Given that dKos is a largely liberal place, I assumed most of the people here were, at the very least, sympathetic to "hippie" causes, which I take to be peace (at least in the context of Vietnam) and personal freedom.  

I, apparently, was wrong, given the hippie-attacking and hippie-defending statements I've seen here the last few days.  I understand that the term is being used as shorthand for the pacifist movement in a lot of cases, and is largely linked to debates over protest tactics and pacifism as a philosophical/political approach, which may or may not be entirely correct.  That's one of the points of this diary: that perhaps someone who was there can correct whatever misconceptions I might have about that era.

Main point on the flip...

I think Armando's diary is reflective of that fact.  One of the things he said was, "Tell us what we need to do."  I know I can't do that, because I can't speak for all of the women here.  There isn't an all-encompassing women's point of view on this, just as there is not an all-encompassing men's point of view.  

Whatever your position on the pie ad, there is no denying that many women have taken this very seriously.  And what I see is not people leaving over an ad, but over a lack of respect and refusal to be taken seriously.  

I watch the brainstorming over what to do, because if women can't be taken seriously at a progressive blog, then where will they?  I watch the idea of a third party being floated - shades of Buchanan and Nader.  That call is what prompted me to write this.

I had always learned that sex was supposed to be private, so you didn't much discuss it in polite company.  So find myself wanting to laugh and cry watching the powers that be, at the behest of the Republican Taliban, struggle at to define the boundaries of appropriate sex.  So that their version can be approved, be correct, and everyone else can be the Other.  So Others can be denied.  Birth control.  Sex education.  Abortion.  Marriage equality.  

Personally, I think we should hold off submitting articles of impeachment and petitioning our congresspeople to introduce them until we can build a wider base of support, or at least make more Murkans cognizant of the fact that Bushco might have done something deserving of impeachment.  

Another Kossack pointed out to me that Scoop allows ten spaces for polls.  Whether it was intended that way or not, I took it as a suggestion to BE the author of that diary/poll.

Quick background: I'm fortunate enough to work for a privately-owned company with a progressive-minded CEO.  The CEO put me in charge of developing a recycling program, and we partnered with a company that provides recycling bins and picks up our paper/cardboard waste for recycling at no cost to us.  We recycle 1.5 tons/month of paper and cardboard.  Yay!

My problem is this: we've been having customer service issues with this company, and they're pissing our facilities manager off.  I don't want him to get so P.O.'d that he complains to the CEO about the recycling program (this manager resisted the program in the first place) and I don't want my co-workers to stop recycling because of the confusion with the company.  

The United Nations as an organization is pathetically  inefficient at protecting human rights.  While the US can go to the Security Council and start a war over false intelligence and secure a coalition, women are raped and children are slaughtered in Sudan while the powers that be squabble.  

People go to see Hotel Rwanda and say, "How could the world have let this happen?" and many have no idea that it is happening as they speak in Sudan.  

I was a bit heartened to read this morning that Kofi Annan has called for changes to the UN Human Rights body .  It seems that he wants to give human rights issues greater import by changing the structure of the human rights organization and elevating it to the stature of the Security Council.

Here's something about me:

I don't give a flying fuck what you believe: God, Jesus, and/or Allah; Elvis is alive; Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone; the moon is made of green cheese; all of the above or none.  It's not my place to care and frankly, I have more important things to worry about.  

I respect the beliefs of others, and I expect and demand the same respect.  Just because I don't believe as you do doesn't mean I deserve to have your beliefs shoved down my throat.  And the stuffing of certain extremist-religious right beliefs down the national throat is rampant these days: the current most obvious example is the Post story about pharmacists being allowed to NOT prescribe birth control AND to refuse to forward the prescription.  

Clearly, American people are getting tired of Bush's War and he has to do something.  SAo what does he do?  He offers them DEATH PAY.  There is something severely wrong with this.

I want to send him a package, but I'm not sure what to put in there, and Google isn't helping me out.  The sites I found just have links to people who want to sell you stuff to send them.  Hock-ptoo (I just mentally spit on war profiteers).  

Anyway, I know we have a few soldiers and plenty of people with loved ones in the military here.  Can you help me out with suggestions of what to send?

I am writing because I am an American, and I am afraid.  I am fearful because I see a military draft being imposed on our sons and daughter in the near future.

I am of the age that if the draft I see coming arrives, I stand to lose my two brilliant younger brothers, and at least five wonderful little cousins, and the friends from college that are already beginning to build the next stage of America, with their degrees and their fledgling businesses and their new spouses.  I see them leaving, and dying, and the hearts and hopes and dreams of America going with them.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040929/ap_on_el_ge/hud_secretary_black_voter s&e=1