No Random Student Drug Testing in Our State!

Article in this morning's Seattle Times. I gotta go get ready for work, and can't comment in depth, but as someone who prizes civil liberties, I'm happy to see our WA State Supreme Court make this ruling. A great example of individual liberties vs. promoting the general welfare, with regard to search and seizure.

Woo-Hoo!

I found my glasses!

PS - this post doesn't count for current events.

The other thing about Spitzer

The question many people are asking is "What was he thinking?" Eliot Spitzer comes from a family of tremendous personal wealth, he has a wife and three daughters, and a dazzlingly successful political career. (Well, he had one.) What drove him to seek out high-priced prostitutes knowing full well the consequences he would face if it ever became public?

There are a lot of possible psychological explanations (see Blame It on the Primal Brain of Homo Politicus), but I'd like you to think about a political phenomenon known as the "arrogance of power". It basically refers to people in power (and this was something Clinton admitted was a part of why he had a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky) thinking that they are above the law, or at least above getting caught.

Is there something about having power that makes people lose respect for the rule of law? It is such a basic, fundamental principle of our system of government, yet so many have disregarded it: from historical figures like Richard Nixon, to contemporary examples such as ex-House majority leader Tom DeLay, Senator Larry Craig, and N.J. Governor Corzine. (I would also argue that an arrogance of power led many in the Bush Administration to believe they could disregard fundamental liberties and international law in fighting the "war on terror". I think it has been proven by now that our government thought it could be excused from following national and international laws, treaties, etc., against torture, mistreatment of prisoners, denying due process, and waging offensive, unprovoked war.)

Okay, no one is perfect, and that includes the people who serve in public office. Have you read/heard/seen any interesting commentary or analysis on these questions in the media? Share with us! If you can't find any, you can start with this from CNN: Experts analyze Spitzer's thinking

Eliot Spitzer

Wow. I was shocked by this, and apparently so was everyone else. The popular Governor of New York resigned today after it was uncovered that the man who made his career as a tough crime fighting district attorney had been involved in soliciting a high priced prostitution ring. (Story here and just about everywhere else in the media.)

It is unclear whether or not he will be prosecuted for a crime, but the public shame and humiliation were too much for him to continue, which brings up a number of questions:

Americans have become very used to politicians "shading the truth" and "spinning news stories" for their benefit, but Americans have little patience for politicians who claim to be just, moral, and dedicated to upholding the law, only to have a shadowy dark side that they hide from everyone else.

What have you read/heard/seen about this case that makes you think about the bond of trust between citizens and the government officials they elect to represent them? Should Spitzer have resigned? What does this case say about the line between public and private morality? In the case of President Bill Clinton, people were outraged at his immoral (though not illegal) relationship with Monica Lewinsky, but ultimately didn't support his being tossed out of office.

(It should be noted that the crime Clinton was guilty of was lying about the relationship with Lewinsky under oath in a deposition for a civil case being brought against him by another woman, Paula Jones, for alleged sexual harassment. Clinton was suspended from practicing law for five years, but he wasn't going to be getting back into the field of law anyway.)

I think Spitzer did the right thing by resigning - there was no way he was going to be an effective governor for N.Y State with this controversy and legal investigation swirling about him. He disappointed a lot of people who saw him as a true "law and order" guy that wanted to clean up corruption in government.

The guy who will be replacing him is someone I've only read a little about in the last day or two, but is an interesting person, David Paterson. You can read or listen to a story about him here and here.

Modern Day Slavery in our World

Read or listen to this story on NPR about the slave trade that exists in many places around our world. I knew about this, but not some of the details and the amount of slaves around the country. The modern practice of slavery is often referred to as "human trafficking". Here is a brief description from Amnesty International:

Trafficking is modern day slave trading. It involves transporting people away from the communities they live in by the threat or use of violence, deception or coercion so they can be exploited as forced or enslaved workers. When children are trafficked, no violence, deception or coercion needs to be involved: simply transporting them into exploitative conditions constitutes trafficking.

Trafficking is a worldwide phenomenon. Victims are trafficked into a range of hazardous labor including farm work, sweatshops, domestic servants, forced prostitution and subjected to sexual abuse and other forms of violence. Each year, an estimated 600,000-800,000 men, women, and children are trafficked across international borders according to the US Department of State.

Keep in mind that slavery is not only illegal in the United States, but is in violation of Article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

I found this story very sad and disturbing. We need to do more to defend the human rights of the defenseless. If you want to do something about it, you can start taking action at Amnesty International's pages that deal with "human trafficking".

