Interaction and the Great Mentioner

Yes, I have a 2016 presidential campaign update kicking around.  But the center point is not yet fully formed, so that angry piece will have to wait.   Fun is in scarce supply these days, so let’s go in that direction instead.

I was planning on posting something on the ’18 cycle in November or December of this year, but with some folks already, “exploring” 2018 options locally, why wait?

So here are the rules. If you know someone, or think you know someone, who might seek elective office in 2018, in a district that includes in whole, or in part, Howard County, email me a) their name, b) the office they might seek, c) the district where they might run, and d) their party affiliation (if appropriate).  I will not disclose the names of the individuals who provide me with this information, so you will enjoy anonymity.  Want to float someone else’s name?  Great.  Your own name? Fine.  At this point, I want to aggregate the potential candidates for the many local races that will occur in 2018.

Eventually, meaning when I am darn good and ready, I will post an early look at the races of greatest interest, where I will list all, some, or none of the names I have received.  Perhaps I will offer up some initial thoughts & analysis on the potential candidates and the districts/campaigns in which they might be involved. 

So feel free to email me some prospective candidates, jasonabooms@gmail.com works best.   Come on you HoCo political junkies, time to send up those trial balloons.

Stay tuned, as more will follow.

     

 

Black Lives Matter and America

Anyone who doesn’t recognize that Black people, in America, have been disproportionally impacted by violence (in many forms)…and suffered violence and its effects because of their race…is simply not paying attention to 400 years of history.  This is why there is a need for a Black Lives Matter movement.  No one is asking for anything other than the ability to fulfill the promise of the Declaration of Independence, to enjoy “certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”  There is nothing at all controversial about wanting these things.  Yet, there seems to be controversy, why?

The sad, cold reality is that there are those, out of fear, hate, and/or ignorance, who choose to commit acts of harm against Black men, women, and children.  Their motivations may vary but the end result is the same.  The frustration is that there are those who refuse to accept the fact that this has occurred throughout our nation’s history, and that it continues to the present day.

  

The hypocrisy is one of the more troubling elements.  Let’s employ a simple version of philosopher John Rawls and his moral constructs.  If rational people, placed behind a “veil of ignorance” and put into an “original position” where they would not know their race or other characteristics, were compelled to design a society, they would probably not formulate one where slavery or race-based discrimination existed, knowing that they could be part of an ethnic minority facing such treatment. 

So why then, for example, is it acceptable in the United States, for Black male teens to be 21 times more likely to be killed by police compared to white male teens? These are recent statistics, compiled by ProPublica from 2010 – 2012.  What mindset says that these numbers don’t represent a continuation of a horrific human tragedy?  Aren’t we, as a society, supposed to be better than this?  Where are those “patriots” who fail to man the ramparts against what should be considered un-American behavior?  They seem to stand silent, frozen atop feet of clay.  
   

We live in a heterogeneous Republic, “color-blindness” is a failure to recognize our nation as it is. This is why there is, and needs to be, a Black Lives Matter movement.  With true equality in America far more of an aspiration than a grounded actuality, there needs to be voices clamoring not for “special treatment,” but for fundamental justice, fair treatment, and the freedom to live in peace with one’s neighbors.   

Stay tuned, as more will follow.

On Roads, Marriage, and Housing

Drove in to Columbia’s City Core from the leafy ‘burbs of Wilde Lake this morning.  Took the Twin Rivers Expressway from the Faulkner Ridge Exit.  Not much traffic, unless you count the squirrels.

This post might not have a cohesive narrative thread.  So it may be more like an old Larry King article…or a flashback scene from the Family Guy.  Either way, let’s begin.

I read a tweet from Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary last night regarding her sponsorship of a bill that would raise the marriage age in Maryland.  It was one of those, my-God-how-is-this-not-the-law-already? moments that occasionally arises when an out-of-sight/out-of-mind issue slides back into the public consciousness.    Helpful background information can be found here: http://cnsmaryland.org/2016/03/03/bill-would-increase-marriage-age-in-maryland/

This is a fundamental human rights issue. Delegate Atterbeary’s bill deserves serious consideration, passage through the General Assembly, and to become law.

