What the Portman Effect Says About Liberals and Conservatives

There was some interesting reaction in mid-March when Ohio Republican Senator Rob Portman announced his support for marriage equality.  The former George W. Bush Budget Director had been a co-sponsor of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that defines marriage as only between a man and a woman and prohibits any federal benefits to same-sex spouses.  In 1999 he helped campaign for a Washington State law prohibiting gays from adopting.  In 2011 his speech at the University of Michigan graduation ceremony was protested by hundreds of students due to what they called his "openly hostile" record on LGBT rights.  So it was quite a surprise when he told CNN Chief Congressional Reporter Dana Bash that he had changed his position and now supports the right of same-sex couples to marry.  The reason?  Two years ago, Portman's son Will came out to him as gay.  See Rob Portman's statement here. 

What's interesting to me in the reaction were those, usually supporters of marriage equality, who seemed to regard his new position as tainted because he had only changed his view after having been personally affected.  At first I thought, why should that be a surprise, having observed over time that Harvey Milk was right; the path to equality would be opened most through as many LGBT folks coming out as possible.  When people actually learn they have friends, relatives and co-workers whom they have known and liked for years, who happen to be gay, it becomes very difficult to fear and ostracize them.  In fact, it starts to become nonsensical.  Some are even starting to call the process the "Portman Effect," though you might recall it may earlier have applied to the extremely conservative Dick Cheney with regards to his lesbian daughter.  And a CNN poll finds a correlation between the percentage of people who know someone who is gay and the percentage who support gay rights.  As more people over time have reported knowing someone who is gay, the percentage in favor of gay rights has tracked that increase closely. 

But with a little more thought, I became intrigued.  What about all those who had moved much earlier on the issue without necessarily having known someone who was gay?  I wonder if that might say something about differences between intrinsic liberals and conservatives.  Most people who are not very young grew up in a society with intolerant attitudes toward LGBT people.  Yet those who are generally liberal in their views--pro-immigrant, pro-environmental, pro-social programs, anti-corporate, anti-war, anti-gun--seem to have often been early in supporting the gay rights movement.  Many conservatives remain opposed to allowing people of the same sex to marry, but those who know people in that situation seem to be more open to changing their minds. 

Might the difference be empathy?  When confronted directly with injustice affecting someone they know and love, conservatives show capacity to change.  But absent that, they seem reflexively influenced by their background and society's traditional attitudes.  When the injustice does not affect them personally, they are often immune to the appeal to change things.  I wonder if part of the root of having a liberal spirit may consist in large part of having a greater capacity to empathize with those who suffer without having to personally share in the effect.  It would appear to explain a lot in terms of policy positions liberals and conservatives tend to gravitate toward.      

See the Comet!

Last night I saw the comet Pan Starrs, and you can too over the next few evenings after sunset.  It's a beautiful sight!  All you need is a pair of binoculars and a clear sky to the west.

Be in position about an hour after sundown so the sky will be dark enough to see the comet.  To find the comet start where the glow from the sunset is brightest and go right (north) about three fields of vision with your binoculars.  Then go up from the horizon about one width of the span from your thumb to your pinkie with your fingers spread with your hand held at arm's length.

It took me a few minutes to home in on the comet, so be patient.  Once I found it with the binoculars it was easy to go back to in subsequent views.  Try as I might, I couldn't make it out with the naked eye, even after I'd found it with the binoculars.  It will keep going a little to the north and a little higher in the sky for the next few nights until it is no longer visible.

What I saw was the bright dot, not round but elongated, of the solid part of the comet itself.  Then flowing up from from that was the shimmery tail, pointed "up" that is, away from the sun.  Go out and see for yourself.  These temporary visitors from the outer solar system are truly a wonder of the universe.

COS Accreditation Issues

I've been asked to bring folks up to date on the accreditation situation at College of the Sequoias.  That's the community college in Visalia, California where I teach History.

