Speaking of Cement

I got a call from Mike a few evenings ago. His girlfriend, Ty, wanted to take a free self-defense class being offered at Arizona State University, but didn’t want to do it alone. He figured I might want to go with her. So on Saturday morning, I dragged myself out of my cozy bed and muttered my way downstairs to set the teakettle to boiling, in a vain attempt to convince my brain that it was really later than it knew it was. A face wash, toothbrush, pony tail, tank top, shorts and flip-flops later I was headed to Tempe where I would meet Mike and Ty in the parking lot of a local restaurant so we could set out together to find the right building at the college. Then Mike took off to go run errands while I parked my truck and Ty went upstairs to check in.

The sign-in sheets were disclaimer notices. I signed in, meaning I agreed to not hold anyone there responsible in the event that I should break a bone, or suffer disability or death while participating in the class, and affirming that I am in decent enough physical shape to endure whatever tortures they were about to inflict. I had to make a guess about that and figured, “Hey, in how bad a shape could I be?” So I signed away life and limb, but they gave us pizza, so I judged it a fair exchange.

The preamble to the actual self-defense training was a presentation by a young woman who looked every bit the beauty pageant contestant she revealed herself to be; a slim, pretty, poised and resilient college student who told us about the evening she came back to her apartment, took a shower and was raped by an intruder who had cut through the window screen and forced open a locked window and who still has not been caught. Okay, I realize we are here for the purpose of preparing for just such a confrontation. I’ve had my pizza and I am awake now and attentive. And so we herd into the other room.

The class was held in a large room, the floor covered with wrestling mats. There were 5 or 6 groups, each working with two large, well-padded cops and a couple of female cops moving around doing demos with the main instructor in the middle of the room and observing and giving instruction to the groups. Most of the participants were young women, teenagers there with a mother or a couple of friends, twenty-somethings who had come in pairs. There were about 70 in all.

While in our group of about 10 there were two other women probably in their 40’s, I was obviously the oldest one there. The first technique we practiced was striking not with your fist, but with the heel of the hand, first the lead hand (not your dominant hand) that strikes lightly to center your aim, and then quickly with your dominant hand that strikes hard at the same spot. Those who went first seemed to me curiously shy about hitting, like they were afraid to use force, or giggly about the prospect. I was about in the middle of the line waiting around the perimeter to go onto the mat to try it, so about 5 had gone before.

Apparently, our padded officer wasn’t expecting too much from the old gal, because when I hit him a couple of quick ones, he pulled his head back and opened his eyes wide with a surprised look on his face and said, “Whoa, you’ve done this before! You’ve got kids!” (not sure how that’s connected, but he apparently believes it is somehow; he said the same thing a couple more times later after I’d struck a particularly cruel blow). Apparently, I’m pretty good at this stuff. I think as we age we become less tentative about enforcing our own power, perhaps seeing each opportunity as possibly our last chance to confirm to ourselves that we’ve still “got it.” Those who at the start were hesitant seemed to grow bolder with every strike they landed. It was somehow reassuring to watch little girls becoming strong.

I am pleased to report that I did not suffer any untoward damage. I do have a swollen, light purple area just below and toward the inside of my left knee. I actually was pleased to see it swelling up and discoloring after the class; it’s sort of my confirmation that I did not hold back, that I took seriously the purpose for which we had gathered that morning. It’s my proof that if I am ever confronted with the decision, I will not be too afraid of being hurt that I will choose not to fight. I want to remember that feeling of knowing I might come out with a few scrapes, but I will be stronger for it. Self-defense class as metaphor for life? Well, yeah, in a way, life is like that.

The class was really worth taking and I signed up to receive information on future classes. This one was a compressed 4-hour class; usually they are 8 hours. I’ve got a few friends and my mom who want to go with Ty and me next time.

My nightmare scenario has come true. Rehnquist died and Bush, the Supreme Idiot of the Land, gets to nominate TWO Supreme Court Justices, including Chief Justice. This almost makes me believe in gods; pure, random chance could not possibly be this cruel. I know it was foolish; he was, after all, a very sick, quite old man, but I was so hoping… just a few more years. My newest dream is that O’Connor will withdraw her resignation (not gonna happen, I know, but we can dream). So what to do about the hand we’ve been dealt.

