Silent T Words

Gratz: Michigan Voters v. The Royal Court

"We won't be silent until people like you are no longer allowed to speak on a public forum. . . ." - BAMN Organizer, July 8, 2003

Five years ago this month, I and a half dozen others stood on the campus of the University of Michigan and announced that we would be working to place the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI, Proposal 2) on the ballot.

The initiative would allow Michigan voters to decide if a constitutional amendment should be adopted to make it "unconstitutional for the state to discriminate against or grant preferential treatment to any group or individual on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting." The announcement was in direct response to the U.S. Supreme Court's June 23, 2003 rulings in Gratz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger in which the court - with a slim 5-4 majority - opined that race preferences were permissible, if not required.

As we spoke, a handful of rowdy community organizers tried to shout us down. The protestors were from a group named "The Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration, and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary" - or By Any Means Necessary (BAMN), for short.

I had become familiar with BAMN over the seven years my lawsuit took to work its way through the courts. As we announced our intention to give the voters the final say on this issue, one of the protestors shouted, "We won't be silent until people like you are no longer allowed to speak on a public forum…" The other protestors cheered loudly in support. That statement and other outrageous tactics - counterfeiting tickets to attend a federal court hearing, public attempts to recruit county elections supervisors to leave MCRI/Proposal 2 off their ballots, buying signatures from petition circulators so that those signatures would not be used towards gaining ballot access, and so on - show the contempt that BAMN has for the will of the people, the rule of law, and our constitution.

After years of tireless work and endless lawsuits, Election Day finally arrived. On November 7, 2006 - as I sat huddled with family, friends and supporters - I was confident that I would be able to accept whatever outcome came that evening. If the MCRI failed, I would have been sad and frustrated, but the people's voices would be the ultimate say.

traduttore traditore: Like Christmas day

This morning feels like Christmas morning, with the slight difference that instead of presents, Santa has left a note in the shape of Greek stand-up comedy. And that was it, an anger note coming from the Greek philosopher, who called me "the Spaniard" in the same way that the British intended it (as an abbreviation of "Spanish bastard") and slagged me for my rude manners (oh dear!) and like a genius oracle, congratulated himself on his guess that my personality will ruin the beautiful relationship that Soph and I share. It's fairly obvious that he who feels he owns reason shall try to drag everyone who has tried to spot his spotless record down to the mud with him in his last chance. I really couldn't give a bigger shit. When I was being read the note, that of course was all in Greek so Soph had a chance not to show to me (cause hey, that is not rude!), I felt like I couldn't laugh harder. All I will say, in reply, is that I am so gutted that I can't be a hypocritical person, and when I deeply despise someone, I can't canalyse any words out that are not insults or swear words. Hence they should have been happy that I was silent. And I can't pretend either. Not to mention that they did not deserve my acting - I wanted them to feel hated, full stop. If that turns me into a cave woman, then let it be. basketball cèilidhs and dancing to the Gay Gordons - with music from Pretty Woman soundtrack :D grana padano con denominazione d'origine laughing until I wet my pants for something really stupid giving all i have, the best of me in every situation and to everyone travelling doing the ref dance - or refereeing in general - with Darren Earl Grey... or chorny chay :) challenges Russian yazik Margaret Tejerizo translation mood Matrioshka dolls joking... specially about my size Nanni Moretti's films PepSi and the fandom universe people who JUDGE - any kind of judgement applies here! decisions - I would like to do it all! thinking about the future, as it doesn't exist mediocrity and 50% the Russian nation when Maria is right - but she always is!

Why Johnny Can't Rea

The Silent Question, Meditating in the Stillness of Not-Knowing

The Word Snoop

A dictionary of modern English usage

Overcoming dyslexia, a new and complete science-based program for reading problems at any level