It's the Mighty Quinn vs. the Four Homophobe Enablers of the Apocalypse

With the withdrawal of Bill Daley from the Democratic gubernatorial primary, Governor Pat Quinn will be the Democratic standard bearer in the Governor's race against one of the four announced HOP (Homophobe Only Party, a.k.a. GOP) candidates, zillionaire Bruce Rauner, state treasurer Dan Rutherford, state senator Bill Brady or my state senator Kirk Dillard. Only Quinn will campaign to govern all 100% of Illinoisans. The other four, whom I've previously dubbed the Four Homophobe Enablers of the Apocalypse, will only campaign to govern the roughly 97% who adhere to HOP orthodoxy of heterosexuality. They all refuse to recognize the full humanity of the other 3% who, while a minority, deserve every right and vestige of full citizenship enjoyed by the majority. The current battle is over the simple, life given right to marry the lover of one's choice.

That is precisely why minority rights, cannot and must not be abridged by the majority. Given free reign, citizen majorities will bully, discriminate against and dehumanize their fellow citizens who they don't understand or fear or simply hate. That is understandable in citizens due to inherent defects in the human condition. But it is neither understandable nor acceptable for anyone seeking to govern all the people because Job One as governor is protecting minority rights from a soulless majority. Every benefit of society flows from that hollowed concept.

Yet, Rauner, Rutherford, Brady and Dillard, the Four Homophobe Enablers of the Apocalypse, seek the Brass Ring of Illinois politics pledged to ignore Job One in their quest for status and power and glory in the HOP primary. They should all take a good look at themselves in the mirror, stare deeply into their heartless souls, and ask themselves what brought them to this path of mendacity. Then they need to do the right thing: either come out of their bigoted closet and support marriage equality for all Illinoisans, or drop out of the race.

And just in case one of this fearsome foursome becomes governor, his title should be changed to "The 97% Governor of Illinois".

Music Pick: Benny Goodman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NigiwMtWE0

Benny Goodman (1909-1986) was playing hot jazz clarinet professionally from the age of 12 and parlayed his gigantic talent to escape the hardscrabble Chicago West Side Jewish ghetto to fame and fortune. He broke many musical and social barriers, being the first white star to hire black jazzmen to play in public integrated sessi...ons, and headlining the first jazz concert at the Big Apple's Carnegie Hall. The magical sounds of this January 16, 1938, landmark event vanished for 12 years till Benny stumbled across the long lost recording he had arranged and forgotten about in 1950. Every one of the 27 selections is noteworthy but the feature "Sing, Sing, Sing" is simply sublime. Goodman on clarinet, Harry James on trumpet and Gene Krupa on drums were scheduled soloists. On a whim, Benny turned to pianist Jess Stacey to take a chorus and was so knocked out by his delicate pianism he let him go on for a full two minutes. This one still gives chills after innumerable listenings.