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Showing posts with the label Discrimination

“No Room for You”: Is It Time to Move Past Discrimination and “Isms” All Its Forms?

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No Room for You? ___________________ “We are trying to construct a more inclusive society. We are going to make a country in which no one is left out.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt _____________________________________________ Thank goodness Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoed that awful (and probably unconstitutional) Senate bill 1062, the bill designed to institutionalize discrimination against gays (but cloaked under “religious freedom”). I’m not going to debate this issue – just to say that opening the door to discrimination based on someone’s “ism” is dangerous and scary to comprehend, greasing the already slippery slope to fascism. But I want to look at another side of discrimination and show how it can affect our lives as well. This failed anti-gay bill has reminded me of an incident that happened to me and my husband in the early 1990’s. We were planning an overnight trip to New York City and were looking for an inexpensive hotel – or, at least, a cheaper hote...

Space and Your Place in It

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You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space. --Johnny Cash Imagine this: You are a normal-weight earthling who finds herself transported permanently to Planet Skinny where everything is half the normal earthly size. The average chair is wide enough for a very slim earth person and able to hold a maximum of 110 pounds, which is considered obese on Planet Skinny. The space between table and seat in restaurant booths can comfortably accommodate someone with a 36" chest, so if you are any larger, you are resting your boobs on the table. Flying is a nightmare; you must book your flights carefully, often paying for First Class or buying two seats. In short, everywhere you go poses a hassle, so eventually you give up going out in public. Not only is the too-small infrastructure all wr...

Memoir Madness: Driven to Involuntary Commitment