An Obama Delegate Yet Again!

I’m very excited to announce that the results are in! My fellow Obama supporters from the 41st Legislative District have elected me to advocate for Senator Obama at the state level.

I won’t let you down, guys!

Talking Politics With Our Neighbors: Every Day Should Be a Caucus

Tonight, I got together for dinner with a bunch of the other Obama delegates and alternates from the 0769 precinct of the fighting 41st district. It was a remarkable evening. Usually people try to stay away from politics, race and religion while in polite company. But tonight, neighbors who barely knew each other sat around, drank some beers, and talked about the future of our country.

We made a lot of good arguments. We agreed and disagreed civilly. We engaged with one another in a way that is woefully rare in American neighborhoods today.

I’m curious to hear how other people feel about this. Do you guys feel comfortable talking about these issues with your neighbors? Do you even know your neighbors?

How do we go about changing that?

Hillary Offers No Concession After Losses

Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama spoke Saturday night at a dinner in Virginia. I posted both speeches below. It should be noted that Hillary Clinton gave her speech first, and made no mention of the fact that she had just lost all three primaries badly, and offered no congratulations to Barack Obama whatsoever.

Never Let it Be Said that Washington’s Voters Were Apathetic

The eyes of the nation are on Washington State today. It’s not too often that our little corner of the USA gets that kind of attention. When we go to the Super Bowl, everyone roots against us. When our baseball team wins 116 games, everyone is astonished.

Today, let’s astonish America with our passion and our belief in our nation’s future. Let’s turn out at the caucuses today in record numbers.

Never let it be said that Washington did not do its part to move our country forward after the Bush era.

Click here for information about your caucus location. The caucus begins at 1:00 p.m.

How to Caucus

Barack Obama’s website has a handy tool for those of you who want to understand more about the Washington caucuses.

Click here to check it out.

Also, please drop me an e-mail at tsv02001 [at] gmail [dot] com if you plan to be at the Obama rally tomorrow and want to meet up.

Obama Coming to Seattle on Friday

He’ll be appearing at Key Arena at 11:00 a.m.

Details here.

Finding Your Washington State Caucus Location

During an informal poll of my friends yesterday, I was alarmed at the number of people who said they intend to caucus for Barack Obama on Saturday but did not know when the caucuses start or where to meet with their fellow caucus-goers.

So, here it is in a nutshell…

What: The future of our democracy.

When:  Saturday, Feb 9, 2008. 1:00 p.m.

Where: Your precinct location for your party. To find out your precinct location, click here if you’re a Democrat and click here if you’re a Republican.

And keep in mind that if you’re a Democrat, the Washington State primary doesn’t count. The Republicans choose half of their delegates based on the primary, and half based on the caucus. The Democrats pay attention to the caucuses only.

More Commentary on the PI Ferry Photo Discussion

My friend Ian sent me this message earlier today:

I think that the paper can do whatever it wants. That’s what freedom of speech is about. Its publishers weigh the information they have and make a decision, regardless of the outcome.

As a person who very frequently takes the ferry, I can say that one might be surprised at the level of security around boarding them. It will always be impossible to stop dedicated attackers, but bomb sniffing dogs, armed coast guard agents, and the occasional coast guard armed swift boat escorts are nothing to shrug off. I’m sure it costs a lot of money. All of that said, I think that the Feds are the ones who should have been perhaps careful in their request to have the photo published. The press is free, but our government has more specific rules it must abide by. It might have wanted to consider the effects on non-hostile Muslims by its request to publish. Let us not forget Britain several close calls with disillusioned citizen Muslims and Middle Easterners. Any persecuted population will evolve elements of aggression to its antagonists.

I think Ian’s right on about this. We do risk alienating big swaths of the population when the government releases photos of potentially innocent folks just because they “look the part” and were even “acting suspiciously.”

