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Erik Gutshall for Arlington

By

On June 10, 2016

In Cycling, Personal, Politics, Virginia

As originally posted at Chris Slatt’s site:

June 9, 2016

Dear Fellow Cyclists,

The Tuesday, June 14th Democratic Primary has almost arrived! On that day, Arlington voters will pick their Democratic Party candidate for the County Board.

We are residents of Arlington. We ride bikes. We support Erik Gutshall for County Board.

Erik has a vision for Arlington as a place where riding a bike is a safe and comfortable transportation choice for everyone who wants to bike. Erik supports adopting a Vision Zero plan for Arlington, which calls for Arlington to eliminate death and serious injury from our roads through efforts to improve road design, education and policing. Erik supports Safe Routes to Schools, the program that encourages students to bike and walk to school, and he wants to see it expanded. Erik wants to see our police officers more engaged with the cycling community and utilizing bike patrols. And Erik wants to see Arlington earn the status of Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community.

Arlington used to be a leader among local jurisdictions when it comes to supporting people who bicycle. Now neighboring jurisdictions are surpassing us in funding, facilities, maintenance and support. Erik wants to reestablish Arlington as a leader, and knows that we have the staff and resources to do it, if Arlington County’s political leadership has the will.

Erik recognizes that cycling is a fundamental part of our transportation network and should be treated as such. He recognizes that enabling more people to feel safe and comfortable biking is essential to moving more and more people as Arlington grows. You can read more about Erik’s position on cycling in Arlington here.

We ask you to join us in supporting Erik Gutshall for County Board in the Democratic primary on June 14th and again in November.Turnout in the primary is even more important than usual. There are two ways to vote in the primary: in person at your regular polling location from 6:00am – 7:00 pm on Tuesday, June 14th, or absentee in person at the Courthouse Plaza through Saturday, June 11th. Click here for more information on voting in the upcoming primary.

Working together we can help Erik win on June 14th!

Signed,

Mark Blacknell
Gillian Burgess
Ed Fendley
Christopher Forinash
Eric Goodman
Megan Jones
Grant Mandsager
Steve Offutt
Chris Slatt

Trying to Understand the Liberal v. Conservative Approaches

By

On June 24, 2013

In Politics, Society

The title alone invites mockery (from people like me, among others), but for now I’ll just put this here with the very genuine explanation that I heard this on CSPAN radio on Sunday, and I’ve been thinking about it since.

Yuval Levin, of National Affairs Journal, being interviewed by Brian Lamb:

LAMB: I want to ask you to help define the nuances of conservatism. We’re going to go back to 2005; eight years ago. Paul Weyrich, the late Paul Weyrich was in that chair there and he said this and see what you think of this.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

PAUL WEYRICH, AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL ACTIVIST: Our culture is continuing to decline. Here we are, working on a marriage amendment you know something that I thought was self-evident that marriage was between a man and a woman, but now we’re having difficulty trying to get this passed. You know we are not succeeding in changing the culture to return to a time when values mattered. They’re becoming less and less important in the society. And you know when all is said and done, it doesn’t matter whether you have a minimum wage or not. And it doesn’t matter you know what kind of trade policy you have, if in fact the moral fabric of the society has disintegrated.

(END VIDEO)

LAMB: What about the morals; the values?

LEVIN: Yes.

LAMB: I mean his definition of values might be different than today’s.

LEVIN: Well, let me – let me start in a general way. I think conservatism is – the difference between conservatives and liberals; a very profound difference is that conservatives begin from a constrained and limited notion of – limited set of expectations about what human beings can achieve, what human knowledge can achieve, what human power can achieve. And because of those low expectations, they value very highly the achievements we have in our society; the things that work and they want to preserve them. They want to save the preconditions for those things continuing to work. Liberals tend to begin from higher expectations; from a notion of greater perfectibility in the human being, from higher expectations about human knowledge, about human power. And for that reason, they start out with a sense of outrage about what’s failing because they think we can do a lot better. They don’t begin by appreciating what is best; they begin by trying to undo and root out what is worse.

Both of these things are very valuable, very important and very necessary, but they’re quite different. You start looking at a world that has both good things and bad things and your first instinct is to be grateful for the good and build on it to address the bad or you start looking at a world that’s both good and bad and your first instinct is to be outraged and to root out what is – what is worse based on an idea of what could be best; an idea of perfectibility, you approach politics very differently.

And what you see from Paul Weyrich there, in part, is a sense that what works about our society has to be protected, because it’s rare, because it’s enormously valuable, and because it could be lost very easily. Conservatives care a lot about culture, because culture’s the way we sustain those things that work about our society. Any human society is always under constant barrage by new members, by people who were born without all the great progressive notions of what we can do. We’re all born barbarians and we have to be trained to become civilized people. And the culture is what does that. It’s what makes it possible to turn a newborn human being into a civilized American citizen. And so conservatives think that’s not easy. That doesn’t happen by itself. And one of the most important things that any society has to do at any given time is to preserve that; to worry about the culture, the way in which it can train the next generation to continue in the footsteps of past ones. And so culture matters an enormous amount to conservatives. It’s not taken for granted as just being there and we can build on it. It has to constantly be nourished.

