Lights. Camera. Drama.

Anyway, I want to leave you this Friday with something special and inspirational in these times of need and desperation. I found this video from the Huffington Post. The video surfaced around April on YouTube, but I haven't heard about it until yesterday morning. I shed a tear watching it. It totally changed my line of thinking.

I said earlier in October that when I talk about politics on my blog, I try to be as open-minded as possible. So, leave your political and religious views aside as you watch this video. WWII veteran Phillip Spooner spoke at a gay rights testimonial for Maine's Marriage Equality Bill. Mr. Spooner fought for this country at a time when racism and Antisemitism not only ran rampant in the United States, but across the world. He, like millions of  U.S military veterans and soldiers are the true patriots. Mr. Spooner is a proud Republican but  supports gay marriage.  Yes, a Republican who supports the ideology that gay people can get marry with the same benefits as married heterosexual couples. Isn't it a breath of fresh air? It surely is and I have never been better.

I am not going to ruin the whole video for my readers, but I will say is that Mr. Snooper, despite how many players (I won't say names) within the Republican party have defined themselves, believes that all people are created equal.

Mr. Snooper, I salute you on your outstanding courage and understanding that when fighting for your nation on a global scale, we should care about the character of each solider in combat, not his or her sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or creed. You are a treasure and a shining light for those who are hopeful and optimistic of a better America. In a previous post, I said that one of my pet peeves is hypocrisy and for discriminated soldiers to risk their lives for a nation where people judged them by their gender identities or cultural backgrounds is highly pathetic in my opinion. So my message to this country is cut the bullcrap and start loving one another. Listen to his story below.

I named my Blogger username after this new emerging pop diva. Lady Gaga. She has taken the world by storm and here are the reasons why I admire her:

1. She is an innovator. Like Madonna, she takes fashion risks usually other musical artists and celebrities either emulate or would not take. In many ways, you can say she is the new "Madonna", but she has that something else that makes her more unique. Madonna may not have the best singing voice in the world, but she can outsell and outperform the best entertainers around. She can draw tens of thousands of fans with a single touch of her "larger than life" persona. Lady Gaga has that "larger than life" persona, but she is also a trained pianist and she writes her own music, something Madonna does not possess. Two thumbs up!

2. She is now a gay activist. Now, I do not want to start a whole "Holy Bible, gay marriage" blog post because I understand that many people do not share my opinions on gay marriage and I do not want to create a partisan, one-dimensional online platform. But, I would say that is that I admire someone who values human rights for every person on this earth and values that people should fight for those rights regardless of race (I detest that word but that is another story), sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation, and gender. If all people were treated with dignity and respect, this world would be in a much better place in the long run. Watch Lady Gaga speak in front thousands of gay activists at Sunday's National Equality March in Washington D.C. I do not think she did this for the publicity. She participated in the NYC gay community years before she went mainstream.


3. I love her music. It's pop music at its prime. But some of her songs especially her smash hit, Papparazzi discusses the recuperations of fame and fortune in a time when people value it more than their own lives. It's pop music with actual meaning to it.  Her music gets you in the mood for dancing around your room without the care of the world, but her music comes straight from her heart. Issues of bisexuality, love, and fame came up in her debut album, The Fame. 

4. She is not afraid to be herself. Critics say she overdoes it with her fashion picks on the red carpet (did you see her multiple outfits at this year's VMAs?!?!) , but is that relevant? Her role models are Andy Warhol, Prince, and Micheal Jackson, so she's in good company. Although, I like her feistiness and her power to resist the traditional social modes of femininity, she will inevitably become another social label. People will try to define her persona without knowing the real her and it is quite unfortunate. She does not care about the critics and that is why I like that about her.I think she will overcome that hurtle, you know. Let the critics say whatever they have to say about her and she will just ignore them. Hate and envy comes with the territory with being an entertainer in this industry. But I think bad criticism should not deny someone from pursuing his/her dreams. You only have one life to live, you know.

I voted my first time in the 2008 November presidential elections. I voted for you and I could never be happier. But, when I found out that you won the Nobel Peace Prize yesterday afternoon, I was a bit puzzled. You have done a tremendous job on changing America's global image overseas, but now is the time to act on your principles and promises from your presidential campaign. Be more aggressive on passing health care, gay rights, and Iraq/Afghanistan measures. No more gregarious talk. We need action.

I salute you for your diplomacy and maturity as a president. I have not seen that in years, but now is the time for change. You promised change. I want it. So, with your prestigious prize and your big speech to the Human Rights Campaign tonight in Washington, D.C, please promise the changes that this country needs to survive in this recession. For all Americans; Democrats, Republicans, Liberals, Independents, Communists, Libertarians, Socialists, non-believers, pessimists, optimists, rich, poor, alike. I believe in you.

Sincerely,
Lady Mel