Good Idea vs Bad Idea

So lets have a bit of good idea vs. bad idea.
Good idea: Runing for president in 2008 as a Democrat following one of the most dissapointing and disapproved Republican Presidents.
Bad idea: Running for president in 2008 as a Republican and having your number one tag line be "Experience" when the last 8 years have far from a good experience.
Good idea: Having strong endorsements in said race in order to pick up as many on the fence votes as possible.
Bad idea: Having one of the nations most disliked president's "approval" and endorsement.
Good idea: Bringing inspriration and hope to millions of citizens in the U.S. with personal stories and speeches that bring new life to American politics such as the ones from Barack Obama and even Hillary Clinton.
Bad idea: Running as a Rublican and having almost no conservative views and values.

The bad ideas are some of Sen. John McCain's stats if you will. While many people are cuaght up in the Democratic race for nomination which is one of the closest races in years. The Senator from Arizona picked up an endorsement from the White House. That's right President George W. Bush endorsed McCain yesterday, Wednesday March 5th. Although having this endorsement gives McCain many bonuses, such as money and the aura and name of the presidnecy, it may have drawbacks that are not so visible. For one McCain has talked a lot about experience and has made it apparant that he has more than enough to lead the country. But with all the experience he has he has also spoken about learning from the past and not making those same mistakes. With the American peoples experiences from the last 8 years being not so good, will the name of the president who led our country through all that be an endorsement or just add to the weight that McCain has to carry in order to gain the presidency. With Barack and Hilary gathering so much attention, and the public perspective that we need change, this race doesn't look so good as is for McCain as well as the Republican party. Whether this endorsement helps or hurts we won't know quite yet, one thing is certain though, John McCain is going to have a tough trip in order to be the one being sworn in next January.

WASL Insanity

It is that the time of year again when I start to feel really depressed about what the WASL and the No Child Left Behind Act has done to our public schools.

Next week, our school's schedule will be all out of whack to accomodate the WASL. Lots of classes will have a lot less instruction going on because many students will be missing from class because of the WASL. All this will happen for another week in April. Students only have 180 days in the school year to learn all they are supposed to learn, and a lot of instructional time is lost to these tests.

The Washington State Constitution guarantees all students the right to an education. But I really believe the WASL exams are doing more harm than good.

Even the State Legislature is having to face some of the reality about the cost of the system. According to an article in today's Seattle Times, more changes may be made to the elementary and middle school level tests because they cost so much to grade. They already caved in on the math WASL because so many students failed it. Is all of this money and time really improving instruction?

I don't have a problem with the idea of finding out if students can read, write, and do math before we give them a diploma. I do have a problem with the way the tests are administered, and how so much of a student's educational career rides on this one test. There are a lot of students that get incredibly stressed out during these exams.

I would propose that the state put MORE money into the tests, and give the tests outside of the school day. Have testing locations and test dates on weekends like they do for SAT exams. We have testing locations for driver's exams.

Let our 180 school days be a time for learning, not turning everything upside down to meet governmental testing requirements. A lot of teachers are going to be spending a lot of their time proctoring tests, and baby-sitting bored students who can't do much of anything when they finish the test, because students aren't allowed to leave the room, have certain types of school work out, or listen to music with headphones.

Our first and second periods are going to be well over an hour long, but the others will be shorter than normal. Most classes will waste part of those long classes because the students aren't used to focusing on one subject for that length of time. Other classes will have less time to keep up the the 1st and 2nd period classes. Teaching young people is a challenge. It is much more challenging when we have unusual schedules. Students have been trained to believe that days like these are ones where we "shouldn't have to do anything". Most teachers fall for it. I know there have been times when I have.

Read about it and share your thoughts.

Doh!

Tuesday night was not a happy result for Obama supporters. I think Hillary is great and all, but I was really hoping the Democratic Party would be on its way to unifying behind Obama. Instead we are facing many more weeks of our two top candidates going after one another while John McCain gets to hang out at the White House and look Presidential.

I'll leave it to you to find some links to political coverage, do you think these developments will hurt the Democrat's chances of winning the Presidency in the fall? There are some that think it isn't a bad thing for the eventual winner of the Democratic nominee.

