My list of things to blog is piling up faster than I know what to do with., but I did find a kind of meandering theme in that long list that allow me to cover several subjects with one post. I kinda thought that having the last meeting of the year for the council would make it so that I to work harder to find blog topics, instead, I find my list so long, I just won’t get to everything. So, here’s some of the things on my mind.
97:1 HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?
In a county that has like 12% population that is not white, how does it happen that we jail 97 blacks for every one white person for drug offenses. How does that happen? We’re 3rd in the nation for cities over 250,000. Even compared to other Wisconsin Counties, we are off the charts. The notorious racially segregated Milwaukee County is 15:1, Waukesha is 24:1 and the national average is only 10:1. And as noted in the Dane County analysis of the jail needs, who ends up in the jails starts with the police, and the Madison Police department is a major factor in the arrests for Dane County. Is it time, once again, to be looking at our policing policies when it comes to race? Or will the police department, under the leadership of Noble Wray, be proactive and make suggestions before we get to it? It’d be cool if it were the later, but I suspect it will be the former.
DISGUSTING HOMOPHOBIC HATRED
I use google alerts to get much of my news. Mike Verveer’s name pops up alot, but I was a little taken aback the other day when this popped up. Wow. I guess you can say whatever you want on your blog, but I thought the day was over when someone would write:
If that day ever arrives [when it becomes legal to lynch faggots], I’ll be more than happy to provide this information to those that might legally string you degenerates up [Mark’s on the below list].
Wow. That’s about all I can say.
HIRING PRACTICES/GENDER
Vikki Kratz had a chance to look at the hiring practices input from city employees. We’ll be getting the full report later this month. In February we will be getting a report on the issues of gender in city hall. Some people have talked to me about the concerns that they have that because of certain attitudes in City Hall, while some folks will cooperate in trying to make needed improvements, others, will write of the very real concerns and issues that need to be addressed as “that’s just Brenda” and won’t make the needed changes.
It seems the world has taken some steps backwards. It seems to be that when it comes to issues of civil rights, most people think we are doing just fine, “they took care of that in the 60s” and so there is no need to be vigilant. And it starts at the top. Our recent reluctance to put the impeachment issue on the ballot and have our community vote on our opinions about a President who thinks the Constitution doesn’t apply to him is just another sign that we aren’t willing to step up and stop the gross injustices in this world. I know, I know, those of us who raise these issues end up painted by those who want to be seen a “pragmatic” as lunatics. They say it is a waste of time when we choose to take on an issue that might not win, and sometimes we don’t. When we don’t take those issues on, we become part of the problem. Open your eyes. Look around. We live in a great city in a great nation, but you can’t deny there is room for improvement. And for me, it makes this Saturday night’s celebration of the 15th Anniversary of Progressive Dane all the more poignant. If you think there is more work to be done, please join us Saturday at 7 at the State Bar and Grill!