We’re Not Doing Enough to Protect Women From Violence

Yesterday’s tragic murder-suicide at the University of Washington is a classic example of how our society does next to nothing for survivors of domestic violence. The murder victim, Rebecca Griego did everything that she could within the confines of the law to stop her ex boyfriend from harming her.

But her ex boyfriend, Jonathan Rowan made it clear that he didn’t give a shit about the law. He called Griego multiple times a day and left her threatening messages. He demonstrated an intent to kill, which is illegal in and of itself. During their relationship, he was physically abusive. He was on the run from authorities in the UK, and out on bail for a drunk driving arrest at the time of this murder. Rowan didn’t care about the law. So what was a piece of paper going to do?

We need to make it easier to accuse someone of domestic violence and be taken seriously. I know that this is controversial. I know men who have been wrongly accused of domestic violence by crazy ex girlfriends with the same basic motivations that led Rowan to kill Griego. If the genders had been reversed, the men in question would likely have been the victims of stalkers bent on murder. But because men are physically stronger than women, the women in these cases resorted to more manipulative tactics to harm their victims. They used the long arm of the law to get their way.

The current domestic violence laws are set up to protect men from women. They assume innocence until guilt is proven, even though domestic violence is notoriously difficult to prove. They do very little to zealously pursue domestic abusers and put them in custody. This is because they fear that women with personalities like Rowan’s will abuse the system to put their ex boyfriends behind bars.

But when it comes to domestic violence, we need to take the very real power differential between men and women into account. If a man is wrongly accused of domestic violence, it’s a legal nightmare. If a woman can’t get her abuser put behind bars, she winds up dead. The simple fact is that men kill women far more than women kill men. Death is far worse than a legal nightmare. The law needs to reflect this reality.

That said, personal responsibility does play a role in this. The system is not perfect and it never will be. Abusers will slip through the cracks and come after their targets. That’s why I think we should provide taxpayer funded self defense training for any woman who comes forward with a domestic violence claim, substantiated or not.

The government needs to make it clear to women that while restraining orders hold power, they need to have a plan. And this plan needs to include being able to do serious physical harm to their attacker if backed into a corner. On this same note, police departments should also offer gun safety training to women with substantiated domestic violence claims.

Furthermore, employers must be required by law to give women time off from work to attend these classes and provide them with the opportunity to make up their hours at work at another time, if they work for an hourly wage.

Programs like these would provide four basic benefits to women, men, and society:

• Women would get the skills they need to defend themselves from their attackers.
• The classes would drive home the reality that no amount of legal intervention will create an impermeable web of protection around a woman in danger. Women will be less likely to rely on their restraining orders and will be proactive in protecting themselves.
• The vote of confidence from the courts and the police might convince more women of their ability and right to defend themselves from harm.
• Women who are abusing the system will have to spend a great deal of time with real domestic violence survivors. Getting to know someone who has actually been beaten up by her partner might encourage some abusive women to admit they were lying and drop charges.

I know that no program is perfect. Tragedies like this will not stop until greater social change happens. The government can’t end misogyny or violence against women. But as things stand, we are simply not doing enough to protect women in our society.

My heart goes out to Rebecca Griego’s family, friends and colleagues. It sounds like she was a wonderful woman. You are in our prayers.

Photo via the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Personal Responsibility, Conspicuous Consumption and Payday Loans

I met a woman and her two year-old on the bus last April. The woman was on her way home from Ross, where she worked sixty hours a week to put herself through school. She was studying to be a dental hygienist. I was blown away by her work ethic. She was raising a toddler, working Wall Street hours and attending classes.

Being a kid-lover, I started to talk to her daughter. I was telling her how lucky she was to have such an amazing mama. The girl giggled and smiled and buried her face in her mom’s chest. That’s when I noticed that the child was wearing Puma brand sneakers. Even at the cheapest online stores, Puma sneakers for kids retail at a little under $50 a pair. Keep in mind that toddlers outgrow their entire wardrobes every few months.

