Harvey Milk

Today, we celebrate the memory and legacy of American hero and civil rights activist , Harvey Milk.  We look at the great cause that he was a part of, which was to see the  achievement of full equality for LGBT citizens in the United States ( and in the world).

There have been major steps forward,  since his assassination, in terms, of the law and we see milestones within our reach in marriage equality soon for the whole nation.  Public opinion have turn in favor of recognizing equal rights for our particular minority group.  Many have come out in traditionally heterosexual dominated sectors of society.

In terms of attitude and human interaction, we still see hate crimes being committed in places like New York City. We see school officials denying LGBT youth the ability to bring their dates to proms, we see homophobic bullying causing some of our youth to feel they need to end their lives.

We see religious leaders and political leaders spill out bigoted statements from pulpit and at public debate.  We see a million moms march against same sex recognition in business marketing.

As we see the march to equality accelerate to fruition, we all see some of it’s foes accelerate in their verbal and often violent attacks.

However,  on this day when we remember Harvey Milk, we also remember his resolve and courage, that no violent opposition , even that which threatens death, can stop equality.

So let us celebrate what has been accomplished by those who have fought and died before us. Let us not lose our resolve.  We win this fight. It is a worthy one.

“All men are created equal. Now matter how hard they try, they can never erase those words. That is what America is about.” – Harvey Milk

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American Idol Season 12 finalists Candace Glover and Kree Harrison

Here I am again.  The finale week of American Idol.   Two really wonderful singers are about to compete for the title , Candace Glover and Kree Harrison.  Both great talents with some wonderful background stories. Either can take the title.  Whatever the result, both will have long careers, no doubt.

Big news announced, Randy Jackson will be leaving the show.   Only Ryan Seacrest will be left …and me.  We were there from the beginning.

American Idol has had such an impact on American television, pop and music culture.  It has been the source of water cooler talk over the years  It has been criticized in every which way and honored for the discovery of some of the best music and even acting talent in recent years.  It has launched several careers. There is no doubt of its impact.

While it has struggled with its ratings as of late , it still has drawn significant audiences.

It has given us Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Fantasia, Jordin Sparks, Scotty McCreery, and Phillip Phillips. It has also given us Clay Aiken, Daughtery, Adam Lambert, Jennifer Hudson. Kelly Pickler, and many more singers, actors and entertainers. Grammy Award winners, Academy award winners, and winners and nominees from every entertainment category.

We also have seen it give 15 minutes of fame to numerous real no talents.  It was part of the ritual to discover these wannabees.

It has cemented in our psyche Simon Cowell as the ultimate judge and reignited Paula Abdul in a whole new era of her career life.  It made us rediscover J-Lo, Mariah, Steven Tyler and learn more about Nicki Minaj.  We even got a taste of Ellen in prime time.

We saw more artists and acts either mentor and/or perform on stage. We have seen some really good copycat shows emerge and other really bad ones come and go.

Idol has become part of Americana. We have and continue to participate in the phenomenon.  We discover our music legends.  It is still great TV. We return to it again and again, no matter how much we complain about it from time to time.

Get ready, America,  It’s  time to vote for your American Idol…again!

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• Randy Jackson Quits ‘American Idol’ (y108.cbslocal.com)
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JP Leddy and his mother, Joyce Martratt at his first holy communion in the island of Guam, Santa Barbara Parish

A Voice Sweeter Than Angels

By JP Leddy

No voice is sweeter not even those of angels

Then the sound of a mother to her son

Whether to soothe or to correct

It travels thru air and becomes living

In a man’s heart from birth until grave

His mother, his anchor, his life

Leading him through the pinnacles of success

And through the battles where fear grips him

Her voice, her arms, her unconditional love

Keeps him standing where he needs to be

Despite the few thank you’s that have passed his lips

The lack of phone calls and visits and cards

She remains unwavering as she did before his birth

With that love that knows no beginning and no end

As she will when that day comes when he looks up

And he goes towards the light and hears her voice

“Come home my son, I am here.”

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Chad Boseman as Jackie Robinson in 42

It is appropriate that a hero will emerge from something as American as the baseball diamond.  ”42″  is a film that retells the story of one of the greatest baseball players, but it is also the story of one of the greatest American heroes.  In many ways, Jackie Robinson was in the right place at the right time with the right amount of skill sets , determination and courage to fulfill a role of trailblazer.

He was not only making the way for African Americans to play in the Major Leagues but he was also setting the first inroads to realizing full civil rights.  The story portrays an honest unrelenting view of the racism that existed but also shows the support Robinson received from those who opened doors for him.  You are reminded that making real change is a concerted effort of many people.

