Here we go again...

It's been nearly 10 years since I made a pilgrimage to Okinawa. When I was there, I made friends with a freelance writer who likes to ping me on days when some weird news story breaks from West Virginia...

...which is to say, we've been in touch a lot.

The best such days are when it's just something weird, like maybe a real X Files-type story. The worst are those days when WV makes the national news over some acts of bigotry and/or craven groveling to exploitative corporations.

The last year or so has been an X Files bust and a bigotry/groveling boom.

Where are Mothman, Bat Boy, and the Braxton County monster when you need them?

Let's start with groveling. Top of my list in that department was the time when a representative of a business group told legislators that we didn't need to update safe water standards since West Virginians are heavier, drink less water and eat less fish.And won the day.

For real.

That moment was another example of why I want to update the state motto from "Mountaineers Are Always Free" to "You Can't Make This **** Up."

But it's been a real banner year for bigotry. We had the state delegate who made a joke about drowning his children if they turned out to be LGBTQ. We had the Islamophobic outburst at the state capitol. We now have a public library board about to consider banning a non-sexually explicit LGBTQ-friendly children's book.

You can probably guess where I'm going with this.

I agree with what WV Senator Joe Manchin said in the wake of the publication of a photo of corrections trainees raising their hands in an apparent Nazi salute: "This is not the West Virginia I know or grew up in."

But things have changed here over the last few years. Dramatically. And, while the outbreaks are by no means confined to West Virginia,they seem to be occurring more frequently here.

It makes me think of the early phases of an epidemic. In Albert Camus' novel The Plague, a parable about the rise of fascism and Nazism that I've often quoted, the first signs begin when dead rats start showing up in the Algerian city of Oran.

Nobody noticed that much at first. Then it was just a nuisance. But pretty soon, it wasn't just rats any more.

I keep going back to something one of the heroes of that novel said about the epidemic:

"All I maintain is that on this earth there are pestilences and there are victims, and it’s up to us, so far as possible, not to join forces with the pestilences."

The book ends with a warning against being too complacent about such metaphorical outbreaks. The narrator cautions that:

"...the plague bacillus never dies or disappears for good; that it can lie dormant for years and years in furniture and linen-chests; that it bides its time in bedrooms, cellars, trunks, and bookshelves; and that perhaps the day would come when, for the bane and the enlightening of men, it would rouse up its rats again and send them forth to die in a happy city."

Quick question (and more of a tweet)

Is this the latest embarrassment to West Virginia to appear in the media lately or have I missed one? Or more?

It's so hard to keep up these days...

Two roads diverged

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood. ...” So begins Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.”

Ever since ancient times, people have been fascinated by the power of crossroads. They have been the subject of poetry, song, myth and folklore.

Examples range from Robert Johnson’s classic blues song of the same name back to the days of ancient Greece, where they were sacred to Hermes, god of boundaries, borders and exchanges, and to Hecate, a witchy goddess associated both with magic and the home.

The image shows up in both the Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament) and the gospels. In Jeremiah 6:16, the prophet says, “Thus says the Lord: Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.”

In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus says “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Metaphorically, I think most of us have come upon crossroads where a choice must be made that can have lifelong consequences.

I think West Virginia is at a major crossroads now, one that will have a lasting impact on its future. It has to do with the face we present to the world: will it be one of narrow-mindedness, fear, hatred and bigotry or one of openness, hospitality, solidarity and basic fairness?

Let’s just say that if the West Virginia Legislature is any indication, the jury is still out. We’ve had one delegate embarrass the state by comparing people who identify as LGBTQ to terrorists ... and worse.

The leadership of the majority Republican Party has condemned these remarks, yet they refuse to move legislation ending discrimination — and some have even attempted to pass legislation that would undo local anti-discrimination ordinances.

Still other lawmakers have sought bills that would keep out refugees and immigrants in a state largely composed of the descendants of refugees and immigrants that is also rapidly aging and losing population.


That kind of thing sends a message loud and clear both to young West Virginians who feel they have no place here and to other bright and energetic people who will think two or three times before moving here.

It discourages the kind of employers and investments that would provide good jobs while promoting a good quality of life.

That degree of closed-mindedness says that education isn’t valued here and that we are proud of what — and who — we don’t know.

