Sunday, August 08, 2004
You can go your own way....
The Mac
Oregon is one of those states often unafraid to take maverick positions on issues. Oregon is generally a leader as opposed to being a follower on the notions of the day. This leadership is partially due, in my opinion, to the willingness of the citizenry to often look beyond punditry and examine issues. From my experience, Oregonians are some of the best critical thinkers in the nation.
In the last several years, I've been concerned that perhaps Oregon has lost a bit of this ability to critically examine issues. With many outside political interests attempting to infiltrate Oregon politics (tax issues, specifically) it seems Oregon voters have been more susceptible to swallowing the rhetoric than in past years.
Then today while reading my Sunday Oregonian newspaper, I came across thispiece by columnist Susan Nielsen. Nielsen discusses the tendency for people to consider judges "activist" because law/rights don't always match public opinion:
Last week, Missouri voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional ban on gay marriage. Also last week, a judge in Washington state ruled that gay marriage should be legal.
These two events look like more proof of the great cultural divide between judges and everyone else; between those wild-eyed judicial activists who seem to find gay rights hidden under their couch cushions, and squeamish voters who say gay marriage is just plain wrong.
But the truth is, the real cultural divide has little to do with judges. The true divide is between people who've had to confront gay marriage legally or personally, and people who haven't.
It seems to me that Ms. Nielsen has put her finger on the problem of many of the social issues of the day: it's tough to judge unless you've walked a mile in their moccasins, so to speak.
That wisdom is timely now more than ever. With the many complex and emotional social issues confronting the American electorate, it's more important than ever for us to think critically and with empathy. The alarming rate at which some Americans allow others (such as political, cultural or religious figures) to tell them what to think or how to vote is a scourge on our nation.
Oregonians are under siege from outside interests. I'm hopeful that we will continue the spirit of our state ancestors and continue to shrug them off...carving our own, maverick path.
|
Oregon is one of those states often unafraid to take maverick positions on issues. Oregon is generally a leader as opposed to being a follower on the notions of the day. This leadership is partially due, in my opinion, to the willingness of the citizenry to often look beyond punditry and examine issues. From my experience, Oregonians are some of the best critical thinkers in the nation.
In the last several years, I've been concerned that perhaps Oregon has lost a bit of this ability to critically examine issues. With many outside political interests attempting to infiltrate Oregon politics (tax issues, specifically) it seems Oregon voters have been more susceptible to swallowing the rhetoric than in past years.
Then today while reading my Sunday Oregonian newspaper, I came across thispiece by columnist Susan Nielsen. Nielsen discusses the tendency for people to consider judges "activist" because law/rights don't always match public opinion:
Last week, Missouri voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional ban on gay marriage. Also last week, a judge in Washington state ruled that gay marriage should be legal.
These two events look like more proof of the great cultural divide between judges and everyone else; between those wild-eyed judicial activists who seem to find gay rights hidden under their couch cushions, and squeamish voters who say gay marriage is just plain wrong.
But the truth is, the real cultural divide has little to do with judges. The true divide is between people who've had to confront gay marriage legally or personally, and people who haven't.
It seems to me that Ms. Nielsen has put her finger on the problem of many of the social issues of the day: it's tough to judge unless you've walked a mile in their moccasins, so to speak.
That wisdom is timely now more than ever. With the many complex and emotional social issues confronting the American electorate, it's more important than ever for us to think critically and with empathy. The alarming rate at which some Americans allow others (such as political, cultural or religious figures) to tell them what to think or how to vote is a scourge on our nation.
Oregonians are under siege from outside interests. I'm hopeful that we will continue the spirit of our state ancestors and continue to shrug them off...carving our own, maverick path.
Return to Main
