Friday, November 3, 2006

Vote As If It Mattered, Part II—or You Be the Judge

"Education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq." —JK
That late October-early November Surprise I predicted a few weeks back may have arrived from John Kerry. Ironies abound, of course, so that an assessment of the ex-Democratic candidate for president’s (but not so you’d notice) remarks about, basically, the crude hierarchy of class and education offers one a Lazy Susan of possible critiques. The remark about ending up in Iraq, despite being, well, true, is a delicious metaphor, whoever grabs it as the tray of entrees, circles on the table.

Poor Kerry. He has to avoid an honest critique because he is a confused wealthy scion of confusion and wealth and privilege and still can’t say that the U.S. war against the people of Southeast Asia was, no, not a “mistake” or misstep or tragic error, but (if you repeat this I will deny it) imperialism by a country which has been doing this since it invaded the Phillipines and Hormel sold the military a lot of bad canned ham, making it only the easiest exemplary precursor to invading Iraq and Halliburton/KBR selling, well, everything.

Today’s Rosa Brooks column, “Was Kerry Right?”, is articulate and smart and nuanced. It suggests that the political affiliations of the warrior class (they are mostly Republicans) has as least as much to do with the fatalism and weird self-destruction they seem to embrace. I sent Rosa a grateful email. (Still waiting, by the way, to hear from Mr. Rodriguez.)

Anyway, I promised you local judge recommendations. I am a registered Green, against the war, vote labor and choice (No, goddamn it, on Prop 85! No! No! No!) and just sent my contribution to Planned Parenthood and NARAL.

Most judges are okay. One exception there. And one real contest, at the bottom of the ballot.
Joyce Kennard - Yes
Carol Corrigan - Yes
Judith McConnell - Yes
Patricia Benke - Yes
Richard Huffman - No (he has made a number of anti-first amendment decisions)
Judith Haller - Yes
Cynthia Aaron - Yes
Joan Irion - Yes
Art McKinster - Yes
Betty Richli - Yes
Jeffrey King - Yes
Douglas Miller - Yes
Kathleen O'Leary - Yes
Raymond Ikola – Yes

Office No. 4—Sheila Hanson!
—Red Emma

Vote as if it mattered

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the terrific public service.

Anonymous said...

Wasn't Nancy Padberg running for judge?

Anonymous said...

I think it's great that you're offering recommendations to those who may not be in the know. Thank you.

However -- and this is just my two cents -- I believe that judges shouldn't be elected. The decisions they make are often that of life or death, and shouldn't be subject to garnering votes for the next election. We don't elect the Supreme Court for a reason -- I believe it should be the same for our local justices. Just wanted to share. Thank you.

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...