If we are to remain a great nation, founded by immigrants and remaining a melting pot of freedom for all, there may be a need for something like sanctuary cities. In the current political climate, this is a hotly debated issue, but unless we wish to willfully change some of our founding fathers' foundations, we cannot (without hypocrisy) change our collective mind about whether immigration is desirable. That would amount to revisionism, itself hypocritical by almost any measure. So, the dialog and debate will continue. I received an email from a state senator (marked spam by my filter). He wanted to know what was on my mind. So, I told him. I suspect others in other states will be getting such queries between now and November, 2020. I do not know if sanctuary cities are what are needed. I do know the whole idea is important to our notions about democracy. Maybe someone will come up with a better idea?

Nothing more here since 2019. Now, a new and more divisive off year political season. The disinformation in ads is rampant...out-of-context lies, atrocious. One would-be wannabe legislator, now allegedly endorsed by someone he eschewed. vehemently? Have all these people lost their minds? Looks like it.

I choose, if paying property tax is a choice, to live in a town where a police action in Michigan causes a riot and dumpster fire on my street in Oregon.

Good friends and political rivals, they are the same in my city, protest outside ICE detainment facilities that house or housed under age immigrants away and sometimes separated intentionally from their parents.

My property tax is astronomical due to several iterations of public school rebuilding, brought on by a lack of responsible board management and facility set aside / depreciation. Still, the best site on my Covid walks are the seismicàlly sound schools these taxes have built.

My city is still my sanctuary and education my hope. My voice is in my community which is under my feet and not at my fingertips, though I do find solace online.

When elections come I often have to change my registration to even speak to the issues of my ballot. Voting rights are too fragile even on local issues, yet focus is too often on national affairs. I wonder that education or city government can unwind the damage.

Greetings. I have been busy with other ideas and projects. Now that we are facing primary elections, it is instructive ( to me) that in my state, this subject has not garnered interest among candidates. Any and all personal attacks have been floated, ignored, refuted and re-thought---but sanctuary cities are a mute topic. That is, silent, not irrelevant. Must be our culturally remote geography.

I suggest you think about the phrase, contextual reality. My notion holds that truth and reality are inseparably connected by context. Not all truth, mind you, but that which we agree upon through some adhesive force, such as belief. Or ideology. Or even dogma. Opinion is equal to truth in the minds of those who hold it. But, as such, it is only contextual. In initial thinking on this, I was sure the two states, reality and truth, were indistinguishable. But that could not be right, or else they would cancel each other out, in some metaphysical 'black hole'. Not a likely prospect. Well. Vacation is over...
Best,
Neuman.