On February 13 of this year the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) put College of the Sequoias (COS) on a status called "Show Cause."  That means they determined we had serious organizational shortcomings that need rapid remediation.  The college has a deadline of October 15 to submit a rectification plan including solid evidence of strong progress in remedying these deficiencies actions to we could be forced to close our doors.  Classes for the current spring semester, summer and fall will automatically retain their accredited status, but spring 2014 and after is dependent on getting a favorable ruling from ACCJC.  We are taking the situation very seriously and I am confident we will be able to reaffirm our accreditation.

The "Show Cause" ruling was made due to failure to make adequate progress on recommendations ACCJC made pursuant to our 2006 Accreditation report that remained unfinished in our 2012 report.  There were seven recommendations in all.  They included planning, campus dialogue, research capacity, student learning outcomes, student support services, human resources processes and evaluation of processes.  Basically, what it boils down to is this: First, we need to firm up our governance structure, with a clear flow chart of responsibilities and widespread understanding of how requests and ideas move through the system to adoption or rejection.  Planning processes need to be based on research data with built-in self-monitoring processes in place.  Second, all our courses must have specific student learning outcomes, these outcomes need to be assessed, and we must have documentation of how these assessments are being used to make continuous improvements in the courses.  Finally, there has to be evidence of  collegial working together to implement and operate these systems.

President/Superintendent Stan Carrizosa has convened a 40-member Response Task Force (RTF) composed of administrators, faculty and classified (non-teaching) employees  to spearhead the compliance effort.  It's divided into the four accreditation standards areas ACCJC requires, namely Mission, Academics, Resources and Governance.  Knowing the people involved, I can say for certain it is an extremely dedicated and competent set of people we will have on this task.  He has also secured the help of a governance/administrative professional and an academics/student learning outcomes pro.  These two consultants have helped other schools with accreditation problems bring their processes into line with ACCJC requirements and restore their accreditation status.  They both know their stuff and will greatly help us with their expertise.

I have been appointed to the Standard  IV group and will be working hard with the rest of the team to make sure our governance and planning processes are in good shape.  I have also been appointed to be the liaison between administration and the teacher's association to help keep them on the same page working hand in hand to help facilitate any changes that might impact the contractual Master Agreement.

Given the gravity of the situation, the overall quality of the education and staff at COS, and the specific high calibre of the task force working on RTF, I am confident COS will be able to make the necessary changes and get on track to affirm our accreditation.  Here is a link to the COS website page on our accreditation effort.   There is also a citizen component task force.  A public presentation to inform the community of our status and efforts will be given in the Ponderosa Lecture Hall on Monday, March 18 from 4:30 to 6:00 P.M.  There will be another forum at the Tulare Center on Tuesday the 19th from 5:00 to 6:30 and one in Hanford on Wednesday the 20th from 5:30 to 7:00 in Education Building Rooms 72 A & B.

New Pope is An Encouraging Change

As a Catholic I am encouraged by the election of the new pope, Jorge Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina.  As Francis I, the new pope will set a number of helpful precedents, and has many admirable characteristics to bring to the leadership of the world's largest religious organization.

The first non-European pope since the year 741 sends a positive signal that the cardinals wanted to branch out into the world.  Latin America has more Catholics (39-40% of the total) than any other region.  He is also a Jesuit, an order renowned for its education, poverty, and service to the needy.  Jesuits are taught to question everything, and the new pontiff has a degree in and has taught Chemistry in addition to Divinity.  He speaks several languages.  His very selection of the name Francis--the first to do so--recalls the marvelous thirteenth century saint known for his gentle spirituality, love for animals, and care for the poor and sick.

The new pope is known as a prelate who shuns ostentation and the trappings of office.  Rather than live in the archbishop's palace, he stayed in a simple flat, cooked his own food and often rode the bus or bicycled to work.  He spent a great deal of time out and about in the poorer neighborhoods providing relief and advocating for their needs. 