That kind of thing sends a message that we should continue to be nothing but a sacrifice zone for extractive industries, whether they are those that take away our natural resources or those that strip-mine our public schools.

It doesn’t have to be that way. To paraphrase the last lines of Frost’s poem, we could take the road less traveled by, and that could make all the difference.

(This appeared as an op-ed in today's Charleston Gazette-Mail.)

Annals of Whack, continued

I don't know how I missed this, but apparently back in May Texas congressman Louie Gohmert went on an epic rant against...gay space colonies. Apparently, the issue would be that if the future of the human race depended on a small number of people in a space station and they were like gay or something, we'd all die out. So there.

Here's a quote:

"You’re wanting to save humankind for posterity, basically a modern-day Noah. You have that ability to be a modern-day Noah, you can preserve life. How many same-sex couples would you take from the animal kingdom and from humans to put on the spacecraft to perpetuate humanity and the wildlife kingdom?”

I mean, like think about it, if Noah just put same sex gay animals on the ark, what would we eat at Arby's besides cheese sticks and curly fries?

(I wonder if Gohmert has put two and two together and thought about the other major danger to the space station: transgender space people using inappropriate space bathrooms.)

Thoughts on Orlando

The South Region of the American Friends Service Committee issued this statement in the wake of the Orlando shootings.

The horrific violence of the Orlando mass shooting has appalled and saddened people of good will throughout the United States and the world. The American Friends Service Committee’s South Region stands in solidarity with all who mourn this tragic event. Like everyone else touched by this, we send our thoughts and prayers on behalf of the dead, the wounded, the fearful and the grieving.

Our staff and volunteers have labored long and hard in Florida and throughout the American South to promote nonviolence and social justice. Our work intersects with many of the flashpoints and fault lines this disaster reveals.

We have consistently opposed bigotry, hatred, intolerance and violence when these are directed towards those who are or are perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. We have actively opposed—and are actively opposing—discriminatory policies proposed or enacted throughout our region.

At the same time, we oppose the hatred and fear directed against Muslims by those who blame the entire Islamic community for the actions of individuals or small groups. We also fear that the backlash created by these events will result in harm to already marginalized immigrant communities from all backgrounds.

We recognize that violence and discrimination against people who are LGBT is a worldwide problem not confined to any region or religion. In our region, mean-spiritedness has often taken the form of bigoted legislation coming from the highest circles. We also recognize that Islamophobia, particularly when trumpeted by would-be leaders and media outlets, can lead to further alienation and acts of violence. The tragedy also highlights the needless suffering caused by easy access to weapons of mass murder and a culture that glorifies violence.

In the words of Lucio Perez-Reynozo, coordinator of AFSC’s Florida programs, “nothing that can be said can ease the pain and suffering of those who lost their relatives and those whose relatives were injured during this act of violence.  As individuals, we are called upon to reflect deep down in our consciousness and spirituality to find our divine force and condemn human violence happening in Orlando and around the world.  Violence only brings more violence.”

Situations like this one call upon the better angels of our nature. We urge those in positions to influence public opinion and promote public safety to avoid xenophobic responses to this attack, which could only worsen an already bad situation. This is a time to mourn, but also to build bridges and to reject hate even as we work to build a safer, freer and more secure world for all.

Those of us who carry out the work of the American Friends Service Committee in the South region, which ranges from southern Florida to central Appalachia, rededicate ourselves to the difficult task of opposing all forms of oppression and violence, whatever their source.

In the words of Albert Camus, “We all carry within us our places of exile, our crimes and our ravages. But our task is not to unleash them on the world; it is to fight them in ourselves and in others.”

Why warehousing people doesn't work

We've been trying to chip away at mass incarceration in WV for a while now, both for adults and for kids in the juvenile justice system. This NY Times op-ed provides a good summary of why it just doesn't make sense.

One thing that does make sense is substance abuse treatment. WV just launched its first residential treatment program for regional jail inmates. That's kind of a big deal since many inmates aren't eligible for parole without treatment.

Off topic, I really hope the WV legislature doesn't revisit the bogus "religious freedom" license to discriminate bill in the future. Here's what an editor at the Gazette-Mail had to say about that.

Urgent owlet update...and other stuff

Photo credit: Sister in law Unit.

