Why our family is saying Yes to Prop 2

by: LucysParents

Thu Oct 23, 2008 at 10:40:18 AM EDT

When our oldest daughter was 15, she was finally diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, and it threw our world into an upheaval. All throughout her high school years – which, by all accounts, should have been the best years of her life – we lived out every parent’s nightmare, watching our oldest child go in and out of the hospital way too many times. Surgery after surgery and test after test we helplessly looked on praying for the good health for our previously totally healthy child. By the time the last surgery was completed, she had lost much of her lower digestive system, including her rectum and colon.

Because Crohn’s disease is an auto-immune condition, treatments are few and far between, and there is no cure. It is for this reason that we are lifting our voices proudly in support of Proposal 2 which, if passed, would lift the ban on embryonic stem cell research in Michigan and give hope to our daughter and thousands across the state like her who could be treated through the scientific breakthrough of stem cell research.

So why did our entire family make this YouTube video?

Visit from House Speaker Andy Dillon! (... "but where's Steve Tobocman?")

by: David Boyle

Wed Feb 28, 2007 at 18:45:06 PM EST

 
Liberal Lucy (BLUE shirt) introducing Michigan House Democratic Speaker Andy Dillon
(in suit, standing), to a cast of thousands (or close)

  As per Liberal Lucy's fine Mich Lib diary Tonight: Meet Up With House Leadership, there was a nice get-together at the Livingston County Democratic Party Office last night. Michigan House Speaker and Democrat, Andy Dillon, graciously fielded many questions from the visitors there.

The Speaker.....speaking

"Not Bob" Dillon and Ann Arbor business consultant Anthony Nitsos. The Speaker looks
like he has that "preacher with the mystically glowing Bible" thing going on...

After action report on pancake breakfast

by: David Boyle

Sat Feb 17, 2007 at 16:02:11 PM EST

(John & Debbie Dingell by window with falling snow in background, the former--on left--
rebutting an Iraq heckler)

  Besides lots of Dems and high-calorie food showing up at the UM Dems pancake breakfast this morning, some high points included "your 15th District U.S. Representative" John Dingell answering/rebutting a heckler who asked what he was doing about Iraq. JD said that he was against the war from the start and is doing what he can, etc., which made the heckler sound like a bit of a screamer. (You can see heckler's musings here at UM Dems blog Kicking Ass [donkey] Ann Arbor.)

  Also interesting to note was the flyer being passed out about the AHEAD ("Achieving Higher Education Access and Diversity") Coalition's effort to save affirmative action by proposing an amendment to the Higher Education Act, one which would utilize clause 4 of MCRI (i.e., MCRI doesn't prohibit anything if that prohibition would result in loss of federal funding) in order to allow the return of affirmative action.
  This is a good idea, which I have been promoting for some while, see, e.g., my Michigan Liberal diary of November 14, 2006, Conyers/Dingell/friends should tie affirmative action to federal funding?. The national security issue might be a nice one to emphasize, by the way, i.e., affirmative action leads to a more diverse officer corps so that we can have a stronger military and beat the terrorists.

MYD Tentative Schedule for Saturday! Please Get Involved!

by: irobinson

Fri Jan 26, 2007 at 13:15:42 PM EST

--please forward widely --let's have a great turnout this Saturday!!!

Dear friends,

You are invited to attend Michigan Young Dem's State
Conference at the Teamsters Hall this Saturday in
Detroit.  Featured Speakers include Teamster leader Bill Black, Abed Hammoud (Noon), Brian White, Nikhol Atkins, Brian Love (4 PM), Wes Herrin,Jeanean Bryant, Jamiel Martin, Chris Michalakis from UFCW (1 PM), and Mark Fancher (5 pm) from the ACLU.  Fancher will give a presentation on the current status of affirmative action in Michigan.  Following the 5 PM presentation community members will discuss our next steps. 

We need your participation.

William Isaac Robinson
MYD State President and MDP officer

p.s.
Check out our tentative schedule below!  Get Convention updates at
www.mi-youngdems.yda.org

The following events are open to all Democrats.  The 10 am Convention is open to members of the Michigan Young Dems.

Saturday, January 27th  MYD's tentative Conference
Schedule
__________________________________________________ 

Real Talk with Abed Hammoud

Location: Hall 1, 2741 Trumbull

Time:  Noon, this Saturday

Engage in a blunt and frank conversation with
community leader Abed Hammoud about the issues of the
day.  All topics are on the table.  Q and A with Abed
Hammoud.

Bio about featured speaker Abed Hammoud

Abed Hammoud is the Lead Attorney for the Public
Integrity Unit at the Wayne County Prosecutor's office
and serves on the Michigan State Bar's Criminal
Jurisprudence and Practice Committee.  Hammoud is
Chair of the Congress of Arab American Organizations
in Michigan (CAA)), Past President of the Arab
American Political Action Committee, and an advisory
board member for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee(ADC).  Hammoud served as 2000 Democratic
National Convention Delegate, is a member of the
Dearborn Democratic Club, and is an Alumnus of the
Michigan Young Democrats.  Hammoud is recognized as a
key political leader in the Arab-American Community
and is a  champion for civil liberties.