You also see the evolution of individuals as their attitudes change as they got to know the person of Jackie Robinson.   He maintained such a professional demeanor despite the horrendous reaction of vileness heaped on him every time he played.  It was not easy. It took true courage and restraint.

The  movie also showed what a great baseball player he was and how , ultimately, that was what it was all about.  It was not the color of his skin that counted it was his skill and could he help them win the game.

There are many poignant moments in this movie because it really digs into what makes us segregate others who are not like us.  It is a reminder of our history but also an indictment of how we approach each other today in many ways.  Bigotry and all kinds of isms have not left us. We still have a lot of work to do.

The great Jackie Robinson

Chadwick Boseman as Robinson not only captures the essence of the man but really looks like him.  He proves his acting chops as a proud man who knows his worth and his skills , and yet must take a lot of the proverbial crap, for the greater good.  Harrison Ford who plays Branch Rickey, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, who recruited Robinson and mentored him as a trail blazer.  He was great in his role also and it was nice to see him on the big screen.

This film really captures this compelling story which is about a national treasure.  It is our legacy.  The number 42 was the only number in Baseball that was retired showing what a great impact that  Jackie Robinson had on baseball and on this country.  It also shows how breaking down barriers in professional sports has an impact on our whole society.

This film honors a proud moment for baseball and an American Hero.   Do yourself a favor and make time to watch it.  It will stay with you.

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A great way to visit my alma mater is to see how current students per students have put some creative videos about their experience at Brigham Young University.  I actually loved my years there.  This must surprise some people that know me.   It has its own quirkiness but there is nothing like being a BYU Cougar. These videos are just an illustration of its “uniqueness.”

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Bank of the Orient Marquee Sansome Street , San Francisco
Photo by JP Leddy 2013

Perfect Day

by: JP Leddy

My skin heated 

Chasing away winter

Summer  sun  early 

Spring fog hiding

Blue carpets above

Leaves me smiling

Perfect

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Photograph by Lyric

When bombs explode and we see innocents die or hurt ,  in our horror we see ultimately where hate takes us…to blood and destruction.  We have seen dramatic images where violence has been used as a way to strike out to make a point or to pursue a cause.  In the end, such acts only create victims.  No issues are resolved. No cause is won.

I have seen hate and rhetoric weave itself in an even more cunning way into the fabric of our most vulnerable – our young people’s minds.  It manifests itself in bullying, in heinous rhetoric over the pulpit, in vile hateful language written on placards and sometimes spewed out of those we most love.  All sculpted to make one feel less worthy, less loved and and repulsive.

The scope of such assaults are almost constant in those of our young people who don’t fit in, especially those in the most vulnerable group, LGBT youth.  With most experiencing verbal bullying, some turn into physical and sexual.  The barrage until recently, was tolerated and ignored by those in authority.  They were alone.

Some lives were ended by violence by others.  Many were ended by their own suicides , the largest percentage of all youth.  They believed the message given to them by society.  It has been a true genocide created by the ticking bomb of bullying at all levels.

I was one of their number. I considered it.  Something stopped me.  There was enough love to show me I was worth it. I held on with grasping fingers.

I eventually found happiness because I found me. I accepted who I was and I am loving who I am.

I have had the opportunity to work with LGBT youth.  These young people , our children, are all wonderful and beautiful. They exhibit such talent, warmth, and they love and feel with all their heart.  I have learned so much from them.  I have hope for the future because of them. Yes they are unique as every young person is in our world. Ultimately, they want to be who they are,  and be loved for that.

We have made many inroads so that this world is better place for them.  More families are accepting their children and not throwing them out. More churches are loving them and not judging them.  More communities are standing by them.

There is still much work to do.   We must be compassionate.  We must keep doing it.

Let us end the genocide .

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I knew that when I read The Host by Stephenie Meyer that she had come up with a story so much deeper and better than her whole Twilight series.  Light years better.   The Host takes us into an Earth where peace and harmony dwells.  The environment is clean.  All is well.  It is because aliens have taken over  the bodies of almost all humans on the planet.

The story focuses on the main character of Melanie , a rebel of sorts, who is captured and a host alien is embedded in her body. Unlike most humans, Melanie’s conscious self remains inside . She and her alien invader co exist in her body, turning into a  double personality journey,  that brings a  refreshing twist  both on the character level and the overall invasion story level.

The movie captures the essence of the book perfectly.  What I love is that it challenges you with concepts that only good science fiction does but also keeps true to good character development.  There is also a great story line that every movie should have from beginning to end.

Saoirse Ronan plays Melanie and  Wanda ( the alien Wanderer) with pitch perfect delivery.  She is likable and we are able to see the two characters in one person.  Diane Kruger plays the protagonist , The Seeker, with such determined resolve to maintain control and get her  ”man”  like Javert pursuing Jean Valjean in Les Miserables.  She is great as the villain of sorts.