A while back I posted a picture of a baby great horned owl that was born on our hill. I'm pleased to say that he survived and has now taken to venturing forth. This isn't quite the same as fledging, according to the Spousal Unit. Apparently that is like moving out. Instead, the little critter is branching, which entails a return to the nest. You can see both in the picture above, with the nest in the upper left and the owlet in the lower right.

YOU REALLY CAN'T. I've often mentioned here my campaign to update state motto of West Virginia from "Mountaineers Are Always Free" to "You Can't Make This **** Up." This column by statehouse reporter Phil Kabler has a priceless example in it.

COAL-LAPSE. There's been a lot of coverage about the decline of coal. This AP article suggests it's happening faster than anticipated. Note that the article attributes most of this to market conditions rather than a certain Muslim socialist of questionable American birth.

SPEAKING OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE. I knew things were bad, but I didn't know things had gone this far.

Wow

The WV legislative session has been...a cross between a zombie apocalypse and a roller coaster ride. And a root canal. But there have been surprises, not all of them bad. I was amazed to learn that the WV senate voted down a "religious freedom" bill that had turned into and attempt to legalize discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

I guess the action started last night, when some key Republican senators joined with Democrats to ensure the bill wouldn't harm nondiscrimination ordinances.It was a pretty touching story, in which some people got emotional and decided to follow their conscience.

 This evening, I'm amazed and pleased to say that the senate voted the whole thing down without debate. Here's the AP report.

It just goes to show you never know what is going to happen.

Human motivations being inherently ambiguous, some probably voted against the amended bill because it wasn't strong enough, while others took a strong anti-discrimination stand. In any case, kudos and thanks to the senate for this one.

Annals of meanness

It has occurred to me during this session of the WV legislature that not only do some people not like gays and lesbians but they think about them a lot.




They think about them when it is daytime. They think about them when it is night.




They think about them when the sun is shining. They think about them when it rains.




They think about them in winter. They think about them in spring, summer and fall.




They think about them when the moon is waxing full and when it is waning. And they think about them during full and new moons.




They think about them when the redbud blooms and when the rivers frost.




They think about them when puppies play together and when kittens chase string.




In a word, they probably think about them way more than is healthy.




I could go on to say that they don't like them on a boat or with a goat, but you probably get the idea by now.




The most recent example of this is a resolution introduced in the WV senate that would make it illegal for local governments to pass nondiscrimination ordinances. Not to put too fine a point on it, but apparently it's not enough for some people to be mean; they want to legally compel others to be as well.




I hope at some point people who obsess about this kind of thing get over it. Or, failing that, that they at least get the memo that some of us aren't into their ****.

More Orwellian language

The latest Front Porch podcast is about the misnamed Religious Freedom Restoration Act, now under consideration in the WV legislature. I thought this was going to be a good one, but it has been severely cut, with some of the best parts taken out. Editors...

Annals of Whack, continued

I'm kind of grateful to the state of Indiana for stepping up and not allowing West Virginia to grab all the Whack limelight. The Gentle Reader will no doubt be aware of the controversy that flared up after that state's governor signed a "Religious Freedom Restoration" bill widely viewed as a means to legally discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

Not to mention the whole pizza thing...

My favorite part so far is the reaction of Matt Staver of the Liberty Council, who compared people who support non-discrimination policies to demonic, Christianity-hating terrorists. If El Cabrero had not evolved far beyond the point of engaging in snark, I might be tempted to say something like "Maybe it takes one to know one." Of course, that would never happen and I would never say something like that even in private conversation, much less in a blog post.

Napoleon again

Watching the WV legislature is an occasionally enjoyable spectator sport. Earlier today, which is almost yesterday at this point, I watched an interim committee meeting in which the staff person for an anti-gay "religious" group dug himself in deeper and deeper in a rambling speech.

A line from Napoleon which may well have appeared here before came to mind: "Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."

(Of course El Cabrero has no enemies. He may, however, have any number of euphemisms.)

THIS IS GOING TO BE INTERESTING. The Supremes vs health care reform, that is.

EXTREME INEQUALITY makes for bad economics.

THE WHOLE REGULATIONS KILLING JOBS THING isn't all it's cracked up to be.

GOAT ROPE ADVISORY LEVEL: ELEVATED