The Last Day to Register to Vote in WV is October 13th!

Last night I went to the “Campus and Community Civility in a Time of Unrest” forum at the Met Theater. The moderator, I was delighted and somewhat surprised to discover, was Juan Williams (and I discovered that he did in fact write the book on Thurgood Marshall I have) Perhaps Morgantown isn’t as small as it sometimes feels. The panel members were: Professor Robert Bastress, WVU College of Law, Dr. Jamie Jacobs, WVU Department of Political Science, Ibrahim Iba N’Diaye, a WVU doctoral candidate in Economic History, Asra Nomani, a lifelong Morgantown resident, journalist, author and founder of Daughters of Hajar, Jared Towner, a combat veteran of Iraq and WVU senior, Sen. John Unger, D-Berkeley.

In opening Juan Williams called this civility event, where we would get to see “dialog in action”, and unlike the presidential debates, in this even people should be open to seeing and hearing different points of view. Such openness is increasingly important, as Iraq continues to polarize the US and the world, making people less interested in hearing ideas that challenge their preconceived notions. Such a forum is an opportunity to look at American policy and how it impacts the way we walk, react, and interact with each other.

The first question to John Unger was “what does it mean to be an American?” Senator Unger told of being in Iraq several years ago, and going to the Tower of Babel, where people wanted to climb to heaven without God. He found it interesting that God did not destroy the people, but instead changed their language. He also said that since 9-11 we are redefining what it means to be an American, and unfortunately are developing a destructive dialog.

Ibrahim Iba N’Diaye (I apologize if I mistake who said what, my notes are slightly confusing on that point) responded to the question of how global citizenship has changed. He said that the US is refusing to assume its role in the world.

Jamie Jacobs was asked whether in America’s role as a superpower made it inevitable that we could be viewed or targeted as an aggressor? She responded that although the US does have responsibility as being a superpower, we have a fear of stepping up to the role. We are ignoring the fact that with great power comes great responsibility. She said that as we have this dialog, we are going to knock heads with each other, but that this is a good thing, and we need to keep trying to keep dialog open. She later made the point that the war on terrorism doesn’t necessarily make sense. How can we have a war on a strategy/tactic? We need to consider the context for action, and question the reality of the threat.

Jared Towner, the WVU senior who served in Iraq, was asked how his time in Iraq affected his ability to communicate. He said that his experience had of course changed him—he learned a great deal about a beautiful culture and a beautiful religion, but that the Arab culture is the least respected culture in the US. He said that as the world becomes smaller, individuals play a larger role in the world, and that we need to take advantage of the melting pot in US culture, and learn more about others. He also said that in his experience in Iraq, it was those who were uneducated who were more likely to demonize others, but that such demonization did not represent the whole population.

Morgantown resident and Muslim activist Asra Nomani was asked whether there were people in the Muslim community who were beyond persuasion. She didn’t directly answer the question, but said that after 9-11 she knew that she had to stand up for moderation; that people need personal courage and conviction to change the world. Islam has the same challenges as every other faith, and that Islam must stand up to fundamentalism.

Law professor Robert Bastress was asked to discuss how civil liberties impact this discussion, and how 9-11 has impacted civil liberties in the US. He said that in a time of crisis, we still need to balance civil liberties and freedom with the need for security. He mentioned the cases of Yasar Hamdi and Jose Padia, how they were placed in detention as “enemy combatants” but the supreme court disagreed with this, and that Justice O’Connor said, ” a state of war is not a blank check for the president when it comes to the rights of the nation’s citizens.” He is also concerned about the Patriot Act renewal, and how it is affecting the 4th amendment. We need to balance our freedoms, and be careful of warrantless seizures where we are restricting our freedom. He talked about how the US used to be held up as a model for human rights, but now we are losing respect for rights of those who we see as a threat to security, thus our role as leader has diminished. He mentioned how Charles Taylor used the actions of the US to suppress foreign journalists. That governments all over the world are classifying people as terrorists as an easy way to garner world support.

