Separate But Equal Is Neither: A Taxing Story

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Wednesday February 09, 2011 · 10:28 AM PST

2011/02/09 · 10:28

Followers of my occasional diaries and my husband's blog know how critical full marriage equality is to us. Committed same-sex couples deserve the same privileges and opportunities as Britney Spears and Newt Gingrich. At the end of the day, it is a simple matter of human rights; as a citizen of this country, no-one should be able to tell me what basic rights I am entitled to enjoy. Yesterday, Jed posted some heartening numbers demonstrating national support for equality; sadly, over half of these supporters are willing to stop short of full equality and ask LGBT families to settle for civil unions or domestic partnerships. This is not enough.

RBHSOregon

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Tuesday January 11, 2011 · 2:31 PM PST

2011/01/11 · 14:31

During the immediate aftermath of the Tucson tragedy on Saturday an interesting news phenomenon occurred. Depending on the source one used, the number of shooting victims and their condition varied significantly. More dramatically, Rep. Giffords’ very survival seemed to depend on the source consulted. The "facts" as reported were jumbled and often contradictory. (For a great overview of the coverage, complete with screen shots, I encourage you to read this great blog post.)

RBHSOregon

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Monday December 27, 2010 · 9:48 AM PST

2010/12/27 · 09:48

I've always been interested in the events of the world, but the past decade has greatly changed my level of engagement. Since the Shrub was appointed President in 2000, I’ve become increasingly engaged with news and politics, believing firmly that knowledge is power and that understanding your opposition is the only way to overcome it. Still, there are days that I just want to hide from the news. Sometimes paying attention to the world is so painful that I wonder why I bother.

RBHSOregon

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Sunday December 26, 2010 · 11:55 AM PST

2010/12/26 · 11:55

In another great end-of-year surprise, the Obama administration has quietly restored a key element of health care reform. As part of new regulations for Medicare, doctors will be paid to provide patients with counseling on end-of-life care. This will allow people to have an informed conversation with their doctor as part of routine maintenance care, making decisions while calm and lucid that will aid in any care-giving necessary in the case of an accident or terminal disease.

RBHSOregon

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Friday December 24, 2010 · 5:12 PM PST

2010/12/24 · 17:12

Something seemed to be missing from the holiday season this year and it took me a while to figure out exactly what. Then it hit me: unlike the past four or five years, the "War On Christmas" hysteria has been largely absent from the media this year. How refreshing!

RBHSOregon

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Friday November 19, 2010 · 5:54 AM PST

2010/11/19 · 05:54

Words are a big part of my life. As a librarian, a husband, an avid reader, a state government manager, a board member (three times over), and an occasional writer I spend much of my time carefully choosing my words and paying attention to the words chosen around me. As a gay man, I find myself confronted by other people’s word choices on a daily basis. One word gets frequent use by the well-meaning ally and the crafty foe alike: Tolerance.

RBHSOregon

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Sunday November 14, 2010 · 12:01 PM PST

2010/11/14 · 12:01

Consider, if you will, the story of Jay McDowell, a high school teacher in Howell Township, Michigan suspended without pay for clearly stating that anti-gay speech was not acceptable in his classroom.

RBHSOregon

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Thursday November 11, 2010 · 4:48 PM PST

2010/11/11 · 16:48

The past few weeks have seen a disturbing number of stories about the challenges of being gay -- or even perceived to be gay -- in America. When I first drafted this essay, five teens from all over the country had committed suicide rather than live with taunts and bullying. Now, a month after National Coming Out Day and the launch of the wonderful It Gets Better project, the number of reported suicides stands at well over a dozen. Yes, it does get better, but as a country we have a long way to go.

RBHSOregon

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Sunday October 31, 2010 · 9:13 AM PDT

2010/10/31 · 09:13

It’s Halloween again and I’ve put off planning my costume until the last minute. Over the past week I’ve turned to several different sources to get inspiration on the scariest costume for this year. Please join me on my journey.

RBHSOregon

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Monday October 25, 2010 · 7:13 AM PDT

2010/10/25 · 07:13

My Southern husband's impressions of a critical election in my home state (where we've now lived for five years). - Robert (RBHSOregon)

"I spent most of my life in the south and watched the political landscape go from annoying to just all out crazy. After having lived in Georgia, I have had to endure, justifiably so, the caustic comments because of the "Crazy" that the state produced. Newt Gingrich: enormous hypocrite who preached family values while leaving his cancer ridden wife for a younger woman; Zell Miller: who appeared at the Republican National Convention and prepared himself for a duel — yikes; and Saxby Chambliss whose office sent out the email, "All Faggots Must Die," for which it took him over a week to offer a milquetoast apology. Yes, these are just a few of the good ol' boys governing the state of Georgia.

RBHSOregon

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Saturday October 23, 2010 · 10:02 AM PDT

2010/10/23 · 10:02

Juan Williams’ recent firing from NPR has tempers flaring and opinions blaring. Amidst all the anger and rhetoric, a couple of key points keep getting overlooked or misrepresented. Whether or not you like Juan Williams or believe he’s a "liberal commentator", whatever your opinion of NPR or FOX, it is very important to consider the facts of the case.

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Separate But Equal Is Neither: A Taxing Story

The Power of “I Don’t Know” In a Culture of Impatience

Why We Must Discuss the Darkness (Making the Most People Happy)

Don't Fear the Reaper: Informed Care does NOT equal Death Panels

This Year, Maybe We’ll Just Enjoy the Holiday

Words Matter - or - Why I Won't Be Tolerated

Bullying Equals Fair Speech? Math We Shouldn’t Teach Our Students

Gay in America: Living with the wave -- and the undertow

Scary Costumes for 2010 - Make your choice

John Kitzhaber: The Type of Oregonian I Had In Mind

The First Amendment, Hypocrisy, and Bias: Juan Williams as Case Study