Absolutely fantastic column by Molly Ivins

[Maestro]

I have been living the nightmare of stupid, asinine, ignorant, self-serving Texas government since the days of Gov. Butthead aka *. Now with Gov. Goodhair aka Perry, we seem to just be getting worse. I have written my representatives. They have not answered me. How can they? How could they possibly answer me when instead of focusing on tax relief, education funding, protecting Texas lakes, rivers, air, unscrupulous insurance companies and other big corporations jumping through any loophole not pay its fair share, they are focusing on all too alluring teenage cheerleaders and those evil gays. :sarcasm:

Molly writes about one state legislator that has had it. I could not have said it better.

Ivins article here

"Let's look at what this amendment does not do: It does not give one Texas citizen meaningful tax relief. It does not reform or fully fund our education system. It does not restore one child to CHIP who was cut from health insurance last session. It does not put one dime into raising Texas' Third World access to health care. It does not do one thing to care for or protect one elderly person or one child in this state. In fact, it does not even do anything to protect one marriage.

"Members, this bill is about hate and fear and discrimination. . . . When I was a small girl, white folks used to talk about 'protecting the institution of marriage' as well. What they meant was if people of my color tried to marry people of Mr. Chisum's color, you'd often find the people of my color hanging from a tree. . . . Fifty years ago, white folks thought interracial marriages were 'a threat to the institution of marriage.'

[Bluebear]

1. Senfronia Thompson. One of my new heroes :)

http://upload.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3732004

[Maestro]

17. Wow, I didn't realize you already posted it

and I agree. She is a new heroe!!!!!!!!!!

[bvar22]

2. Thanks Maestro and thank you, Molly!!!!

Recommending for Greatest.

[Maestro]

10. Absolutely no problem

I love Molly! And now I am going to find out more about this legislator. Some at least still have brains in Austin.

[dsc]

3. I am so sick of this shit

[The Doctor.]

4. What a let-down at the end...

"Then they passed the amendment."

We are going to have a hell of a time fixing all of this damage in the years to come.

[Inland]

5. Been posted, recommended before and worth seeing again.

Bout time someone told the truth about how they ignore real problems to bash gays.

[faithnotgreed]

6. much love for ms thompson

[Swamp Rat]

7. POW! Right in the kisser!

:loveya: Love you Molly!

[mcscajun]

8. Senfronia Thompson...an American Hero.

"I have listened to the arguments. I have listened to all of the crap. . . . I want you to know that this amendment blowing smoke to fuel the hell-fire flames of bigotry."

Then they passed the amendment.

Sad, sad words at the end.

[Dude_CalmDown]

9. Senfronia Thompson for President.

Hmmmm - which woman could motivate Dems more...Senfronia Thompson or Hillary Clinton? I'm gonna go with the one who perfectly defines what every Dem leader should be. And no I don't mean to just take random shots at Hillary because I can't stand her (even though I can't) but it's just that my first thought when I read her words was: why can't all of our Dem leaders speak like this?

[Maestro]

11. No kidding.

Call a spade and spade. These neocons and sexually oppressed reprobates are invading government at all levels in all states!

[Skip Intro]

12. I hope she'll be echoed in the US House/Senate when it comes around

:thumbsup:

[AuntiBush]

13. Welcome to the Ultra-Neo-Federalist Bullsh*T World!

Seen the statistics the other day showing the areas affected, both on Judiciary and Legislative levels from the high on down state-by-state, thanks to the stink' FASCIST *!

It was not good at all.

Like 1 poster stated, I to am sick of this crap!

[Stand and Fight]

14. Absolutely ghastly...

"Then they passed the amendment."

This country is in serious trouble. I can uniquely identify with the analogy Rep. Senfronia Thompson drew being a member of an interracial marriage. I said it during the election season, and I will say now that this gay marriage nonsense is nothing more than government mandated racism and discrimination. It is filthy. It is disgusting. It is thoroughly UN-American. Or perhaps the problem is that it is all too American - the history of this country speaks for itself.

[donheld]

15. Wonderful speech given by Ms Thompson

Too bad the idiots in the lege didn't want to listen.

[noiretextatique]

16. she planted a seed that will bear fruit

she had the guts to tell those hatemongers the truth about themselves and though they have the power to silence her, they heard what she said.

[Nothing Without Hope]

18. Here are two earlier threads on this Molly Ivins article & Rep. Thompson

There are good comments in both. More of Ms. Thompson's thrilling speech is given in the first. Wisely, Molly writes only two paragraphs of her own to frame this wonderful speech and introduce the speaker, Senfronia Thompson of the Texas state legislature. At the end of the long quoted speech excerpt, Molly returns to add the devastating final sentence of the article, "Then they passed the amendment." (The anti-gay marriage amendment.)

I want to see much more of Ms. Thompson in natonal progressive poltical movements. She is a dynamic, stirring speaker because she not only is a fine orator, she passionately believes everything she says.

Here are the earlier two threads on this Molly Ivins article:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=221x11978
Thread title: “Molly Ivins: Rep. Senfronia Thompson fights the Texas anti-gay amendment”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3732004
Thread title: ****Do YOU know Senfronia Thompson?****

[sakabatou]

19. Perhaps there should be an opnion-writer bracket game...