Asra Nomani and Ibrahim Iba N’Diaye both talked about scrutiny of those who are foreign or Muslim. N’Diaye said that there are really two different sides in Morgantown, the campus community and the townspeople. That after 9-11 there was an effort on campus to make sure that people could express their feelings, while in the community this was not necessarily the case, with actions taken against Muslims and Arabs and the Morgantown by Morgantown residents. Nomani said that she feels that many students are coming to the university with an attitude of intolerance.

When asked about the political climate in this state, and whether there was an openness to diversity, Unger said that there was more suspicion of all visitors entering a community, and a fear that anyone could be a terrorist. He also emphasized that after the OK City bombing, people began to fear strangers of any sort, and reminded us that terrorists in the US are just as likely to be white as Arab. He also said there was a problem as Americans struggled with the war in Iraq, and that was that people want simple answers, but that those simple answers don’t exist, and that we can not just point out “the enemy.”

Jared Towner also talked about the fact that we’ve never dealt with such a security threat in the US, and Americans are not used to constantly dealing with fear—there is a backlash here, and a fear of “those people” (those who are not from this country) but we need to be reminded of home grown terrorists like Timothy McVeigh, and that groups like the KKK functioned as terrorists for decades. This point was reinforced by Senator Unger, who mentioned that during the Civil Rights struggle, those who were targeted by the Klansmen could pass those people on the street during the day and not know who they were. That although our fear is natural, we must consider our values and how we treat other Americans.

Jamie Jacobs was asked whether the politics of fear that pervades the US is justified. She responded that the goal of the terrorists is to incite fear, and that rather than facing that fear, we are using it as an excuse to retreat—we are becoming isolated, which in turn makes us more insecure. This fear and retreat also does our security a disservices, because we should instead be building a strong community.

Robert Bastress stated that the debate over increased security versus freedom is nothing new, that we had these same debates during the cold war, during WWII, and that society must protect liberties. The premise of the Bill of Rights is that we need a functioning democracy, despite the risk of attack, we need to have balance. Individuals have certain rights, but those are not being followed, especially if we look at the situations in Guantanmo Bay and Abu Gharib. The values and principles of human rights are being ignored.

During the question and answer period, only one obnoxious woman got up and tried to make a political statement instead of asking a question. Luckily Juan Williams cut her off rather quickly. I hate it when people do that. It’s rude, obnoxious, and wastes the time of the panel and audience.

The point was made by Ibrahim Iba N’Diaye, that forced democratization rarely works. That the people must be involved if such attempts are to succeed. He said that strength and power are not just about war, but are about standing up for what’s right. He emphasized also that the words “Islamic terrorist” do not go together—the rood of Islam is peace, and that is incompatible with war. Both he and Asra Nomani emphasized that Islam is a war of peace, but that Islam has been hijacked by extremists, and that moderates must stand up to these extremists, and that violence is unacceptable. They also mentioned that this extremism is not solely the province of Islam, but that there are also Christian fundamentalists who are attempting to do the same thing with Christianity, and that Christians must stand up to these extremists just as Muslims must.

All in all it was an interesting forum, and I am glad that I was able to attend. I particularly enjoyed the comments by Ibrahim Iba N’Diaye, who made statements both enlightening and amusing. (I’d relate the elephant story, but I fear I’d get it all wrong.) It’s good to see community discussion and involvement, and I hope that, as was said in closing, this is the start of community interaction and discussion, and not simply a single event.

There’s a new weblog dedicated to promoting progressive woman bloggers, What She Said.

She has links to a variety of websites that I already read, and is right now posting “interviews” with different bloggers.

I did, however, read one thing that irritated me, and that was in her criteria for inclusion:
…they have a feminist slant- pro-choice, size acceptance, pay equity, etc.

I find abortion as a litmus test for political affiliation incredibly irritating. The general attitude seems to be that if you do not support abortion rights, you’re not a true liberal. Well, sorry, but I’m pretty damned liberal, and I’m pro-choice.

