Texas Panhandle, across the glorious New Mexico and Arizona deserts, the Colorado River, west to the fabled sandy shores of Southern California.  Route 66 was also the path taken by the fictional Joad family, fleeing the Oklahoma Dust Bowl in John Steinbeck's 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath,  In the forties, it carried convoys of troops on the way to desert training camps.  The highway entered into popular culture with a eponymous television.  It also inspired the late Nat King Cole and the Rolling Stones to record the song Route 66, which became part of the American song lexicon:

Won't you get hip to this timely tip.
When you make that California trip.
Get your kicks on Route 66.

Route 66 Southern California leg
historic66.com

Louis Sahagun reports, "Richard Mitchell paid less than a buck for the Green Book he ordered by U.S. Mail after noticing an advertisement for one in a 1963 edition of Ebony Magazine." Mr. Mitchell was an Air Force cryptographer in Turkey, near the end of his tour of duty; wanted plan a road trip for himself and his family.  Mr. Mitchell told Mr. Sahagun,

We left home in Pennsylvania in a two-tone 1960 Dodge Dart station wagon...I time my travel to make sure we would roll into a safe place to stay by night...We only had one problem along he way...A bunch of young folks hurled a racial epithet at a hamburger stand.

Once in Los Angeles, African Americans would not be allowed to buy home in "...so-called red-lined neighborhoods."  Some street corners actually posted signs that said "No Negros or Orientals Desired."  In movie theaters, Caucasians and African Americans were separated by a velvet rope.  To add further insult, in some department stores, African American women were handed tissue paper before they tried on hats.

Route 66 was decommissioned in 1985, replaced by superhighways that bypassed all the really cool and kitschy places that made the transcontinental road a guide book to the Western United States, for mostly Caucasian travelers.  Candacy Taylor is documenting the travel along Route 66 with photographs taken from Green Books sites.