tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105638562024-03-23T14:30:25.532-04:00Karen Duncan: Life in the Time of CoronavirusA personal journal about surviving Covid-19Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.comBlogger800125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-55735129618304423332020-04-03T15:15:00.000-04:002020-04-03T15:15:59.843-04:00Please Follow Me Here to My New Site - Same Point of View, Same WritingSo, it's tough to start a new blog site. I have been trying to get away from here and from the whole Anonymous Is A Woman identity. Actually, very few people even remember it, except for a few diehards. Apparently, though, there are more diehards than I realized. My new site gets maybe one or two views a day.<br />
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This site gets about 80 views. Inexplicably, it has always gotten at least 50 a day even though it's been dormant since 2010, with a brief revival in 2014-2015. I guess there are still people who come by to see what Anonymous Is A Woman has to say, even if she hasn't said it in five years. Apparently, hope springs eternal.<br />
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My dilemma is this: do I just give in to the inevitable and come back to this site and work to build it back up to what it was in its heyday? After all, 50 to 80 views when you haven't said anything in five years isn't chump change.<br />
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Or do I plug away, trying to get people to go to my newer site, <a href="https://karenfduncan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Karen Duncan</a>. Or do I just cross post to both?<br />
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I am going to take the chance of giving you all a new link to my current site. It's still me and I still have something to say. And I am still the same AIAW I always was. Promise.<br />
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So please <a href="https://karenfduncan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">GO HERE</a></h2>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-78817423510018714362020-03-31T15:58:00.000-04:002020-03-31T16:01:18.449-04:00Shortages, Supply Chains, and Coronavirus<div>
The governors of Virginia and Maryland and the mayor of the District have issued a stay at home order, punishable by a fine and even jail time. The order goes to June 10 in Virginia. It allows us to to buy groceries, visit doctors, take a walk or get exercise, as long as we are in groups of less than ten. The point is to keep us out of crowds and out of harm's way while the pandemic rages on.</div>
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Most people support the action. Everybody is scared now as the rate of infection and the death rate climb. The reality is settling in and the complaints about loss of freedom and government overstepping, are diminishing. There are still some diehards, but the news is sobering. Nothing focuses the mind quite so well as danger.</div>
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Besides the outright and justifiable fear of the Covid-19 virus, there's a secondary underlying palpable anxiety about the shortages of essential goods. Consumers confront stark empty shelves in sold out grocery stores. We are being confronted with shortages of everyday items we normally take for granted.<br />
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Frozen vegetables, canned goods, meats, fresh produce, milk, bread, toilet paper, disinfectants and hand sanitizer. Even flour for baking cakes and bread. At first, some of those shortages were funny and quickly became the object of jokes. After all, who in the DC Metro area hasn't experienced the panic buying of bread, milk, and toilet paper at the mere mention of a snow flurry? One long ago weather person even joked on air, "Call me whimsical but I always have toilet paper and milk at home."</div>
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Of course, in the first couple of weeks, I expected the panic buying and even hoarding. Since I'm one of those "whimsical" people who had more than a week's supplies because I shop regularly, I wasn't too worried about running low. I'd be fine for a couple of weeks - maybe three. By then, everybody will have bought what they need, the panic will subside, and how much toilet paper and Lysol wipes can a family of two or three in a suburban townhouse hoard, anyway? Where would they store it? We don't have large farmhouses or even McMansions in our neighborhood. Eventually, I figured, my neighbors would run out of room and realize the sky is not falling, just like they always do.</div>
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This time is different.</div>
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The shortages go on and on. Finding everything you need in one shopping trip is impossible. At a time when people are desperate to limit their exposure to a dangerous virus, shopping trips are taking longer and are sometimes more frequent simply because of the necessity of making multiple trips to multiple stores to find supplies. </div>
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Business is brisk in online shopping too. People who would never before have considered delivery of their groceries are eagerly trying Peapod, Safeway, Instacart, Shipt, and other delivery services. The results have been mixed at best. </div>
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Newspaper pundits in the Sunday sections have started predicting the ways the coronavirus would change how America lives. One of those predictions has been that the use of telework would increase as employers discover their workers are just as productive from home and expensive office space is not necessary. Another prediction was that as more and more Americans went online for their shopping, they would like its convenience, which would lead to even fewer brick and mortar stores. I don't think that's going to happen.</div>
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In what could have been their big opportunity to capture a grateful market, let's just say that for most delivery services, this has not been their shining hour. It's been impossible to get delivery service. Like all resources, it's severely strained. Every time I've tried to place any order with Giant's Peapod or Safeway's service, I can't even find a delivery date. People have told me the earliest date they can get is two weeks out, and sometimes a month away. Sometimes, you come up completely empty handed with no available dates and a message to try back later.</div>
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Besides not having delivery dates available, they don't have the most needed goods in stock. Stores like Walmart, CVS, and Target are limiting supplies to one package per customer and only selling scarce goods in their stores. You just have to be lucky to get there when what you need is available and hope for the best. Dan and I have not seen any brand of wipes in a store for three weeks and they are either out of stock or not being sold online. For now, they seem impossible to get. </div>
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This brings me to a question. Why the extreme shortages of things whose availability we used to take for granted? </div>
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I can certainly understand a severe shortage of ventilators in hospitals. Ventilators are expensive and are not used commonly. They are essentially emergency equipment for relatively rare crisis situations, not frequently used medical devices. Given their expense, most hospitals only have a few available at any given time. Nobody planned for a pandemic on this scale. Nobody expected to run out of them. Nobody could.</div>
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But shortages of surgical masks and other disposable protective gear? The last time I was in an ER those were plentiful, given to any patient suspected of having a flu. You could buy a box of surgical masks in a supermarket or drugstore without even thinking about it. And now even hospitals can't get them for medical staff. That's insane.</div>
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For most routine stuff, I can indeed understand a temporary shortage in the early days of panic buying and hoarding, before retailers realized demand had shot up and before suppliers started ramping up. But with modern technology to track sales and inventory, they should already be figuring out the sharp increase in demand? And after three weeks of the public buying more than they could possibly use in more than a week or two, why is it still so hard for stores to be restocked?</div>
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What I am asking here is whether there is something wrong at a more basic level with our supply chain?</div>
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How much of the shortages are caused by how little of our consumer goods are manufactured in the U.S.? How much of the delay in getting more supplies is caused by the fact that they have to be imported and we are competing on an international market for goods produced far away from us at a time when an international supply chain has been disrupted by crisis?</div>
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I'm not a conspiracy theorist and I don't think there is a deliberate plan to block our access to consumer goods we need. Indeed, the entire rest of the world is experiencing the same panic buying, hoarding behavior, severe shortages and supply chain disruptions as we are. I know this.</div>
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But I am wondering whether we are paying a steep price now for having outsourced and off shored so much of our manufacturing capacity? We are basically competing with other countries in crisis for the same still limited supplies on an international market with less control over ramping up production. If more of our consumer goods were made at home, we could solve a couple of problems caused by the pandemic. First, many of the out of work employees from the hospitality and retail industries currently closed down would be able to find jobs in manufacturing as those companies expanded to meet the rising, albeit temporary, demand. And with more goods flowing into our stores, the panic could ease. As it is now, every day of shortages simply produces more panic buying and more hoarding. I don't know when we will find our way out of that vicious cycle. But I'm pretty sure now that it won't be any time soon.</div>
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It seems fear of the virus itself and accompanying anxiety about shortages and deprivation are our new normal at least for several more months. </div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-77848219186591792262020-03-30T17:09:00.000-04:002020-03-30T17:09:02.843-04:00Some HousekkeepingI decided to restart blogging more because we are living through what is going to be a historic time, going through a life altering pandemic the likes of which has not been seen since the Pandemic of 1918. That is still the pandemic that gives epidemiologists and public health officials nightmares. It's the standard that all other epidemics and pandemics get compared to.<br />
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But with Covid-19, a new nightmare was born. Historians, doctors and researchers, and even novelists will look back on these times and these struggles of ordinary people to get a sense of what went on. In the past, historians and writers have used personal journals as source material for understanding the times and people of given eras. They have gleaned valuable information about how ordinary people coped, what they thought, what they did to get by, what they thought, and most importantly what they felt.<br />
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This period will be no different. Some people are keeping personal journals. Others have returned to online journals - weblogs, or for short, blogs. As a former blogger, I thought I was done with the long form blog. For politics, social media like Facebook and Twitter allow me to reach many more people than my blog ever did. And they are less time consuming. You can share an opinion in 50 or 150 words or less. You could just share a link to somebody else's opinions or factual articles. You could have a life beyond living in your basement churning out articles and posts.<br />
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But I'm homebound now, self quarantining, practicing social distancing, and obeying Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's just issued order to stay in. It's a great idea. I'm perfectly happy to hole up and protect myself as much as humanly possible.<br />
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So, I've resumed my blogging, not about politics, though that will probably creep in, but something more personal, reflective, and hopefully more creative.<br />
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Meanwhile I realized there was a problem with doing it here. I wrote my few posts on the blog I already had. But I want to separate myself from my old identity, Anonymous Is A Woman,<br />
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I had a lot of fun with it back in the mid 2000s, from 2005 to 2010. But too much time has passed under the bridge. I am writing this as Karen Duncan, not as AIAW. So, I set up a new site. I am directing anybody who stumbles onto this site to look over there. It's still on Blogger because that's the easiest site on which to produce content. I don't want to fiddle around with designing a website and coding, Let somebody who likes that stuff do it. I just want to write. Anyway, <a href="https://karenfduncan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here's</a> my new home on Blogger. Best of all, it's got my real name as part of the address.<br />
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I will be playing around with design a bit. So the look may change as I go on. But here's where I live now<br />
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<a href="https://karenfduncan.blogspot.com/">https://karenfduncan.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-40755656068818142122020-03-25T16:06:00.001-04:002020-03-25T16:06:18.272-04:00Early Spring<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiRL8WCkK96S-5zdVz7Db3EqYSzgRNsBUFlychCMUcXj4oRknzafch9FCZb9vmi6zf4nC6tGF_O7YB7LOSTYc8P89Lr-7hs9eLJysA405LDILh2vf-N8flAa2pSksabdDHDzf/s1600/Cherry+Blossom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiRL8WCkK96S-5zdVz7Db3EqYSzgRNsBUFlychCMUcXj4oRknzafch9FCZb9vmi6zf4nC6tGF_O7YB7LOSTYc8P89Lr-7hs9eLJysA405LDILh2vf-N8flAa2pSksabdDHDzf/s1600/Cherry+Blossom.JPG" /></a></div>
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I am not really built for times that require bravery. I have
struggled with fears, phobias, and high anxiety most of my life, no doubt some
inherited from my mother and other family members. Indeed, I firmly believe lettuce kills.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Don’t believe me? Just google food borne illnesses, especially Romaine lettuce.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Times like these, where we have all been ordered to
self-quarantine, lockdown, and shelter in place, could easily turn me into an agoraphobic.
I fight it by taking long walks every day. We live in strange times when simply
leaving one’s house feels like an act of bravery.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the things that has struck me is how beautiful all
the blooming trees have been this spring. Even before this covid-19 virus took
over our lives, waking consciousness, dreams, and nightmares, when it was just
a blip on the radar with newspaper reports out of China, I was struck by how
particularly lovely this time of year has been.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We had a mild winter that segued into an early spring. There
are years when the tulip magnolias in Lafayette Park bloom for a couple of days
and then a blast of icy air kills them off, leaving shriveled, brown,
frostbitten blossoms. This year, though, they seemed indestructible and bloomed
everywhere. Cherry trees blossomed along the Tidal Basin, seemingly lasting
forever. No unexpected frosts, no violent wind storms to rip away their
blossoms and leave the ground looking like it had been littered by delicate
pink and white confetti. I can’t help thinking, this year these fragile
blossoms have become a symbol of resilience. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Here in Virginia,
they were every bit as resilient and stunning, making the daily commute into DC
pleasurable, even as everybody's fears began to slowly mount. Then, of course, last week,
we were ordered out of our office building and the lovely morning and evening rides
home ceased.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am blessed by how many flowering trees we have in Burke
Center, forsythia, cherry blossom, pear trees, eventually dogwoods will bloom. So,
I force myself outside. The other day, though, there were so many other people
out on a warm sunny day. The usual groups of teenagers, the joggers, some
with their dogs trotting along, and senior citizens like me out taking walks.
