67. Weekend Questions and An Unfortunate Anniversary

Over the weekend I spent some time in Frankfort, Lexington, Winchester, and Richmond. In Frankfort, I was in on a discussion which found me questioning myself and certain commitments I have to open participation in politics, versus setting quotas to ensure political participation.

The meeting was a group of Democrats charged with the task of establishing an outreach and participation program for historically underrepresented groups in preparation for next year's Democratic National Convention, and by extension, the quadrennial reorganization of the Democratic Party structure, from bottom to top commencing next year on the first Saturday in April. By the way, the convention will be held in Denver, Colorado, from August 25th to the 28th.

In the delegate allocation, Kentucky is to receieve 55 delegates and 8 alternates. They are selected in a variety of ways and some of the seats are guaranteed, as they go to PLEOs, an acronym for Party Leaders and Elected Officials. The task of this panel was to find ways to encourage participation in such groups as "African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian/Pacific Americans, women, ethnics, youth, persons over 65 years of age, lesbians and gay men, workers, [and] persons with disabilities." I tried to add Appalachians as a group, but the committee did not like that idea. The discussion then focussed very specifically on involvement by youth. There was general agreement at the table that youths need more encouragement and support to be involved in the Party's processes. The question then arose about whether certain of the 55 delegate and 8 alternate seats should be guaranteed.

I found myself arguing that they shouldn't, which frankly, in retrospect, has me a little troubled. I have written a lot over on another blog about "the process." The jist of that argument is one must be interested enough to follow the process, if one wants a seat at the table. I made the point that our group, and the Party's governing body as a whole (of which I am a voting member at least until June, 2008) should encourage, support, educate, and whatever else it takes to create the oppotunity for young people to be involved. (Incidenatlly, in Kentucky, youths are described as 35 and under. There was a discussion to lower that age, at least for the purposes of this committee, to 25).

We are to undertake an educational program encouraging participation, presenting classes which outline the process. I discussed the county and legislative districts parts of this process in an entry a few days ago. There is a two pronged process and it is important that everybody understand how to particpate, if they want to participate. We did not resolve the issue of guaranteeing seats, and indeed, all this committee can do is recommend such a move to the full Executive Committee. There is at least one opportunity where the Committee has some power to designate who is going, that is at the "add-ons" meeting of the newly elected State Central Committee immediately following the state convention. I made the comment I was not particularly happy with the greased-wheel approach taken at that meeting in 2004. However, another of the participants pointed out that if the person in charge is good, it is through that greased-wheel approach that such guarantees may be met.

From there I went to Lexington where I visited some old haunts while watching a basketball ballgame being played just down the street in Rupp Arena. Suffice it to say, the game did not go exactly as some had hoped, but it was an exciting day of basketball. Earlier in the day, Ohio State had defeated Xavier 78-71 in a cross-state rivalry that went into overtime. Louisville's game was very close at the end when freshman superstar Edgar Sosa attempted a three-pointer which would have tied the game, but missed. Nonetheless, Sosa had a career high 31 points and was easily the star of the game. Louisville lost to Texas A & M 72 to 69.

I was only in Winchester briefly, and even less so in Richmond. But the trip between the two gave me the chance to ride by two of Kentucky's off-the-road historic sites, Boonesborough, a place that technically is no longer there, and White Hall. At Boonesborough, we do have a state park along the Kentucky River and a replicated fort which I visited as a kid. A few miles away to the west of there, on the other side of I-75 is White Hall, the home of Kentucky's famous journalist/abolitionist Cassius Marcellus Clay. If you aren't familiar with Mr. Clay you should read up on him. He was quite an interesting guy.

But each weekend comes to an end and work recommences, real life issues, some with no real answers in sight. One of those will be today's 4th Anniversary of the War in Iraq, President George W. Bush's War of Identity, supported by people such as Mitch McConnell and Anne Northup. On the road between Frankfort and Versailles, across from the Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery, just inside Woodford County on the south side of US 60, is a set of four much-larger-than-life numbers. Saturday those numbers read 3205. They will have to be changed today. The numbers represent the American casualties of the Bush/McConnell/Northup War in Iraq. It is a grim reminder of the real cost of a War which we need to get out of.

May the souls of each of those Americans as well as all the departed souls of this world Rest In Peace.