I get a couple of email action alerts each day from various organizations asking me to write to my senators opposing Bush’s nominee, John Roberts, for Supreme Court Justice. The problem is that I’m not sure we can expect anything better from the Little Weasel and I don’t know enough about Roberts to voice opposition. I mean, I know what NARAL tells me, and I know what Earth Justice tells me and I know what HRC tells me, but I also heard that he worked pro bono on a civil rights case for a GLBT organization. I don’t trust Bush, not the tiniest bit, and the fact that he nominated Roberts is actually enough for me to oppose him. I just think it would be self defeating to seem like I would automatically oppose anyone he nominated. I would, but I don’t think it’s good to let them know that. Hence, I finally sent a letter, not opposing, just asking my senators (both Republicans, one a real Republican Party lap dog) to be careful and thorough when they debate the nomination. I hope if there is anything wrong with this guy they will be tenacious enough to find it and honest enough to vote him down.

September 6, 2005
sent email via Act for Change

I am writing to request that you take the time to ask some important questions when debating the nomination of John Roberts as Supreme Court Chief Justice.

I don’t know yet how I feel about him. On the surface, he seems bright and personable and like he may be a good choice, but there are some things I find disturbing and I hope you won’t allow him your vote until those things have been fully investigated.

If nothing else, the fact that the White House is refusing to hand over all his papers should at least be a big red flag. I don’t trust the secrecy of this administration in general, and this is too important for them to be hiding things from the American people.

Also, it is my understanding that as Roberts was deliberating the Hamdan case in the D.C. Court of Appeals, a case in which President Bush was one of the defendants, he was also meeting secretly with Bush for the purpose of interviewing for the job of Supreme Court Justice. If that’s true, it’s pretty troubling, don’t you think? Should he not have recused himself from that case? Is there a reason why he didn’t?

The other thing I find troubling is his attitude toward issues of personal freedoms. His statement about a “so-called right to privacy” makes me wonder about how far he’d be willing to go to divest the American people of the “so-called” rights that most of us do not hold so lightly.

His stance on environmental issues should be examined closely. Bush has done enough damage in that area already.

You might also want to check out what he has to say about his membership in the Federalist Society and why he couldn’t seem to remember it until he couldn’t hide it.

I hope you are willing to ask those questions and demand that he answer them fully and honestly before you would consider confirming him. I ask that you stringently examine Roberts before making your decision about his nomination to the Supreme Court.

I trust you take seriously the grave responsibility that falls to you in this matter. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court will hold great sway in determining the course of this nation for many years to come. The person who holds that position should be beyond reproach ethically and should never put his or her personal interests above those of this country and its citizens.

This is your job. Please don’t give President Bush a blank check on this. The last time Congress did that, he got us in one hell of a mess. Use any available means, including the use of a filibuster if necessary, to ensure that if Roberts is confirmed, it is because he really should be, not because you didn’t do your job. It will be my children and my grandchildren who will have to live with the consequences of your actions.

Please let me know your views on this matter as soon as possible.

Before 9/11,

He ignored the warnings, then

He lied about the intelligence, so we

Attacked the wrong country, and

Screwed that up big time, and

Spent all the money on an unnecessary war, so

He cut funds for levee construction in Louisiana, while

Denying the existence of global warming, which

Spawned a hurricane, which

Destroyed New Orleans, and so…

He went … golfing … and

Played a guitar … and

Promoted his drug plan in El Mirage, and

When people started to wonder why he didn’t care, he

Walked down a Mississippi street swept clean of debris and

Hugged two African American girls and

Looked oh, so presidential in front of the

Grounded relief helicopters while he

Went on TV to advise people who have no TVs to listen to

Rescue workers that weren’t there because he had

Decimated FEMA and to

Remind those who had lost everything that everything is gonna be just fine

Just like he did

After 9/11

– Marlena Machol

John McCain has declared himself in favor of the CAP initiative, the one that seeks to change Arizona’s constitution to define marriage in a way that would deny it to same sex couples. Here’s the letter I sent him:

August 30, 2005
Sent email via AHRF action alert

Dear Senator McCain- I am the mother of a gay son and I was mad as hell to hear that you support the CAP initiative. I’ve never heard a reason for preventing same sex marriage that was not based on religious belief. I know many religions are opposed to same sex marriage, but many are not, and in any case, this is not supposed to be a theocracy, so I have three questions:

1) How is this not favoring one religion over another?

2) Are you supporting writing our laws to conform to particular religious beliefs, or do you find a reason for doing this that is not based on religion?

3) If you believe there is a secular reason for passing this law, what is that reason?

I would appreciate an answer to those questions.

It will be interesting to see how he tries to defend himself. I’m really disappointed in him. McCain used to be one of the few Republicans for whom I would have considered voting. I thought he was able to stand against the tide and confront his own party on issues with which he disagreed. If that’s true then he really does hold the ugliness of discrimination in his own heart; if it’s not, then either I misjudged him or he has changed. Whatever the correct assumption, I hold no belief that there is any humanity in the Republican party at all. I almost wish there was a hell just so they’d all get justice in the end.