All trying for some normalcy. But I confess, it was a little scary out there –
a little too peopley – as we’d pass, some of us would eye each other warily,
some stepping a bit farther away – just how far is the recommended six-foot
distance anyway?<o:p></o:p></div>
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One woman passed me and she was wearing a mask. I admit it
scared me. Was she just trying to protect herself? Was she already infected?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to pass her; there was no way back home
if I didn’t. Or I could make a jackass out of myself by turning around and going
back in the other direction. Just then, she stepped off the sidewalk onto a side path and
motioned me to go. I gave her a thumbs up. Then I stopped and put my palms together
and gave her a full bow of gratitude. She burst out laughing.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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It made my day. It's true what psychologists say about the calming power of a fellow human being and a cherry tree. Even for somebody scared of lettuce.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-17721276766970742452020-03-23T16:03:00.001-04:002020-03-23T16:03:49.052-04:00Life in the Time of Coronavirus March 23, 2020<br />
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Mark this date down: March 16, 2020.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That’s the day everything changed. It’s the day the AFL-CIO
gave Dan and me the word we were locked out of the building. We got notice Sunday
night. We would be allowed in for a half hour on Monday to get whatever we
needed to work remotely for an unknown period. That was the day the coronavirus
sucker punched us in the gut.<o:p></o:p></div>
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All I had time to do was set up online banking so I could
deposit incoming checks. We would continue to pay bills by writing out checks –
still old school about some things. I didn’t have time to get QuickBooks
online, which I had been toying with doing and unfortunately thought I had more
time to actually do. We expected to be shut down, just not so swiftly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After the shutdown Dan and I spent the rest of the week
dealing with shopping in the time of Covid-19 and coping with the results of our
neighbors’ panic buying, hoarding, and the empty shelves it caused at all the
supermarkets. We managed to cobble together enough food and supplies by going
from store to store, which kind of defeats the goal of sheltering in place and
avoiding crowds. But we were careful to keep our distance, not dawdle in
stores, and stay home as much as possible except for true essentials.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Toilet paper is high on my list of essentials. We weren’t
out. But we were ready to buy our normal package, which I do when we are about
half way through one package. I replace things before I run completely out, a
good habit it turned out, because we spent the better part of a week and a half
looking for TP and facing empty shelves. All paper goods and cleaning supplies were scarce.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Giant finally got a supply one morning, and one woman bought
out the entire aisle, every brand and every package size. An entire large
grocery cart loaded up with toilet paper. Most other stores were limiting
customers to two packages. But Giant, as a policy, was refusing to do so. I
had a go around with them on their Facebook page and posted about it on Next
Door. I wasn’t too worried, though, because with Amazon Prime, I was confident
I had a backup plan.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Wrong. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Every Amazon vendor I tried was sold out and didn’t know
when they’d have it restocked. Finally, I found some available on Walmart’s site. They
weren’t price gouging. It was a name brand, and they promised to deliver a
twelve-pack in two days. I bought it at midnight on Thursday. Desperate times.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I had had enough of foraging from store to store to no
avail. I wanted Dan and me safe at home. It arrived Saturday afternoon. With
that, we pretty much had the essential supplies we needed. Unfortunately, though, it
had set my mind in panic mode, and I haven’t gotten myself out of it yet.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have read most of the online tales, the horror stories of young people in their 40s who got terrible cases. This is a really ugly
virus at its worst. Early on the narrative got around that it affected older
people far harder than young people, so a bunch of college kids cavorted on
spring break on Florida beaches, New Orleans bars, and California trendy spots.
Until governors began shutting them down.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Someday, scientists are going to have to figure out how this
virus really works and why it hits some so much harder than others in unexpected ways. </div>
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It turned
out that some people in their 40s or younger got slammed, ending up on
ventilators and even dying, while some seniors who supposedly were in the high
risk groups turned out to be asymptomatic. The Washington Post carried a couple
of stories about some of the first Covid-19 victims, seniors in their 60s who
were on the Diamond Princess cruise ship. They were in dock, quarantined and then sent to hospitals when they tested positive. One man of 68 even wrote an
article for the Washington Post Weekend Outlook section titled, “I Have Corona Virus and It’s Not That Bad.” He
said he felt sick but had felt worse a few years ago with a bad case of
bronchitis. One of his friends, a 65 year old woman, tested positive but never
showed symptoms. She was confined to the same hospital, where she spent her
quarantine doing Pilates and dancing to 80s rock music alone in her room.
Meanwhile, her husband, who was a survivor of two transplants and was on immunosuppressant
drugs, also tested positive yet showed no symptoms. <o:p></o:p></div>
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That’s not how it’s supposed to happen. They were the high
risk population. So, why did a 44- year old marathoner in New York and a fit 40
year old elsewhere post on Twitter from hospital rooms, one with an oxygen mask,
another dangerously ill and later moved to a ventilator (his mother updated his
Twitter account when he became too ill to do it himself)?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I should add, some of the passengers from the Diamond Princess
did not fare as well as those three lucky 60-something passengers I just
mentioned did. A husband and wife in their 80s both died. So did five other more
elderly passengers (in their 70s and 80s). But there are probably a lot of
asymptomatic people of all ages able to spread this. And a lot of people of all
ages who will get dangerously sick. And nobody really has a clue who will be
hit hard and why.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Welcome to the end of the world as we know it. More
tomorrow. <o:p></o:p></div>
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#######</div>
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(Here are some follow up stories to what I just posted.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/02/28/i-have-coronavirus-so-far-it-isnt-that-bad/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/02/28/i-have-coronavirus-so-far-it-isnt-that-bad/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/what-its-like-to-be-infected-with-coronavirus/2020/03/21/92794f4c-6953-11ea-9923-57073adce27c_story.html">https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/what-its-like-to-be-infected-with-coronavirus/2020/03/21/92794f4c-6953-11ea-9923-57073adce27c_story.html</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-50763188102539222992015-05-29T13:20:00.000-04:002015-05-29T13:20:22.577-04:00Opposition to the FTA is Not About Secrecy: It's About History and Broken Promises<div class="MsoNormal">
The Senate passed Trade Promotion Authority, TPA, last week on Friday night, with 48 Republicans and 14 Democrats handing President Obama a victory for fast track authority to negotiate the Trans Pacific Partnership, TPP. If the fast track authority is approved in Congress, TPP will be brought to a vote later this year with Congress only allowed a straight up and down vote, with no amendments allowed. It will only require a simple majority vote. No danger of a fillibuster to block it. Both Virginia's senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, voted for it. Both were always for it. They did not require any last minute arm twisting.<br />
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The TPA legislation now heads to the House where it will face an even tougher battle. Support for the bill is weaker among House Democrats there, and it has robust opposition from some conservative Republicans too. House majority leader, John Boehner, may not have the votes from his Republican caucus to pass the TPA without Democratic support, and he could fall short. Two Northern Virginia Democratic representatives support the legislation, Don Beyer and Gerry Connolly. Right now, it appears that Bobby Scott opposes it.<br />
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I think the Virginia senators and congressmen who support this are wrong. So are the media defenders of it such as the Washington Post, which has always favored all free trade agreements going back to the original 1993 NAFTA legislation. But one of the silliest Washington Post defenses of TPA and TPP came from columnist Ruth Marcus.<br />
<br />
In her
Washington Post <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-phony-argument/2015/05/19/85c3a026-fe4c-11e4-805c-c3f407e5a9e9_story.html" target="_blank">column on May 19,</a> she claimed that opponents of the TPP objected mainly to its secrecy and she called that objection a bogus argument. The Post's editorial board then doubled down on opponents' objection to bill's secrecy in <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/senates-trade-vote-was-a-victory-for-truth/2015/05/23/d32abcea-fff1-11e4-8b6c-0dcce21e223d_story.html" target="_blank">this</a> full-throated defense of free trade authority.<br />
<br />
The Washington Post and its columnist, Ruth Marcus might have a small point. At least they would if secrecy was the main objection. But it isn't. The real objection at the heart of the opposition is history. I will get back to that point in a minute, but it certainly doesn't help the free traders' case to drape an opaque and clandestine cloak around the deal. Secrecy does, after all, limit the discussion and prevent a full and fair airing of the problems with this trade deal. And that's where history comes in.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The most important reason for opposition to the TPA is that many of President Obama's and other proponents' promises
for the TPP and Fast Track Authority sound suspiciously familiar. Everybody heard exactly the same assurances about NAFTA and CAFTA years ago. Here is what we were told back in the 90s and early
2000s about those trade deals and then what really happened.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 1993, the Clinton
administration promised that NAFTA would create 200,000 new export-related jobs by 1995, according to<a href="http://www.epi.org/publication/ib214/" target="_blank"> this 2004 Economic Policy Institute</a> report. According to <a href="http://www.citizen.org/documents/NAFTAs-Broken-Promises.pdf" target="_blank">Public Citizen,</a> the
administration also promised farmers they would export their way to wealth. The Bush administration similarly promised CAFTA would deliver 170,000 new jobs in the early 2000s.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Instead, we lost 700,000 jobs due to NAFTA alone, according the <a href="http://www.epi.org/blog/naftas-impact-workers/" target="_blank">Economic Policy Institute.</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Promised new markets never materialized for either farmers or domestically manufactured goods. In fact, only
one new market was ever created: a robust labor market overseas as jobs fled from the U.S. in search of low wage workers and less regulation. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Meanwhile, the
only thing that has increased is the U.S. trade deficit. Before NAFTA in 1993, we actually had a modest trade surplus of $1.6 billion with Mexico, according to the <a href="http://epi.3cdn.net/fdade52b876e04793b_7fm6ivz2y.pdf" target="_blank">Economic Policy Institute</a>. Now as of 2012, our trade deficit with them has reached $181 million, according to Public Citizen. And that trade deficit is expected to grow even if we do not enact new trade legislation. That's because of our strong dollar. Due to international monetary conditions, including the weak Euro, our dollar has strengthened, making our exports more expensive. That is not good for our economy and makes any trade deal now dangerous.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So instead of trade surpluses, new markets and good jobs, what we have seen
for U.S workers is a race to the bottom. Displaced factory workers lost jobs
that are never coming back. The export of so many U.S. jobs has wiped out whole industries and devastated the lives of the displaced workers. And it has destroyed their towns, as this<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/bill-clinton-promised-hope-for-this-tenn-town-its-still-waiting/2015/05/18/432b0594-fa49-11e4-a13c-193b1241d51a_story.html" target="_blank"> article</a> from the Washington Post shows in heartbreaking detail.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some of the more honest supporters of free trade have
acknowledged that NAFTA and other trade deals have not lived up to their
promises for America's economy or its workers. So they drag out a different argument: even
though free trade agreements have not met their original expectations in the
U.S., at least they have improved the lives of impoverished workers from
developing nations. Based on the experience in Mexico, though, NAFTA certainly
has not even done that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In fact, the NAFTA years saw a wave of illegal immigration as Mexicans preferred to risk their lives to come to the U.S. in search of our
minimum wage jobs because they were more profitable and had better working
conditions than the Mexican maquiladoras, which paid low wages, flouted health
and safety rule, suppressed the right to organize a union, and generally
provided abysmal working conditions. Immigrants are still coming here, despite
recession and wage stagnation, because the jobs pay more, and they can both live
in the U.S. and send money home. That should tell you something about how
NAFTA’s promise has not even materialized to help those overseas.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But one unintended consequence of the trade deals is that
American workers who fell into the low paying service sector must now compete
for those jobs with illegal immigrants who often work off the books and are
ineligible for benefits. No wonder there is still so much slack in our labor
force and wages have stagnated for the average American.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Previous trade agreements did not deliver on their promises.