Meanwhile, if you were wondering, here is the lowdown and the upcoming contests:

Countdown to Wyoming: 2 days

Countdown to Mississippi: 5 days

Countdown to Pennsylvania: 47 days

Countdown to Election Day 2008: 243 days

Countdown to Inauguration Day 2009: 320 days

It's Sorta Super Tuesday

Primaries and caucuses in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont today. Election results should be coming in any time now. We know that McCain may clinch it all in the Republican race. As for what is at stake on the Democratic side and a breakdown of the numbers, this is what the Washington Post had to say:

"Obama began the day with a total of 1,386 pledged delegates and unpledged superdelegates, compared with Clinton's total of 1,276, according to an Associated Press tally.

At stake today are 370 Democratic delegates.

Texas is the crown jewel of the day -- doling out 193 delegates in a hybrid primary-caucus process. The primary vote, which concludes when polls close in West Texas at 9 p.m. Eastern time, apportions 126 delegates based on the percentages of the vote Obama and Clinton carry in the state's 31 state Senate districts. The other 67 delegates will be awarded in a caucus process that starts tonight and ends at the state convention on June 6. Ohio will award 141 delegates, Rhode Island 21 and Vermont 17."

More interestingly, Bill Clinton put it this way in a speech in Texas a few weeks ago:

"If she wins Texas and Ohio I think she will be the nominee. If you don't deliver for her, I don't think she can be. It's all on you."

Clinton did have a big lead in Texas and Ohio, but Obama has closed the gap to a dead heat in Texas. Ohio polls still have Hillary ahead by a bit. But those are just polls - we will start getting real results soon.

A Whole Lot of Americans are in Jail

This headline is grabbing lots of attention: U.S. Imprisons One in 100 Adults, Report Finds

What does this say about our nation. Read some of the details involving the ratios of minorities and drug offenders being incarcerated, and think about the costs of building and running prisons. Are we going about something the wrong way here?

I've got some opinions on this, but I'll leave it to you for now.

Around our World

Around our world it has been a week of many ups and downs. (How's that for a totally original introductory sentence?)

Good news came out of Kenya today. There hasn't been much good news out of Kenya in the past few months. A contested election for President split Kenyan society along ethnic lines and riots, killings, and all manner of violence ensued. The two main rivals, President Mwai Kibaki (who won the allegedly rigged election) and Raila Odinga finally agreed to allow former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan broker a negotiation to help heal the nation. Today, they announced a breakthrough. I sincerely hope that Kenya, which has been a leading African nation, will not see any more of this violence, but it is asking alot of these politicians to put aside their egos and ambitions for the good of their country.

Not many nations are lucky enough to have a George Washington (or a Thomas Jefferson, or John Adams for that matter) that put the good of the country ahead of their own desire for power.

Read about Kenya here:
Kenya Rivals Reach Peace Agreement
NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya’s rival leaders broke their tense standoff on Thursday, agreeing to share power in a deal that may end the violence that has engulfed this nation but could be the beginning of a long and difficult political relationship. (more)

In a development that creates problems for everyone except the government of Turkey and it's supporters, the Turkish military sent forces into northern Iraq, allegedly to root out members of the PKK, a Kurdish rebel movement that wants the Kurds in northern Iraq and eastern Turkey to unite into an independent nation called Kurdistan. Read a good background article about this conflict from the BBC. To read about how this action has put the U.S. government in an uncomfortable position, read this from the New York Times.

Kosovo declared independence last week. These aren't exact quotes, but basically, the U.S. said, "Congratulations!", the British government said "Hurray for you guys!", but the government of Serbia said "Tell it to the hand, cuz the face ain't listenin!" Read about it: Kosovo's independence weathers its first week. According to the article, "Serbia said it was hunting down rioters who torched the US Embassy in Belgrade Thursday as 120,000 protested the province's newly declared statehood." There are some amazing pictures of the anti-U.S. riots in Serbia, where many are still angry at the U.S. for leading a NATO military intervention in the late 1990's to protect ethnic Albanians living in Kosovo.

