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I was in Scouting from third grade through high school and for a few years beyond that. I attained my Eagle Scout rank and worked two seasons at Boy Scout summer camps in the Cascade Pacific Council.

Overall, I had positive experiences in Scouting, and I was certainly never the subject nor perpetrator of any of the type of abuse alleged in this recent trial. I grew increasingly uncomfortable with my involvement in the organization, however, as a result of the national organization's misguided response to sexual abuse scandals.

In an effort to bar pedophiles from the organization, Boy Scouts of America started rooting out and banning people based on their sexual orientation. I was uncomfortable with the implication that homosexuality and pedophilia were somehow linked, and eventually I came to the conclusion that I could not be actively involved in an organization with such homophobic policies any more than I could comfortably be a member of, say, a country club that bars membership by African Americans or Jews.

My own children are girls, and they are in the process of joining the Girl Scouts, a separate organization. I am hoping to some day feel comfortable interacting with the Boy Scouts again, but as long as current policies continue that won't be happening.

posted 3 years, 1 month ago
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I have a child who very likely has Asperger's. She's being tested right now. She shows a lot of the classic symptoms, and her school has been great about helping out with this.

It doesn't really matter to me whether she is diagnosed as living with Asperger's, autism, or PDD-NOS, as long as she gets some of the occupational therapy and services she needs to succeed at a lot of the things that NTs take for granted.

I am not so worried about the label. I am technically an epileptic, but I haven't had a seizure in over thirty years. Still, I know that labels can carry a lot of baggage so I sometimes spend a lot of time explaining to people that there is a spectrum. I see that I will likely be doing the same thing for my daughter while she is growing up.

Adam

posted 3 years, 3 months ago
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Bingo.

posted 3 years, 5 months ago
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I think we've got a problem of over-generalization.  Just as not every 12-year-old is a sweetheart and not every mentally ill adult male is an imminent threat worthy of giving several broken ribs, not every police officer is some sort of robo-cop bent on "puttin' the smack-down" on the citizenry.  Just like in any other field, the overwhelming majority are good people who seek to do the right thing. There are also a small number of bad characters.  It remains to be seen, perhaps, whether Officer Humphreys crossed the line in this case.

posted 3 years, 5 months ago
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I am James Chasse.

posted 3 years, 5 months ago
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Spending money on bicycle infrastructure will benefit all of us, whether we drive a car or ride a bike.  To view this as a zero-sum game where any money spent on bicycle transportation infrastructure is "lost" to motorists is both myopic and overly simplistic.

This should not be considered a "culture war" but a sensible way to stretch our transportation dollars even further.  Bicycle infrastructure projects such as bike lanes supplemented by a network of bike trails such as the North Portland Greenway, the Sullivan's Gulch Trail, Fanno Creek Trail, and others, will benefit all of us.

posted 3 years, 6 months ago
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I agree that it is ridiculous for everyone to just shut down once we get a little snow or ice. At the same time, I get tired of the chorus of newer Portlanders who harp on how we need to dump salt on the roads or buy more plows.

Maybe someone in favor of it should formulate a plan for the proposed winter snow patrol and then put out all the equipment and resources for bidding and see what it costs. Then, once the snow clears, I wish you the best of luck trying to get local government leaders or the taxpaying public to cough up much additional revenue for what you propose.

To me, owning a set of tire chains if one is dependent on driving a car in snow and ice is as important as owning a warm coat. Get them, try putting them on once or twice before a storm hits, and then just carry them in your car from about Thanksgiving until mid-March and we can do without school closures in the case of 1/2 an inch and missed work.

As for school closures, I would like to suggest that in the case where the weather is something less than a blizzard that we have the schools remain open and put the burden on parents to excuse their kids from classes if attendance is not feasible.

posted 4 years, 5 months ago
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As a lifelong Portlander, any occasion of winter weather like this leaves me rolling my eyes both at those who just shut down and refuse to cope at all, at those who insist on driving up slopes with no chains and spin tires in a vain attempt at traction, but also at all those transplants from other states that have a lot more of this sort of weather who like to put forth the superiority of the winter driving scene in that place they are from compared to how it is here.

Snow lasting more than about a day or two is rare around here, and so dumping loads of money into additional plows, trucks, and road-clearing equipment is not a wise investment. At the same time, a little common sense goes a long way. I left early this morning in my two-wheel drive car and got to work just fine. I carried my tire chains, a scoop shovel, and a tarp to kneel upon in case I should have to put the chains on in the back of the car. Earlier this week, I made it around town just fine on Tri-Met's chain-equipped buses. This isn't that hard folks.

Still, because my children's school was once again closed, I will be spending a fair amount of the day telecommuting, and option I have now that I didn't have in some of my previous jobs.

posted 4 years, 5 months ago
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Yes... like learning to ride horses, or engaging in the discipline of music, or learning some languages. The idea that you have to physically beat on someone else to learn discipline is absurd.

posted 4 years, 12 months ago
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So is any man who doesn't feel like climbing into a cage to fight another guy a "feminized man" as you say?

I had to check to see if I was listening to OPB or some clowning around show on one of the various top-40-alterna-classic-rock stations.

What a couple of people want to do on their own is their own business, but just because you like fighting MMA doesn't mean I have to join in.

Force is the weapon of the weak.

posted 4 years, 12 months ago
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