Progressive Nashville

An unequal majority

In a perfect world, equality would rule. There would be no discrimination and no prejudice. But we don't live in a perfect world and probably never will.

And that's why we have affirmative action laws; rules that give minorities enhanced opportunities to benefit from public programs such as education and government-let contracts. It's a policy that few are comfortable with and others want to eliminate. Five states are poised to ask voters if they want to ban such programs entirely.

The question will get even more difficult in the future. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Texas         joined Hawaii, New Mexico and California in 2005 as a majority-minority         state, along with the District of Columbia. That means in those areas, the number of people classified as minorities is larger than the number of whites.

Current estimates say that somewhere around 2050, the entire U.S. will be majority-minority. Such a situation raises the question of whether the word "minority" will even be relevant at that point.

It is fair to say that even in a majority-minority country, laws enforcing equality will be needed and likely will be until full economic parity among groups is achieved.

It will be up to our grandchildren to come up with a solution that meets their society at that time. In the meantime, it's up to us to set an example that goes beyond simply minority participation in society. We must demonstrate that everyone is entitled to an equal share of all that society has to offer so that when it comes time to find new solutions, people will work together rather than try to force compromises upon one another.

    - Jim Grinstead

Copyrights and wrongs

As someone who makes a living from intellectual property, I take copyright very seriously, however I may soon join the camp of those advocating rampant copying of protected music if the recording industry doesn't get its act together soon.

The recording industry has changed it position on making copies of legally purchased music to say that ANY copy of a product is illegal. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) now says if you buy a CD and copy it to your portable player for personal use, you've violated their copyright. It's a position that's an insult to the industry's customers.

Copyrights are important. They protect the people who create the books, music, video games and other media-based content we enjoy. The writers/artists deserve to be compensated for their work as do those who invest resources in developing and promoting such materials.

But customers also make an investment and that should be respected.

The courts seem to be of the same mind. They have said when consumers record television programs for viewing at a later time, they are not violating copyright.

The recording industry isn't interested in that concept and has filed more than 20,000 lawsuits seeking to enforce their copyrights. Those lawsuits include attacks on teenagers, most of whom don't know the law. It also includes people who copy legal CDs to their computers.

Common sense must prevail. The wholesale distribution of someone else's property is stealing. Making copies for personal use harms no one. If the industry can't show respect for the consumers that make their businesses possible, it has no right to expect consumers to support the industry's position.

Those who seek copyright protection would be wiser to educate the public about why such protections are necessary rather than ham-handedly pounding teenagers in court.

    - Jim Grinstead

Best and worst metro departments

Enclave looks back at 2007 and gives its rankings for the best and worst of Metro's departments.

Kudos to Metro Police and Public works for topping the list of the best.

    - Jim Grinstead

Progressive New Year Wish List - Day 9

The start of each new year is a time to reassess and plan for the future. The coming year offers many opportunities for change and as we move into 2008, Progressive Nashville authors Jim Grinstead, Rick Lewis and Catherine McTamaney offer the top 10 things we'd like to see come true.

2.    Quality health care for all. Not affordable health care, but fully paid, high quality care for everyone. (Jim Grinstead)

3.    A public education system that prepares all children for successful futures with graduation rates as near 100 percent as possible. If it takes more money, then we spend it. Tennessee ranks 45th in the nation for per-pupil spending. (Catherine McTamaney)

4.    An end to the senseless occupation of Iraq. (Jim Grinstead)

5.    Despite Mr. Dean's plan to plant more bushes downtown, Nashville has no specific, city-wide plan to decrease our collective influence on the sustainability of our environment. Kudos to the last Council for setting the bar higher for new public buildings, but it's still too low to limbo. (Catherine McTamaney)

6.    Rooves and meals. - Nashville has a growing homeless community and a disturbingly intensifying anti-homeless public rhetoric. We need to stop thinking of a safe place to sleep as a luxury and of homelessness as the choice of the lazy. Effective policy and funding would go a long way. (Catherine McTamaney)

7.    (a) Chris Dodd for Majority Leader so that Democrats don’t let this happen again. And again. And again. And again. (Rick Lewis)