Hammoud is a 1995 graduate of Wayne State University
School of Law.  He also earned a Master's of Business
Administration from Wayne State University School of
Business Administration and a graduate degree in
mechanical engineering from Institut Natioinal des
Sciences Appliquees (INSA) in Lyon, France.  He also
has an undergraduate degree in civil engineering from
Ecole Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'Etat (Entpe)
Lyon, France.

________________________________________________________________

Workshop on Technology, Blogging, and Communications

Facilitators:  Wes Herrin, Leslie Csabi,  Khari
Wheeler

Location:  Room C, 2700 Trumbull

Time:  1 PM

_______________________________________________________________
"Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices." 
Presenter: Chris Michalakis, United Food and Commercial Workers' Michigan Legislative and Political Director.
Location:  Hall 1, 2741 Trumbull
Time 1 PM
Young Dem and young labor activist Chris Michalakis shall leader a discussion about Wal-Mart.  Get involved!
_______________________________________________________________
Meet Candidates for National Young Dems of America
Office

Facilitator:  Isaac Robinson

Location:  Hall 1, 2741 Trumbull

Time: 2 PM

Candidates from others states will be in town to tell
you about their platforms for national Young Dem
office.  You might meet the next President of the Young Dems of America
________________________________________________________________

A presentation on MYD's Proposed 2007 Election Program
and Partnership with the Young Democrats of America

Presenter:  Brian White

Location:  Hall 1, 2741 Trumbull

Time:  TBD
________________________________________________________________

A Workshop on Platform

Facilitators:  Wes Herrin, Nikhol Atkins, and  Brian White

Location:  Room C, 2700 Trumbull

Time:  TBD

________________________________________________________________

Reforming Election Law in Michigan

Presenter:  Brian White

Location:  TBD
Time: TBD
________________________________________________________________

Reforming Michigan's Insurance Industry

Facilitator:  Brian Love from the Office of Senator
Martha G. Scott

Location:  Hall One, 2741 Trumbull 
Time:  4 PM 
________________________________________________________________

Keeping the Dream Alive - Our Next Steps after the
Passage of Proposal 2

Presentation by Mark Fancher, Racial Justice Attorney
for the ACLU

Co-Facilitators:  Jeanean Bryant, Jamiel Martin,
Masoud Al-Awamleh, and Isaac Robinson

Location:  Hall 1, 2741 Trumbull, Detroit, MI

Time:  5 PM

Bio for featured speaker Mark Fancher:

Before joining the ACLU staff, Fancher served as the
Senior Staff Attorney for the NLG/Sugar Law Center for
Economic and Social Justice in Detroit.  He has also
held positions as:  a visiting clinical law professor
at the University of Michigan Law School; and
Co-Director of Legal Policies for Detroit City
Councilwoman JoAnn Watson.  Before moving to Michigan,
Fancher litigated civil rights cases for six years in
private practice in New Jersey and served for five
years as Director of Litigation for Camden Regional
Services.

Fancher has played a leadership role in the National
Conference of Black Lawyers for numerous years and
served as its national chair from 1995-1998.  He is
chairman of the Policy Board of the Legal Aid and
Defender Association in Detroit and he is a member of
the Peace Neighborhood Center Board of Directors in
Ann Arbor.  He is also an  active volunteer for the
National Lawyers Guild and the State Bar of Michigan
Pro Bono Initiative.

Fancher has lectured across the county and written
extensively on issues ranging from race, poverty, and
Pan-Africanism to attacks on civil liberties after
9/11 and strategies for progressive movements.

Fancher is a 1983 graduate of Rutgers University
School of Law and received a B.S. from the University of Tennessee in 1979

US Supremes reject stay on Prop 2

by: David Boyle

Fri Jan 19, 2007 at 22:00:50 PM EST

Proposal 2's -- Past and Present.

by: quaker21

Sat Jan 13, 2007 at 23:48:54 PM EST

As the Michigan Universities chug along with the legal challenges to the Affirmative Action ban, here's a little bit of restrospect.

From the University of Michigan:

Proposal 2 Next Steps -- 1/10/07:

The University of Michigan is a national leader in diversity and we remain fully committed to building a campus made up of individuals of varied backgrounds and perspectives. Our diversity improves the quality of our teaching and learning, our scholarship and our creative endeavors. Although Proposal 2 removes some tools available to public institutions, we can still seek diversity in our student body, staff and faculty.

Benefits For Same-Sex Domestic Partners -- 3/22/05:

As a University, we believe deeply that all members of our community should be respected and valued, and that discrimination based upon any form of prejudice is wrong. We have worked over the years to live up to these values and to nurture an environment that is safe, welcoming and inclusive for all who choose to join our community. We will vigorously defend our ability to offer these benefits; and, we will continue to pay attention to issues that may affect the environment we have worked so hard to create.

At the end of the day, we're not so different, neh?

Gotta give it up to President Coleman.  Man alive, it's one battle after the other.  Give the woman credit where credit is due.  Although I officially decree Proposal 2 to hereafter be cursed.

But one thing we need to take from this little reminisce and gripping reality is that we are all in this boat together.  Don't forget that.