The Case for the "Protest" Vote

Many people choose to sit out elections. They don't like the choices, they don't know the issues, therefore, they don't take the time to vote. I argue that even an informed voter is not necessarily a smart one. I consider myself to be a better informed voter than most and yet, I have voted for some pretty unsavory characters (I'm talking about you, John Edwards). The point is, no matter how well-informed we are, we all make mistakes.

Which leads me to my argument for protest voting. By definition, a protest vote is one when you for for someone just because you don't want someone else to get elected. Stay with me on this point. In 2016, I voted for Dr. Chris Peters against Rep. Dave Loebsack. What the hell?--you might say, but I did so because Loebsack voted for the Keystone Pipeline and was supportive of it running through Iowa. As it was the single most important issue to me, I voted against him and not because I "loved" Peters Liber-publican policies stances. However, in this cycle, with the Democrats likely to overtake the House, Dave Loebsack can vote to make unarmed burglary by an undocumented person a Federal (and deportable) crime and he still has my vote (or does he? Hmm...).

We've all heard how protest votes made Donald Trump President, which is convenient. But what is more true is that people who could have voted and they didn't. Who knows what would have happened if  10,000 or 15,000 more people voted in 2016 in places like Michigan? Maybe Trumpledore would still be President, but maybe not. One thing is for certain, a lot of folks voted for the Libertarians, Greens, and wrote in votes in those tightly contested states--I'm pretty sure they didn't think those parties would win. I'm going out on a limb and say those may have been protest votes.

The larger point is that your vote is yours to do with as you want. You don't want yet another man elected, vote for the woman. You think Black Lives Matter, vote for black candidates. You are tired of corporately-owned politicians, write yourself in or vote for the Green or Libertarian candidate who you've never heard of. But use your vote to express yourself and appreciate your freedom that a bunch of old white guys made possible for you (well, not all of you [at first],  but eventually-ish).  Because the only way we are going to get better politics is to bum rush the show.

Parallels: Mollie, Sadie, Celia, and Christine

In Iowa, three women have tragically lost their lives to men who assaulted them. Mollie Tibbitts and Celia Barquin Arosamena were alledgedly killed by their assailants, while Sadie Alvarado's death is still being investigated as she allegedly jumped out of the automobile of her boyfriend during a fight. These deaths are senseless and tragic both from the perspective of their unfulfilled ambitions and to women who continuously fear for their lives from the men in them and in the periphery. Currently, a nomination for the Supreme Court is being held up while aging Senators, mostly male, pursue whether the male nominee, Brett Kavanaugh as a teenager assaulted a teenage girl, Christine Blasey Ford, who now alleges that he did.

While understanding that what happened to Ford is not exactly the same as what happened to the three women in Iowa, nonetheless, the symptoms are the same. Men believing that they had the right to inflict their will on these four women and a society that often fails to see how assault and rape can lead to the unspeakable. Every day, women are assaulted by men and, for generations, have felt betrayed when they reported these incidents when men walked away with either a light slap on the wrist or no justice at all. It is only recently that the charges are being treated more seriously, in part because of high-profile cases involving celebrities.

Once again, a man of questionable character is being considered for the highest court in the land and his behavior may be given a pass, just like Clarence Thomas' was where Anita Hill's sworn testimony was concerned.Our Senator Grassley chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee and has the right to call witnesses, as he has to look into the allegations, but unlike a court of law, ironically, the Senate is not a court, it is a political body whose Republican leaders are hell-bent on putting a conservative-minded justice on the Supreme Court before the mid-term elections, fearing that they may not hold that power after the mid-term elections.

And what if Brett Kavanaugh has been unjustly accused? What about his rights? The statute of limitations has long expired to file charges against him, so why bother? The question is that of fitness to serve a life-long appointment to the highest court in the land. We have seen other nominees "Borked" for far less serious things (e.g., Douglas Ginsburg who was nominated by Reagan was withdrawn when it was revealed he smoked marijuana with his students at Harvard). There are plenty of other conservative judges that could be nominated and likely would be approved, but this is ultimately about what is possible here and now and with a famously stubborn President and Senate, Brett Kavanaugh is there guy.