More on the Second Amendment and Guns

I know I blogged on this topic just a couple of weeks ago, but there was an excellent front page story on the debate over guns and the second amendment in the USA Today. It is only one sentence, but we have had a really hard time agreeing on what it really means:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Read the story and tell me if it changes your interpretation of what the Second Amendment means.

the democratic debate

hey everyone so i was watching the damocratic debate tonight and well it was definitely intense to say the least. as most already know, i am a barack obama supporter so i was already biased twoards him but the debate made me love him that much more. hillary just seems like too much of a politician to me. she never really made a direct answer to anything. The subject of NAFTA expecially. obama seemed straight forward the whole time. hillary seems to be getting scared because obama is doing so well. also on the healthcare issue which has been a hot one for a while now, obamas seemed to make a whole lot more sense. hilliary was trying to argue that obama is going to force parents to insure there children but what is so wrong in that? shes going to force everyone to have insurance lol. oh but THE ABSOLUTLY MOST IMPORNTANT thing that i noticed was that......... BARACK OBAMA IS LEFT HANDED! just like me =D that won my vote lol

Debate Tonight!

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are debating on CNN tonight at 5:00 our time (PST).

It should be very interesting, because the last time they debated Hillary was the front-runner and ahead in the delegate count.

Now, the situation is reversed. Obama has a lead in both the number of states he has won and the number of delegates pledged to him. Texas and Ohio are two states with lots of delegates that are having primaries/caucuses on March 4th.

Most of the political commentators will say that while Obama is a much more inspiring orator, Clinton outshines him in the debate format, showing the depth of her knowledge on the issues. So, if you are watching, who do you think won, and why? Who was more convincing? Whose position on the issues did you agree with the most?

Another thing to think about - since time is running out on Clinton to gain ground on Obama, will she choose to go on the offensive and attack Obama with negative comments? If she does, how intense will the fireworks get?

Time to get real about guns, 2nd Amendment

Updated Feb. 20th @ 3:00 pm.

Well, it has happened again - another college campus shooting. This time in Illinois with 15 victims according to a breaking news story. (More recent news has reported 6 deaths after campus rampage. You can watch a quick clip summarizing the tragedy here.)

It is time for this country to start talking sensibly about gun violence and gun control. The Brady Bill, which used to mandate a five day waiting period (so a background check could be done on purchasers) to buy a gun was allowed to expire. The gun debate in this country is moving us backward. In 2004, the assault weapons ban was allowed to expire, and the National Rifle Association and other gun enthusiasts continually work to block sensible gun control proposals by arguing that they are a violation of their constitutional rights.

It is time for a discussion about gun rights in this country in which both sides are willing to admit that gun violence is seriously out of control in many parts of the country. I believe that hunters and gun collectors can still enjoy their recreation and hobbies, while we make it harder for dangerous or unstable people to get guns.

The Second Amendment should not be seen as banning common sense gun control laws. The rights of free expression protected by the First Amendment are not absolute rights, and there are restrictions on what we can say or publish if the expression would cause a "clear and present danger". Our free expression can also be limited by reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions.

So why should the NRA oppose laws that could greatly benefit law enforcement and do more to keep guns out of the hands of people who are dangerous or unstable? Might it inconvenience some hunter that wants to go on a last minute hunting trip. Yup, but that is life. We all have to deal with certain restrictions. I don't hunt, but I do play the guitar. I can't turn my amplifier all the way up and practice with some buddies at two o'clock in the morning. We all have to deal with inconveniences, so why won't more politicians insist that gun owners understand that they live in a society in which we all have to give up a little freedom for the common good.

They mayor of Chicago is trying to do that, but few people think he will get much passed - and he lives in the state that just witnessed these shootings!

Not every tragedy can be prevented, and the shooter at the Northern Illinois University purchased his guns legally, but the incident is still a reminder that we can do a lot more to prevent gun violence.

People who love guns and people who want to stop senseless murders ought to be able to agree that some restrictions are entirely appropriate. (To watch a short news segment on the gun control, click here.)

Following Election Returns in Primaries & Caucuses

So who do YOU think should be the next president?

If you are still undecided (or even if you have decided), check out the websites of McCain, Huckabee, Clinton, Obama, or Ron Paul.

There are a few good sites out there for those of you interested in looking at the numbers of primary and caucus elections. National Public Radio has a nice interactive map you can find here. The New York Times has an election guide you can check out here.

The Washington Post has a Political Toolbox that can give you lots of info on the candidates and the races.

Finally, youtube has some coverage of the visits the candidates made to Seattle:
McCain - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDv0-bBbdSw
Clinton - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7TB2NreFaw
Obama - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0J8b-Q3tJY

Check out some of these or other good political sites and let me know what you think.

Why I am supporting Barack Obama

Several months ago, I started feeling that Obama might be the one. I liked a lot of the Democratic candidates, but ultimately, I feel that those of us who are Democrats should nominate Barack.

