The Buck and Mike Blog

Today is the first day that same-sex couples in Washington, DC, begin picking up marriage licenses. Undoubtedly, some of the first in line will be couples who have been together for 20, 30, or 40 years or more. Some have raised children and have grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Many have worked openly as civil servants for years, getting your social security checks out on time, inspecting your food, manufacturing coins and currency, and testing drugs to make sure they are safe and effective. Some work in the Environmental Protection Agency, helping safeguard our environment. Others work for the Smithsonian Institution, helping safeguard the treasures of our national heritage. Some install cable TV, put out fires, police the streets, manage stores, preach on Sundays, build houses, and fix cars. There will be college students, plumbers, doctors, bus drivers, teachers, artists, cabinet makers, computer programmers, architects, flight attendants, attorneys, and writers. There will be employees of the Red Cross, the World Bank, Amnesty International, the Pentagon, and international embassies.

We know Washington people in all these categories, and some will be waiting in line today. This is a great demonstration of joy, optimism, and love in a city that is often the scene of cynicism. I’m very happy for all of you. If we were not already married, we would be lining up with you.

Read the CNN.com article.

Today we were invited to a chili feast next weekend. This reminded me of what major chili lovers we are. Unfortunately, my recipes are now stale. I need more. Now.

I know it isn’t exactly chili season, but in my book there is no such season. If you could share yours, our tummies would be most grateful. So would some readers. If you’re too shy to post, e-mail your recipe to me.

Thanks!

chili

Attention runners!

The 46th Annual DeCelle Memorial Lake Tahoe Relay will take place on June 12.

The most scenic run in all of America, the route runs completely around Lake Tahoe. Seven-member teams run the seven legs, each 8-12 miles long, for a total of 72 miles, through both California and Nevada. It is a favorite race for many teams, who return year after year. If you want to participate, you have better register early. There are a limited number of slots and last year some teams had to be turned away because they didn’t register early enough.

This is the 46th annual race! The race’s founder, Robert E. DeCelle Sr., devoted his life to promoting distance running, serving as an official, certifying courses, and lobbying for more events. His advocacy was instrumental in gaining support for women to compete in distance running events. He passed away in 1997, two weeks after the 33rd annual relay.

The race is named after Robert DeCelle, Sr’s son, Captain Robert DeCelle, Jr. “Bobby” as his family called him, an avid high school runner. Drafted into the Army in 1966, he flew a helicopter during the Vietnam War. In February 1971 his helicopter was hit and he suffered severe injuries, yet he managed to pilot it away from the battle and thus saved the lives of his crew. He died from his injuries about a week later on February 21, 1971. He was heavily decorated by the Army and a base in Vietnam was named for him. At that time, the Lake Tahoe Relay was renamed in his honor.

This not-for-profit relay event is staffed each year by dozens of volunteers, most of them friends and extended DeCelle family members. All profit from entry fees goes to local high school running programs, a fitting tribute to both Robert Sr. and Bobby. The race is managed and coordinated by April DeCelle Carter, who is Robert Sr.’s daughter, Bobby’s sister, and—as you might expect—an avid runner herself.

For more information, go to the race’s web site, http://www.laketahoerelay.com, or send me an e-mail message and I’ll snail mail you a flyer with registration information.

Okay, I admit it. We have a family connection. My charming and talented daughter Olivia married Scott Carter, April’s son and Robert Sr.’s grandson. Mike and I will be doing our part during the race, directing traffic, cheering runners, and playing with the West’s most charming grandkids as much as possible.

DeCelle Memorial Lake Tahoe Relay, Lake Tahoe, Robert E. DeCelle Sr, distance running, distance running, Captain Robert DeCelle, Jr., Lake Tahoe Relay, relay, April DeCelle Carter

I’m sure there is some virtue in keeping my desk clean and neat all the time, but obviously I don’t see it.

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries. —A.A. Milne, author of Winnie the Pooh.