This is worth thinking about.

In a Blow to VA Conservatives, Hate Fades on the National Scene

By

On March 24, 2013

In Politics, Society, Virginia

The guy who happily used hate as a campaign tactic backs off a bit:

GOP strategist Karl Rove says he can imagine a Republican candidate in the next presidential campaign supporting gay marriage.

The statement from the former adviser to President George W. Bush appears to acknowledge that opposition to gay marriage has waned in some conservative circles.

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, announced last week that he now supports gay marriage after learning one of his sons was gay.

Rove’s comment was part of a panel discussion on ABC’s “This Week.” He did not elaborate.

While the rapid pace of change has surprised even the most optimistic among us, the long game has never really been in question.  Alas, I’m pretty comfortable betting that, Virginia – a bastion of backwardness – will be among the last places to come around, when it comes to the law.  Remember, this is the place that fought interracial marriage all the way to the Supreme Court.

(And lost.)

 

Fun with Guns in Richmond

By

On January 9, 2013

In Policy, Politics, Society, Virginia

So Virginia’s favorite emissary from the Dark Ages, Del. Bob Marshall, is back in Richmond and ready to push guns into our schools. So Del. Marshall knows the law when it comes to guns, right? Check this out, from last month:

Screen Shot 2013-01-09 at 2.49.18 PM

 

For the record, you can take an online class and you do not need to be fingerprinted (in fact, Del.Bob Marshall voted to repeal that requirement just last year). Further, you do not need to show any kind of proficiency with a firearm in order to get a concealed carry permit. Finally, the online class? Is a rather unfunny joke. 

The quality of Virginia’s legislation and legislators is on full display here.

Update:

To save readers the trouble of verifying the above, here are the requirements for residents, as set out by the Virginia State Police (emphasis supplied):

Application for a Concealed Handgun Permit

Any person 21 years of age or older may apply in writing to the clerk of the circuit court of the county or city in which he or she resides, or if he is a member of the United States armed forces, the county or city in which he is domiciled, for a five-year permit to carry a concealed handgun.

[ . . .]

The court shall require proof that the applicant has demonstrated competence with a handgun and the applicant may demonstrate such competence by one of the following, but no applicant shall be required to submit to any additional demonstration of competence:

  1. Completing any hunter education or hunter safety course approved by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries or a similar agency of another state;
  2. Completing any National Rifle Association firearms safety or training course;
  3. Completing any firearms safety or training course or class available to the general public offered by a law-enforcement agency, junior college, college, or private or public institution or organization or firearms training school utilizing instructors certified by the National Rifle Association or the Department of Criminal Justice Services;
  4. Completing any law-enforcement firearms safety or training course or class offered for security guards, investigators, special deputies, or any division or subdivision of law enforcement or security enforcement;
  5. Presenting evidence of equivalent experience with a firearm through participation in organized shooting competition or current military service or proof of an honorable discharge from any branch of the armed services;
  6. Obtaining or previously having held a license to carry a firearm in this Commonwealth or a locality thereof, unless such license has been revoked for cause;
  7. Completing any firearms training or safety course or class, including an electronic, video, or on-line course, conducted by a state-certified or National Rifle Association-certified firearms instructor;
  8. Completing any governmental police agency firearms training course and qualifying to carry a firearm in the course of normal police duties; or
  9. Completing any other firearms training which the court deems adequate.

A photocopy of a certificate of completion of any of the courses or classes; an affidavit from the instructor, school, club, organization, or group that conducted or taught such course or class attesting to the completion of the course or class by the applicant; or a copy of any document which shows completion of the course or class or evidences participation in firearms competition shall constitute evidence of qualification under this subsection.

No applicant shall be required to submit to any additional demonstration of competence, nor shall any proof of demonstrated competence expire.

[  . . . ]

The court shall issue the permit within 45 days of receipt of the completed application unless it appears that the applicant is disqualified.

Want an example of the kind of online class we’re talking about?  Check out VAGunTraining.com, where $25 and less than 25 minutes (the video itself is 17:28) will get you a certificate acceptable for a concealed carry permit.  From their FAQ:

Can I really get a Virginia Concealed Handgun Permit by just taking this class?

Just like any other training recognized by the state, you will still need to apply at your local courthouse and pay the appropriate fees. You must also pass the required background check conducted by your local courthouse. Our training satisfies the competency requirement for obtaining a Concealed Handgun Permit in the state of Virginia.

Is your class state recognized?

