Happy Halloween!

Politico

AKA You might want to skip this post... it's a rant.

Politico: "... term often used to describe people who have overly political viewpoints..."

You've been warned.

I've just heard something that was both disturbing and promising. I won't name names because it's irrelevant. What is relevant is that someone I know has said that they would not vote for Barack Obama because "they would never vote for a black man.". 

I was also told by someone recently that they don't trust Obama. They had no reason for it, they just don't trust him. It was almost as if this person didn't want to say why. The sad thing is that this person was someone I respect and think of as highly intelligent and thoughtful. That is disturbing without a hint of being promising. 

The difference you ask? I'll try to explain. I have always feared/suspected that a huge part of the vehemence that "the right" has displayed against Obama was race-based but no one would ever come right out and say it. Instead they whispered words like "terrorist" and "muslim". They bastardize his name in voice and print so disrespectfully that any decent person would find offense, all in the effort to build the impression that he is somehow unpatriotic and not "American" enough. That he should, at the very least, be loathed and feared and possibly even removed as a candidate... or worse. So when I hear a statement like the first one above it rings true and from truth we can move forward.  If we examine the fear that this person has about voting for a black man maybe we could build some understanding. When people hide behind lies or half-truths (like in the second statement) and use them as political weapons progress becomes very hard if not impossible.

Now I know that not everyone who will cast a ballot for McCain is a hate-monger, I totally get that there are good people who believe that he is a strong leader and that he will do what is best for our country. Those people should vote for McCain, without question. That is their duty as Americans. There are others however, who would vote against any "black" candidate for no other reason than he is black. That, in my opinion, is fearful and hateful and everything else that a true patriot should not and cannot be.  

I love this country, I love the people who have fought and died to protect her and the rest of the world from tyrants. Many generations of my own family have done so and I could not be more proud of them. We have the heart and will to be the greatest country in the world, as we have proven time and again, and to set an example of what freedom means and what it is worth, to fulfill the highest ideals we hold as a society. 

We've stood passively by while our government put the interests of corporations ahead of it's people, possibly at the cost of our children's safety and future. Do we not owe it to them now and to ourselves to choose the best person for the job ahead? I simply cannot contemplate doing anything less. That is not being a Democrat or Republican, that is being a patriot.

Night Paddle

We started out just under the North end of the Aurora bridge at about 5 pm. It was pretty chilly but once you're out there paddling it warms up fast. It was a nice evening, very light wind and boat traffic. We did see The Duck a couple times and also the Boeing Yacht Daedalus.

We paddled past Gas Works Park...

...under the I-5 Ship Canal and University Bridges...

...and after a brief stop at Agua Verde for a bite to eat (ask me about the dock that every goose within a 10 mile radius uses for a latrine!) it was back in the kayak and on to the Arboretum. I thought it would be very dark out on the water but, contrary to what this picture shows, visibility was good.  FYI - this waterway has no shortage of beaver. Big, tail-slapping beaver.

Out & About in a Boat, erm... Kayak

This was just coming out of the Sough at the North end of Lake Washington. It goes without saying it was a gorgeous day. Not many of these left in the hopper this time of the year. Stellar, beautiful, lovely... 

This was back in Bothell. Down at water level there is very little wind so it's just like glass especially in the evening.  

Herons aren't as patient as ducks, usually they fly off before you can get close enough to get a good shot of them. This guy wasn't concerned enough about us to take off but did keep a watchful eye on us, none the less. 

Great Soul

He proved that peaceful resistance to tyranny could prevail and that absolute non-violence is a force that can shake the foundation of  empires. Let's hope that's still true. 

Happy Birthday Mahatma.