Christina Reports In:
GLBT Caucus & Meeting Dean
GLBT Caucus & Meeting Dean
Boston during the convention
© 2004 Christina Butts. All rights reserved.
***TUESDAY***
I first went to the African Am caucus at the Sheraton Hotel around 10am where an African Am female senator from the state of Massachusetts legislature said it was so great to see so many African Am faces at this political gathering. Then Ill senator candidate Barack Obama spoke and pumped up the room about making a difference. Willie Gary talked about how the need to reach back and bring people up from the community even after making it in the world, bring other people from the community up because the struggle still continues.
Al Sharpton spoke to a warm reception. There’s a love for his ability to boldly tell the truth. Whether he’s elected or not, he said Republican hostilities dismiss blacks and negative treatment of blacks & minorities. If the Democratic party delivers to blacks & minorities, we could deliver back to the party. People enthusiastically clapped and yelled in approval and “Amen” shouts of agreement. All minority groups must continue to keep the minorities issues of disenfranchisement and discrimination in front of the public and shouldn’t be buried and forgotten until nice aphorisms and polite sentiment. But push for real action and support.
Many other important African American political officials talked to the caucus which energized the crowd to feel empowered.
Next was the GLBT caucus, where Senator Barbara Boxer spoke about her support for GLBT issues. I got to know a reporter of the religion section from a local GLBT newspaper called " In Newsweekly". www.innewsweekly.com
She spoke of the historic importance of this election, how true laws & values behind them are being corroded to endanger all of our freedoms. That GLBT shouldn’t be made into scapegoats for the troubles of this administration. (IMHO, this includes all other minority beings.)
Kerry’s deputy campaign manager, Salinger, a GLBT member, one by one introduced the GLBT delegates from the different states. Carole King spoke of working with Musicians for Kerry to gain support for equal marriage rights and for positive efforts for the GLBT community.
Spoke of the platform sloped and steered by Kerry campaign for uniformity, so the marriage issue easily passed in Iowa will be muted into something generic and of a less contentious nature than if support for some institutional rights is put into a civil union framework. I spoke up that Iowa’s Democratic Platform was specific and inclusive in supporting not only of same-sex marriage but also gender indentity. That I was sorry that the National Platform was more concerned about campaign problems than about regal people’s families needing specific marriage rights and privileges and not pat condescending platitudes.
Claudia Kennedy, a female general, spoke in support of GLBT inclusion in allowing them to serve their country in the military.
After the GLBT, we went to find the Belvedere room that was really in Hilton hotel and not at he Sheraton. I felt bad because so many Dean people I had been running into from other delegations after I told my story of how I got politically active - I told them the ballroom was in the Sheraton, only those determined asked around and got to the location. Al and David Leshtz made it. Sally, unfortunately, didn’t get any directions or help, and everyone was so busy.
The Dean meeting was like an early Christianity meeting - the group was close and embracing each other after not seeing many since the Stormer days. Others communed after trading stories to each other and talking of their experiences changing and participating in their local politics and party. It was like a Baptist revival of stories how one got saved, though politically. The excitement was I ran into Josie Heath from Colorado who helped me walk my precinct for caucuses.
I‘m getting annoyed at the blatant remaking of history saying Kerry was the first candidate to oppose the war, when every one knows it was Dean who held them over the fire and literally roasted by half of the Democratic Party for making those statements.
Dean let me know how well we were doing and his support of Kerry and why we should too and keep the movement going. That continued political participation keeps the negative forces in the extreme rightwing at bay, from taking over. The harm of the Bush Administration on the country and the environment has degraded our economy and our image abroad. Rolling back liberal progress since WWI & II. How even running for small political infrastructure positions to make sure progressive advances of the US takes hold is important.
I joked to the event organizer how he should have an open mike while we waited for Dean and each of us “testify” to each other to hear our sorrows. He then said there was going to be a question time, so we could do that. During Howard’s speech I was taking notes to camp at the microphone.
There was a line of people waiting to speak at one of the microphones after I had camped out at one taking note like a reporter for this blog. When I got to step up Dean was saying he was going to start on his left microphone, and then I said that my microphone was left to me. So he said okay, and I joked back it was a matter of perspective, I guessed. I then told him that he has transformed many of his supporters' lives and made a big difference. I appreciated that he’s continuing the grassroots progressive change. Even though Kerry and Edwards have been chosen as the Head of the movement to take back America, his supporters and he have become the true soul and body of it.
Then later after getting his signature I told him where I had first shook his hand and he remembered the location in DSM and Ako Samad. I then told him I’m an active county party member and that many of us Dean supporters were in many places, that we are in the woodwork. ******
THE CONVENTION FLOOR EXPERIENCE
We’ll, it's like going to a football or basketball game; the Fleet Center houses the Celtics. People were milling around the main vendor flooring area getting food or buying goodies. Each state had a sign near the ramp that we could go down to reach their delegation location.
*****Okay right now it's 2am will continue this tomorrow G'Nite.******
Thanks, Christina!