I didn’t say anything about the sneakers. But I was blown away at the decision this woman had made. She was working long hours for little pay and putting herself through school in order to give her daughter a better life. But it didn’t occur to her that reducing her consumption of designer kids’ shoes might have been a good idea. Even the wealthiest people I know don’t buy designer shoes for their toddlers. And that’s probably part of the reason they’re so wealthy.

I’m not in a position to judge that individual woman. Maybe the shoes were a gift. Or maybe they were a lucky find at the thrift store. But that is not the only example I’ve seen of conspicuous consumption among working Americans. In trailer parks from coast to coast, people routinely watch the Super Bowl on plasma screen televisions far larger and nicer than ours. They drive more expensive cars, wear more expensive clothes and relax on nicer furniture. And that’s a problem because a lot of those people buy their lavish possessions on credit.
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A Rundown of Current Gay Rights Issues in Washington State

Gay rights have been in the local news a great deal recently, so I thought I’d do a quick rundown of the different initiatives and legistlative efforts and what they all mean.

I-963 is sponsored by anti-gay zealot Ken Hutcherson. Hutcherson is senior pastor of Antioch Bible Church in Redmond, WA. Hutcherson is a caricature of homophobia. He’s a real man’s man. He’s tall and buff. He used to play in the NFL, and he can’t tolerate fags. Does this remind anyone of Ted Haggard?

Hutcherson also has a hard time articulating his reasons for opposing gay rights. When one reporter asked him to explain his view that gay marriage presents a threat to straight marriage, “he presented a non sequitur of the highest order: ‘Would you still do your job if you weren’t getting paid?’”

Hutcherson’s initiative seeks to overturn the Anderson-Murray Civil Rights Bill (House Bill 2661), which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation in Washington State. The original bill — which was made law last year — guarantees that no person in the state of Washington can be denied a job, an apartment or a loan on the basis of sexual orientation. It does not allow for gay marriage rights.

Initiative 963 is basically identical to Referendum 65, which was sponsored by Tim Eyman last year. That referendum failed to make the ballot. I hope this one meets the same fate.

I-957 is sponsored by Gregory Gadow who was outraged by the Washington State Supreme Court’s decisions in Andersen v. King County and Castle v. Washington. Both cases sought to strike down the states Defense of Marriage Act and allow gays and lesbians to marry. The Supreme Court upheld the law in a contentious 5-4 vote, declaring that because gay couples couldn’t procreate without outside help, they couldn’t marry.

I-957 seeks to extend the same restrictions on marriage to straight people by requiring that couples prove they have procreated within three years of their wedding day or face automatic dissolution of their marriage rights. Gadow promises to sponsor initiatives in the near future that will prohibit divorce if a couple has children and make having a child together the legal equivalent of signing a marriage license.

His goal with these initiatives is to weaken the original Andersen ruling by forcing state courts to overturn the initiatives as unconstitutional. He hopes that this legal tactic will eventually allow gays and lesbians to marry. I agree with Susan Paynter’s assessment of Gadow’s bravado and support his cause wholeheartedly. I think he’s even cooler than the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Senate Bill 5336, which passed the Washington State Senate today by a 28 to 19 vote extends domestic partnership benefits to unmarried couples in the State of Washington who qualify and who register as domestic partners. The bill is widely expected to pass the House of Representatives and Governor Christine Gregoire has already said that the she’ll sign it into law if it lands on her desk.

I have to say that I’m rather annoyed that this bill only provides for domestic partnership benefits for heterosexual couples if one of the partners is over 62 years of age. I suppose they don’t want to be seen as undermining marriage for straight couples by extending the same benefits to younger folks who are living together. But it seems like this leaves the bill open to being struck down for not providing equal protection under the law. After all, how are Andy and I any different from a twenty-something gay couple?