While this author prefers to focus on Federal and state issues, I strongly encourage my readers to take a close look at the Downtown Development/Housing Plans being advanced by the Administration and by Councilwoman Jen Terrasa. A helpful compare/contrast document can be found on Ms. Terrasa’s County Council website:  http://cc.howardcountymd.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=vBNhExPoVu0%3d&portalid=0

Others can dissect the granular elements of both plans.  And others will.  On an admittedly visceral level, Councilwoman Terrasa’s plan seems more dedicated to basic concepts such as equity, neighborhood diversity, and community control over its own destiny compared to the Administration’s proposal.  Her plan represents a vision of Columbia which seems more aligned with the values and priorities of our residents.  That is why I support the Terrasa Proposal.

Over 250 words and not one obscure reference, that, of course, is what made Pericles’ Funeral Oration a nifty little speech.  But this is the written word, and my readers expect more!      

But my cup requires replenishment before I head back out onto the mean streets of the Downtown District…there might be a pigeon jackknifed on Little Patuxent and I have appointments to keep.

Stay tuned, as more will follow.

On Brexit and Melancholy

“Please give me a second grace
Please give me a second face
I've fallen far down
The first time around
Now I just sit on the ground in your way”

-       Nick Drake, “Fly”

There is no doubt, in our newly post-Brexit World, that many “Leave” voters are re-assessing the wisdom of their vote.  Based on interviews obtained with that slice of the electorate, a buyer’s remorse has settled in amongst those who either did not really wish for a “Leave” win…and/or those who did not fully appreciate the consequences of what promises to be a protracted and painful separation.

The regional results show solid “Remain” victories in Scotland, London, and Northern Ireland, all 55%+. “Leave” pulled out majorities in every other area, with the West Midlands (59.3%) and the East Midlands (58.8%) leading the way.

It is unknown, at this writing, what this outcome means…if anything… for ostensibly “populist” sovereignty movements in other Western democracies.   Donald Trump’s brand of nativism struck a chord with some American voters, but the force of his personality muddies the issue.  Is nationalism rampant again or are we foundering about in our quest for security and identity in a post 9/11 world?  Is simplistic triumphalism our yana of the moment…a raft that millions of Americans are grasping out of some deep fear about who we are and where we are headed? 

There was , of course, a generational split with the E.U. referendum, with older voters more likely to cast their ballots in favor of “Leave.”  Given GOP antipathy toward deeply-embedded initiatives such as Social Security and Medicare, it is unlikely that the Republicans can cobble together a sizable enough percentage of 65+ voters to offset their likely defeat amongst the Millennial and Generation X cohorts.  But it is early and we don’t yet know the strength of the Clinton General Election campaign…nor the ability of Trump to connect with an unnerved electorate.

Who knows?  Perhaps there will be another referendum in the months ahead asking U.K. voters if they should rejoin the E.U.   But in America, we don’t have snap elections.  We have to live with our election outcomes for certain fixed time intervals, and that is a sobering thought indeed.   
       

“Now if it’s time for recompense for what’s done
Come, come sit down on the fence in the sun
And the clouds will roll by
And we’ll never deny
It’s really too hard
For to fly” – Nick Drake, “Fly”

Stay tuned, as more will follow.

Choose Mobility

As any sane runner will tell you, bear sightings are magic.  Nothing gets the legs kicking higher than the knowledge that a couple hundred pound representative of Ursus americanus, capable of 30 mph sprints, might be roaming in a near-by cul-de-sac, searching for food.  I know some runners carry bear spray, but that seems unsporting.  Pneu-Dart offers up a line of tranquilizer guns, but the post-run coffee stops at Corner Bakery can unnerve some of the more sensitive customers.

Which is why I opt for the mindful running approach.  I know some folks like to zone out, with their Sony Walkmans and Def Leppard, oblivious to the path before them.  That just isn’t smart. 

The same logic applies to running in thunderstorms.  Some athletes are mudders.  As an Asics aficionado, I don’t mind the rain. But I want to be aware when the tornado sirens sound.  That is when the adrenaline kicks in. Seeking cover is an option when buildings are around, but when you are rounding the corner at Harpers Farm and Broken Land with nothing but sideways rain, lightning, and your wits…it’s time to open up the throttle.  Fitbit be damned.