I think Hillary Clinton would be a good president. I have been wishing for decades that this nation would break through the mother of all glass ceilings and elect a woman President. So, if Hillary wins the nomination, I will campaign for her and enthusiastically vote for her.

However, while Hillary might be good, I think Barack Obama has the potential for greatness. I think he has qualities and a background that are unique and make him especially qualified to undue a lot of the damage done to this country in the last several years, and move us forward in a new direction.

Barack is intelligent, and a skilled and inspiring communicator. Ever since Simon and Garfunkel sang "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?/A nation turns it's lonely eyes to you" in the late 1960's, we have longed for a leader that would inspire the younger generation to believe that together we can make a great nation and world together.

(And no, Ronald Reagan did NOT inspire the young generations in the 1980's - he reached out to older Democrats that thought the Democratic party had lost it's way.)

Barack is the only candidate who can step into the mess we have made of the world and convincingly say to other nations, "We Americans made a mistake by invading Iraq. We got carried away with fear after 9/11, and were looking for enemies under every rock. Our vision was clouded, but we are now seeing with new eyes and will be a more responsible leader of nations in the future." Hillary cannot make that argument effectively. She did support the war for too long. Bill Clinton's foreign policy got it wrong in a number of places as well. The world might be impressed that we elected a woman, (and one who wants to end the war in Iraq), but they will still look at America as many around the world do: as a bumbling, arrogant, and selfish super-power.

Barack Obama is uniquely positioned to speak to many of the things that divide us; especially race and income disparity. America is yearning to get over the legacy of racism and discrimination. We are tired of living in a nation that is so wealthy but is willing to let so many go without proper health care. The rates of homelessness and poverty are a disgrace to all of us. I think that Barack is one of the few politicians that can convincingly reach out to blacks, whites, Latinos, Asians, rich, poor, and middle class and bring them together to work on our common goals of solving these problems.

Barack has had enough experience in the political arena to handle the presidency. If you don't believe me, look at the backgrounds of other presidents in our history. Decades of experience in politics does not guarantee a successul president. Just start with Lincoln's resume.

In 2008, America is looking for a new path, a new direction, and yes, someone to inspire the youth of this nation the way John F. Kennedy did in the early 1960's. I believe Barack Obama has the necessary qualities to become that great leader, and I encourage you to support him.

Annette Klosterman – In Memoriam

Yesterday I heard the news of Annette’s death. It came in the form of an e-mail message from the school district. It stung me. Aside from the few moments I had at my desk, during the hectic pace of a school day, I had little chance to reflect upon her life and passing. I couldn’t get Peter (her younger brother) and her parents out of my mind – the pain they must be going through.

Annette graduated from Mt. Rainier High School in 2003, where she had been active in the band program, track, and the "We the People" program. She loved flying, and after graduating from college was a flight instructor at the University of North Dakota. This week she died when her plane went down in Minnesota while training a young pilot. She was 22 years old.

Last night I searched for at least one picture I knew I had of Annette during her time at Mt. Rainier. I found only a thumbnail quality picture of her from 2002, and a recommendation I had written her for a scholarship.

Yesterday and last night, all I could think of was the senselessness of the loss of Annette, and the pain Peter and her parents must be living with. Annette was such a good person – a good soul - that it makes no sense, upon first reflection, that something like this could happen to her. She was way too young. Her intelligence, sense of purpose, and talent had so much more to contribute to this world.

I woke up thinking about Annette this morning. It occurred to me that Annette had lived so much in a short time. She had a good heart and she experienced and achieved so many things in her very few years here on earth. Maybe it makes sense that someone who was destined to live only a short time would be the unusually mature, focused, and responsible person that Annette was.

I remember her laugh. I remember her smile. I remember her nice handwriting on assignments that always seemed to be done with so much care and effort. I looked back at the recommendation that I wrote for her, and I am so glad that I still have it. I’ve been out of touch with Annette for the last 2 years or so, but I remember how genuinely friendly she was when I would see her attending a game or concert Peter was involved in during a break from college. I enjoyed hearing about the progress she was making in her career, and the enjoyment she was getting out of life.

It hurts that Annette has left us. It feels good to have had her as a part of my life.

Iraq Casualties

From the Washington Post - September 12, 2007.

Sick of the Iraq War?

If you are, you will likely appreciate this commentary I ran across by Jim Hightower, who calls himself a populist. If you remember the term, you will recognize the tone of populism in his commentary.

Can You Believe This War Is Still Going On?