Wine Tasting in Grocery Stores is a Great Idea

Sometimes I get tired of drinking the same wines all the time. I’ve established that I love Bogle’s Petit Syrah and Chateau San-Michelle’s Riesling. But there are a lot of wines out there on the shelves of my grocery store, and I’ve only sampled a few dozen. I must say that I’m reluctant to buy a bottle of wine, particularly one that costs more thatn $10 a bottle, without sampling it first. That’s why I think having the occasional wine tasting in a grocery store sounds like a perfect way to open myself up to new varietals.

Sobriety advocates in Washington State disagree. They think that casual wine tasting in grocery stores could lead to underage drinking.

I call bullshit. Kids see their parents casually consuming alcohol at home. Does that make them any more likely to engage in underage drinking? I don’t know if it does or not, but you don’t hear sobriety advocates up in arms over it.

When I was a kid, my parents let me taste wine from time to time. My dad started me with a glass of wine on the Sabbath when I was 13. This has informed my attitude towards alcohol for my entire life. When I was in high school, I had nothing to rebel against. So I felt no need to get smashed at parties. And when I got to college, it took me until the end of my freshman year to drink much more than a glass of wine.

Being smart about alcohol use starts with seeing your parents be smart about alcohol use. Kids should see their parents setting a good example by placing more emphasis on the flavors of wine than the alcohol itself. That sets them up for treating wine as a culinary pleasure rather than just a way to get drunk.

Much healthier, I think.

In the State of Washington, Marriage is ALL About Children

I love this most recent challenge to the “marriage is for procreation” crowd. In much the same way that the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster took on the anti-evolution crowd, the Washington Defense of Marriage Alliance has put forth a bill that would require married couples to have children or face an annulment. Under the initiative, anyone who could not have children would not be issued a marriage license.

The most common arguments against gay marriage, abortion, and evolution in the public school are all cleverly formed bluffs to hide the real truth about fundamentalist Christianity’s agenda for America: turning their narrow moral views into laws that bind us all. Initiatives like 957 expose the truth by calling those groups’ bluff. Hilarious!

What Will We Do When a Real Disaster Hits?

The P-I’s Bill Virgin has a good point when he asks how our local economy will handle a massive natural disaster when we can barely handle a small one.

We need to wake up and start preparing for real, Katrina-sized problems. Because sooner or later, every city gets hit with something truly legendary.

Why non-Christians are Pissed Off by Christmas Trees

Every year, I dread this part of the holidays. The massive debate over the so-called “war on Christmas” drives me crazy. I’m pretty ambivalent about the whole thing. On the one hand, I understand why Christians would be upset about the rampant consumerism that has all but consumed a holiday that is supposed to represent the birth of their God on Earth. It makes perfect sense that they would want to remind people about the “reason for the season” by drawing attention to nativity scenes, crosses and other symbols that relate directly to Jesus.

On the other end, we live in a country where the U.S. Government uses taxpayer dollars to finance Christian evangelism in American prisons. Pervasive, pushy Christianity is everywhere we turn all year round. Even as a relatively secular Jew with a partially Christian family, I sometimes feel personally alienated by the constant Christian imagery in television shows, movies, etc. There always seems to be an appeal for conversion coming at me from some quarter. After a while, it can become very frustrating.

And after a whole year of this nonsense, the very natural Christian reaction to secular consumer culture can feel like the straw that breaks the camel’s back for those of us who happen not to believe in the divinity of Jesus. With that in mind, it’s pretty easy to understand why some people would threaten to sue the Port of Seattle over Christmas trees at airports.

We all need to take a step back this year. Let’s try to think about one another’s needs in this arena. Would Jesus–son of God or not–really want us bickering over this petty nonsense? I sincerely doubt it. He was pretty much in favor of love, peace and treating people kindly. Let’s all try to have a bit of empathy for one another.

The War on Christmas…Trees at Sea-Tac Airport?

