I Didn't Say It ...

Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation and the first Senate-confirmed gay Cabinet member, sharing a memory of former President Jimmy Carter:

“President Jimmy Carter’s leadership, intellect, and moral example ennobled our country, during and ever since his presidency. President and Mrs. Carter were also extraordinarily gracious and kind to Chasten and me, receiving us warmly at their home and making us feel like friends even as we sat amazed by their presence and grace. There will not be another like President Carter, but his life and example will continue to make America and the world a better place for generations to come.”

Jimmy Carter was the kind of Christian human all Christians should strive to be, though sadly most political Christians fall well short of the mark.

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Karla Sofía Gascón, trans star of “Emilia Perez,” Golden Globe award-0winning film, speaking at the show:

"I was at the border of suicide. I always thought I was going to have to give up this work that I love and that I would end up on the streets. There was a moment where I had to confront a lot of people in the industry and in my personal life. I don't know why, but there are people that take a lot of joy in destroying other people's lives. Even now, there are still people who write horrible things to me. In France, there was a whole campaign against me when I received the (Cannes) award. There are people who think they can destroy others whom they consider weak, but they found their match with me. I'm a warrior. I chose these colors tonight, the Buddhist colors, because I have a message for you: The light always wins over darkness. You can maybe put us in jail. You can beat us up, but you never can take away our soul, our existence, our identity. And I want to say to you: Raise your voice for freedom. I am who I am, not who you want. Thank you so much."

Stand tall, stand proud, speak up; Silence = Death.

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Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Florida Democrat Representative, on The Felon’s desire to “take back” the Panama Canal:

“It is utterly preposterous to suggest that we are going to send our military into Panama to, quote, ‘take back the Panama Canal.’ We have a treaty with Panama. We have a free trade agreement with Panama. We are no more going to take back the Panama Canal than Panama is going to come in and try to take the Mississippi River from us.”

But his ignorance, along with that of the goose-stepping, fear-mongering GOP traitors to America, might try to make it happen.

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Adam Kinzinger, former GOP Congressman and Country over Party patriot, on the MAGAt infighting:

“So Elon Musk stripped the blue check because someone hurt his feelings? Dude lay off the ketamine, talk to a therapist, help the poor, retire, talk to your kids, and grow up. He’s going to keep strangling this place. If you love him great, but don’t pretend he’s for free speech.”

Elon is as much for Free Speech as The Felon is for the Me Too movement.

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Linda Lavin, who passed away last week, recalling the second episode of her TV series Alice and how it featured a gay character:

“There was a football player friend of Mel’s who came to town. He was big, and tall, and handsome and blonde and he invited me out to dinner ... And then he came back to the apartment, we’re sitting on the sofa, and Alice is very fond of this guy and wondering why he is not more attentive or affectionate. So she starts asking him little questions like ‘Are you married?’ ‘No,’ he says. ‘Are you engaged?’ ‘No,’ he says, ‘I’m gay,’ and that’s the end of act one ... [When Alice tells Mel about his friend] he says ‘You’re crazy. He’s a football player, and he’s all man and he’s not gay,’ and that’s Mel. That’s his small-minded, bigoted … he had planned this hunting trip with his friend and they were going to also take Tommy [Alice’s son but] ... Alice didn’t want Tommy to go hunting with this guy [because of her] homophobia, her ignorance, her fear. [But] then she submits to the reality that they have made this plan and they’re going to go, and she grows up. She grows up. She accepts the situation. In a half hour, she grows up in what took us maybe as a generation, 100 years. [When Tommy returns he’s upset at shooting a deer] so, it went from the place of homophobia, of fear, of a strange invasion into her life of something she didn’t know how to handle, to something even more serious, which was a child’s loss of innocence. The more we come out of those closets, the more we accept each other, and I think that’s what television can do.”

All that from a TV sitcom and a wonderfully evolved and smart woman. Brilliant

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President Joe Biden and Dr, Jill Biden, on Jimmy Carter’s passing:

“Over six decades, we had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well. He was a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism. We will always cherish seeing him and Rosalynn together. The love shared between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter is the definition of partnership and their humble leadership is the definition of patriotism. He showed that we are great nation because we are a good people—decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.”

I see a lot of Jimmy in Joe Biden; I hope his life post-presidency is as filled with hope and joy and love as his good friend’s life.

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