What frustrates me further is that I find some who hold the pro-choice position to be hypocritical. Let me clarify: I’m not a vegetarian or a vegan, but I don’t eat mammals and eat minimal poultry. I firmly believe that animals should be treated humanely (Can you treat an animal humanely? Humanely: 1 : marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for humans or animals 2 : characterized by or tending to broad humanistic culture. The answer is yes.), and because much of the food industry fails in this regard, I refuse to support an industry I find reprehensible. I find it hard to accept that a strict vegan could be pro-choice: if eating chicken eggs is morally unacceptable, then why is aborting a fetus acceptable?

I also have problems with the “liberal” stance that finds abortion acceptable but condemns the death penalty as morally reprehensible/unacceptable. Setting aside technical problems with the death penalty, why is it unacceptable to kill someone who has killed others, sometimes horribly, yet acceptable to end the life of a fetus?

As far as I am concerned, life should be treated with respect, be that life a condemned criminal, fetus, or cow. I don’t believe that we have the right to arbitrarily decide who lives or dies, and if we must take life, be it in war or for dinner, there should be rules and guidelines in place that are followed if the situation arises.

Does that mean I’m not a liberal? I’m pretty certain it doesn’t make me a conservative.

Former West Virginia welfare recipients struggling, study says

Only one of every four former West Virginia welfare recipients whose benefits have run out because of a five-year limit have been able to get a job. And more than half those who are working have only been able to find part-time work, according to a study prepared by West Virginia University researchers and presented Sunday to lawmakers during interim meetings.

The average ex-welfare family earned $6,120 last year – only one-third the poverty level for a family of four. They were twice as likely to have been evicted from their homes, run out of food or had their utilities cut off since they were kicked out of West Virginia Works, the state’s cash assistance program.

That’s in the bible, right? Let those who are poor struggle and remain in poverty, becuase that’s what they get for living in an area with high unemployment.

One-third said that they couldn’t find work because they had no transportation, or weren’t educated enough, or that there were no jobs where they lived. One in four had no driver’s license.

As far as the transportation goes, I highly recommend Mountaineer Good News Garage. They accept cars that are working and in decent shape, but don’t have to be in perfect shape, since they have volunteer mechanics who can fix minor problems.

And while I’m thinking about it, Christian Help is a United Way agency. Just something to consider when you receive your papers for the United Way campaign.

And Morgantown has lots of blood drives right now. There’s a blood shortage, so donate if you can.

Just some thoughts if you’re interested in helping out.

Ali was telling me about this when we walked this morning, and I found the print in the Charleson Gazette:

If President Bush wins West Virginia, one of the state’s five Republican electors says he might not cast his Electoral College vote for Bush to protest the president’s economic and foreign policies.

“I think President Bush needs to get the message from people across this country, including Republicans, that his strategy in national security and his economic policies need revisited,” South Charleston Mayor Richie Robb said Wednesday.

Here’s another article from the Charleston Daily Mail.

Yeah, the Bush administration is looking out for seniors all right. That 17% hike in Medicare premiums is JUST the thing to help.

This even as there is talk of cutting social security benefits.

Benedum Lectures:
• Thursday, Sept. 16 – Hauerwas, Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Studies, Duke University, “Sacrificing the Sacrifices of War,” 8 p.m., G24 Eiesland Hall
• Thursday, Sept. 23 – Brzezinski, counselor for the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Robert E. Osgood Professor of American Foreign Policy in the Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, “U.S. National Security in the New Era,” 8 p.m., Lyell B. Clay Concert Theater, Creative Arts Center
• Thursday, Oct. 7 –Hentoff, journalist for The Village Voice and author, “If We Lose the Constitution, What Have We Won?” 8 p.m., G24 Eiesland Hall

