Over the last few weeks I've noticed that one after another
people are “coming out”. They are taking
a stand and showing that they are ready to stop hiding who they are and be
themselves. Michael Sams and Jason
Collins have recently come out, however we do know that they are not
really the first professional athletes to be gay.
The Ugandan President signed into law
today a bill that criminalizes homosexuality despite a message from President
Obama urging the world to step forward into equality and not backwards.
This type of fear and hate is not limited to other
countries. Just last week Arizona sent a
new law to Governor Ann Jan Brewer that would allow a business to turn away
customers based on sexual orientation. Many
are concerned that the protection of ones right to do business with who they
want, outweighs the rights of the individual to have access to the marketplace.
In an open letter to Governor Brewer, Out LGBT Activist and Actor George Takei stated he will boycott the state of Arizona if this measure goes through.
As a small business owner, I understand the value of a solid
customer base. As a consumer, I also
want to have access to the same goods and services that others have in my
community. I also believe that if
someone wants to buy my products, because I’m a small business, I’m going to
sell to them. Let’s say that someone
buys one of my necklaces and then burns it because they hate witches. I’m ok with that. I’ve been paid. I really don’t have the right to be concerned
with what someone does with my product after it leaves my place of business.
Now, let’s turn the tables a bit. The sandwich at Chick-fil-a is awesome. I would love to have it. It’s crispy and tasty. It is also served with a side of hate, which
is not quite as palatable for me. That
means that I don’t go there and shop. I
don’t eat there, I don’t buy water there, and I don’t visit there at all. I encourage others not to shop there and I am
very clear to others exactly why I don’t shop there.
While I understand the desire to have equality in the
marketplace, I also am really confused by those who want to “make” a business
do something for them. These recent
issues with wedding cakes and bakery owner’s refusing to make cakes for certain
weddings. While a baker who said, I won’t’
make a cake for an interracial marriage might be frowned on by the community,
one that says I won’t make a cake for a gay marriage is applauded and supported
for their freedom of religion.
While I lived in San Diego, I was always happy when I saw
businesses post the rainbow flag on their doors. I knew that this merchant supported LGBT
rights and I felt comfortable spending my money there. In less inclusive communities it is hard to
know who is on the side of equality.
That being said, I would vet my cake decorator by asking others who have
used them and if I find one that doesn't want to make my cake; I’d move
on. Why have that negative energy in the
best day of my life?
I found a local restaurant using a microwave but charges $17
a plate. I don’t go there any more.
I think the real issue here is what people thing about people
when they see them. On a recent trip to
Wilson, hubby and I had a really good discussion on this. What are people really worried about? Do they care that a “gay” cake is made at the
same place a “straight” cake is made?
What’s the big deal?
So really what this all really boils down to is what we think
when we look at people. So what do we
see when we look at the following photos
Why does looking at these people equate to what they do in
their bedroom. When I look at these
pictures the last thing I think of is their bedroom. When I’m standing in line at the bank, or
sitting in my car I don’t look over at the couple in the car and immediately
start thinking about them having sex.
Why is it that the thought of a same sex couple immediately leads other
to think of sex? Do seeing opposite sex
couples do that as well? If so, who is
really at fault here?
There are arguments against treating Gays and Lesbians equal
ranging from biblical to natural. Some
say “God Intended” some say “Nature Intended”.
Each one firmly believing they have the right answer. By far, the most ignorant argument is “I wouldn't
know how to explain it to my kids.”
Really?
Now some of you may say, no, no one really says that. Take my word for it. I have been approached by people in my own
birth family that said those very words to me.
Here’s how you explain a gay couple to your children.
“Dave loves Steve like Daddy loves Mommy”
Or
"Shannon has two Mommies and you have a Daddy and a Mommy."
I’ll even help with a follow up question.
"Well, Shannon has two Mommies, because that’s how their
family is set up. Some families have one
Mommy, some have two. Some have two
Daddies some have one. Every family is
different."
Study after
study shows that children are not born with prejudice. Hate is taught. Stereotyping is something that is handed down
to our children. From the media, from
the world and from us. We teach them to
be hateful people that believe that some families are not as good as other
families. We teach them that it is OK “this
time” to single out this group of people or that group of people.
We need to stop looking at the color of the skin, the
religious choice or the gender of people to determine who they are. We are all earthlings and we should cherish
our diversity.
Ruby Bridges - By Uncredited DOJ photographer
Japanese-American internees at Minidoka Internment Camp, Idaho
Trail of Tears - By Wolfgang Sauber
I have a message to all those who are "coming out". Instead of making a big press conference about it or releasing some public statement, just show up at your event with your partner. People make a big deal out of things if you do. While I'm all for being an out Gay or Lesbian leader in our community, I think that if we just start showing up with our partner to events maybe it won't be such a big deal. Maybe if you get a cake from a great baker and you share their name in a tweet, that works too. Don't be so worried about getting a head of the game and managing the media that you forget that there are people out there who don't play football or have a great spin doctor to turn the media around when they start bashing them.