A bill currently before the Minnesota state legislature would ban marriages between people who don’t love each other.

A fascinating article in today’s New York Times shows the importance of words. Apparently, to Americans being gay or lesbian is not as bad as being homosexual. This is no surprize to gay people, who deal with the language of intolerant or uneducated (or both) people every day.

But sometimes the hurt of language cuts even deeper. The leaders of my own church, the Mormons, for example, insists that there are no homosexuals, only people who “suffer from same-sex attraction,” SSA. No, wait, they have changed the words again. Seemingly unable to use the word “sex” they now say we suffer from “same-gender attraction.” Words matter.

But I digress. The New York Times article:

New Poll Shows Support for Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

By DALIA SUSSMAN
As the Obama administration proposes repealing the policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a new New York Times/CBS News poll finds that a majority of the public support allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the military.

There’s less support, however, for allowing homosexuals to serve openly.

Confused?

The results highlight the importance of wording on the issue. In a test, half of the poll’s respondents were asked their opinion on permitting “gay men and lesbians” to serve, and the other half were asked about permitting “homosexuals” to serve.

The wording of the question proved to make a difference. Seven in 10 respondents said they favor allowing “gay men and lesbians” to serve in the military, including nearly 6 in 10 who said they should be allowed to serve openly. But support was somewhat lower among those who were asked about allowing “homosexuals” to serve, with 59 percent in favor, including 44 percent who support allowing them to serve openly.
» Read the rest of this entry »

New York Times

We can see that JoFong sells more, but what else? Any ideas?

So, you can visit this theater 24/7, but only Fridays and Saturdays? Huh?

You know those ads in the right-hand column of your Facebook page that are supposed to target you based on your demographics? I especially like this one that appeared yesterday.

I’m sure a lot of 61-year-old men would love to have this driver’s license picture.

Facebook

This church is near our local post office in Portland. Every time I see it I see a cross wearing headphones. Am I crazy?

No Name-Calling Week was inspired by a young adult novel entitled “The Misfits” by popular author, James Howe. The book tells the story of four best friends trying to survive the seventh grade in the face of all too frequent taunts based on their weight, height, intelligence, and sexual orientation/gender expression. Motivated by the inequities they see around them, the “Gang of Five” (as they are known) creates a new political party during student council elections and run on a platform aimed at wiping out name-calling of all kinds. Though they lose the election, they win the support of the school’s principal for their cause and their idea for a “No Name-Calling Day” at school.

Motivated by this simple, yet powerful, idea, the No Name-Calling Week Coalition, created by GLSEN and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, and consisting of over 40 national partner organizations, organized an actual No Name-Calling Week in schools across the nation during the week of March 1-5, 2004. This year, No Name-Calling Week will take place the week of January 25-29, 2010. The project seeks to focus national attention on the problem of name-calling in schools, and to provide students and educators with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate name-calling in their communities.

The Misfits, James Howe, GLSEN, Simon & Schuster, No Name-Calling Week

Earlier this week I was reminded of one reason why I like being far from Washington, DC. During a conference call preparatory to a week of conducting training in Washington next week, we were reviewing the training materials we would need. Some of the items included markers and flip charts. Reasonable, right?

“NO!” we were told. “You can’t use that term!” It seems that “flip chart” has been banned from use in the federal workplace because it can be interpreted as a derogatory term for Filipinos. Huh?

I spent an hour online researching ways to insult Filipinos without finding anything about flip charts. Even the Wikipedia list of ethnic slurs doesn’t have it, and they are always excruciatingly up-to-date. Twenty years of writing for federal agencies have taught me the importance of being attuned to the sensitivities of others. I understand and appreciate the reasons for exercising care in our verbal and written communications. Language is a powerful tool both for lifting souls and keeping them down. But please. This particular example of political correctness is just plain stupid and borders on being paranoid.

Leave a comment to share your best examples of political correctness paranoia.

ethnic slur, political correctness