They did not usher in prosperity for American workers. They did nothing to
improve the lives of foreign workers, and they did not open markets for U.S.
exports. Indeed, NAFTA and CAFTA contributed to the growing wage inequality and
soft labor market at home without improving the wages of overseas workers And
to add insult to injury, they substantially increased our trade deficit, which
is never a good thing for any country’s economy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Opposition to still another trade deal has nothing to do
with its secrecy. It has everything to do with its history. The secrecy objection
is a red herring. All it does is highlight the fact that those who support TPP
have tired arguments, failed policy, and no credible response to the very
legitimate question: how will this trade agreement be different this time? Without an answer to that and transparency, this trade deal should not be enacted. </div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-87634677571949514902015-04-28T17:25:00.000-04:002015-04-28T17:41:38.210-04:00True Justice for Natasha McKenna and Fairfax County<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG04MBFejNJ1cLthyWKSGFMxn5nW5ddKxUmgJbfYs8cjhYAbTHhPpFNxYadwIPSQ_Dek8OAH48CMcxEbgbGqGmVPcHdvIW5VJngKr1owhbhrgV3njoZMLM31XDpLglyzsWOJXW/s1600/Mckennagrad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG04MBFejNJ1cLthyWKSGFMxn5nW5ddKxUmgJbfYs8cjhYAbTHhPpFNxYadwIPSQ_Dek8OAH48CMcxEbgbGqGmVPcHdvIW5VJngKr1owhbhrgV3njoZMLM31XDpLglyzsWOJXW/s1600/Mckennagrad.jpg" height="200" width="94" /></a>Yesterday on Facebook, some of my friends and I were
discussing the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2015/04/13/the-death-of-natasha-mckenna-in-the-fairfax-jail-the-rest-of-the-story/" target="_blank">tragic death</a> of Natasha McKenna while she was in custody at the
Fairfax County jail. The Fairfax jail guards had placed the mentally ill
McKenna in restraints and tasered her numerous times while trying to extract
her from her jail cell and transfer her to Alexandria. Subsequently, McKenna
died at Fairfax Hospital after she stopped breathing and her heart stopped.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKg4Ex3ersJbFr2WFQ2KAPmDOiqja9Vt24mxQ93HyqmtqcjeYLz37vmUy-ZU8BIBfF-aFzUWBQRHY57MzspUvyipp82P2P851FGYR9ckNtr8uWOdnDCsO8C0A_r9vRxM7kjwy/s1600/NEWSHERIFF_011386966306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKg4Ex3ersJbFr2WFQ2KAPmDOiqja9Vt24mxQ93HyqmtqcjeYLz37vmUy-ZU8BIBfF-aFzUWBQRHY57MzspUvyipp82P2P851FGYR9ckNtr8uWOdnDCsO8C0A_r9vRxM7kjwy/s1600/NEWSHERIFF_011386966306.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a>The Fairfax County Police Department has been investigating
this death. In numerous <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/stonewalling-in-fairfax-county-again/2015/03/01/7dfcf21a-bed8-11e4-b274-e5209a3bc9a9_story.html" target="_blank">editorials</a> (and <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-outrageous-death-of-a-fairfax-county-jail-inmate/2015/04/14/4bcf5a8c-e226-11e4-81ea-0649268f729e_story.html" target="_blank">here</a>), the Washington Post urged the Fairfax Sheriff,
Stacey Kincaid, to provide a full explanation of what happened without
stalling or brushing any facts under the rug. I certainly agree with that. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some of my Facebook friends, however, took that to mean that
Sheriff Kincaid should immediately go before the public to answer all questions
and clear everything up yesterday. Indeed, some were muttering about primaries
and getting rid of her. The undercurrent is that the Sheriff’s Department
clearly did wrong, and heads should roll, including hers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The problem is that is unfair and is a rush to
judgment by people who do not know all the facts but are buying into a sometimes
all too true narrative about police abuse of authority and police brutality. And we need to admit how often that is the case.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But “all too often” and “too frequently” are not the same as
“always”. So, I argued back that
before jumping to conclusions, people ought to take a deep breath and wait for
the investigation to be completed. Of course, given the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/cover-up-in-fairfax-county/2015/02/02/1e7f5262-ab26-11e4-ad71-7b9eba0f87d6_story.html" target="_blank">track record</a> of the
Fairfax County Police Department, and their own history of stonewalling cases,
I can well understand the impatience and frustration. However, it is not fair
to conflate this case with that of John Geer, who was shot by a Fairfax police
officer. It took 18 months before Fairfax County released any information,
including the name of the officer who fired the shot. Plus, the county police
department only released that information after a judge ordered it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In contrast, the McKenna investigation has been going on for under three months, aPost, other media, and those of us following this case have begun raising legitimate questions about how this was handled. There is nothing unreasonable about the questions. But what is unreasonable is the rush to judgment before the investigation is finished. Again, we are not talking about the 18 month long stonewall that occurred with John Geer. We are talking less than three months -- the medical examiner just released the autopsy results today.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
nd the medical examiner’s office just released the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/death-by-excited-delirium/2015/04/27/4f5f7a86-ed27-11e4-8abc-d6aa3bad79dd_story.html" target="_blank">autopsy results</a>. According to the Washington Post, the cause of death was “excited delirium".
As the Post editorial points out, none of the medical literature, nor various
medical societies, list excited delirium as an actual medical diagnosis. Only
medical examiners use the terms, usually for those in police custody who have
died due to stun gun use.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t expect Sheriff Kincaid to go before the public until
after the completed investigation gives her a fuller picture of the situation, Nevertheless, the Washington </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before I go further, I want to address the big gorilla in
the room: we need to have a serious discussion about how we treat the mentally
ill. There are deeper, more serious questions about why this woman, who we know suffered
from schizophrenia, was even in police custody rather than under treatment in a
secure medical facility. That, however, is a different topic, for a different day.
It is one I will return to in the future.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But for now, we need to deal with how any prisoner is
treated while in custody. Right now, Baltimore is being torn apart by riots
over that very issue. And while Fairfax is a long way from Baltimore’s mean
streets, the issue is no less important here. You measure a society’s decency
by how it treats its most powerless members. Likewise, you judge an institution
by how well it handles its most difficult situations.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the situation here was that a severely mentally ill
woman, who was already shackled to a special chair, was stunned four times to control her agitation. Tasering is a technique that works by
inflicting electric shock and pain. So, the very first question is why were
they in effect punishing a severely mentally ill person to bring her into
compliance? Another very troubling
element is the following stated policy: “once we begin an extraction, we do not
stop it.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Infliction of pain and refusal to back down are all elements
of a mindset that is about controlling an unruly prisoner by showing that
person who is boss. It is about maintaining discipline and asserting control.
And in the case of an unruly prisoner who is not mentally ill, but just rowdy,
it might be perfectly appropriate to assert such authority (though I have my doubts about use of a Taser ever). But it is anything but proper treatment of
somebody who is severely mentally impaired and not in their sound mind. Indeed,
absent the threat of harm to the guard or self-harm to the prisoner,
withdrawing and giving her a timeout to calm down might have been exactly the
right course to take. Without a compelling reason, there is no excuse to
continue an extraction is such a case. Treating her like a patient, not a prisoner, might have been exactly what
was needed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Further, if you know you have an impossible to control
inmate, why was there no attempt to medicate her? If an inmate had an infection
or other physical illness, would a doctor not have prescribed an antibiotic, a
painkiller? Why wasn’t a doctor available to provide sedatives,
anti-psychotics, or other medication to control her mental symptoms?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We should be asking the following questions: what is the
policy for handling extractions of unruly inmates; was that policy followed in
this case; how, if at all, did guards deviate from that policy; and was the
policy, itself, flawed? Does the Sheriff’s Office need to revise its policies?
Do the guards need better training and more oversight? Use of stun guns was temporarily suspended, but will their use resume? Why? What disciplinary action will the six guard face and why? What exactly needs to
change to make sure this does not happen again?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These questions can’t be answered without knowing the all
the facts. Investigators now have some of the facts, including the actual cause
of death. Now they have to put all that together and present the total picture
to the Sheriff, who must then review it against policy and decide what needs to change, what improvement in training and oversight of her staff needs
to be implemented, what disciplinary action needs to be taken, and what needs to be done to keep this from happening again.
Sheriff Kincaid needs time to review all the facts and provide a satisfactory
statement going forward. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
It is not unreasonable for the investigation to take time. And three or four months is not an unreasonable time frame for that to happen. That is not stonewalling, that is being thorough. But it should not take 18
months, or even six months. The old adage, “justice delayed is justice denied,” is
just as true in this case as in any other. And justice should not be denied to
Natasha McKenna’s family. But real justice needs real answers and that does
take time to do right.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-71288405777913306782014-12-01T16:12:00.001-05:002014-12-01T16:15:05.895-05:00Meet You At Eileen Filler Corn's Reception at Chuy's This Weds.Be there or be square. Ok, corny and dated. But truly don't miss Eileen Filler Corn's reception this Wednesday, December 3, 2014, at the brand new Chuy's, at Springfield Town Center. The fun begins at 5 p.m. and runs until 7 with h'ors d'ouevres and drinks. For price information and to RSVP, please go this <a href="https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/fillercornchuys" target="_blank">site</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.eileenfillercorn.com/" target="_blank">Eileen</a> has been a phenomenal delegate in the Virginia House of Delegates, representing the citizens of the 41st District since winning a special election in 2010. Both Dan and I are proud to support her and will be at Chuy's this Wednesday. Hope to see you there.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs92uSmOmbz5LM8GNTtXt0RrS3X-WNdxXWMRpAssWHFQ98JAxzhLXqo_hRHMGO6ynoaRgHK2P6dEGJP4Xo9w14_RSn7_2NGyaW_QgbWGrTCJozj_LQ8XvY59pNDMXVwkeLgXyl/s1600/Capture+Chuy's%2BEvent.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs92uSmOmbz5LM8GNTtXt0RrS3X-WNdxXWMRpAssWHFQ98JAxzhLXqo_hRHMGO6ynoaRgHK2P6dEGJP4Xo9w14_RSn7_2NGyaW_QgbWGrTCJozj_LQ8XvY59pNDMXVwkeLgXyl/s1600/Capture+Chuy's%2BEvent.PNG" height="640" width="496" /></a></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-9331103656965040372014-08-16T13:00:00.000-04:002014-08-16T19:49:29.736-04:00Islamic State, the New Problem From Hell<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAAHS3y369T2x21_yp8Z93cjynI2tTqPY4z58yIa3cqWz-QTrRQRFgzb_HhSmdLWgJDHwdPKiRmtl4OXeyXnUEJTH-nJswbwFMYe-GkMjoiW4Gl1dsk4DXOkU-rw3BaaVdGSP/s1600/ISIS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAAHS3y369T2x21_yp8Z93cjynI2tTqPY4z58yIa3cqWz-QTrRQRFgzb_HhSmdLWgJDHwdPKiRmtl4OXeyXnUEJTH-nJswbwFMYe-GkMjoiW4Gl1dsk4DXOkU-rw3BaaVdGSP/s1600/ISIS.jpg" height="177" width="320" /></a>Many progressives oppose President Obama’s ordering of air
strikes or engaging in any military involvement in Iraq, whether to rescue imperiled
civilians or to defeat the rising threat from the Islamic State. Indeed, some
of their arguments against intervention are not wrong. After the morass that George
Bush and his neo con allies led us into in Iraq in the first place, we should
have learned our lesson about nation building and trying to police the world.
We should stay out of regional conflicts where the combatants are not a threat
to our nation. I agree with them in their arguments against an aggressively
interventionist foreign policy. But retreating into isolationism and ignoring
those who pose real threats is dangerous too. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
In that respect, confusing the Islamic State with other Islamist
groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, or even Boko Haram is a dangerous
misreading of the situation we face. The former groups engage in land disputes, religious and
political struggles, and combat within a limited region. Moreover, regardless
of how miserable they make their own people, they don’t pose a larger threat to
the United States or Europe. While it breaks my heart to be unable to help the
civilians they terrorize, it is true that we cannot be the world’s cop.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The Islamic State, however, is different. They are a
dangerous threat to the West. Indeed, they are a threat from hell, as Samantha
Powers aptly termed it in her book by that name. In fact, the Islamic State is making
a rapid descent into the most terrifyingly sulphurous depth of hell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
They are murderously extreme, known for executing women and children,
crucifying civilians, threatening grisly deaths to those who won’t convert to
their brand of strict Islam, and often executing those who do convert anyway.
They bring terror to civilian populations wherever they go.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
And they have international ambitions to go far. According
to a security briefing for journalists,
as <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/islamic-state-working-to-establish-cells-outside-iraq-and-syria-us-says/2014/08/14/639c32b0-23f5-11e4-8593-da634b334390_story.html" target="_blank">reported in the Washington Post</a>, the Islamic State poses the greatest threat
to the U.S. since al Qaeda right before it struck us on September 11, 2001. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“We have seen an expansion of its external terrorism ambitions” that parallel its aggressive moves in the Middle East, a senior U.S. intelligence official said at a briefing for reporters on the threat posed by the Islamic State ... </blockquote>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
. . . The official said the organization has attracted thousands of foreign fighters, including Western passport holders who now rank among its forces in Iraq. Some of its recruits from Europe are leaving with orders to go home and start cells, the official said ...</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
...U.S. intelligence officials said the group has grown rapidly in numbers and strength since taking control of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in June and noted that it is in position to bolster its substantial cash holdings with sales of oil. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The officials said that U.S. intelligence analysts are revising estimates of the group’s size and that it has grown substantially beyond the 10,000 or so fighters it had just several months ago</blockquote>
To be sure, the Islamic State does not have al Qaeda’s
capability and technical expertise to launch an elaborate plot in the West
yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the Islamic State is better
funded and, more ominously, has attracted a steady stream of newly radicalized
recruits from Western Europe and the U.S. who have western passports.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of these new recruits have been instructed
to set up cells when they return home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
It is also part of their philosophy and goal to expand their
reach and spread Islam by the sword.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
is expanding the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliphate" target="_blank">caliphate</a>, which the Islamic State’s leader, Abu al Bakr Baghdadi has already declared
in Syria and Iraq.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p>This is a group to ignore at our own peril<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p>The question is how to fight them successfully without our
becoming mired in another full-scale conflict in Iraq, with the cost of more
human life and treasure? <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p>The answer lies in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realpolitik" target="_blank">realpolitik</a> of the 1990s that both
Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton practiced. It was a pragmatic and
strategic intervention where necessary, with short-term military operations that
had clear goals and a clear exit strategy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Here’s an example. Back in the early 90s, when Saddam
Hussein invaded the tiny nation of Kuwait in a conflict that ultimately threatened to spill over into Saudi Arabia and other OPEC member nations,
George H.W. Bush sent U.S. troops into a limited operation to contain Hussein.