Yes. Virginia residents are able to obtain a Concealed Handgun permit by using our state-recognized class to prove firearm competency. You will still need to apply at your local courthouse and pass a background check.

So I can get a Virginia Concealed Handgun Permit without firing a gun?

Yes. The law requires passing a safety class that meets certain requirements. Our class meets and exceeds these requirements so firing a handgun is not required.

Think this might be too much?  No worries:

How hard is the test?

If you watch our video, the test will be incredibly easy for you to pass even if you have no prior firearm experience. We have a 99.9% first time pass rate.

If I fail the test, can I retake it for free?

Yes, you may retake the test as many times as you it takes for you to pass the exam free of charge. If you fail, we encourage you to rewatch the video.

This hasn’t always been the case, in Virginia.  Not too long ago, you did actually need to demonstrate competence at a range, and get fingerprinted (in Arlington, at least).  Now?  Well.

Don’t you feel safer knowing that anyone with $25 and no serious record can carry around a deadly weapon in his pocket?

In re Terry McAuliffe

By

On December 9, 2012

In Politics, Virginia

Waldo Jaquith says it all.

The Mindless Laziness of “Both Sides Do It!”

By

On August 6, 2012

In Politics, Society

Continuing on a theme:

“Basically, saying “both sides do it” is a form of trolling. In almost every case, when a Very Serious Person says “both sides do it,” “both sides are to blame” or any of its variants, it is to shut down discussion, not to bring it to a deeper, more nuanced level. (There are exceptions, but they are few. We’ll delve into this further in future posts.) Obsessing about “tone” and other cosmetics serves the same function. ‘Sensible Centrism’ is very popular because it gives the appearance of wisdom, objectivity, independence, impartiality and so on without having to commit to much of anything.”

On Decency and Chicken

By

On August 2, 2012

In Personal, Politics, Society

This explains it, top to bottom:

“This isn’t about mutual tolerance because there’s nothing mutual about it. If we agree to disagree on this issue, you walk away a full member of this society and I don’t. There is no “live and let live” on this issue because Dan Cathy is spending millions to very specifically NOT let me live. I’m not trying to do that to him.”

And really, it’s helpful to see what kind of people will go out of their way to support bigotry.  It’s more than one might guess, nevermind might hope.

The Neverending Fake Victimhood of Gun Advocates

By

On June 18, 2012

In Personal, Politics

The lengths to which politicians like Rep. Mica (R-Fl.) will go to mine for votes amongst the perpetually under-imaginary-siege gun enthusiasts is astonishing.  Or at least it was in the first few years it happened.

Look – the national gun control lobby has been effectively dead for more than a decade now.  But that doesn’t stop fundamentally dishonest organizations like the NRA from attempting to undermine our ongoing civic conversation in the service of their own membership-building activities.

It’s time to call bullshit on these liars.  In exactly those terms.

And as I note almost every time I write about the NRA’s fear-mongering: I’ve owned a gun all of my adult life, and my first encounter with the NRA was with a hunter safety class I took when I was 12 years old.  I don’t hate guns.  I hate what dishonest liars like the NRA and John Mica are using guns to do.

Virginia Fails at Basic Human Decency. Again.

By

On May 17, 2012

In Law, Politics, Society, Virginia

As you’ve certainly heard by now, Bigot Extraordinare Rep. Bob Marshall and the clown show that is the Virginia GOP continued Virginia’s grand tradition of hatefulness when:

[T]he judicial nomination of Mr. Thorne-Begland, a former Navy fighter pilot who is gay, was sabotaged by an ugly campaign of homophobic bigotry led by Virginia Republicans. In a vote at 1 a.m. Tuesday, the GOP-dominated House of Delegates, with an avowed homophobe leading the charge, killed his candidacy, thereby ensuring that Virginia state courts remain free of openly gay judges.

The usual attempts to obfuscate and cast doubt upon the reasons behind the vote have quickly made their appearances, of course.  While Virginia’s got a well established tradition of narrow-mindedness and willingness to use the power of the state to discriminate, one thing it simply cannot stand is actually labeling these actions for what they are.  Waldo Jaquith does a great job of sorting out the vote here.

On Bullying (Mitt’s and Otherwise)

By

On May 10, 2012

In Personal, Politics

Looks like Mitt Romney participated in some pretty foul acts, in high school.

So, I don’t think any adult should be condemned for an act undertaken in childhood/teenage years. But I don’t think it’s at all unfair to judge him on how he handles looking back at it from adulthood.

I not only witnessed – but participated in – some awful behavior towards other kids. Did it kinda sorta make sense at the time? Sure. But as an adult, I look back, and I’m horrified at what a bunch of little monsters we were. And given the chance, I’d apologize a million times over for it.

So when you’re given a chance, as an adult, to own up to it, and you equivocate?

Screw you. You’re a shitty human being.

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