I have heard the bill referred to as a new "law" by several talking heads on TV so I must assume it plays into some ignorant narrative about Oz or Dorothy or some other dumb notion that makes east coasters feel superior.

I got an early call this morning from my sibling back in Kansas who was following the national news reporting. They wanted to make certain that I knew the bill was dead on arrival, not to mention unconstitutional.

but much of the news made it sound as if it was law. You should have seen the testimony I had presented to the committee. It was just what you would want to be able to say to a bunch of Talibornagain self important lawmakers.

We will keep this up. We have managed to kill something similar for the last 3 years, maybe 4 I don't know. It gets boring when they just do this over and over and over again and we keep winning.

There are a lot of good Eisenhower Republicans in central and western Kansas who sort of ignore what happens in Topeka. By that I mean they are not racist, not homophobic, not sexist, not haters and spend all of their time doing volunteer work and helping out those less fortunate in their community.

When your biggest concern is the weather and the wheat crop all the noise from the east is just noise. Unfortunately it tends to make them somewhat passive about politics.

although far far from any kind of republican I certainly know how that goes. I often wish I had never started caring about all of this.

It is in my blood I suppose, a long line of rabble rousers and Jayhawkers. FREE STATE! I have no control

I just sold some milo this afternoon. Should of done it earlier but you know how hope springs eternal.

I grow brome hay. An easy crop mainly. Today I called to schedule having it fertilized. I always am late with that call, not this year. I learned the hard way that if they do it with their special trucks and sprayers I can get it done in a more environmentally responsible way.

Have you ever climbed up into one of those monster sprayers? I never have ever had to use a ladder to get into a vehicle and riding in it was like riding in a gigantic dragon fly!

I don't even know what those sprayers look like. I will google it.

I have not lived there since the mid-60s. I used to go home twice a year at Christmas and harvest time but have not been home for harvest for a long time. I am retired now so this year I plan to be there. otoh- god only knows if we will have a wheat crop under all that snow.

but actually almost gone in some places at this point and we have a warm week coming up, almost 60 by Tuesday. Doesn't a good snow keep it warm enough? I know nothing about wheat. I recall I think that where you go when you come back is not too far from where I am. We should maybe meet if there is time, I think that would be really fun. Let me know if you are interested and about when you would be here.

the snow fell to protect it. My farmer just doesn't know yet. He always downplays expectations.

I will happily R& this thread for this dialog alone. I would have anyway, but more people here have to read your dialog to understand that not all Kansans are Neanderthals.

I was even a county Democratic Party officer in Sedgwick county. I knew three Democratic KS governors personally, through my political activism. I walked the literature line with Dan Glickman and met Al Gore when he amazingly visited Wichita during the Clinton-Gore campaign --twice!!

The Sedgwick county Democrats had a permanent headquarters and a permanent, salaried executive director, even when there was no election. Democrat Michael "Tom" Sawyer was even Speaker of the House when I was active there. We've not had the majority for some time now.



Keep on keeping on.

Don't let the bastids wear you down.

Not likely at this point. I am bonded to this issue now.

What heart? Stupid is more like it.

shut this shit down in a very short time. The Senate leader says this bill will not be voted on. This happens year after year and this year it was handled faster than ever with an avalanche of people across the state screaming mad at the legislation of discrimination.


Do you have any idea how hard we work in the state to stop this kind of shit? Please stop until you read what is going on.


I posted the link to the last thread where this was discussed. Do you people just really want to scream at someone or what?

Stupid sensational political games such as these do nothing but hurt the moral of people like you in these states. I'm glad to see you still have spunk! Don't let them get you down. We need you and everyone like you out there fighting on the front lines.

In a state like this it is likely if we did not things like this would become law and many would never even know it.

I work with wonderful people.

would go a long way toward fixing the problem with Kansas.

Many of them never have a challenger except an even worse primary. Democrats never move past the Eastern part of the state where the most people live. Those in the rest of the state are on their own with little to tell them there is even a Democratic party around.

If we redraw the imaginary line north to south,
Eastern Nebraska and Eastern Kansas could get together ...

that would be fun.

Hmmmmm.

I have been allowed to see people I should not have been allowed to see simply because I asked the right person.

Screw everyone else.

The Nurses rule there. They can make it happen. You just need to ask nicely and if at first you don't succeed (which has never been my experience) try again later with someone else.


Rules are made to be broken.

I was an ICU nurse and don't remember any nurse ever denying visitation of a partner.

To Missouri hills. I was born there, mostly raised in Missouri, then spent my teens including graduating from high school in that god-forsaken state.

They were on the correct side of the Civil War and helped usher in the Progressive era....but have been fucjing loony since then.

I recall they didn't limit their cause to Jewish discrimination, but to fair treatment and justice for all. Somehow, on the gay marriage front, the cat has their tongue. However, the way these laws are being crafted, I see no reason why these religious institutions couldn't argue for discrimination against Jews, Muslims, MORmONS, and others.

We are walking the road to Perdition. Ironically it is with the urgings of some religions and the tacit blessings of others.

For these Cretans, I hope their God exists so that they can spend their eternal lives in Hell.

So sorry for your loss.

Let yourself mourn & let yourself be angry about the insane injustice that ignorant people wish to visit upon your family. These are profound things.

I can truly empathize. I have two moms, and I live on the other side of the country. God help us if one of them is hurt or becomes gravely sick while traveling-- they travel with powers of attorney paperwork, but in places like VA or KS? I don't know, it doesn't feel safe. And (personal rant follows) this might just be my own personal shit talking, but I hate that the only attempt at meaningful dialog with fundamentalists and assholes is the 'what if were your child' conversation. Well, it's not my child, it's my moms, my moms who are 70 years old, so I think we can be fairly goddamned certain that this isn't a phase they're going through. I don't need to do any soul-searching. My moms deserve the same respect and care and love as any other person or any other mother. And so do your aunts.

I'm sorry, REP, for you and your family's lass.

Getting old is hard enough. No one should have to deal with even threats like this at the end of life (or at any other point).

for your loss. May she RIP.

We are doing our best here to stop the crazy, hopefully we will win for the good people like your Aunt who should never have to settle for anything less than full equality.

I live within a mile of the Kansas - Missouri border and I'm continually astonished and appalled by Kansas' insanity.

Kansas has become hell for anyone to the left of Joseph McCarthy. And bizarrely that includes Governor Brownback!

My Welsh ancestors came to live in Kansas over 150 years ago. I know there are sane people in Kansas, yet the state has become a national joke.

we suffered a similar one earlier this week as well. It's hard enough with a traditional couple, much less have to jump through these extra hoops and bigoted nightmares.

In the 90s I used to do social security claims for folks with AIDS and the saddest stories were all the families who attempted to keep the partners of loved ones out of their hospital rooms. Legally they were often allowed to do so - many would even prohibit them from attending the funerals. That was my first experience in dealing with gay rights and it was just heart breaking.

Fortunately the family here isn't going to throw her partner out of their house or be ugly in any way. There isn't going to be a funeral; her partner's condition has deteriorated so much and there isn't much other family. I think that's okay; it's better to use that money to make her partner as comfortable as possible.

and i hope the real people dealing with her family at this time will just be good humans. there is enough drama without adding a load of unnecessary bullshit.

Those bastards in Kansas who voted for thus bigoted bill deserve a lot of hell in their own lives.

Make them pay Kansas voters!