<a href="http://www.ushistory.org/us/60a.asp" target="_blank">Operation Desert Storm</a> was a successful mission that gave Bush soaring approval ratings
at home. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
But a few disgruntled neo-cons within his own party grumbled
that he did not finish the job. I actually disputed that at the time, asking
the critics who they would have proposed leaving in power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Shiites, with their Iranian allies?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or did they want to see the U.S. embroiled in
a long, bloody occupation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back then,
most of Bush’s would-be critics remembered how dangerous the Shiite faction was
and still remembered the lesson of Vietnam about avoiding nation building in
places where we don’t understand the local culture. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
This strategy served Bush well in Desert Storm and later on
was successful for Clinton in Kosovo. We went in, fixed what was fixable, and
got out. When regional enemies could not be stopped from battling among
themselves, we left them to do so as long their conflict did not threaten
either our allies or our nation. And as long as their human rights violations were
not too egregious to ignore. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Many people don't like realpolitik. It falls far short of
their grand ambitions to see Western-style democracy bloom all over the
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its aims are much more modest. It
is pragmatic about what can and should be accomplished, which is to limit
regional conflicts and to stay out of them when possible. And to limit
their spread when they become a larger threat especially to our national
interests. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
We need our military to be involved in far fewer places. Not
everybody’s battle is our battle. But if aggressive interventionism is
dangerous, so is isolationism. The world is a smaller place than it used to be, more easily
accessible by modern transportation. Moreover, the only way to stop the problem
from hell from coming to our borders is to stop it at the Middle East’s
borders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is why we need to stop the
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant before their extremists export their caliphate ambitions
and their terrorist threats from reaching us.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-62309409623547915992014-08-14T16:22:00.001-04:002014-08-14T16:22:12.025-04:00A Dearth of Diversity in Hollywood Film
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
American films lack diverse characters and actors who
portray them. Further, fixing it could come down to me. This is not as crazy as
it sounds, but I will get to that in a minute. First, as Sgt. Joe Friday – that
quintessential white male character – would say, “Just the facts.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<em>The Washington Post</em> last Sunday<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/less-than-5percent-of-actors-in-top-films-are-hispanic-new-study-finds/2014/08/06/5be9b224-1be7-11e4-82f9-2cd6fa8da5c4_story.html" target="_blank"> reported</a> on a <a href="http://annenberg.usc.edu/sitecore/shell/Applications/~/media/PDFs/RaceEthnicity.ashx]" target="_blank">study conducted by</a> the University of Southern California Annenberg School of the top
grossing 100 films of 2013.The numbers do not look good.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Whites comprise 74 percent of actors cast in all films but
only make up 63 percent of the population, which makes them overrepresented. On
the other hand, blacks are 14 percent of the characters in film while making up
13 percent of the population, which makes their representation appear just
about right. Except most of the black actors are cast in a few blockbuster
productions like <em>Fruitvale</em>, <em>The Butler</em>, and <em>Twelve Years a Slave</em>. So they
appear to be doing better than they actually are.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
However, Hispanics are the most underrepresented group, with
only 4.9 percent of film roles, though they comprise 17 percent of the
population. Moreover, the minority actors often play stereotypes, especially
portraying them all as sex objects. This is something that Rita Moreno has spoken
and written about for years. Indeed, after winning an Oscar for her breakout
role of Anita in <em>West Side Story</em>, she did not work again in Hollywood for seven
years because she turned down roles she considered demeaning to Latinas.
That was in the 60s and 70s. The problem has not gone away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
Seventeen percent of Hispanic actors wear tight fitting, revealing
outfits in film roles. Thirty-eight percent of Hispanic actresses appear nude
or partially nude. Only 32 percent of white actresses do and only 8 percent of
white actors appear in sexy costumes. Of course, that begs the question: are
white male actors inherently less sexy so nobody cares to see them in tight
jeans?<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Even more telling is the shortage
of diversity behind the camera. Lack of diversity begins there. It could end
there. Only 6 percent of directors are black. Black directors have a greater
tendency to choose diverse casts for their films. This includes casting for
secondary characters such as neighbors, lawyers, doctors, and other minor roles
that could be race neutral.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
As an aspiring novelist, I confess I could be part of
the problem. I am not sure how much I have considered racially diverse
characters for the novels I hope to write. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Oh, wait. I do have a racially diverse cast of characters on
paper and in outline. In fact, race is a major theme in my future novels.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
For a mystery/thriller series, my two main characters are a
Jewish-Southern reporter, who comes from one of the original Jewish Confederate
families in Richmond, and an African-American police lieutenant. In fact, the Jewish
reporter is a direct descendant of <a href="http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=b000365" target="_blank">Judah Benjamin</a>, one of Jefferson Davis’ closest
confidants and the Secretary of State for the Confederate States (yes, he is a legitimate
historical character – one who actually had no descendants, which I’ll mention
in a prologue so readers will know I’m taking poetic license).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
David Benjamin’s father and grandfather are prominent civil
rights attorneys, and the family wrestles with their personal history as Jews
who served the Confederacy. Lots of guilt there to explore.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
David’s best friend is the black police lieutenant, Isaiah
Grace, who is married and religious. Isaiah is fond of quoting the Bible. The
two of them play together in a jazz band in their spare time. Isaiah is
also one of David’s confidential news sources. Further, Isaiah, who is older
than David is by about a decade, is a mentor to David, and keeps him grounded.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
My second in the series of novels I have planned involves
the murder of a Hispanic high-ranking politician from Miami who aspires to
become Florida’s first female Hispanic governor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The suspects will include her Latino husband,
a successful import-export businessman, and several other Hispanic characters,
as well as whites and blacks. Miami is a multi-cultural city and it would not
be realistic to portray only white characters there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Finally, there is the mystery many people have urged me not
to write. Some background.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
When I first began <a href="http://www.slug-lines.com/" target="_blank">slugging</a>, that unique hitchhiking
tradition practiced among Northern Virginia professionals who commute to work
in DC, I had the brilliant idea that it would be the perfect setting for a
murder mystery. Who is killing off all the slugs (for my non-Virginia friends,
those are the passengers)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That cast
would include an Asian-American scientist, several black professionals,
Hispanics, and whites. Probably also some Middle Easterners. After all, this is
NOVA and DC. How realistic would it be not to have diversity here? Besides, the
clash of cultures is interesting to explore in books.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
When I enthusiastically shared my idea with some of my more
literary fellow slugs and those who picked us up, a few turned pale, got sick
looks on their faces, and asked me not write it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I quickly saw their point. Why give anybody
any ideas while we all had to get in strangers’ cars every morning?<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
So the verdict is out on that last book. Of course, also, I
have no idea if I have the talent to bring this to fruition. After all, many
would be writers have great ideas. It is all in the execution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a reason there are not more
bestsellers, let alone more published novelists. It takes hard work,
discipline, skill, and talent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
But if ever I had an incentive, it’s now. This has become a
social justice issue. If the world of fiction and maybe even major film is to
become diverse, perhaps, I’d better get cracking. Furthermore, when I sell the
film rights, I will insist upon an African American director who will be perceptive
enough to choose a racially diverse cast that looks like America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And then again, I may just have delusions of grandeur.</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-39102519244987021262014-08-06T13:15:00.000-04:002014-08-06T13:15:11.871-04:00Could Europe's Rising Anti-Semitism Defeat a Palestinian Homeland?To answer my question straight away, yes, I think it could. The strong uptick in Europe's anti-Semitism is lending legitimacy to Israel's hard-liners and giving credence to those who argue that without a strong Jewish state with secure borders and lots of land to accept immigrants fleeing deadly attacks, Jews everywhere are imperiled. Rising anti-Semitism throughout Europe is making the case for Benjamin Netanyahu's intransigence and hindering efforts to forge a compromise peace deal in the Middle East. And that unquestionably hurts Palestinians as well as Israelis in the long run. But first let's look at what is actually going on across the European continent.<br />
<br />
To put it bluntly, over the past several years, anti-Semitism has been making a spirited comeback and since the recent conflict in Gaza, it's increased even more.<br />
<br />
As <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/2014/08/08/exodus-why-europes-jews-are-fleeing-once-again-261854.html" target="_blank">Newsweek</a> reports, the rise in anti-Semitism is coming not only from young, disaffected Muslim youth, but also from some of Europe's fringe parties of the far left and right. Far right groups like Greece's Golden Dawn, Hungary's Jobbik, and the French National Front have made some of the most disconcerting statements and perpetrated ugly incidents against Jews. To be fair, these parties are also strongly anti-immigrant in general, oppose the European Union and are home grown nativists and fascists. They are happy to foment conflict among Jews and Muslims in the same way that American racist groups dream of instigating a race war in the U.S.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, on the British far left, anti-Semitism masquerades as disagreement with Israeli policy and sympathy for Palestinians, but as Newsweek also points out, many of Europe's Jews themselves are sympathetic to Palestinians and opposed to Israel's hard-liners. Here's the quote:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
It is not anti-Semitic to criticise the Israeli government or its policies towards the Palestinians, say Jewish leaders. A reasoned, open debate on the conflict is always welcome – especially now, when passions are running so high over Gaza. But the morbid obsession with the only democracy in the Middle East, they say, its relentless demonisation and the calls for its destruction are indicative of anti-Semitism. </blockquote>
Nowhere is this more true than in France, where groups of young Muslims have launched vicious attacks against Jews. According to <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/07/24/334494986/despite-mideast-turmoil-more-french-jews-are-moving-to-israel" target="_blank">NPR</a>, three children and their teacher were killed in Toulouse, France in 2012, and more recently in Belgium four people were gunned down in front of The Jewish Museum this May. In addition, some of the most virulent anti-Semitic sentiment has ocurred at so-called pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Paris and Berlin that have been led by Muslims, where slogans such as "Death to the Jews" and "Jews to the gas chambers" can be heard being chanted by demonstrators.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The new wave of anti-Semitism is coming from a young generation of Muslims of African and North African descent who are spurred on by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said Martine Cohen, a religious expert at France's National Center for Scientific Research. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Jews know that French authorities are behind them and want to defend them," she says. "This is not a state anti-Semitism. It's an anti-Semitism coming from society."</blockquote>
In fact, because they no longer feel safe in France, many educated French Jews are planning to emigrate to Israel. So are Jews from other parts of Europe, such as Malmo, Sweden, where the Jewish community of 700 people experienced 60 anti-Semitic incidents, including a bomb exploding in a Jewish community center and it's former mayor criticized Zionism but not these attacks.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div dir="ltr">
A survey published in November 2013 by the Fundamental Rights Agency of the European Union found that 29% had considered emigrating as they did not feel safe. Jews across Europe, the survey noted, “face insults, discrimination and physical violence, which despite concerted efforts by both the EU and its member states, shows no signs of fading into the past”. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
Two-thirds considered anti-Semitism to be a problem across the countries surveyed. Overall, 76% said that anti-Semitism had worsened over the past five years in their home countries, with the most marked deteriorations in France, Hungary and Belgium. The European Jewish Congress has now set up a website, sacc.eu, to give advice and contacts in the events of an attack.</div>
</blockquote>
<br />
And that presents a problem for those who actually want peace in the Middle East. Threatening Europe's Jews with the specter of renewed anti-Semitism confirms the worst suspicions in Israel and America. It strengthen the hand of hard-liners in both places. Worse still, it gives Netanyahu's refusal to negotiate with Palestinians in Gaza a legitimacy it wouldn't and shouldn't have. It gives credence to arguments that without Israel, Jews are not safe anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
So if people who truly care about the Palestinians want fewer Jewish settlers grabbing land that could be used for a Palestinian state, it would behoove them to not create conditions outside of Israel - especially in Europe - that encourage more Jews to flee to Israel. Look at it this way, how much harder do you think all those French Jews are going to fight against a Palestinian state once they've arrived in Israel rather than if they had remained back in Paris feeling safe there?<br />
<br />
