PSA: Anoka-Hennepin School District and the Victims of the Politics of Hate

Things don't often get very political around here, although it's doubtful any of the regular readers here couldn't surmise my leanings.

Today is an exception.

Justin Aaberg, Anoka victim of gay bullying who hanged himself in 2010

In the upcoming issue of Rolling Stone, there is a devastating story about an epidemic of pre-teen and teen suicides in the Anoka-Hennepin School District, which includes the high school from which Michele Bachmann graduated. While Bachmann doesn't currently live within the school district, it is located in Minnesota's Fighting Sixth which she represents, and the spate of suicides is largely tied to the district's policies* in regards to dealing with homosexual students, or rather refusing to deal with them.

*These policies are largely driven by people involved with the Minnesota Family Council, whose president blogged that one of the victims of unchecked bullying who committed suicide had only one root cause to which blame could be lain: his gayness. One of their researchers, Barb Anderson, was the woman who co-authored the Anoka-Hennepin School District's "No Homo Promo" policy. The MFC also has ties to Bachmann, who has been a keynote speaker at their dinners alongside Newt Gingrich. 

The story is horrifying and is endemic of a much larger issue with the religious right and their perversion of Christ's message to forward a rhetorical and political platform of hate and intolerance, which flies in the face of everything the Messiah whose name they so love to invoke actually stood for, namely love. The politics of hate have real, innocent victims.

Regardless of your beliefs, read this story. A little empathy can go a long ways.

Stop preaching hate.

PSA: Gone Missing - The Final Journey of Old John Needs Your Support

My friend, John Pike, is working on a film project that is in need of help. While having already procured some funding, director Till Coster's vision does require just a bit more backing than he's currently got. In his quest to track down a colorful old acquaintance who seemed hellbent on cutting his way deep into the jungle to die, Till hopes to do what a lot of us often long for: resolving those nagging questions as to whatever happened to that person who never quite leaves our thoughts. Here is the introductory video from these guys to give you a better sense of what they're setting off to do.

Their vision can be brought to life with your help. Their project is up on Kickstarter and has a long way to go towards meeting its goal of $5,000. Any help you can give will be met with kind thoughts and apparently also a personalized 'thank you' video.

Here is the link to their Kickstarter page if you feel so moved.

PSA: Red Rabbit Cooperative Bakery Needs Your Love

This space is not typically one that I use to promote anything. Sure, I may talk about a book or film or show that I love, but that is merely a reaction to art.

This is something more important.

Coffee Donuts - Photo Courtesy of Red Rabbit Bakery

A lady very special to me has embarked on a business venture. This is not just any business venture, though. She is one of five women who have started a vegan bakery here in Austin, Texas. They are committed to producing high-quality vegan baked goods with their initial thrust being vegan donuts. While they are branching out past that into realms I'm not sure I'm allowed to talk about, the donuts currently available at Wheatsville, Pacha, Genuine Joe's and various other establisments around town are awesome. Their Mexican chocolate donut is particularly outstanding.

But they're not just any bakery. They're a worker cooperative.

Red Rabbit Cooperative Bakery.

They are trying to carve out their own niche in the world and the local bakery market.

Where they stand apart is that they aren't all vegans. They actually know what their product would taste like as traditionally prepared. There is no discernible difference.

Red Rabbit Cooperative Bakery is looking for donors for their business. They have set up a page on Kickstarter, a platform by which creative people can be connected with donors. Red Rabbit Cooperative Bakery is looking for donations that would provide them the capital required to procure a trailer and equipment necessary to get their goods out to the masses not only via wholesaling but through a central location that they would control.

As their donation page says:

For the last year, we have been working tirelessly to get our bakery off the ground. We spent six months developing our vegan donut recipe (we ate a lot of donuts!) and another six months finding a kitchen space, equipment, getting all the permits, licenses, suppliers, and clients we needed to start a wholesale bakery business. Finally after many months of hard work, late nights, and a lot of vegan donuts, our dream is slowly becoming a reality! And the best part: the good people of Austin love our handmade donuts!

They are currently sitting just over 34% of the way toward their goal of $10,000 with slightly over two weeks to go. If the goal is not met, none of the donations go through.

If you care about a) the American dream, b) being your own boss, c) high-quality vegan baked goods, or d) the supremely democratic work environment that worker cooperatives provide for all involved, then please venture over to their donation page at Kickstarter.

If my efforts were not enough, here is a feature that the Daily Texan did on Red Rabbit a couple of months ago:

Vegan Donuts from The Daily Texan on Vimeo.