His appearance at St. Peter's was a winning one, eschewing elaborate trappings and vestments and wearing a simple wooden cross, he first asked the assembled throng and the millions watching on television to pray for him.  Then he led the faithful through three simple prayers that every Catholic child could recite with him: the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be.  He came across as understated, warm and compassionate, exuding an easy charm in communicating with the crowd.

There is, unfortunately, small likelihood of doctrinal changes in matters such as the role of women in the church or contraception.  Even so, the installation of a lifelong pastoral minister to the poor rather than a theologian or Vatican bureaucrat should be a plus for the church's ministry and credibility in these times.  He invited his fellow believers to join him on "a journey of friendship, love, trust and faith," and in concluding his remarks promised, "I'll see you again soon."  I wish him well and hope for the best      

Heat Spike Unprecedented in Last 11,000 Years

Yet more evidence has come in about the extreme and growing effects of human-generated climate change.  Associated Press Science writer Seth Borenstein reports that data published in the journal Science documents a recent study showing global temperature had been slowly cooling until it dramatically reversed in the last 100 years.  See his summary article here.  If you're really geeky you can see the abstract in Science with a link to the entire published study here. 

Researchers studied the fossils of small temperature-sensitive marine organisms to extend temperature records back 11,300 years.  What they found was a gradual warming until 6,000 years ago, and gradual cooling until about 1910.  The decade ending in 1910 was one of the coolest recorded.  That abruptly reversed and continues to accelerate at a pace much faster than the temperature changes that ended the Ice Age.  Lead researcher Shaun Marcott of Oregon State University said, "We've never seen something this rapid.  Even in the Ice Age the global temperature never changed this quickly." 

It appears that we may have been slowly heading back into an ice age period based on very long term changes in the earth's orbit that take it farther away from the sun and tilt the axis more steeply so that solar radiation falls less directly on the planet's surface.  But these natural cooling factors have been massively overridden by an atmosphere that now contains 395 parts per million of carbon dioxide, up from about 280 ppm before the Industrial Revolution began a little over 200 years ago. 

Ricardo Perugorria Memorial Scholarship

Ricardo Perugorria Memorial Scholarship

 

Ricardo Perugorria was a committed humanitarian, respected executive and dedicated Democratic activist.  Ricardo’s friends at the Visalia Democratic Club established the Ricardo Perugorria Memorial Scholarship in February, 2013 to carry on his work on behalf of the students of College of the Sequoias.  Each year one student will be selected to receive the scholarship for the fall semester.  If they maintain enrollment and pass their classes it will be continued for the spring semester.  First priority will go to a member of the COS Young Democrats Club. 

Ricardo Perugorria was born March 8, 1948 in O’Brien, Argentina, a small town about 70 miles west of Buenos Aires.  He died on October 19, 2012 in Visalia.  Ricardo attended seminary in Buenos Aires and graduated with a B. A. in Theology.  There he learned the values that led him to work throughout his life for the betterment of society.  In the early 1980s he worked to help rescue people who had been targeted for death by Central American militia groups.  He always remained a student of history, sociology and music. 

Ricardo immigrated to the United States in 1983 and became a citizen in 1992.  He worked as a newspaper editor and then as a Senior Business Analyst for Anthem Blue Cross in Visalia. 

Ricardo became involved in politics in Kern County, serving on the Democratic Central Committee there.  When he moved to Visalia he was elected to the Tulare County Democratic Central Committee, serving as Treasurer and Parliamentarian for many years.  Ricardo was a tireless worker in many election campaigns.  When the College of the Sequoias Young Democrats was formed in 2008 Ricardo gave generously of his time, guidance, and financial support. 

Ricardo’s strong belief was that youth represented the hope for the future, and he wished to do his part to help COS students enjoy the opportunities he felt he had so richly blessed him in America.  This scholarship is dedicated to his memory and his dream.