To the far right it won't matter since they would happily see both Jews and Muslims destroy each other. But for principled moderates of the center left and center right, as well as for Muslim groups in Europe, it should matter a great deal. Enough for them to work to dial back the worst of the anti-Semitic rhetoric and deeds in Europe while working for just solutions in the Middle East.<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-31634313140697935422014-07-31T17:06:00.000-04:002014-07-31T17:06:38.375-04:00Mark Warner Supports Export Import Bank Because He's a Job Creator<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GQo87iKiArQuVx83GfgRhxuXL4Os_rfDUnz32cyIcZj73JZ-QbmXc6LeYfdgtlrOn4Bc_Fdyv1kaHWVJIyKialyQSYS6BzIswOQk5FvhSpJL_KdUWqyV2J7ArbthRoP-GzyK/s1600/photo+(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GQo87iKiArQuVx83GfgRhxuXL4Os_rfDUnz32cyIcZj73JZ-QbmXc6LeYfdgtlrOn4Bc_Fdyv1kaHWVJIyKialyQSYS6BzIswOQk5FvhSpJL_KdUWqyV2J7ArbthRoP-GzyK/s1600/photo+(6).JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>This past Monday, I attended a gathering of union port workers in Norfolk who met with Senator Mark Warner to support his efforts to introduce legislation to reauthorize the Export Important bank and increase its spending authority from $140 billion to $160 billion over the next five years. Both Virginia senators, Tim Kaine and Warner, issued a press release stating their intention to introduce the measure in the Senate.<br />
<br />
The Export-Import Bank finances the sale of U.S. products overseas and assumes credit risks that private banks are unable to carry. According to Sen. Warner, the Export Import Bank has financed $1 billion in exports for over 100 Virginia business, large and small, since 2007. The bank was first created in 1934 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and has been popular with both Democratic and Republican administrations until -- you guessed it -- the extreme Tea Party wing of the Republican Party began opposing it because they are in a thrall to an anti-government, so-called free market ideology that opposes any government attempt to help Americans, even businesses. Warner's opponent in the senate race, Ed Gillespie, is on record opposing it as he panders to the anti-business, hard right ideological wing of the Virginia Republican Party.<br />
<br />
To put it in perspective, not only has support for the Ex Im Bank been bipartisan and pro business, even the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers supports it. You can go<a href="http://www.exim.gov/customcf/congressionalmap/state_map.cfm?state=VA" target="_blank"> here</a> to get more information on the Virginia businesses, large and small, the Ex Im Bank has benefited. And The August Free Press has a partial <a href="http://augustafreepress.com/warner-calls-reauthorization-export-import-bank/" target="_blank">list</a> of Virginia businesses who've been helped by it.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXiW6TPeY4HxU5gmC9Mj-6vD0OiLAIpnka132gdsPKHxXVnXvdNHe2qb1uevkFGlNytM9jNJlH-4PLJjJUx9EpjVSTLcqETAqDXt542fg1KpW67seS-hM_QUPbYWz-9L7GH3Pe/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXiW6TPeY4HxU5gmC9Mj-6vD0OiLAIpnka132gdsPKHxXVnXvdNHe2qb1uevkFGlNytM9jNJlH-4PLJjJUx9EpjVSTLcqETAqDXt542fg1KpW67seS-hM_QUPbYWz-9L7GH3Pe/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>Of course, other countries not only have government sponsored banks that provide similar loan guarantees and even more financial support for their countries' exports. Additionally, the Ex Im Bank has actually lowered the federal budget deficit and turned a profit last year. And it levels the playing field overseas for our businesses. As Warner said at the Monday meeting, why would the U.S. unilaterally disarm itself economically in the global competition for overseas markets?<br />
<br />
As Warner<a href="http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/warner-kaine-introduce-bill-to-reauthorize-export-import-bank/article_14c37158-18d3-11e4-95d3-0017a43b2370.html" target="_blank"> said at the Monday meeting</a> as reported in The Daily Progress:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="encrypted-content" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div style="line-height: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;">
"We live in the real world, not the theoretical world. And when China, Brazil, France, Canada all use these tools to the advantage of their companies, and somehow America, which has been using this Export-Import Bank for decades, would suddenly say, `Alright, we're going to take away this support.' This would cost us thousands of American jobs. That makes absolutely no sense," Warner said earlier this week during a speech in Norfolk.</div>
</div>
<div class="encrypted-content" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div style="line-height: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;">
Warner made his comments at a campaign event with about a dozen unionized port workers standing behind him at a riverfront park in view of two port terminals. He said the bank helps ensure cargo moves through the Port of Virginia, supporting 10,000 port-related jobs. The Port of Virginia is the third busiest on the East Coast.</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
For additional information, you can go <a href="http://www.seafarers.org/news/2014/Q3/SenatorWarnerBacksExIm.htm" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://maritimetrades.org/hampton-roads-pmc-stands-with-sen-warner-for-ex-im-bank-renewal/" target="_blank">here</a>. And by the way, I took the photo on both those sites. Below are a few other pictures from the Monday gathering that I took.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQxTQI2drNGRFrf1tuY1X7EiS5uxO_kxoCvKxdTJxMISuYOuiLaInrPBURjYQqIl5rW_HuF3Ii19mLgiyJ6mPew5oookTB7F7cjNZKkOfFB-I5Sm65C-Pe7mk42ycw8Mrri1-/s1600/photo+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQxTQI2drNGRFrf1tuY1X7EiS5uxO_kxoCvKxdTJxMISuYOuiLaInrPBURjYQqIl5rW_HuF3Ii19mLgiyJ6mPew5oookTB7F7cjNZKkOfFB-I5Sm65C-Pe7mk42ycw8Mrri1-/s1600/photo+(5).JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The last picture is my husband, Dan Duncan, getting ready to introduce the Senator in Norfolk. My role was to snap the shots on an iPhone.<br />
<br />
But nepotism aside, this is a serious issue. Talk about free markets is fine but when your ideology trumps your business sense, as it does neophyte candidate Ed Gillespie, you might not be the right candidate for U.S. senator from business friendly Virginia, a place where both the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and smart union members realize that supporting local businesses through leveling the global playing field is the ultimate job creator. <br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-60986353038397435382014-07-16T13:27:00.000-04:002014-07-16T13:27:08.461-04:00Target Shoplifter Charged; Security Guard Still Fired<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDHZkuFsshQ-ZLyCWSLTzezpfAr8sUWFS48I1WjUaj7H9TFCWqa4PSmHUc3jYFs7h-lusNuqUHo-pIhPmaZiK86mB55orP4K6ugDbN9rjqvhahIuewBZ-Y-KR8Ffvh8fSNlgJ/s1600/PalmerMug-240x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDHZkuFsshQ-ZLyCWSLTzezpfAr8sUWFS48I1WjUaj7H9TFCWqa4PSmHUc3jYFs7h-lusNuqUHo-pIhPmaZiK86mB55orP4K6ugDbN9rjqvhahIuewBZ-Y-KR8Ffvh8fSNlgJ/s1600/PalmerMug-240x300.jpg" /></a>In an <a href="http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com/2014/07/target-obstructs-justice-and-fires.html" target="_blank">update</a> to my post from yesterday, on Monday night the Leesburg police charged the Fairfax deputy, who was caught on a high quality videotape, with shoplifting on two separate occasions in Target. According to Tom Jackman,<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/local/wp/2014/07/15/leesburg-man-charged-in-shoplifting-case-from-target/" target="_blank"> reporting</a> in yesterday's Washington Post, the alleged shoplifter, Robert H. Palmer, age 50, retired from the Fairfax Sheriff's Department on June 3. Both Target managers and employees, and the Leesburg police recognized him as somebody with whom they were personally familiar.<br />
<br />
At the same time, the Target security officer who turned him in, Dallas Northington, was fired for allegedly failing to follow proper procedures and for insubordination. But as Northington has maintained, in the eight years he has worked as a security officer, he has followed the same procedures as he did in the Palmer case numerous times. The only difference this time is that Palmer was known to both the Target managers and the police department. Northington's insubordination was not playing along with the cronyism of his superiors and the police department, all of whom wanted to cover up larceny.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Northington is the father of two children and his wife is pregnant with their third child. He was fired on June 3, the same day that Palmer put in his retirement papers with the Fairfax Sheriff's Department, which means the Sheriff cannot discipline Palmer for actions unbecoming a law enforcement officer. Nor will it affect his pension.<br />
<br />
Both Target and the Leesburg Police Department may have conspired to protect a thief, even going to the extreme of firing a conscientious employee for simply doing what he was hired to do. Indeed, this spot on Washington Post <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/leesburg-police-and-target-shouldnt-give-a-pass-to-a-shoplifting-suspect-with-a-badge/2014/07/15/5322f06a-0c51-11e4-b8e5-d0de80767fc2_story.html" target="_blank">editorial</a> captures the sordidness of the entire situation, where a major retail business dragged its feet for six weeks before filing charges against a an officer of the law who abused his authority by shoplifting, the police who dragged their feet to protect one of their own, and a retail giant firing its own employee to cover up its complicity in the whole sordid business. Here's what the Washington Post had to say:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The Leesburg police have been aware of both incidents since May 27, when they saw the video footage of the incidents, in which the suspect’s face is clearly visible. According to Mr. Northington, a police sergeant who watched the video recognized the suspect, who lives in Leesburg. “This is pretty serious,” the sergeant said, according to Mr. Northington. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Yes, it is. It’s serious if law enforcement personnel get a pass on criminal conduct. It’s serious if a major retailer retaliates against an employee for doing his job. And it’s serious when police turn a blind eye to larceny until a newspaper shames them to acting.</blockquote>
As of Wednesday, July 16, Dallas Northington is still unemployed and still has it on his employment record that he was fired for insubordination and not following proper procedure. Although the shoplifter will face a court of law, justice will not be entirely done until the employee who blew the whistle on larceny is<br />
reinstated with a full apology from Target. And I want to see that apology publicly. Dallas Northington deserves to have his name cleared and his record expunged so he has an accurate employment record for the future and a job to support his growing family right now.<br />
<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-10293128699895032092014-07-15T20:47:00.000-04:002014-07-15T20:47:12.624-04:00Target Obstructs Justice and Fires an Employee: Investigate and Boycott!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MKfqV-hTE2_vwGrNj7bx9PnNV9b8QGrLgMVqCo5XfqgxC3PhstDWq8K9dApzsrGxS9v2LzXf-KrPL-uOH6Z5wq0nSqNe9bozr8rA1wlrqrsez7NDjpXuPbvEazdznMzGa0pi/s1600/Dallas-Northington-was-a-Target-security-officer-who-was-fired-for-reporting-police-officer-for-stealing.-www.blacklikemoi.com_-300x199%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MKfqV-hTE2_vwGrNj7bx9PnNV9b8QGrLgMVqCo5XfqgxC3PhstDWq8K9dApzsrGxS9v2LzXf-KrPL-uOH6Z5wq0nSqNe9bozr8rA1wlrqrsez7NDjpXuPbvEazdznMzGa0pi/s1600/Dallas-Northington-was-a-Target-security-officer-who-was-fired-for-reporting-police-officer-for-stealing.-www.blacklikemoi.com_-300x199%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a>Dallas Northington's story of being fired from Target for doing his job has gone viral and outraged a lot of people. <br />
<br />
Northington is the Target plainclothes security officer who reported a Fairfax Sheriff's deputy caught shoplifting. <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/target-security-officer-fired-after-reportingshoplifting/2014/07/10/f3d6f606-0854-11e4-bbf1-cc51275e7f8f_story.html" target="_blank">Here's</a> the original Washington Post story and Tom Jackman's excellent <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/local/wp/2014/07/14/5-unanswered-questions-about-targets-alleged-firing-of-an-employee-for-reporting-a-suspected-shoplifter/" target="_blank">follow up of five questions</a> for Target about the firing. <br />
<br />
Briefly, Northington caught a deputy sheriff shoplifting in a Leesburg Target and reported it to the Leesburg police. The pilfering deputy was caught on videotape. Several Target employees recognized the deputy, and management not only declined to press charges but fired Northington instead. The official cause was that he had failed to follow proper procedure before going to the police. <br />
<br />
Northington, however, responded that in his eight years of employment at the Target, he had handled previous cases in exactly the same manner. In fact, one of Jackman's questions for Target is, "what is the proper procedure?." Yes, enquiring minds want to know.<br />
<br />
Here's the thing. The slow response of the police department and the manager at the small town Target smack of cronyism. These people were simply protecting one of their own, which is bad enough and merits an investigation of both the Leesburg Police Department and the Target. The Leesburg Police Department claims that they were waiting for Target to press charges first. But shoplifting is a crime and they are public servants whose salary and overhead are funded by taxpayers. That's who they answer to and when laws are broken their job is to pursue those who commit the crimes.<br />
<br />
Finally, after responding to a story gone viral and mounting outrage, Target has filed the charges, which were pending since May. The Target finally filed the charges this past Monday. But it took public pressure to embarrass them into it. Score one for social media.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, though, Northington is still out of a job, the one true innocent victim of this corrupt system.<br />
<br />
By the way, it should be noted that there was nothing the Fairfax Sheriff's Office could do about this. Although they were the deputy's employer, this was Leesburg's jurisdiction. They were no more culpable for a bad player acting outside of work hours than a private company would be.<br />
<br />
Target is completely culpable as is the Leesburg police. Sure Target is a private company, not funded by the taxpayers. And Virginia is an at will state, which means an employer does not have to give a reason for firing an employee. But firing a security officer for turning in a lawbreaker is technically obstructing justice. <br />
<br />
Since Northington was acting in his official capacity and responding to a crime, he is now technically a whistleblower who was wrongfully dismissed by a company obstructing justice and preventing a criminal investigation. Just so we are clear here: Target is crooked as they come and should be investigated for wrongful firing, obstructing justice, and violating whistleblower protections.<br />
<br />
Absent that, anybody up for a boycott?<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-38057273639090543822014-07-12T17:26:00.001-04:002014-07-12T17:26:57.382-04:00Don't Fall For IRS Summer ScamsFriday I got a robocall from the IRS. My caller ID displayed an unknown phone number, which was my first indication that this was probably not legitimate. Then the robocall instructed me to call a toll free hotline within the next 24 hours and no further legal action would be taken. Something tells me whoever was calling was trying to scare me and expected me to quickly call the number they left. I mean, "IRS" and "legal action" are the two terms that when used close together you never want to hear, right?<br />
<br />
Well, let's just say, boy did they pick the wrong mark.<br />
<br />
