Issue VII February 2004. New Beginings

I have always felt that February is a month of transition. It really is not winter, nor is it spring. A month filled with changes in the amount of sunshine and warmth. As the days get longer I always get a little bit of hope for the upcoming spring and summer seasons. February, a month full of celebrations, such as Valentines Day, Presidents Day, to the much more serious as Black History Month. Funny to think of the shortest month of the year with all these different events to share and celebrate. Also truely remarkable about February is that every 7 years we add a day to the month to get back in alignment with the movements of the sun and moon. I would like to discuss an issue that keeps arising in my travels lately. The topic at hand is can any of us can really "feel or know" someone else's experiences. It started for me late one night when I was helping a friend deliver some newspapers. She was doing this to help get her out of a bind that she was having. Anyhow, we were being trained and the person training us had a lot to learn about being in management. She just kept telling us that we were falling behind and needed to move faster. We were trying. I guess she just felt that we weren't. We came to a street that had 2 addresses that had requested that the paper be placed on the porch by their doors, the other four papers on the street could be thrown from the car. Our trainer asked if my friend would do the first two houses on foot while I threw the other and then we could make up some time. My friend hesitated. She thought we were just going to drive off and leave her. Even though I would have probably been done and back down the street before she would have dropped the 2 papers. She said that she didn't feel comfortable. I was already tense from being given conflicting directions and was at the point where I was feeling ready to just snap. My friend turned to me and said that I didn't know what it was like to be black. I told her that was a cop-out. Little background here. It was 4:30 a.m.. We were in a neighborhood where the homes go for around $250,000.00. Our trainer even informed my friend that the house she was going to be delivering to was owned by a doctor who was black. Also, we had not scene a car in over an hour. It is a very quiet and lovely neighborhood. I just couldn't think of her issues. I could not figure out her rationale. If my friend and I were going to be doing this night after night, she needed to get used to jumping out of the car for the very few houses that we had to place the papers in special places. I told her that I might not know what it was like to be Black, but I did know what is was and is like to be gay and jewish. Hence, my point. Can I ever experience being black, or can she ever experience being gay or jewish? I know that I have scene friends of mine in the past get treated very differently for various reasons. I have gotten very angry and have even gone to jail over the mistreatment of my friends or even for people that I do not know. I am well aware of the race issues that face our society. I am also aware of the hesitations on the part of my friends that happen to be black in regards to their interactions with white people. I try to take that into account. I realize they are judged as they walk into a room. As I probably have a few minutes longer before I am spotted as "Gay". I wear a kippa, jewish beanie for those goya who don't know. I know that some see my kippa and instantly make judgements and treat me differently. I don't know what I can do differently than try to empathize, and educate. I do not tolerate any kind of racisim, anti-semitisim, or any kind of ignorant behavior toward anyone for their differences. I try to lead my life as an example of diversity. So my original question remains, how to I bridge this gap and should I even try. In trying to understand the black individuals experience, am I diminishing it? Sometimes I feel that I am. I mean just how novel that a white, gay, jewish man is trying to understand the black experience. I will never know what it does to a person to experience racisim from the a black's experience. I am at a loss. Can we ever really "feel" another's pain. I really in my heart of hearts don't believe so.

News In The Gay Community

When the State of Mass passed the law allowing Homosexuals to get "Married" I could hardly stand myself. But as always you have those in the community, str8 community that is, that appose the new law. They said first that marriage is for reproduction, now it will be dangerous. I really don't know how to respond. San Fransico, the center of the GAY UNIVERSE, is under fire for performing civil ceromonies for same-sex couples. I am dumbfounded by this. How ever could two people getting married do anyone or anything harm. I think this country really needs to take a look at the Constitution. The separation of church and state was written just for this reason.

One of the things that makes this country great is the constitution's ability to change and become more sublime as time marches on. I have heard the battle cry that the currency of the United States of America has printed on it, "In God We Trust". Ok, my God says that it is ok to be gay. Another's God said that it is ok to have several wives, another's to worship a cow as sacred. So whose god is right? Why can't the world just accept the fact that all those double-income, over educated "Homo's" are one hell of a lobbying group and the we are a political force to be reckoned with. Let's just update the constitution, allow everyone to enter into a state of "Wedded Bliss" and concentrate of matters of greater concern. Such as poverty, education, healthcare, peace. I for one would welcome a tax hike if it mean and end to those matters I just mentioned. I welcome all responses to my web page. In fact I welcome them. I have always been one to savor another's viewpoint, even if I do not agree with it. As long as it is done intelligently I can always learn from it.

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