Andy and I are both pretty ambivalent about the whole “Merry Christmas” vs. “Happy Holidays” thing. I don’t really mind being wished a “Merry Christmas,” as half my family is Christian and I celebrate the holiday with them. But I always prefer being told “Happy Holidays” because it feels more inclusive. The statement does not automatically assume that I’m a Christian.

I’m also not a big fan of overtly religious displays in the public square, no matter what denomination they represent. In my opinion, manger scenes, crosses, and other representations of Jesus should be kept to religious establishments during the holiday season. I don’t see it as a matter of constitutionality so much as taste and class. It’s preferable to make a good faith effort to consider the feelings of people who are not members of the majority religion in this country and to try to include us in the holiday fun when possible.

All that said, I think that the local Jewish community leader who threatened to sue Sea-Tac airport if they did not either take down their Christmas trees or erect a menorah in the airport went much too far. If he’d offered to help balance out the Holiday display by helping the airport to set up some Jewish decorations in celebration of Chanukah (which is a relatively minor holiday), that would have been fine. But the disproportionate outrage and the threat of a lawsuit go beyond bad taste. His actions tear at the bonds of friendship between Jews and Christians when we should be focusing on what we have in common rather than what separates us.

This so-called leader passed up a perfect opportunity to reach out and work with others toward reconciliation of this “war on Christmas” nonsense in the public square. Instead, he exacerbated the situation, pissed people off, and made Seattle a less hospitable place to be Jewish. Yuck!

Update: I import all my blog posts as “notes” into Facebook. A friend left a comment there.

yeah… i think thats probably a bit overboard. however. if it had been a manger scene, instead of a pretty tree (which to me says holiday and santa rather than christianity), i think i would have felt differently. people win lawsuits like that all the time, and the more the better–maybe then businesses wont shove jesus in my face. blech.

I replied:

I guess the thing is that for Jews, Christmas trees still represent Christianity. From where Christians are standing, I can see how a tree and a Santa Claus seem relatively secular, but I know many Jews that find them threatening because they are associated with the majority religious perspective. It makes some people feel marginalized.

I love Christmas trees, carols, Santa Claus, and just about everything involved with Christmas. It makes me happy to see so many children light up with joy around the holidays. I love to spend time with my family. What bothers me is the assumption that everyone looks at Christmas through the same eyes. If everyone simply took a step back from their militancy on the subject and tried to think about the needs of others, I think we’d all have a much merrier season.

I thought it bore repeating here…

Debbie Does Democracy, 4th of July Parade

Andy and I had a great time this afternoon marching in the Kirkland 4th of July parade for Deb Eddy, who is running for State Representative in Washington’s 48th District.

We got to the head of the parade route at about 11:15, just in time to finish getting the truck ready, put on our tee-shirts and start the parade. The Air Force and Coast Guard flew over with their aircraft before the start of the marching. At the left is Deb, putting candy into bags for all the kids.

Deb’s little grand-daughters looked so cute dressed as two little statues of liberty! Every political campaign needs two blonde curly haired cherubs holding torches of freedom and waving to the crowd. What was not cute was some of the other political candidates there bringing helium balloons to pass out to the kids. Yeah, it’s a great campaign strategy, but think about what those balloons will do to all the wildlife in the area if they accidentally get away from people.

Another thing that was not cute was a volunteer from Luke Esser’s campaign making fun of our “Debbie Does Democracy” slogan with a volunteer from Mike McGavick’s campaign. Obviously, he didn’t know we were from the Eddy campaign, because he was right in front of us. I looked up and said, “yeah, that’s us!” Andy added, “’Re-Elect Luke Esser.’ Wow! That’s original!” The Esser supporter looked chastened and drove away. Lame!

What was really cool was that the three best campaigns all got to march together, Deb Eddy, Ross Hunter, and Rodney Tom, who is currently a representative for the 48th and is running against Esser for State Senate. Here are the three candidates together after the parade. From left, Rodney Tom, Ross Hunter and Deb Eddy.

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