I worked for the U.S. Department of Treasury for over 20 years. Two of those years were in the IRS as a personnel clerk. When I think of IRS, I don't think of jackbooted agents grimly coming to drag me to debtor's prison because I made a mistake on a tax form. I think of former employers and coworkers whom I liked a lot. I also have an accountant do my taxes and if there was a problem, I'd simply contact him and we'd both go straighten it out after an audit. Big deal. I keep my records and if I had to pay a penalty for a mistake, I'd pay and then question that accountant very carefully. But one thing I know, nobody would be calling me on the phone to settle it. And certainly not by robocall.<br />
<br />
That's not how IRS works. There have been far nastier scams than the one I got. Long past tax season, scammers are still calling and posing as IRS agents, threatening to revoke people's drivers licenses, shut down their businesses, garnish their wages, and jail them. To avoid dire consequences, they demand payments on preloaded debit cards that can't be traced. These people can often quote the last four digits of a person's credit card and they will give you fake badge numbers. Boy I wish I had gotten one of those. I would have enjoyed patiently explaining real IRS procedure to them before threatening legal action of my own.<br />
<br />
The first thing to remember is that the IRS will never demand any personal information from you on the phone and they certainly don't demand payment of preloaded debit or credit cards. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/scammers-continuing-pose-irs-agents" target="_blank">If you get a call here's what you should do</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The <a href="http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Warns-of-Phone-Scam">IRS doesn’t ask people to pay with prepaid debit cards or wire transfers</a>, and doesn’t ask for credit card numbers over the phone. When the IRS contacts people about unpaid taxes, they do it by postal mail, not by phone. Read <a href="http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0048-government-imposter-scams">Government Imposter Scams</a> for more tips on avoiding a scam. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
And what if you got a <a href="http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0259-robocalls">robocall</a> from Heather or someone else? In addition to reporting it:<br />
<ul>
<li>Hang up the phone. Don't press 1 to speak to a live operator and don't press any other number to get your number off the list. If you respond by pressing any number, it will probably just lead to more robocalls.</li>
<li>Consider contacting your phone provider and asking them to block the number, and whether they charge for that service. Remember that telemarketers change Caller ID information easily and often, so it might not be worth paying a fee to block a number that will change.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
Also, it would be a good idea not to call any number that they leave on your voice mail because it's most likely not really an IRS number. <br />
<br />
The IRS may be guilty of a lot of things, but they do want people do know about these scams and they put out official notices: <a href="http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Warns-of-New-Email-Phishing-Scheme-Falsely-Claiming-to-be-from-the-Taxpayer-Advocate-Service" target="_blank"> here</a> and <a href="http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Releases-the-%E2%80%9CDirty-Dozen%E2%80%9D-Tax-Scams-for-2014;-Identity-Theft,-Phone-Scams-Lead-List" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
So, don't reflexively jump up if you get a call from somebody claiming to be from IRS. That's not how they roll.<br />
<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-91756325734134838252014-07-04T15:08:00.001-04:002014-07-04T15:09:54.214-04:00Happy July 4 to All<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKG8rwEvu40YHsKFo_14WFn98kQArHRAQV7-UqL5z7YG8QrYQoHixyVeBrjHoQex8vR-LjXCW1VUK_lziXyKQPlB3JwbeeLbJ5qwdiJViRRNK9Z6grlM-QAfbQduTFxSBj8Oq/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKG8rwEvu40YHsKFo_14WFn98kQArHRAQV7-UqL5z7YG8QrYQoHixyVeBrjHoQex8vR-LjXCW1VUK_lziXyKQPlB3JwbeeLbJ5qwdiJViRRNK9Z6grlM-QAfbQduTFxSBj8Oq/s1600/photo.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken outside my house on July 4, 2014</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Happy Independence Day to all. Enjoy your day and stay safe.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-62829517488605679142014-07-03T17:18:00.000-04:002014-07-04T14:29:12.381-04:00How the Native American Church Got to Use Peyote and Women Got the Hobby Lobby Decision<strong><em>UPDATE: As I predicted earlier in this post, the Supreme Court has already expanded an employer's right to deny women access to birth control insurance coverage. According to Robert Barnes, </em></strong><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/2014/07/03/622f7b12-02f8-11e4-8572-4b1b969b6322_story.html?tid=pm_pop" target="_blank"><strong><em>reporting</em></strong></a><strong><em> in today's Washington Post, the court decided in an unsigned opinion that Wheaton College, an evangelical Christian college, does not even have to comply with the remedy the court itself laid out in its Hobby Lobby decision. </em></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><em>Wheaton College, like the Sisters of the Poor and Notre Dame, objects to filling out the form that states they will not provide the coverage based on their religious beliefs so that the insurance companies can bypass them and provide the coverage directly to the female employees. Wheaton claims it is a religious burden because it still makes the them complicit in permitting their employees to obtain such insurance coverage. In other words, if they can't prevent their employees from getting birth control, it's a burden on their consciences. </em></strong><br />
<strong><em></em></strong><br />
<strong><em>Well, the court agreed with this position, although the three female justices are outraged and consider it reneging on what the court itself had agreed to in its earlier opinion. And it's hard to think the expansion will be limited to just the four contraceptives specified in the Hobby Lobby decision. More challenges will be coming. Slippery slope, anybody?</em></strong><br />
<br />
The Hobby Lobby<a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/13pdf/13-354_olp1.pdf" target="_blank"> decision</a> (go <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/2014/06/court-rules-in-favor-of-for-profit-corporations-but-how-broadly-in-plain-english/#more-214537" target="_blank">here for the plain</a> English version) handed down this week would
not have happened without the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_Freedom_Restoration_Act" target="_blank">Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) of 1993</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, Congress passed the RFRA because
the Constitution’s First Amendment failed to protect two members of
the Native American Church who were fired for ingesting peyote as part of a
religious ceremony and then were denied unemployment benefits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The case is State of Oregon Employment
Division v. Smith.<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
Precisely because the Supreme Court in the 1990s was less
activist than today’s SCOTUS, they ruled that as long as a law was religiously
neutral and broadly applied, the First Amendment did not exempt religious groups or persons from that law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, the plaintiffs were not protected, even for religious reasons, from a drug law,
which was not aimed at interfering with religious liberty and that applied broadly to
the general public.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without the RFRA, it’s
hard to see how Hobby Lobby would have prevailed today.<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
The RFRA, however, was written to protect individuals and
was never intended to be applied to for profit corporations to deny their
employees insurance coverage for contraception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unlike the Constitution, whose writers’ intentions can only be guessed,
those who wrote and voted to pass the RFRA are still here to tell us their intentions,
as Leslie Byrne did in her<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-hobby-lobby-decisions-message-on-religious-freedom/2014/07/02/690d98f6-012c-11e4-9a6a-955ebcaa3334_story.html" target="_blank"> letter</a> to the Washington Post today.<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
Besides distorting the intention of the RFRA, the Hobby
Lobby decision is dangerous for one other important reason. It sets a precedent
upon which other decisions that erode individual freedom can be based.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s called incrementalism and it’s the right’s
current very smart strategy to limit access to women’s health and reproductive
rights without ever overturning Roe v. Wade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And contrary to what some court watchers think, it can do mischief to
the recent string of victories the LGBT community has won in the same court too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
To show you how subtle and dangerous this approach is, let’s
first look at what Hobby Lobby doesn’t do and how that can give everybody a
false sense of security<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
At first glance, the decision seems limited in scope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It only applies to “closely held” corporations,
which are usually family-owned small businesses that incorporate for tax
purposes and to protect the owners from legal liabilities. The decision also is
applicable to just four forms of birth control, leaving sixteen more that Hobby
Lobby has provided and will continue to provide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Justice Alito has already admitted that the
exemption could be expanded to exempt closely held corporations from providing
any contraception coverage if that is their religious view. And there are religious
people out there who own businesses and oppose all birth control. So expect
that challenge in the future.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
In addition, nothing actually prevents the court from
eventually expanding the exemption from the closely held corporation consisting
of a family to publicly held corporations in other rulings based on different
circumstances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddavenport/2014/06/30/congress-actually-decided-the-hobby-lobby-case-decades-ago/" target="_blank">David Davenport</a>,
writing in Forbes, seems to think it could happen. His analysis also
agrees with mine that the remedy for more decisions like this is for Congress to amend RFRA to specify the definition of "person" and limit it to only "natural persons." Unfortunately, with a Republican-controlled House, don't look for that any time soon.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Other specific landmines are tripped by the Supreme
Court’s proposed solutions for women who need the IUD or Plan B or Ella, the
specific contraceptives Hobby Lobby is now exempt from covering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
While the court suggested that the federal government could
pay for a subsidy to go directly to the women, Alito and the rest of the
majority are being disingenuous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon
as the government starts subsidizing anything to do with contraceptives, the
same religious right that is applauding this decision will be out there
objecting to taxpayer money funding something they religiously object to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Remember, one of the big controversies in the original ACA was whether tax money would go to fund abortions. </span>So expect that challenge immediately
following any attempt by the government to provide the funding for contraceptives too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<o:p> </o:p><br />
The one viable option on the table is the same solution
currently used to cover those services for employees of religiously based
nonprofits, which is to let the insurance companies bypass the company
completely and simply offer the services to women they cover for free. If
you’re wondering why an insurance company would do this, it’s because covering
birth control is cheaper than paying for all the medical services for
pregnancy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p>But in order to do that, the company first has to declare
itself a “conscientious objector” and fill out paperwork stating that it objects to paying for that coverage based on religious grounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Currently, the Colorado based Little Sisters of the Poor and Notre Dame University <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-the-little-sisters-20140127-story.html" target="_blank">are challenging</a>
this in court on the grounds that even filling out the paperwork is a religious burden because doing so still enables their employees to get contraceptives, which is the same as if they provided the birth control, so it still
violates their religious beliefs . So look for that challenge too.</div>
<o:p> </o:p><br />
I’d like to believe that somewhere down the line, the judges
will rule enough is enough and that the burden shifted from the legal fiction of the corporate person to the real flesh and blood woman who needs these services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But given that the majority that decided this
are all traditionalist Catholics, I suspect any expansion of rights are going
to the other way.<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
That is the way the game of incrementalism is played. The
right has been slowly, surely winning in inches what it could never gain
outright, ending women’s ability to get needed health services.<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
When states put personhood amendments on the ballot in
referendums, they were overwhelmingly defeated even in places as conservative
as Mississippi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Polls have not changed
in years, with the country divided over the issue of abortion but just slightly over 50
percent always favoring keeping it legal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And 99 percent of women have used some form of birth control in the
lives<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the country is divided over
abortion, there is no ambiguity that Americans support a woman’s right to
contraception and family planning services.<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
Yet without ever overturning Roe v Wade or outlawing
abortion or contraception, women could lose access to both for all practical
purposes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you deny women insurance
coverage for contraception, you limit her access to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you pass TRAP laws that make it
prohibitively expensive for a small business person or doctor to operate an
abortion clinic, you also limit a woman’s options and her access.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of that amounts to denial for practical
purposes even though it remains legal on paper.<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
Additionally, those small businesses that don’t want to
provide services to gay couples getting married – those bakers, photographers,
and others in the wedding industry – will now probably revive their law suits,
seeking the same exemption given to Hobby Lobby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think there is a very good chance this
court will rule in their favor for the same reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Expect that challenge.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Because the religious right has failed to win hearts and
minds and even support and votes for its position, it is playing a game of
throwing down obstacles and limiting access.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And because it is occurring gradually rather than the sudden
overturning of a law, which would be met with howls of protest, there is no
outrage beyond the usual suspects, those already highly politically engaged on both sides of the aisle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the average person, nothing will change
