A Purple (red+blue) RevGals Friday Five

Those of us who are in the United States have just been through quite a topsy-turvy election. During the campaign we heard a fair amount about red states and blue states, when in fact most of us live in some shade of purple. And so... a lighter look at those confounding colors:

1. Favorite red food: Raspberries (yum!) - Even better if combined with chocolate.

2. Tell us about the bluest body of water you've ever seen in person. Crater Lake. Indescribably gorgeous. If you ever visit Oregon (or better yet, live there), you MUST visit this spectacle in the state's only National Park.

3. It's movie rental time: Blue Planet, The Color Purple, or Crimson Tide? The Color Purple. But had "The Hunt for Red October" been a choice, I might have voted for that (both Clancey & Connery fan here). Nuh-uh on "Blue Hawaii," though. My King outranks Elvis, and is definitely alive! ;)

4. What has you seeing red these days? Politicians. Especially the newly-re-elected Texas Lieutenant Governor, whose loudest contribution to the electoral process here in Texas was to declare that repeat sex offenders should get the death penalty. What he played on and failed to speak the truth about, is the fact that the vast majority of sex offenders--who already have to register as offenders for life--did not commit violent crimes. Most were guilty of indecent exposure (most when intoxicated) or consensual sex with underage partners when they themselves were very young (such as an 18-year-old high school senior with a 15- or 16-year-old girlfriend). I don't mean that these aren't reprehensible actions. But even a second offense, even in a pro-death penalty state, cannot possibly be a capital offense. Statistically, what few people know is that approximately only six percent of sex offenders re-offend, and that's untreated offenders. With treatment, it's about three percent. Anyway, Dewhurst simply tapped into the fears and misconceptions people have about sex offenders in order to boost their opinion of him. It fries me that this is the kind of person who stands to inherit the governorship if our equally distinguished governor cannot complete his term. And as for him, I see red at his stunt of election-season "crackdowns" on the Texas-Mexico border. He ought to have been doing things that were actually effective, throughout his term. He outright lied about the state of education and teacher compensation. And because Texas is a legendary "red state," people swallowed it all and re-elected him. Aaargh!

5. What or who picks you up when you're feeling blue? The children in our church's choirs. From 3 to 15 (the one youth boy who rings handbells), they always say or do or pray something that makes my heart glad. But the adults often do, too. (See the All Saints post.)