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The following letter to the editor by Brian Leekley was printed on page 9A of the Friday, October 24, 2008, issue of Moscow-Pullman Daily News, a daily newspaper distributed in and near Moscow, Idaho, and Pullman, Washington.
I recently spoke with Judy Brown. Judy is a Democratic Party candidate to represent Latah County in the Idaho state legislature. I found her to be moderate, sensible, and level-headed in her views, with a friendly, cheerful disposition. Her professional experience as an economist in the areas of state budget and tax policy make her well-suited to produce legislation that uses public funds responsibly and judiciously for the common good.
Judy's priorities, expressed in her election campaign handout, look good to me:
*Good Schools: quality public education, affordable higher education, and safe child care;
*Good Jobs--economic development focused on small businesses and living wage jobs; and
*Fair Taxes and Fiscal Responsibility--a tax system that shares the burden fairly and funds critical public services.
Best of all, Judy is a Democrat. This is the party that is of, by, and for Americans who believe in and want responsible, democratic, Constitutional government, with a constituency of all Americans -- wage earners with owners and managers, small business owners with medium and big business owners, family farmers with corporate farmers, enlistees with generals, bookkeepers with bankers,mortgagers with mortgagees, homemakers, professionals, students, the retired, the laid-off, the infirm and disabled -- all of us, without favor, discrimination, or neglect. This is the party that neither over-regulates, stiffling initiative, nor under-regulates, insisting that even the Fortune 500 have minimal civic responsibilities not to grievously harm the common good.
Okay, that is an over-idealized party portrait. But the Democratic Party comes way closer to that ideal than does the Republican Party, and we the people can make both better.
Electing Judy Brown is a step in the right direction. She is a candidate for the Idaho legislature who will do her party, Latah County, Idaho, and the USA proud.
Brian Leekley
Moscow, Idaho
Friday, October 24, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
Planned Parenthood and Racism
I submitted this letter to the editor on March 10, 2008 to the Moscow–Pullman Daily News. I think they printed it soon after.
Regarding "Racism and Planned Parenthood Connection" by Ed Iverson in your March 8 issue, it stands to reason that racism can be found within Planned Parenthood, given that racism can be found in almost every American institution. There has been and in many cases still is individual and institutional racism in the real estate industry, the political parties, labor unions, schools, companies, churches, social organizations, and so on. Even anti-racist organizations have workshops at which they discover racist attitudes and practices in their hearts and ranks.
American society is culturally evolving away from racism. It behooves us all, Planned Parenthood not excepted, diligently to find and replace any racist attitudes and practices in ourselves and our institutions.
One manifestation of racism and classism in the American caste and class system has been the notion that character and behavior are determined by genes. The loony line of reasoning is that poverty, with its problems, is caused by character flaws caused by bad genes, which those in the wrong races have more of. This used to be a widespread way of thinking and led to government programs of forced sterilization. Certainly any American organization involved in matters of birth should examine itself for any hint of such thinking in its history and now.
It does not follow that anti-racist Americans should not use a real estate service or join or support a political party, labor union, school, company, church, or social organization, or an organization that teaches birth control methods, that is not yet 100% untainted by racism. Human institutions, like humans, are invariably a mix of good and bad, so the question in choosing friends and institutions is which predominates. Does not Planned Parenthood predominantly do what is good and commendable?
Brian Leekley
Moscow, Idaho
Regarding "Racism and Planned Parenthood Connection" by Ed Iverson in your March 8 issue, it stands to reason that racism can be found within Planned Parenthood, given that racism can be found in almost every American institution. There has been and in many cases still is individual and institutional racism in the real estate industry, the political parties, labor unions, schools, companies, churches, social organizations, and so on. Even anti-racist organizations have workshops at which they discover racist attitudes and practices in their hearts and ranks.
American society is culturally evolving away from racism. It behooves us all, Planned Parenthood not excepted, diligently to find and replace any racist attitudes and practices in ourselves and our institutions.
One manifestation of racism and classism in the American caste and class system has been the notion that character and behavior are determined by genes. The loony line of reasoning is that poverty, with its problems, is caused by character flaws caused by bad genes, which those in the wrong races have more of. This used to be a widespread way of thinking and led to government programs of forced sterilization. Certainly any American organization involved in matters of birth should examine itself for any hint of such thinking in its history and now.
It does not follow that anti-racist Americans should not use a real estate service or join or support a political party, labor union, school, company, church, or social organization, or an organization that teaches birth control methods, that is not yet 100% untainted by racism. Human institutions, like humans, are invariably a mix of good and bad, so the question in choosing friends and institutions is which predominates. Does not Planned Parenthood predominantly do what is good and commendable?
Brian Leekley
Moscow, Idaho
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