overnight and it’s easy for them to wonder what all the fuss is about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until, like the frog in the boiling water,
it’s too late to jump out and reclaim what they’ve lost. And that is the game
of incrementalism and how it’s played against persons who don’t incorporate.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-17200090080841177912014-06-28T16:51:00.000-04:002014-06-28T17:07:45.632-04:00Puckett and Brink and False Equivalencies<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8JaeJk8ls3qT0Kxq0JVJhiKfrwcFrWGlEueJ1Bolti-5pYmXVYj05I4qRLa4Dcroym0usbUSG_PzDHk0pra57GOxrZkzp2Tgl9jc0ZgSyPETgm5pGClh3vOH1Xi5KCj_CbfWZ/s1600/dp-nws-phil-puckett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8JaeJk8ls3qT0Kxq0JVJhiKfrwcFrWGlEueJ1Bolti-5pYmXVYj05I4qRLa4Dcroym0usbUSG_PzDHk0pra57GOxrZkzp2Tgl9jc0ZgSyPETgm5pGClh3vOH1Xi5KCj_CbfWZ/s1600/dp-nws-phil-puckett.jpg" height="200" width="165" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
When I saw the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/virginia-del-bob-brink-to-resign-next-week-to-take-job-with-mcauliffe-administration/2014/06/27/aeffa73e-fe28-11e3-b1f4-8e77c632c07b_story.html" target="_blank">announcement</a> that Del. Bob Brink was resigning
from the Virginia House of Delegates to accept the position of deputy
commissioner for aging services for the Department of Aging and Rehabilitative
Services, my first reaction was dismay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
Sorry, Del. Brink, this has nothing to do with you or
your fitness to be the deputy commissioner and everything to do with
appearances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s because of events beyond
your control, specifically the superficial similarity to the situation of Sen. Phil
Puckett’s resignation.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Given the turmoil over Phil Puckett’s resignation from the
Senate immediately ahead of an important budget vote, the <a href="http://bearingdrift.com/2014/06/27/breaking-two-democratic-delegates-resign/" target="_blank">inevitable question</a>
had to come up: what’s the difference between these two situations?<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
I’ll be the first to admit that at first glance they appear
similar. They are alike in the way that apples and oranges are both fruit. But
that’s where the similarities end. Here’s the more savory set of circumstances.<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
Governor McAuliffe just announced Del. Brink’s appointment
to an existing and vacant position that needed filling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is nothing about the timing of Del. Brink’s
resignation that would bring any special value to either the governor or any
other party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nor does Brink’s
resignation in any way alter the balance of the House of Delegates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, other than Brink getting a good job and
the state getting the services of a competent deputy commissioner, there’s no
hint of any unfair benefit to either party.<br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
In truth a governor (or chairman) has the right to appoint a
sitting legislator to fill a legitimate vacancy regardless of how inconvenient
it is for the party that loses that seat (and leadership).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been done before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure partisans may call foul and label the guy
who resigns a traitor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the actions
do not rise to the level of illegality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
not the real issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> What is an issue, however, are the</span> facts
of the following particular situation.<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
Ironically, the Washington Post on the same day as the Brink announcement ran an <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/e-mails-outline-turmoil-at-va-tobacco-panel-over-pucketts-hiring/2014/06/27/acece938-fdf7-11e3-932c-0a55b81f48ce_story.html">article</a> on a series of emails by the principals regarding the offer of a job to Phil Puckett. Look at that narrative for Puckett’s circumstances and see if
you don’t spot several important differences from Brink’s resignation and subsequent
appointment.<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
Del. Terry Kilgore, who heads the Tobacco Indemnification
and Revitalization Commission, created a position for Sen. Phil Puckett – one where
Puckett was asked to write his own job description.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The offer of this newly created position came
immediately before an important senate vote on the governor’s budget and the
hotly contested Medicaid expansion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
Puckett’s resignation would tip the balance of the Senate into the hands of the
party to which the person creating and offering the job belongs.<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
The interim executive director of the tobacco commission,
Timothy Pfohl, even recognized how dicey this would look. The Washington Post,
today, reported on the series of emails between Pfohl, Kilgore, and Puckett,
where Pfohl pointed out the timing problem and suggested that they “decouple”
the offer from the resignation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
looks like an underling leaving a paper trail to cover his own back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had to do what his boss, Kilgore, told him
to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he wanted it on record that
he objected and offered an alternative.<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
I am going to admit
straight out that I don’t know whether Kilgore and Puckett’s actions are
illegal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the whole mess certainly
reeks of something fishy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it doesn’t
just start and end with the suspiciously timed job offer.<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
The truth is even without the tobacco commission job, the
fact that Puckett claimed he stepped down so his daughter, Martha P. Ketron,
could be confirmed for a judgeship isn’t much more ethical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact that Tommy Norment, the new majority
leader in the Senate, was holding up confirmation since the last session where he presided as majority leader (under the McDonnell administration) simply adds the element
of coercion rather than outright bribery to the mix.<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
One thing I don’t understand and so far nobody that I’ve
read has explained is the so-called Senate policy of not appointing the close
relative of a sitting member to any judgeship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While I realize the motive is to avoid nepotism, I’d like an explanation
of whether this is an informal tradition, a written policy, or an actual
law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How long has this policy been
observed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is it just in the Senate
and not the House? I find it interesting that every reporter has simply
accepted the explanation given without questioning it further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if I were still a reporter, I’d be
digging for some answers to truly understand the backdrop for what happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s why.<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
A reasonable person concerned with this could ask whether
this tradition is longstanding or was concocted to keep a qualified person from
being confirmed for some additional motive having nothing to do with nepotism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was it part of the game plan to force a
senator out of his seat so that his daughter could get her job? And does that
make it less quid pro quo to resign for his daughter’s gain rather than for his
own personal gain? <o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
I will repeat that I don’t know that any of this rises to
the level of breaking the law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I
spent a number of years working in government and I am familiar with ethics
rules and regulations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Generally in a
well-run government, simply refraining from illegal activities is the bare
minimum that you do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Public servants are
required to go above and beyond that standard and to refrain from any activity
such that a reasonable person could conclude that there was a conflict of
interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Even if you don’t believe what Phil Puckett and Terry
Kilgore did was illegal, by the true measure of ethical behavior, all but the
most partisan would agree that these were not honorable men nor dedicated
public servants putting their constituents before their own selfish gain and
power grabs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
And that is very different from a public servant simply
changing jobs to continue serving the people of Virginia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the way, a hearty congratulations, Del.
Brink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After explaining the difference,
I am not dismayed anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think he
will do an excellent job serving Virginia honorably.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-19280633266266029822009-12-19T16:57:00.001-05:002010-01-02T11:06:35.891-05:00The Last Waltz - One Last Update<b><i>UPDATE: I will be taking this blog offline and making it private on Sunday night. I will not delete it or abandon it because I do plan to eventually get back to blogging in about four years - or whenever I actually retire. Until then, I've decided to simply keep it private. But I won't actually be updating anything so nobody will be missing any new posting, I promise. Once again, my readers have given me great joy for the past five years. See you all in the next permutation of life :)</i></b><br />
<br />
Readers may have noticed that I've been posting less and my posts have not been as overtly political as usual. I won't be coy about it. I have been slowly disengaging from blogging because it's time to close up shop.<br />
<br />
I did this once before because I was getting burned out and wanted to move on to try different forms of writing. But once I had taken a much needed break, I realized how much I truly missed blogging and came back. This time is different.<br />
<br />
First of all, I'm not burnt out. And I already know that I will miss it. My reason for leaving is much simpler now than it was the first time I took a break. I have a new job that would make blogging a conflict of interest. I won't go into the details about the job, but please believe me that it would present a real conflict for me and my employer if I were to be running a blog and publicly sounding off about politics and other controversial issues.<br />
<br />
I will still keep my Twitter and Facebook accounts as those are personal social networking sites. But even there, my writing will be less about politics and more about personal sharing although, of course, I will still avidly be following politics. I just won't be as expressive with my own opinions.<br />
<br />
As much as I have enjoyed sharing those opinions through my blog, it is time for me to move on and to once again try something different and in this case, that something different pays very well.<br />
<br />
I hope my readers are happy for me. Please know I will miss all of you very much because I have had the best audience a political blogger could ever hope for. You have been thoughtful, intelligent readers whose comments, even when disagreeing with me, have always challenged me and made me think about my own positions and why I held them. I will miss that give and take.<br />
<br />
And I am profoundly grateful to all my fellow bloggers whose support for my efforts have meant so much to me. Across the aisle and across the political spectrum, I have truly found a group of people who have shared my passion for better government and for improving people's lives, even when we've disagreed about the best way to do so.<br />
<br />
To be honest, I don't consider this leave taking permanent because in four years I will be thinking about retirement. No matter how much I may love a job - and I very much expect to be loving the new one - I believe there is a time for everything under the sun and that includes moving on and discovering still other adventures. One of those might be coming back to blogging. Or by then, there may be even more innovative media and fresher opportunities.<br />
<br />
For now, though, that new opportunity lies in a change in my day job that will present challenges and adventures which will engage my time and energy in fresh directions. While I will miss what I leave behind, I am looking forward to what lies ahead.<br />
<br />
So, till we meet again...<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-78267988277889233032009-12-09T21:15:00.000-05:002009-12-09T21:15:53.014-05:00Christmas Warning: Do Not Try This At Home!This was sent to me by a friend with a rather odd sense of humor. One that matches my own. Enjoy!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBg5Vu9g_weJbhuL8IjKNqZb5kn0gyMTwlwHUkBjLvElxl_LglRM9dWpsokUmaGEfQr1UhaOMCV2HcKcHH0rM_hn28kEz5kgKOmEjcBaTQAeiVGmeRXzsO1kCgk3sY9gasusY/s1600-h/Christmas+Fun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBg5Vu9g_weJbhuL8IjKNqZb5kn0gyMTwlwHUkBjLvElxl_LglRM9dWpsokUmaGEfQr1UhaOMCV2HcKcHH0rM_hn28kEz5kgKOmEjcBaTQAeiVGmeRXzsO1kCgk3sY9gasusY/s400/Christmas+Fun.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-38480412776294096232009-12-06T19:42:00.001-05:002009-12-11T12:05:15.108-05:00Try Chrome - Update: Chrome Measures Up - and This is the Last Plug for It<b><i>UPDATE: I have now been using Chrome for about a week and so far it has more than measured up to its initial promise. I haven't had one freeze or crash and it is fast. It loads</i></b><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/"><b><i> Huffington Post</i></b></a><b><i> and the </i></b><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/"><b><i>Washington Post</i></b></a><b><i>, both sites that have always given me the most problems with the screen freezing. Again, I always thought it was the fault of the site but now I am rethinking that. And every once in a while, I'll try loading both those sites on Internet Explorer, and guess what? Same crap as before. The difference is Chrome. But this is the last "commercial" for it - promise! It's just that it has turned my surfing and blogging experience back into pure joy, when I had gotten so frustrated with IE's performance that I was actually avoiding my computer.</i></b><br />
<br />
Ok, I got a Google Wave invitation and when I went to retrieve it and install it I kept getting messages that I needed an additional plug in for it to work. Now, that was helpful. NOT!<br />
<br />
What plug in? Where do I find it? There was no explanation. So, I started Googling. What else would you do? I am convinced you can Google and get instructions for anything. I learned how to thread a sewing machine needle, download YouTube videos, and perform a root canal by Googling.<br />
<br />
Ok, I wouldn't actually try doing the root canal. But I did find a description of what to expect at the dentist that went into pretty explicit detail of how it's done. And I also have used Google to get instructions for how to do various things in Excel, Word, and Power Point since nothing comes with a user's manual anymore and Googling is the quickest way to find anything.<br />
<br />
And when I Googled for instructions on using Google Wave I discovered that Internet Explorer doesn't support Wave. <a href="http://www.google.com/chrome">Chrome</a> does, so I downloaded it and sure enough Google Wave is now accessible. And I discovered something else.<br />
<br />
My whole computer Internet connection is better. Everything from this blog to all the other blogs and sites I go to runs better than it did on IE. <br />