Celebration of Brown v. BOE
• Sept. 21 – “The Image of African American Youth 50 Years After Brown v. Board of Education,” Asa Hilliard, 7 p.m., Health Sciences Center auditorium
• Sept. 30 – “Every Family Has Stories,” Elizabeth Howard, Westover Elementary School
• Oct. 18 – “Desegregation of Schools in West Virginia as a Result of Brown v. Board of Education” panel discussion, 7 p.m., Mountainlair Gluck Theater
• Nov. 10 – “What Mama Taught Me: The Seven Core Values of Life,” Tony Brown, 7 p.m., Mountainlair Ballrooms
• Feb. 24, 2005 – “Segregation and Integration of High School Sports in West Virginia” presentation and poster session, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., and keynote speech by David Wiggins, 7 p.m., Ballrooms
• March 10, 2005 – “Black Hands in the Biscuits Not in the Classrooms: Unveiling Hope in a Struggle for Brown’s Promise,” Sherick Hughes, 6 p.m., Erickson Alumni Center
• March 11, 2005 – Personal testimonials of individuals who experienced school segregation and integration, 11 a.m., Erickson Alumni Center

What is Labor Day?
Labor Day is a celebration of the advances made by Labor Unions in the United States. For those who don’t know or understand precisely what Labor Unions have achieved in the US, I suggest some of the following links.

The Triangle Factor Fire

Near closing time on Saturday afternoon, March 25, 1911, a fire broke out on the top floors of the Asch Building in the Triangle Waist Company. Within minutes, the quiet spring afternoon erupted into madness, a terrifying moment in time, disrupting forever the lives of young workers. By the time the fire was over, 146 of the 500 employees had died. The survivors were left to live and relive those agonizing moments. The victims and their families, the people passing by who witnessed the desperate leaps from ninth floor windows, and the City of New York would never be the same.

Child Labor in the United States, a photographic exhibit.

West Virginia Mine Wars

Miners worked in company mines with company tools and equipment, which they were required to lease. The rent for company housing and cost of items from the company store were deducted from their pay. The stores themselves charged over-inflated prices, since there was no alternative for purchasing goods. To ensure that miners spent their wages at the store, coal companies developed their own monetary system. Miners were paid by scrip, in the form of tokens, currency, or credit, which could be used only at the company store. Therefore, even when wages were increased, coal companies simply increased prices at the company store to balance what they lost in pay.

But before you think that poor treatment of workers in the US is a thing of the past…

I highly recommend Eric Schlosser’s book Fast Food Nation (Eric Schlosser spoke at WVU in 2003.)

I also recommend you look at farm labor in the US.

So enjoy your picnic, but take a few minutes to remember why we have the day off, and give a thought to all the people who do not get the day off.

My heart has been breaking this week, as I’ve read the news, and seen the pictures, from the school hostage crisis in Russia.

I will never be able to understand such horror.

Nor do I want to.

ADDENDUM the First:
As always, you should read Jeanne.

I’ve complained extensively about Bush and his treatment of the military and veterans. I’m distrubed and horrified, both by what has been going on, and by the fact that no one else seems to care.

Well, here’s someone else who s not happy.

And I thought I was mad.
We’re Not in Lake Wobegon Anymore

Here in 2004, George W. Bush is running for reelection on a platform of tragedy—the single greatest failure of national defense in our history, the attacks of 9/11 in which 19 men with box cutters put this nation into a tailspin, a failure the details of which the White House fought to keep secret even as it ran the country into hock up to the hubcaps, thanks to generous tax cuts for the well-fixed, hoping to lead us into a box canyon of debt that will render government impotent, even as we engage in a war against a small country that was undertaken for the president’s personal satisfaction but sold to the American public on the basis of brazen misinformation, a war whose purpose is to distract us from an enormous transfer of wealth taking place in this country, flowing upward, and the deception is working beautifully.

And I really dislike Prarie Home Companion…

(via Better than salt money)

This post took on a life of it’s own after I got started. Although the start has little to do with where it went, I’ll leave it as is.

I sometimes wonder exactly what Old Oligarch is thinking when he posts things like this.

