tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498525082522582900.post8853254425124310364..comments2024-03-22T16:02:08.213-05:00Comments on The Wheel: Seven Takeaways from City Council ElectionMark Stegerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02376182294736839659noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498525082522582900.post-78600086590895955342019-06-09T10:59:41.307-05:002019-06-09T10:59:41.307-05:00Update: June 9, 2019: Janet DePuy beat Dan Barrios...Update: June 9, 2019: Janet DePuy beat Dan Barrios in the runoff for Place 3 by just 82 votes, despite leading Barrios by 494 votes in the May 4 election. A lot more DePuy voters stayed away from the polls for the runoff than Barrios voters did. The obvious takeaway is not to take runoffs for granted. Mark Stegerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02376182294736839659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498525082522582900.post-61968380374120971182019-05-09T09:43:02.318-05:002019-05-09T09:43:02.318-05:00Jeffrey Levine, you might find this old blog post ...Jeffrey Levine, you might find this old blog post interesting: <a href="https://www.marksteger.com/2017/10/lessons-from-jeffrey-weiss.html" rel="nofollow">"Lessons From Jeffrey Weiss"</a>.Mark Stegerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02376182294736839659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498525082522582900.post-72176884867818388282019-05-08T21:37:51.962-05:002019-05-08T21:37:51.962-05:00Mark Steger, Thanks for your sympathetic response....Mark Steger, Thanks for your sympathetic response. On re-reading my Comment, I'm not happy with the wording and tone. It's so hard to do this properly. Often I think I've got it "right", and then on re-reading, find that I failed. <br /><br />One of the reasons I responded as I did is that this is already a "sensitive issue" for me. I suspect (although I don't know) that you were unwittingly swept up in what has become "normalized" approach on the internet of treating heterogeneous political groups (e.g. Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative) as if they are all the same. Just to be clear, this happens from both extremes of the political spectrum, although I'm particularly sensitive toward demonization of "libs". <br /><br />In an effort to promote more civil dialog, Facebook has recently adopted standards for "objectionable content" described here <a href="https://www.facebook.com/communitystandards/objectionable_content" rel="nofollow">Facebook Standards on Objectionable Content</a>. These guidelines include the following language: <br /><br /><i>We do not allow hate speech on Facebook because it creates an environment of intimidation and exclusion and in some cases may promote real-world violence.<br />We define hate speech as a direct attack on people based on what we call protected characteristics — race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, caste, sex, gender, gender identity, and serious disease or disability.</i><br /><br />That's all very good, as far as it goes, but it notably <i>excludes</i> political affiliation. Why should politics be excluded? As anyone who uses the internet will be aware, some of the nastiest, most hostile language involves attacks against political groups. How is that fundamentally different from "religion", which is partly inherited, but ultimately a matter of choice and personal beliefs? <br /><br />I'm actually trying to organize a community effort to try to tone down political rhetoric and encourage more respectful dialog, so it's particularly important that I adhere to my own principles. Unfortunately, it's all too easy to get caught up in the negative tone, often when offended sensibilities are involved. As ever, I'll try to do better.Jeffrey Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12094638587161707861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498525082522582900.post-77600354347942478262019-05-06T21:46:17.398-05:002019-05-06T21:46:17.398-05:00In private, someone objected to me saying, "I...In private, someone objected to me saying, "In this case at least, it looks like the nice girl will finish first."<br /><br />I used "girl" only in contrast to my earlier takeaway in which I used Leo Durocher's quote, "Nice guys finish last." Guys and girls. Get it? That's all. In hindsight, I can see how me trying to be clever could instead be read as me being disrespectful. I meant no disrespect to Janet DePuy. I apologize.Mark Stegerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02376182294736839659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498525082522582900.post-11858857389705782102019-05-06T21:42:11.120-05:002019-05-06T21:42:11.120-05:00Jeffrey Levine, good points. Despite not meaning t...Jeffrey Levine, good points. Despite not meaning to make sweeping generalizations, I understand how my language could be inferred. I will try to be more careful in future.Mark Stegerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02376182294736839659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498525082522582900.post-85008893097078775412019-05-06T21:23:39.216-05:002019-05-06T21:23:39.216-05:00"Someone objected..." to your sweeping c..."Someone objected..." to your sweeping claim about "the Democrats", yet you persisted in making it. Please add my name to those who object. You state in your [lame] disclaimer in the Comments, "I don't mean to imply all Democrats", and despite this, you proceed to do <i>exactly</i> that, as if "the Democrats" are a homogeneous group who hold identical beliefs and behave or act in identical ways. <br /><br />I wonder if you've thought this through, as in my view you are employing the language of bigotry. It's the sort of language used by persons who are make sweeping generalizations about diverse groups, based on a single unifying characteristic, e.g. race, or ethnicity, or party affiliation, , as if they are all the same. <br /><br />Substitute any other group name into your sentence, and how does it sound?: The Hispanics backed Dan Barrios. (Yes, all of them.) The Muslims backed Janet DePuy. The Evangelicals backed Franklyn Byrd. The Jews.... The Catholics.... I can just <i>hear</i> Rush Limbaugh's strident voice making some sweeping accusation about "The Democrats [this]", or "The liberals [that]". These sorts of statements encourage animosity, no matter how they are intended. And did I also hear you condemning imposition of partisanship on an ostensibly non-partisan election. My, how holy art thou. <br /><br />I realize that the divisive, polarizing language of partisan politics has become normalized in the present political climate, but that doesn't mean we should indulge in it.Jeffrey Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12094638587161707861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498525082522582900.post-3071419782066729492019-05-06T20:31:27.920-05:002019-05-06T20:31:27.920-05:00Lots of good advice here for candidates in the fut...Lots of good advice here for candidates in the future. I hope they read it.<br />I'm fiscally conservative, vote split ticket, and truly hoped at least one fresh (read: Democratic) seat would have been won.<br />If for nothing else it could have raised awareness/participation in the future for those other than the small percentage who voted in this election. <br />Always low voter turnout. Had hoped that this election would actively engage our community's vocal Dems who espouse diversity and progressto actually vote for diversity and change. <br />Still the same, but maybe some baby steps taken to catch up with the times. <br />Great post.<br />Janinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01977328764447300561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498525082522582900.post-8881555455764182302019-05-05T13:40:41.430-05:002019-05-05T13:40:41.430-05:00In private, someone objected to me saying, "t...In private, someone objected to me saying, "the Democrats backed Dan Barrios." <br />When I say "Democrats" I am speaking of people who identify as Democrats, whether acting separately or collectively in groups like "Richardson Area Democrats." I don't mean to imply backing by all Democrats or official backing from, say, the "Democratic Party of Texas."Mark Stegerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02376182294736839659noreply@blogger.com