Max Irons  as Jared and  Jake Abel as Ian play the love interests of Melanie and Wanda respectively.  That is one of the most interesting parts of the movie.  Two minds in one body in love with two different guys.

There are so many universal themes that Meyers covers in her book that has been translated into the screen.

The Host will leave you grateful that good science fiction is still something possible at the movies.

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This week the United States Supreme Court will hear two cases regarding marriage equality, more specifically for same sex couples.  One case focuses on California’s Prop 8.  That case will start to be heard on Tuesday, March 26th.   The second case will be heard on Wednesday, March 27th and will focus on the constitutionality of DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act.

Although both cases pertain to the LGBT community, the overarching theme of equality affects all Americans.

Polls show that Americans at large are in more in favor of marriage equality than ever before and more and more states have been adopting it.

In San Francisco , this Monday , March 25th, supporters of marriage equality are asked to join in a march from the Castro to City Hall. Here are the details:

San Francisco’s March4Equality on March 25 is part of an historic nation-wide movement in support of marriage equality and equal protection under the law. As the U.S. Supreme Court hears the Prop 8 & DOMA cases on March 26 and 27, Americans across the United States will be coming out to rally and march in their own towns. Spread the word to your friends across the country: a list of actions can be found at http://lighttojustice.org/

HOW YOU CAN HELP:
1) SHOW UP AND MARCH! The best way to volunteer is to JOIN US on March 25 at 6:30 in the Castro. San Francisco has always taken a leadership role in the fight for equality, so we want to make a powerful statement to the world with a strong showing on the streets of San Francisco.
2) SPREAD THE WORD: Invite your friends and family to join us in SF on March 25 for the rally and march from Castro and Market to City Hall. Share the news on Facebook, Twitter, email, and other social media, and encourage your friends to share through their own social networks.
3) MAKE SIGNS: While we will have some printed signs on hand for the march, nothing makes an impact like homemade signs that express your ideas in your own words. Let’s flood Market Street with our messages!
4) VOLUNTEER: We can use help at the march, particularly with set-up (5:30 p.m. at Castro and Market) and clean-up. For more info email march4equality.volunteer@gmail.com.

Why do we march?

There is no greater gift then to be equal under the law in a free society.  If any citizen is treated lesser than an other under the law then,  we as a whole citizenry, stand in jeopardy of losing all of our rights. Equal must be equal. There is no compromise.  Marriage Equality is not simply a gay issue, it is an issue about the very core of our constitution and the rights that it guarantees the citizens whose mandate it covers.

In terms of the LGBT community,  this is part of the long journey out of countless closets,   family rejections,  criminal accusations, bullying attacks, job discrimination, societal disdain , and being the throw aways of a bigoted majority.  This march is also a celebration and a solemn recognition of the thousands that have gone before us, who fought discrimination, who died at the hands of bigotry,  who risked life and limb to fight for the causes we are now so close to winning.   This is for the Harvey Milks and the Michael Shepherds who marked the way.   These are for the thousands who passed away too soon and too quickly.  This is for those men and women who served secretly in our armed forces with honor and bravery.

Once equality wins in America for the LGBT community, it will pour into the rest of the world.

We march hand in hand,  Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Trans, Queer, Questioning, Straight ,  all citizens of this great country and this world.   It is about standing up for what is right  and what binds us together. This is not about separation and division . It is about union and the grand one purpose of equality.

There is something sacred about this march.  It represents the hopes and dreams of  generations past, the generation now and all those in the future.

Let’s all march together and make history happen.

Oz- The Great and Powerful is one of those films that has the makings of becoming a great classic and yet it does not quite get there.  It has some moments , some very good ones.  However, as a whole, it fizzles into  something that is just alright and does not match the high standard that Disney has made for itself.  The movie certainly does not live up to the iconic film it is carved from.

I was entertained during parts of it but there were parts that moved slowly. James Franco shone in certain parts of the film, also, but in other areas , he came across contrived ,  which I am beginning to believe was due to the limitations of the material.  It was as if the full potential of the layered and deep acting he was capable of was being hampered.

The movie was pretty to look at.

Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams as the three witches also gave various levels of performances that each have bright moments and yet the story is not woven in such a way to really bring the layered depth , that I think the movie was trying to portray.  Again, a waste of great talent.

I was hoping that the Oz’s companions the monkey and china doll would be as endearing as Dorthy’s Lion , Scarecrow and Tin Man.  They were not.  Yes, they were cute but they did not capture our hearts.

What this movie desperately needed was a center.  It needed a heart.

Unfortunately, it did not find it on the yellow brick road at the final edit cut.

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