Christine Blasey Ford has earned a right to be heard, especially because she was a reluctant witness whose business was put on the street because of politics. No one could risk more than she can. If she is telling the truth, she still will be excoriated as she gives her testimony, if she is not, all other women who step forward in the future will be treated as instantly suspect. She is reluctant, and she has asked the FBI to hear her out prior to testifying to Congress. However to Grassley and his cohort, the clock is ticking.

And what of Kavanaugh? What Kavanaugh has to lose is relatively minor. If he did what she accuses him of, his nomination should be dropped, no question. But he could also be awarded the seat despite it all. Will his current job be imperiled? Probably not, though he might face judicial review, if he gave false testimony in being approved for that seat. If has been falsely accused, he either chooses to fight for the nomination or decides it isn't worth it. Either way, other than not being seated, he still would likely have his appellate court seat.

However it goes, we should not forget Mollie, Sadie, and Celia. They are the unfortunate ones who died, while their assailants live. Brett Kavanaugh may prove to be a very fortunate one as well and that could be the greatest injustice of all. 

Another 9/11

As I write this, it is about the same time that the first reports came out of New York on September 11, 2001 that the first of two planes crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and later another crashed into the Pentagon and still another crash landed in a field in Pennsylvania. I was walking to work through Hickory Hill Park that morning. It was a beautiful, cool morning and I remember arriving to work in a quiet, contemplative mood. Within half an hour, that would change. Now, 17 years later, I now know just how much all of it has changed and now is worth questioning--Are we "the land of the free and the home of the brave?"

Americans, it has been said, are a people of boundless optimism and I'd like to think that, deep down, we still are. However, on that day and all the days that have come after, we have seemingly descended into two clearly demarcated camps. One that embraces us joining the greater world community more fully and one that wants to partition ourselves off from those who are not American. I won't say that it is not understandable because the images of that day live on and the unspeakable horror of the events that unfolded are more a part of the mindscape of many Americans than say, Pearl Harbor, D-Day, the planting the flag at Iwo Jima or the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

Perhaps it is a matter of time that we will regain our boundless optimism, but I fear, we never will. I also fear that we will continue the kind of politics that are so wildly dividing us, that we will begin to see the enemy everywhere. That is one of the lessons of 9/11. We enacted the PATRIOT Act not too shortly after 9/11 essentially allowing more and more surveillance of our lives. We have steadfastly refused to reduce the arming of Americans making it that much more likely that innocent people will die by the gun. We have passed law after law and policy after policy to allow us to pick and choose who gets to be in America and what religions that they can practice. And yes, we have jailed 1/4 of the world's jailed population. That is not boundless optimism at work. That is the work of mistrust and hopeless fear.

Perhaps the single greatest tragedy of 9/11/2001 was the loss of personal freedom and the increase of mistrust and fear. Perhaps on both sides of the divide that is something we share in common. Thankfully, there are people coming of age that were not born or were very young when the events of 9/11 unfolded. They have lived a lifetime of America at war. It is my hope that they will sicken of the constant state of warfare and seek to join different coalition of the willing to stop the wars and work on the root causes. 

Iowa City Special Election: The Morning After

I have been involved on various levels with politics for much of my adult life and I have to say, the aftermath of yesterday's special election reminds me that reasonable, well-intentioned people are why the winner/loser mentality of politics is hard. With barely a month to have their issues heard, five candidates who were well-qualified were narrowed to two finalists by less than 9% of the eligible voters casting votes. Nonetheless, to Ryan Hall, Christine Ralston, and Brianna Wills, congratulations on running on your core values and organizing good campaigns. In some way, your work is not done as you will likely be asked for support by the other two campaigns and will want to keep pushing your issues with those who agree with you. I am hopeful that you will stay engaged in community efforts and run again in 2019.

To Ann Freerks and Bruce Teague, kudos to you both (and your stellar campaign teams) for having your voice heard and affirmed by those who took the time to vote. Now, it is a matter of who will be able to convince the most others to join you and to support your candidacy in the October 2nd election. With less than three hundred votes separating you on election night, it is clear that this will be a very competitive election. In the coming days, I will dissect the differences in stances of these candidates, but for today, wish them the best in this sprint to the finish line--and then to work.