Today’s feature, “Running on Empty,” brought to you by neither Jackson Browne, nor the Howard County Striders.

Stay tuned, as more will follow.

On Deities and Doughnuts

Underneath his typical somber/sullen rhythms, I thought I heard what could pass for glee in his voice.  Of course the Skype connection wasn’t 100%, so it was hard to tell.

“You have Duck Donuts where you live?”

“Yeah, Slats, kinda.  Driving distance. Why?” I asked, wondering how he heard about the place.

“I ordered some the other day.  Having a couple boxes delivered here. “

“Here being…?”

“Never mind.  I stuck it on the Libertarian tab.  Their accountant is an anarchist, they will never notice.”

“Anyway,” he continued, “Have you had the maple bacon ones, the kind with the real bacon?  A divine torus, indeed!”

Knowing that Slats was a bit of a skeptic on matters pertaining to religion, I had to follow up.

“Divine?  This is coming from a committed agnostic, right?” I prodded.

“Aren’t you the World’s Worst Buddhist? Look, the universe is too big to discount the possibility of an omniscient being.   It is the pinnacle of self-conceit for humankind, with our thin record of civilization collectively and our short live-spans individually, to think otherwise,” he replied matter-of-factly.

“So, Gary Johnson paid you on time then?” I inquired.

“In cash, check, and Bitcoin.  Hallelujah.”

Stay tuned, as more will follow.

"Non-Partisan" Does Not Equal "Non-Values"

Without naming any local names, here are some considerations:

1.     Individual party affiliation is not an immutable characteristic.  Nor is it determined for us.  People choose to affiliate with a political party…or to not align with any political party.

2.     When people decide to join, or vote for candidates belonging to, a political party, they do so because they feel a certain kinship with the values associated with that organization.  In some cases, the attachment is strong; while for some, the connection is more attenuated.

3.     In the United States, today, there is a strong correlation between ideology (conservative, moderate, liberal) and party registration (Republican, Democratic, etc…).  There are few conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans left, compared to the size of those blocs from the New Deal era to the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980.  Of course, voters can be conservative on some issues and liberal on others.

4.     So, when a candidate seeks public office, even one in a non-partisan election, I believe it is important to understand their worldview and how this might impact their policy decisions.  Part of a candidate’s worldview is expressed through their political beliefs and activities.  If they support Presidential Candidate X or Senate Candidate Y, it is fair game to ask, “Why?” 

5.     Let’s ground this a bit more.  Say I am a progressive Democrat and I reside in Howard County.  Let’s further assume that Board of Education Candidate Z is a Republican who, in 2016, supports Donald Trump for President.  Now, my first inclination is try to understand their policy stances on a host of matters that pertain to the office they seek.  What do they think about school choice and vouchers?  What are their opinions regarding the role of the Federal Government in K – 12 Education?  What is their perspective on Common Core (this issue having far less of a right/left split than others)?  And so on…These are the most salient questions, given the office. 

6.     That said, I think it is legitimate to ask Candidate Z, respectfully, "Who do you support for President and why?"  I would feel the same way if Howard County were 90% Democratic or 90% Republican. 

7.     Now Candidate Z has the option of not responding.  That said, I think it’s a within-the-bounds question.  The voters get to select what is important, not the candidates.  A non-response allows voters to fill-in-the-blanks, and this rarely works to the benefit of the candidate.

8.     If Candidate Z says that they like Donald Trump because of his immigration proposals, for example, I might want to dig deeper to determine precisely what he or she likes about them. The idea here is not to play gotcha, but to get a handle on how they perceive the world, as well as their judgment and critical thinking processes.  These are all relevant calculations when it comes to electing someone to the Board of Education, bearing in mind the responsibilities of that position.

9.     Ultimately, it is the job of the Candidate Z (who, it should be noted, chose to seek public office) to communicate their values to us, the electorate.  The Candidate may not like the rough-and-tumble of political life, but that, my friends, is hard cheese.   

10. The key here is respectful dialogue. I am not going to point out any recent examples of civil or non-civil conversations.  Something tells me everyone can locate these readily.  My point being is that we don't need to bring the national vitriol into our local discourse.  And that, I believe, is the truest distillation of Howard County Values.

Stay tuned, as more will follow.