Chris Kluwe is in Morris today, and all the UMM people got invited to have lunch with him, where he spoke informally and answered questions. He was terribly cheerful and optimistic about everything, and I did my best to bring him down with a few pointed objections, but he addressed all my concerns adroitly. I guess I’m going to have to resign myself to a future full of Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies
I guess that’ll be OK.
If you missed him, he’ll be around the rest of the day. He’s talking to the gay-straight alliance at the high school this afternoon, and then this evening there will be an open event at the concert hall on campus. Be there at 7, or earlier — there might be a crowd.
P.S. He’s some kind of fierce Social Justice Warrior, if you didn’t already know.
I’m so conflicted…i think what he is doing is fantastic….but terribly cheerful people are my cryptonite…I think i would shake his hand, thank him for his efforts and then retreat at least 20 m so that i don’t get splashed with all that happiness.
He’s done banner work against goobergate.
OMG IRIS <3 CHRIS KLUWE!!!
/fangirl
I'm so sorry. Jeezus. That was embarrassing. What I meant to say is he's a rare bird, that one. And while I have no optimism whatsoever for the future of humanity, I'm glad he is in the world, and fighting the good fight.
A jock. Who is fiercely smart. And a nerd. And a proud social justice warrior. It’s heartwarming.
Chris Kluwe 2016?
Only way Kluwe 2016 is happening is if we all write him in, apparently.
The talk wasn’t bad, imo, although I kind of flinched a bit at his use of the word ‘libertarian’ (although I would say it was the lowercase form of that ideology he was referring to rather than the wingnut fringe we all
love tohate). Said in context of how much Minnesotans love our personal freedoms more than we’re attached to our religious dogmas. Hopefully the talk gets uploaded for everyone to watch. He’s an overly-chipper ally that doesn’t quite always remember the back chunk of the LGBTQ+ movement… but he’s nice to have as an ally. Wish I’d made the lunch thing, I’d like to have heard PZ grill him, but no such luck.…such as?
Is there a recording or transcript which will eventually be made available, or are we just going to have to use our imaginations?
John Small Berries #7
A very important thing to understand about TheInternets® is that
Irony Cannot Be Conveyed In Text-Only
Have you read his book? He does seem like a really great person and I like that he’s used to influence and status to do good things for under-represented groups. Overall, his book is a good reflection of that, but I found it a little frustrating at times.
For instance, he has a chapter where he explains that people in abusive relationships and dead-end jobs are just lying to themselves and that’s why they aren’t happy, as though all people in abusive relationships and dead-end jobs all have tons of options and resources for changing their lives. He also talks about mortgages as being a financially irresponsible option and he likens it to gambling. I mean, don’t get me wrong, if I could do it, I’d absolutely buy a house without taking out a mortgage but that’s just not feasible for the vast majority of us.
He also throws a few jabs at atheists. He’s agnostic and finds the certainty of atheism laughable which feels a little ironic considering some of the advice he’s giving.
Still, I can’t deny he seems like a genuinely all-around great person. He’s maybe just not totally aware of some of his good fortune in life.