Maybe if we start here, we can try to teach those coming up that it isn't so bad to just be yourself.
Throwing clay takes a lot of practice. That means that many more pieces get made than actually get fired. In fact up to this point, I have not even turned on the kiln. I've turned about 30 pots so far and each one has ended back up in the recycle bin.
Photo Credit - Renee Olson
Photo Credit - Renee Olson
Recycling clay is a pretty easy process. After turning a lump and either creating a pot or creating a failure, the best thing to do is let the piece get to bone dry and just toss it in water. Clay actually will revert faster if it's bone dry than if it has any water in it at all.
Here I have a tub with water in it. I drop the bone dry pieces in the tub until they revert.
Photo Credit - Renee Olson
Depending on how dry the clay is, the clay will slowly dissolve back to it's smooth state. Below you can see the clay pots have broken down and have settled to the bottom of the tub.
Photo Credit - Renee Olson
After enough clay has accumulated in the tub, it can then be poured out on to a a surface to allow the water to evaporate out. A wooden board or a plaster board can be used to dry the clay. When the clay is workable, slowly wedge the clay back into a lump and store it in an airtight container.
Over the last week I've seen several stories regarding children
and school lunches. I was so blown away
by some of the stories I decided to do a little research.
In April 2013 four food workers in Massachusetts were fired
for making crying school children toss their food in the trash after it was discovered
they did not have enough money in their prepaid lunch accounts.
September 2013- New Jersey – Fox and Friends panel support
the idea of having children go hungry to teach them
a lesson. There’s no such thing as a
free lunch. Per the video, the child
psychologist says, don’t toss out their food… give them a cheese sandwich and
an IOU.
January 2014 – A Utah School instructed
cafeteria workers to “confiscate” the lunches of 40 schoolchildren who did
not have enough money to pay for their lunches.
That food was thrown in the trash while the child going hungry, watched.
What in the actual hell is wrong with people today? Is
society as a whole channeling Maria Antoinette?
As we saying, let them eat cheese sandwiches?
Growing up in rural North Carolina, with a father in the
penal system, my family was a recipient of public assistance. We received food stamps, free lunch, participated
in the commodities program and any other free food program we could get
into. My mother, who was pretty much
worthless, made sure that all the money that did come in went directly into the
pocket of her drunkard husband who systematically physically, mentally and
sexually abused us.
I remember stealing food from grocery stores and sitting in
the corn field eating frozen dinners. I
remember standing out by the trash can eating the “scraps” of food when I was
supposed to be cleaning up dinner dishes.
I remember sneaking into the houses of people who lived near me and
taking food from their freezer.
I had breakfast and lunch at school and dinner at home. Sometimes my mother would fry a chicken for
dinner. I would get a drumstick, some
instant potatoes and maybe some green beans. A sister would get the other
drumstick, a second two wings. The
thighs would go to the asshole and my mother would get both chicken breasts.
You know, because it’s always a good idea to take the two
biggest pieces and eat them yourself and not share them with your
children. One of the worse spankings I
ever got was for sneaking the skin off her chicken breast. No wonder I have issues with food. But I digress...
My point is, we don't know the family situation of these children. We do not know if this may be the only meal they are getting today. We just do not know.
We’re living a world where we have people who have more money
than their grandchildren’s grandchildren will ever spend. Why is it so difficult for the lot of us to
understand that we can change this? There
is no reason why children should go hungry.
There is no reason why kids should not have food in their bellies.
A Houston man
decided to check into his local school and found that there were 60 children
who were back on their lunch bills. He
took $465.00 of his own money and paid off the accounts. He wasn't a rich man. Just someone who saw that kids were going hungry and decided to do something about it.
What can we do about this as a society?
I've been looking at information around a resource based economy. Jacque Fresco, a futurist and scientist
offers a great idea to come to terms with some of these issues.
If we could just come together, we could change the world. I'm not a scientist. I'm not a financial expert and I try to know as little about politics as I can. This idea of taking what we all have and putting it together, finding a new way to look at our world. Taking care of our planet and loving each other. It sounds, well... kinda cool to me.
So this is my 5th throw. I took these photos after the pots were leather hard. These pots are getting a bit more consistent and they have a more consistent shape. I'm really happy with how they look over all.
Photo Credit - Renee Olson
Photo Credit - Renee Olson
Photo Credit - Renee Olson
Photo Credit - Renee Olson
Photo Credit - Renee Olson
My next set will look at how to reclaim the clay after it has reached the bone dry state.
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