How do we wish to be remembered?

Vote “No” on both the marriage and voter ID amendments in Minnesota in the upcoming election.

How do we wish to be remembered?

In just over a week the voting populous in the state of Minnesota will have the opportunity to vote on two vicious and mean-spirited amendments to the state constitution. One purports to “defend” marriage by amending the state constitution to preemptively disallow legalization of gay marriage, something that isn’t actually legal in Minnesota at the moment. The other is a remarkably restrictive “voter ID” amendment that purports to “solve” a fraud problem in a state with some of the cleanest election record in the U.S., while in fact disenfranchising numerous of the elderly, low-income citizens, young people, the disabled, and citizens of color. (See The League of Women Voters for details.)

If these issues concern you, if gays kind of creep you out or you’re worried about voter fraud, that’s fine – we can agree to disagree. But do you really believe your concerns warrant amending the state constitution? The people driving both these proposals are the philosophical descendants of those who fought (and, sadly, still fight) to limit the rights of those who aren’t “like us”. Is that how you wish to be remembered?

How, in fact, do we wish to be remembered?

The top image is from Wikipedia and the bottom is from the Library of Congress. The middle photo is mine, taken here in Morris, Minnesota.

You’re obviously welcome to distribute this freely in whatever fashion seems appropriate.

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JOCP! Wikipedia is using my photo on the Doomtree page!

One of my photos from the 2012 Doomtree Blowout is being used to illustrate the Wikipedia entry for Doomtree!

Last night Sub-Evil Boy texted with very emphatic instructions to check my e-mail NOW!

Being a well-trained father, I did exactly that:

Subject: HOLY MOTHER OF FRAK YOUR FAMOUS
DAD.

DADADAD.

YOUR GODDAMN PHOTO.

FROM THE FIRST BLOWOUT.

IS.

THE.

PHOTO.

FOR.

DOOMTREE.

ON WIKIPEDIA.

WAT.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomtree

At least it is RIGHT NOW

(We’ll blame his failure to use the correct version of “you’re” in the subject on his abject excitement.)

Jeez O’Criminey Pete! – It’s true! If you head on over there, the picture of five rappers that they’re using is indeed one of mine from our first Blowout nearly two years ago now. That’s even Thomas’s arm and hand sticking out of the green sweatshirt sleeve in the foreground :-) (This link points to today’s version of the page in case they come to their senses and swap in a different picture down the road.)

The five rappers at the end of the 2010 Doomtree Blowout
Doomtree: The crew (Triumphant, if tired)

There are certainly better photographers and photographs of the crew out there, so I’m a little surprised. I suspect my liberal Creative Commons licensing has a lot to do with it, as I’m pretty Wikipedia/Wikimedia friendly in that regard. Still, it’s super cool to see people using my photo this way.

I should also make it clear that it almost certainly wasn’t someone at Doomtree that made this choice. Wikipedia strongly discourages/disallows people creating or editing content about themselves, so I’m guessing this choice was made by someone outside of the crew.

I should also point out that the content of the entry is pretty thin and kinda sad. I think some folks should get on that – we gotta make sure there’s good text to distract people from the lousy picture up at the top :-)

Thanks to Thomas for the pointer!

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