Eric’s Neighborhood

Tick tock tick tock

jfield
Dec 2, 2009
1 comment

Enjoy it while it lasts, homophobes. Unlike many things, I haven't a shred of doubt where this is going in the next decade or two. Like every human rights issue before it, it'll eventually triumph. And then a few decades after that it'll be an embarrassment that it took us so long.

As an alternative to gay marriage, I would support the government getting out of the marriage business entirely, and issuing only civil unions to _all_ consenting adults, gay or straight. But segregation is not okay.

Liberty. Understand it.

Humility

jfield
Sep 15, 2009
1 comment

I really liked this brief article about humility. I've always preferred quiet strength to arrogance, thankfulness to entitlement, and graciousness to pride. Seems to me there's far too little of those things around.

Protests

jfield
Sep 13, 2009
6 comments

I'm actually quite glad about the recent protests in Washington. I assume this means I'll never again have to hear from The Right that protesting the government is "un-American"? Excellent. Thanks.

On Torture And Paine

jfield
Aug 27, 2009
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I think this great article sums up about everything I think need be said on the topic.

A better approach

jfield
Aug 11, 2009
4 comments

I thought Specter's approach was good. Not sure if it (or anything) will be effective, though.

Man, I hope we don't have to wait another 16 years to fix health care. Nothing has gotten better on the health insurance front after some of the most prosperous years in the country's history. It seems obvious that the market is not working on this one.

Bah, Pelosi

jfield
Aug 10, 2009
3 comments

I can't say I know much about her, but I've not heard much I've liked. And a few things now I haven't liked, like this.

I'm in favor of national health care, but I can't stand people throwing around terms like "un-American" and "unpatriotic" about opposition. The worst I can say about anyone who disrespectfully disrupts a town hall meeting is that they're jerks. I don't know if that's better or worse, but at least it's more accurate and doesn't come across as manipulative propaganda.

People should bring their concerns forward at those meetings -- respectfully -- so that they can be discussed and hopefully addressed. If they're too ideological and hot under the collar to do it respectfully then maybe they need to be removed. But there's nothing unpatriotic about even that. That whole angle of applying "unpatriotic" to any political position at all sees disingenuous, and just plain annoying and to me. When I hear it, it backfires and labels the accuser as manipulative.

Unless the accused is literally advocating treasonous activity. Short of that, I believe we all want what's best for the country though we may not agree on what that is exactly. Discourse over that is a good thing.

I don't think I like Pelosi very much.

Confusion

jfield
Jul 29, 2009
2 comments

So the health care issue has been thoroughly confused to the point of absurdity. And that's a shame.

I have an aunt who recently became terrified that the upcoming changes to health care would make it impossible for her to get the knee replacement surgery that she was hoping for. She has been living with significant knee pain, but was worried that once the government got involved in health care that she would not be able to get the surgery. So she made sure she got it now. I am glad to report that the surgery was a success.

And how was this surgery paid for? How did she save herself from the sure abyss of public health care? By using medicare.

You may think she was singularly confused, but this story was related to me without a hint of irony by other family members. Someone has done a very poor job of informing the public, or a very good job of confusing them.

Some people who are terrified of public health care might accidentally admit that the public health care that military personnel receive, which is run by the US government, is better than what civilians get. Such an embarrassing exchange took place the other day on The Daily Show between Stewart and the generally respectable conservative pundit Bill Kristol. Listen to the confusion around 12 minutes in.

I am wary of the government. I don't trust it. I will always question what it is doing. But that is fundamentally different from blindly assuming everything they do is bound to be an awful disaster. That is simply not the case and the relative success of our great country is proof of that. Believing everything the government does is wrong is no better than thinking everything they do is right. Either mantra is simple minded and destructive to real progress.

I support a public option, and I'd really like to see single payer, though I've accepted that is out of the running. But whatever happens, I think the national understanding and the debate has become a complete joke.

SF Botanical Garden

Sophia Field
Jun 29, 2009
1 comment

I stopped by SF Botanical Garden yesterday with a friend and took some photos, but I think I should go back with my macro lens and tripod...flowers are still blooming!

You've got to tell us why

jfield
Jun 26, 2009
11 comments

Obama and his team seem pretty much committed to the continued suspension of habeas corpus. The latest news is that after review about 90 prisoners in Guantanamo cannot be charged or released.

Why?

Please, can someone involved explain how it is impossible to build a case against these people yet we are sure they are too dangerous to release? If you can't convince me, a judge, or jury that they need to be imprisoned, then how are you so sure they need to be imprisoned?

Obama has done a very disappointing about-face on this. It's my biggest disappointment with him so far. If he learned something that made him completely change his mind on the matter, then explain it. I believe it is my right to know why my country is violating its own human rights guidelines. Explain to me why they can't be tried or released, otherwise I will continue to think you are full of it.