GeoffWatland's comments:

on Grow Your Own

There seems to be some legislation in Congress that will effectively outlaw organic gardening. I don't know enough about it and don't want to be an alarmist, but those who care about their food and gardening should look into this further.

Bills are:
House H.R... 875 http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-875
Senate S 425 http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-425

posted 3 years, 1 month ago
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on Sam Scandal

Let us remember too that even if it is found that there was a sexual relationship prior to Beau's 18th birthday the offense under Oregon Law is not statutory rape, but a misdemeanor of "contributing to the delinquency of a minor." It hardly seems worth calling for someone's resignation and assailing their character over an offense of this nature. I would bet that Sam did wait until Beau was 18 and he lied about it because 1. It really is no one's business and 2. Much like he said people, people would blow it out of proportion and in the court of public opinion he would be considered a child molester regardless of the facts.

posted 3 years, 4 months ago
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on Sam Scandal

A lot of people are very shocked and upset about Sam Adams recent scandal and I have to admit I'm shocked by people's reaction to it. People who, if held up to any scrutiny about their lifestyles usually with regards to their sex lives or their drug habits, could easily be prosecuted and sentenced to several years in prison. Sam is getting the brunt of a lot of people's judgment today and I feel like I'm the only person who thinks it's unfair.

I'm hearing several consistent contradictions in people's response to this scandal. First off there's the whole "I couldn't survive that kind of scrutiny so I would never run for public office" argument and "if someone wants to run for office they should be prepared to have every part of their life examined and live their life accordingly." Immediately following this comes, "I'm really scared that he's going to be kicked out of office for this, he's really our best hope for the city."

I'm really tired of people's sex lives turning into political fodder. Age of consent laws are antiquated and completely arbitrary as they are determined by individual states. If Sam and Beau were in one of the 31 states where the age of consent is 16 (including Washington State) there would be no legal argument to justify the money on finding a special prosecutor.

John Ball is not a crusader of truth in this case either. His motives for investigating and publicizing this affair can't be construed as anything less than politically motivated. He was digging for trouble and he found something. That something he found is a private matter between (in my mind) two consenting adults.

"BUT SAM LIED!" Yes he lied. He lied to the Oregonian and WW two ridiculous rags that had no business asking about Sam's sex life to begin with. He didn't lie under oath, this isn't Bill Clinton and Kenneth Starr dragging the American people through months of grueling investigations and televised dissertations. And he lied about something that most people I know who are openly criticizing him would prefer never to disclose to the general public either. I know I was having sex at the age of 17 with people older than 18. What about you?

Sam shouldn't have lied and he never should have asked Beau to lie, I don't condone lying, however, I see a bigger crime here. Politicizing anyone's CONSENUAL sex life is a witch hunt and NO ONE should ever be put through the humiliating process of being judged not to mention threatened with prosecution for CONSENSUAL sex. John Ball, WW, the Oregonian and the citizens of Oregon really have no right to make an issue of Sam's behavior unless every last one of them is willing to be pursued with the same intrusive investigative tactics.

Someone asked me what example Sam is setting. Well what example are we setting if we say that it's okay for people's CONSENSUAL sex lives to become fodder for political scrutiny?

Sam has admitted wrong doing, apologized and consented to an investigation. He's taking responsibility for the wrong doing he's done (and by wrong doing I mean the lying). You don't have to like it, but how would you want to be treated if you were subject to the same sort of intrusive and inappropriate questioning?

posted 3 years, 4 months ago
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on Nuclear Reactions

My grandfather grew up in White Bluffs, WA a town that was evacuated by the federal government to become part of the Hanford Nuclear Site. He later raised a family just across the Columbia River where he still owns an orchard that my uncle tends to in Pasco, WA.

Despite having his family displaced and unfairly compensated for the farmland they owned in White Bluffs and witnessing all the controversy since before Hanford was created he's still a strong proponent of nuclear power. If you watch the movie Silkwood it's clear how human arrogance and profit seeking at Hanford has always been a huge risk to the public safety for everyone in the Northwest. My grandfather would call a lot of the concern around nuclear power and these waste issues fear mongering. I've struggled for years to understand his pro-nuclear perspective, but now I would have to admit that given the global dependence on oil and all the horrible effects we're currently experiencing nuclear power has a comparatively innocuous legacy of environmental damage.

Clearly oil dependency and nuclear waste are not sustainable. The real shame is that there hasn't been another Manhattan Project type initiative towards seeking alternatives to these energy sources that are sustainable, clean, safe, and a net positive on our environment.

posted 3 years, 5 months ago
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