This is the main point of contention:

Is being a single woman in your thirties basically a sign that you’ve been misled by an ideology that is not great for you as a woman (and certainly not as a mother), but hey, you can’t see that; or, if you can, it’s too late now, so you vote for the party that defined your status quo?

Let’s see, getting married quite late in life describes a majority of my friends, as well as myself. We all married late (myself at 28). Misled by a political ideology and defined by the status quo? I think not.

Personally, I’ve always chalked up the late marriage trend to my parent’s generation. I saw many kids whose parents were divorced, and saw what divorce did to those kids. I decided that I was not going to rush into marriage until I was certain that I wasn’t going to be making a mistake. After all, we’re living a lot longer than any generation previously, and if I’m going to be spending 50 years or more with someone, I’d better make sure I like them as well as love them. (And let me tell you, if I’d married almost any of the people I dated before my husband, I’d be dead or divorced by now. I had (with one major exception) a knack for picking the worst guy possible for me.)

As far as this statement:

Women with traditional values succeed much more often and remain in stable unions; thus the high correlation between traditional values and marriage.

In my family traditional Catholic values are: charity, service, and electing Democrats.

Personally, I’d like to put Old Oligarch up against my mother in the political arena. She’s a staunch Catholic (a convert even!) and a staunch Democrat. Give him a taste of a real liberal woman.

Okay, I’ve looked at the census data, and I think that he’s full of it.

If you look at Historical Time Series data from the census records for marriage, you find that the the change in rates of never married women are slightly higher, while the rate for while the rates for divorced women have skyrocked.

My calculated rates of increase from 1950:

It seems to me that if anything we should be railing about the circumstances that have led to the huge increase in divorce rates, including, perhaps, marrying at too young an age. (I shan’t rail against the fact that we’re living longer, since I hardly see that as part of the problem.)

Now, let’s look at the article he quotes, which goes right to the heart of what I find so maddening about the Republican party:

People who are secure vote Republican, while those who are on the margins and on the edges vote Democratic.

The reasons for that are obvious, in that time and again the Republican party has ignored the poor (and frequently made things worse) while serving corporate interests. So many conservatives neither know, nor care, about those in poverty in this country.

This is an outrage.

I know quite clearly what it’s like to not have health insurance, and the fear of getting sick: fear that stems not being able to afford either health care to treat the illness or to take time off from work. I went to work sick more times that I can count, and I still have a hard time shaking the idea that if I can stand, I can have to go to work. (The public health crisis inherent in that idea is a rant for another day.)

I also know quite clearly what it’s like to struggle to make ends meet, despite the fact that when I was working minimum wage, I was far better off than many. Even today I watch my checkbook like a hawk, and absolutely refuse to let us go into the red–or in fact get anywhere near it. The fear of not being able to pay bills–even though we’ve been on solid financial ground now for years, is still quite real for me, and will probably remain so for the rest of my life.

That fear doesn’t even cover the terror of an unexpected expense, like car repair (For of course if you’re living on the margin, you can’t afford a car in good working order, if you can afford a car at all.)

And then there is the sheer exhaustion that comes with working such jobs. The long days that come from working any overtime you can get; the exhaustion that comes from getting off work at 10 at night, and having to come back into work the next morning at 6; spending precious days off (and almost never were those days off two days in a row) just trying to get things like grocery shopping taken care of.

For me it was going through life without ever getting enough sleep, always being on the verge of illness, and throughout it all a general feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. The fear that I’d never escape and find a “real” job.

I remember these things sharply, painfully, and it is those memories that lead me to always tip more than 20%. It is personal knowledge of how companies treat their employees that keeps me from ever buying fast food. It is memories of going to work sick time and again that make me so adamant that all Americans must have access to health care–and not just because it is the right thing to do.

It is the denial of the problem of poverty that so enrages me. It is our duty–our obligation–to care for those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Those who ignore that duty while catering to the wealthy are not deserving of the power that we the voters have entrusted them with.

And THAT is why I am a liberal.

Crikey!

So what is the point of having security guards without guns or anything else that would allow them to stop an art theft that occurred in broad daylight?