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Oregon1's comments:

on Special Coverage: Kroger Won't Charge Sam Adams

I voted for Sam Adams and totally believe in equal rights for people of different sexual orientations.  But the defense being put out to for Mayor Adams, that gay individuals have as a group been forced to learn to lie at an early age, and that criticism of their actions can be dismissed as bigoted attacks, are the most potent ammunition I have ever heard AGAINST gay individuals.  Can we imagine similar arguments being used to defend some action by an African American politician?  It would rightly be decried as demeaning and counterproductive for equal rights.

I think it's pretty easy in this case to isolate whether the reaction is homo-phobic.  Had our mayor pursued a sexual relationship with a 17 year old girl intern and then consummated it within days of her 18 birthday, and lied about it all the way down the line, he would be gone by now.

posted 3 years, 11 months ago
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on Polo's Counter Intelligence

Wow, thanks for your reflective response Polo. I understand better where you are coming from, and I agree that every generation of immigration (including my own) have a lot to contribute to the culture with new ideas and perspective.

posted 4 years, 5 months ago
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on Polo's Counter Intelligence

I'm a little disappointed in Polo's statement that there 'is something wrong' with people who don't share his cultural sensitivity around cemetries in the instance of the Max line to the zoo. There are different cultural perspectives around death - some cultures won't mention the name of the deceased, others keep their skeletons on display in their homes, many Americans are not particularly 'sensitive' to the bodies of the dead, believing that the spirit is quite seperate. In encouraging people to be senstive to other peoples culture, it seems important to me that this sensitivity and respect is extended in both directions - mainstream and other.

posted 4 years, 5 months ago
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on Nuclear Reactions

Compared to other programs, I'm disappointed how one-sided and 'advocacy' the tone was. The truth that many people do not want to hear is that Hanford area is in many ways relatively safe. It's a major wildlife refuge, with the best wild salmon success of anywhere on the river. Pollution issues are probably just as significant in other cities, surrounded by freeways car exhaust and industrial plants, and on farms with toxic herbicides.

Hanford has a unique history because much of the pollution comes from a period during a global war where little was known about long term effects, and frankly little emphasis given to them because the alternative was seen as losing that war. Many parts of the world were impacted by that conflict - should we be funding the clean up of Japanese cities? Should they be funding the cleanup of Hanford? I think it's time to feel less guilt around the choices back then.

Bottom line it's hard to trust the advocacy groups here - the State is understandably after a bunch of Federal money, individuals are seeking their own health care in a society without good health options, and the drum of advocacy creates an atmosphere of suspicion and fear which I think is overblown.

posted 4 years, 5 months ago
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on Hurrah for the Red, White and Blue

My feelings about being an American citizen were changed when I watched my coworker from South Korea go through applying for citizenship and then making her pledge at a public ceremony.

I grew up in England but with an American mother, so I had US citizenship and took it for granted. Coming here was just a matter of buying a plane ticket and finding a job. I still felt 'English' culturally and was uncomfortable with any expression of patriotism.

But when I encouraged my coworker to work for her US citizenship, and watched her pledge to renounce other allegiances where I had not, I was forced to decide whether I really felt American or not. I realized that citizenship could transcended culture and speak to ideals of freedom, justice and the rule of law. That we sadly fail on those goals more often than we should hasn't changed my sense of patriotism that being American means for me to believe in these principles above any particular culture, religion, race or other 'unifying' identity.

posted 4 years, 11 months ago
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on Summer Slump

This is such an important topic to be discussing. I have two teenage children, 14 and 16, and I'm glad that they are both keen to get summer jobs, but of course frustrated by the age limits that we have now put on teens working. My wife remembers being picked up from school by the Farm bus and spending June afternoons picking Strawberries.

But the good news I see is that my kids have developed great work ethic from volunteer opportunities in town. For example, the Oregon Zoo teen volunteers program is absolutely wonderful - they had to apply in a very meaningful interview process, they get training before they start, are proud of their T-shirt uniforms, and take great responsibility on being on time.

Part of this responsibility is that they take public transit to go to 'work'. (I try to honor their activity by asking them how their day at work was). I think we tend too often as parents these days to 'helicopter' our kids to events and then wonder why they are not self-motivated.

So bottom line I think part of our role as parents is to support our teens developing real work skills and self-motivation through whatever is available in town, whether babysitting, weeding neighbours yards, volunteering, etc. And respecting our kids that given the chance many of them really do want to work.

posted 4 years, 11 months ago
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