<br />
I was forever having problems with stuff loading too slowly, the computer freezing up entirely, and crashing. At first I thought it was caused by Verizon and I've been contemplating switching to cable. Then after some research, I thought it was because Microsoft keeps running constant updates. And that did have a lot to do with it. I've disabled automatic update. I still do the updating religiously, but at my discretion, not when Microsoft decides it should be done. <br />
<br />
That way, I'm not losing work because my computer is going down and rebooting after I've written 10 pages. I just pick a time every few days and do my computer maintenance and it works out great. But the biggest shock came when I installed Chrome.<br />
<br />
For the first time ever my computer functions smoothly. There were some sites that always gave me trouble and I just assumed that it was the fault of the site because it had so many videos, pictures, graphics, links that made loading slow. Nope. Not with Chrome.<br />
<br />
Since the FTC now insists that, as a blogger, I disclose any financial arrangements I might have with Chrome, Google, or IE, let me assure you I have only one. I'm a customer. It's a free service. And I make no money by telling anybody about my experience. But if I can save some readers the same type of frustrations that I had been dealing with by passing on some info, then I am happy to do it.<br />
<br />
If you are having problems with your computer running slowly while you are on the Internet, don't assume the problem is your computer (unless, of course, you are also having difficulties in other programs). Give Chrome a try. You may be as pleased as I am with it.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-45587678880037530902009-12-05T18:23:00.000-05:002009-12-05T18:23:21.891-05:00Wafer Wars and Bare-Knuckled PoliticsThe Roman Catholic Church has recently inserted itself into a couple of public policy/political debates with a ferocity not seen in many years. Today, in a Washington Post<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/04/AR2009120403485.html?hpid=opinionsbox1"> op ed,</a> Joseph Califano takes aim at the Church for its aggressive pursuit of its policy agenda and more specifically at its use of the Eucharist as a weapon with which to browbeat Roman Catholic politicians into following its dictates.<br />
<br />
Citing Rhode Island’s bishop, Thomas J. Tobias, who denied communion to Representative Patrick Kennedy, here is what Califano said:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>American bishops didn't used to do this. Even when they disagreed sharply with policies pursued by Catholic officeholders, they were willing to sit down and discuss alternatives. I know. I saw this when I served as chief domestic adviser for President Lyndon Johnson and as secretary of health, education and welfare for President Jimmy Carter. In the 1960s, LBJ became the first president to aggressively promote family planning abroad and at home. Abroad, he refused to send grain to India during a famine until Indira Gandhi committed to a family planning program. At home, he ordered federal agencies to make contraceptives available to the poor. I was the (Catholic) White House aide responsible for enforcing those policies. <br />
<br />
Johnson's actions prompted a stinging attack from Catholic bishops, who charged that he was coercing the poor to practice birth control. The president told me to "work something out" with the bishops, who were our needed allies in battling poverty and racial discrimination. At meetings with Father Francis Hurley, the bishops' top Washington staffer, and Detroit Archbishop John Dearden, leader of the American bishops, I assured them that we were offering an option to the poor, not coercing acceptance. We ultimately agreed that if the president phrased his policy in terms of "population control" (which allowed for more food and the church-approved rhythm method of family planning as well as contraception), the bishops would cool their rhetoric. LBJ kept his word, and when he later signed a U.N. declaration supporting population control, the bishops were silent. <br />
<br />
Carter and I opposed federal funding of abortion unless the life of the woman was at stake, a position Catholic bishops shared. Congress authorized funds for abortion in that circumstance and in cases of rape or incest "promptly reported." My options were to resign or to enforce the law by issuing regulations that defined "prompt" reporting. Back then, women generally did not report rape or incest unless they thought they were pregnant, so I set prompt reporting at within 60 days. The bishops were furious, and their attack vehement. Some said that I should have resigned rather than enforce the law. But none suggested that I be denied the Eucharist.<br />
</blockquote>Califano argues that Catholics in public office must be free to exercise their conscience in the decision-making process. They also have an obligation to listen to many voices, including those of non-Catholics. As Califano points out, we live in a pluralistic society, where citizens may have legitimate religious, political, and ethical differences of opinion. While nobody should expect silent acquiescence on the part of the nation’s Catholic hierarchy, neither should they use raw political clout – and especially not the threat of denying the Church’s most important sacrament – to its members as a way to impose their views.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, the Church, like any other religious institution, certainly has both a right and obligation to use its moral suasion to convince and persuade. Here are Califano’s final, eloquent words on this, as a Catholic caught up on the dilemma:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>As Catholics and as citizens, we have a right and obligation to assert our convictions on public issues clearly and vigorously -- to hope and to work that they should prevail. To expect less from a public official would ask that he leave his conscience at home. <br />
<br />
But to have convictions of conscience and be guided by them is not a license to impose such convictions indiscriminately on others by uncompromisingly translating them into policy. If public policy is to serve the common good of a fundamentally just and free, pluralistic society, it must brew in a cauldron of competing values such as freedom, order, equity, justice and mercy. Public officials who fail to weigh these competing values serve neither private conscience nor public morality. Indeed, they offend both. <br />
<br />
Where we cannot find unanimous answers, there is at least one point on which Catholic bishops and Catholic politicians can find common ground: insistence that those who search for the right answers are doing so with integrity and sincere conviction. That was what the church leaders I dealt with in the 1960s and '70s recognized, as their successors should today.<br />
</blockquote>I can only add that coercion is an admission of defeat. All types of institutions resort to it when they know they are losing their influence on their followers. As the Catholic Church suffers a shortage of priests and religious vocations and its membership rolls among well-educated Americans remains flat, it is resorting to bare-knuckled bullying to substitute for real moral authority. And that is its biggest tragedy.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-28778505588620530252009-11-30T13:53:00.001-05:002009-11-30T13:53:22.844-05:00I'm Still HereStill in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and here is the palm tree I promised to send. It's a view from my father's catwalk<br /><br /><center><a href='http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/30/376.jpg'><img src='http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/30/s_376.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />I will be back to cold, late fall reality by tomorrow afternoon. But for now, I'm enjoying one more 80 degree day visiting with my dad. <br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-57007064742455711232009-11-28T15:31:00.005-05:002009-11-28T19:59:58.260-05:00All That GlittersAll that glitters not only isn't necessarily gold, it could be as bold and cheap as brass. Here is a perfect example <br />
<br />
By now most people know who the Salahis are. But just in case you spent this past holiday weekend as a castaway on a desert island, they are the couple who crashed the President's first state dinner. In the process, they seriously compromised White House security.<br />
<br />
This Washington Post <a href="http://mobile.washingtonpost.com/rss.jsp;jsessionid=B55EBA75B1CA0D121D6EE708FBC845CA?rssid=578819&item=http%3a%2f%2fwww.washingtonpost.com%2fwp-syndication%2farticle%2f2009%2f11%2f27%2fAR2009112702135_mobile.xml&cid=1A">story</a> paints a pretty good picture of a couple who, though affluent, wanted desperately to play polo way out of their league. They lived larger than life, mingled with the elite, posed as a debonaire, fun loving couple, and assiduously sought the spotlight. Indeed, Michaela Salahi was aggressively seeking a spot on Bravo's new Housewives of Washington television series. <br />
<br />
On the night of the state dinner, a witness saw the Salahis car turned away from the White House driveway. The same eyewitness later observed Michaela hop out of the car while a makeup artist, who was following the couple, jumped out of a second car to brush more makeup on Michaela. All the while, a cameraman was filming these antics. <br />
<br />
Pictures of the Salahis mixing with Joe Biden, the Indian Prime Minister, and other high profile celebrities showed up the next day on the Salahis Facebook page. The White House later releases photos of President Obama and the First Lady greeting them on the receiving line.<br />
<br />
But the Washington Post story delves into the darker side of the Salahi story. The law suits between Tareq and his father. The ruined family business, a well respected winery in Fauquier County. The trail of unpaid bills and creditors left holding the bag.<br />
<br />
In some respects, though, there are aspects of this escapade and the whole Salahi story that could hold a romantic appeal for many of those reading about it. Could the book and movie deal be far behind? <br />
<br />
The truth is America has a tradition of admiring its clever con artists and lovable scoundrels who stick it to society's muckety mucks. It's the stuff of countless Hollywood screwball comedies. <br />
<br />
But make no mistake, the Salahis were no populist heroes pulling off a simple scam against the rich and famous. They wanted to be rich and famous themselves. And more often those scammed turned out to be small business men and women, florists, caterers, cleaning companies, and their condo association, whose dues they stiffed. These were careless people so intent on pursuing a self-aggrandizing fantasy that they didn't care whose business or life got wrecked in their wake. <br />
<br />
But there is a larger issue at stake here. And that is the security breach at the White House. <br />
<br />
As others have pointed out, something went very wrong that could have exposed the President and India's Prime Minister to great harm. Although Secret Service issued a statement that all guests passed through multiple layers of security, including a magnometer, that begs the question that some of the worst threats, like bioterrorism, still could have gone undetected. <br />
<br />
The White House does a good job of vetting guests. But any enterprise is only as good as its weakest link. And here its weakest link broke down badly.<br />
<br />
Serious questions remain about what was going through the mind of the guard who allowed these people who were not on the White House guest list, and were therefore completely unvetted, to enter a secure area.<br />
<br />
Given that it is common knowledge that President Obama has endured a historically high number of personal threats since early in his candidacy, it's highly unlikely that this was a routine slip up<br />
<br />
I doubt I'm the only person questioning whether money crossed palms. And if so, did the Salahis act alone in offering a bribe or was the reality TV company involved?<br />
<br />
I'm not saying that I know for sure that anything like that happened. But it sure better be one of the avenues being investigated because as well trained as the Secret Service is, I would have a lot of problems attributing this to mere carelessness on their part. <br />
<br />
Please tell me I'm not alone in this. <br />
<br />
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-38455269049990849982009-11-25T20:13:00.000-05:002009-11-25T20:13:47.196-05:00Happy Thanksgiving!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZU-vrtohSQ_J_JAYJsfDZHlchNgk7N2Tfq8_wrxajpvIlc9ICmPgc0OG_Dpt7ELWtIx2hxAoLXslH4FOV-Q5a0JshWteGilV2oXSl9INmM53Wi13xziF4ng9BF9kWNJ80rRX/s1600/Norman_Rockwell_Thanksgiving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZU-vrtohSQ_J_JAYJsfDZHlchNgk7N2Tfq8_wrxajpvIlc9ICmPgc0OG_Dpt7ELWtIx2hxAoLXslH4FOV-Q5a0JshWteGilV2oXSl9INmM53Wi13xziF4ng9BF9kWNJ80rRX/s400/Norman_Rockwell_Thanksgiving.jpg" yr="true" /></a>Yes, this is the iconic Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving poster. I grew up with it because it was used as an ad in my local supermarket in New York. Every fall, as November's holiday season approached, this was the poster that graced our local grocery store's front window - the all American holiday family gatheing.<br />
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I also grew up with several of Norman Rockwell's grandchildren. My home, Rockland County, was a suburb of New York City. As such, lots of artsy folks lived there. Besides the Rockwell offspring, the actor Burgess Meredith, the composer John Cage, and his domestic partner, dancer/choreographer Merce Cunningham, and actress Ellen Burstyn all lived in Rockland County. And the first lady of stage, Helen Hayes called Rockland County home. I didn't know all of them, of course. But I did meet Meredith once and I also did pal around with the Rockwell grandchildren.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I won't tell you what a real "Norman Rockwell" Thanksgiving might have been like - but let's just say that one year it involved one of the grandchildren being carted off to Rockland State Hospital, a notorious state mental institution. Such are the realities behind the myths we tell ourselves<br />
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All that said, those same myths are often what keep us sane in a world rapidly unraveling all around us. So, in this holiday season, let's embrace the stories we tell ourselves about the comforts of family, brotherhood, and compassionate love.<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In that spirit, I am off, as usual, to visit my dad in Fort Lauderdale. That means that between now and the Christmas holidays, blogging will be light. Unlike in years past, I do have my trusty iPhone. That means I may post an occasional picture of a palm tree from New York's <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940CE5D91439F93AA2575AC0A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=">sixth borough</a>. <br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">For all the iPhone blogging apps I've accumulated, let's be real. In depth, well researched, link-heavy political posts with lots of blockquotes ain't gonna happen. But, yes, an occasional photo or paragraph is a possibility. And of course, there are always Twitter updates on my sidebar.<br />
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But most of all, I'll be otherwise occupied with family because the biggest myth is also the truest. Cherish your families. None of us are forever so enjoy the moment. That means I probably will play with my toys a lot less and pay attention to my father and my husband a lot more - so don't expect much posting. And get away from that computer and enjoy your own friends and family live and in person. There are just times when virtual reality doesn't cut it. You need <em>live </em>reality!<br />
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So, on that note: A happy, safe, and healthy holiday season to you and yours!<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://anonymousisawoman.blogspot.com</div>Karen Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.com2