7.    (b) We need a mayor, city council members, school board members, state legislators, members of Congress and a President who put the people and their needs first. We need leaders committed to taking action and a public willing to back up that leadership with support and hard work. Leaders need to value results over who gets credit. (Jim Grinstead)

8.    Paper ballots and an end to the electoral college. (Rick Lewis)

9.    Equitable urban development. - Not just commercial and luxury high-rises downtown, but real livability in our urban centers, both to combat our suburban sprawl and to rebuild some of the neighborhoods that Nashville's community has lost as a result. (Catherine McTamaney)

10.    End to the Death Penalty - I will shed no tears for serial killer Paul Reid when he dies on Jan. 3. He is disgusting and evil. It is beyond my capacity to have sympathy for him. (Rick Lewis)

His death, however, will not accomplish anything other than revenge—which is not and should not be the purpose of our justice system. To drag a person out of a locked cell from which he would never be allowed to leave or escape, then tie that person down and kill him, is wrong. I have to keep reminding myself of that on an intellectual level, because I know the graphic details of the Paul Reid murders and emotionally I can’t get myself to care or mind at all that he is being put to death.

There are several reasons why people support the death penalty:

1. To protect society.- Once someone is locked away in a box for the rest of their life, society is completely safe from them. Since this argument is so quickly and easily refuted, it inevitably leads to…

2. It costs to much taxpayer money to incarcerate someone for life. - This is the most bizarre argument for the death penalty, because it reduces the worth/sacredness of a human life to a dollar amount. If it only cost taxpayers $10 a year to keep a killer behind bars, would that make a difference? What about $1,000? What dollar amount makes you say, “you know what – just kill ‘em”?

The morality of killing someone doesn’t change based on a financial motive. I think people on both sides agree this is a matter of justice, not budget.

3. It’s a deterrent. - There is no evidence the death penalty discourages violent crime. None. Crime stats don’t change one bit when a state or country adopts the death penalty or get rid of it.

Why not? Because killers either don’t care about the consequences or they think they can get away with it. Nobody commits a murder thinking they’re going to get caught and being okay with that because there’s no death penalty. They’re not thinking, “Let’s see. The penalty for this crime is 40 years. Totally worth it.” There’s no careful consideration of the penalties. No thorough analysis of all the benefits and risks. These are killers we’re talking about.The consequences do not enter into the decision. The death penalty is not a deterrent.

4. The Bible says it’s okay. - Only in the Old Testament. Nowhere in the New Testament does it ever say anything about any sin or crime being worthy of death. In fact, it says the opposite over and over again. Every time someone asks Jesus, “shouldn’t we hurt/punish/stone this person,” he says no. Every time.

When Jesus came across a criminal condemned to death by stoning, what did he say? “Let ye without sin cast the first stone.”

What did you think the moral of that story was? That adultery was okay? No. That adultery doesn’t deserve death but other crimes do? No. Jesus is saying you do not get to judge what other people deserve. You don’t get to decide who deserves death, just like you don’t get to decide you deserves hell. That’s God’s job. And He’s got it well under control.

If you want to lock someone away to protect society from them, great. But you do not get to judge who deserves death.

Revenge is not on the list, although it is the only potential justification for the death penalty that is actually accomplished by carrying it out. You can call it “retribution” if the word revenge bothers you, but really that’s just a semantic change. Either way, I can understand the desire for it, on an emotional level. I don’t blame anyone for wanting it.

But the justice system is not set up for emotional satisfaction (as if that could ever be achieved after a murder anyway). Revenge is not justice.

By the way, why the heck did TCASK (Tennessee Coalition Against State Killing) not name itself the Coalition Against State Killing in Tennessee — which would have the anagram CASKIT?? Missed opportunity!    

Progressive New Year Wish List - Day 8

The start of each new year is a time to reassess and plan for the future. The coming year offers many opportunities for change and as we move into 2008, Progressive Nashville authors Jim Grinstead, Rick Lewis and Catherine McTamaney offer the top 10 things we'd like to see come true.

3.    A public education system that prepares all children for successful futures with graduation rates as near 100 percent as possible. If it takes more money, then we spend it. Tennessee ranks 45th in the nation for per-pupil spending. (Catherine McTamaney)

4.    An end to the senseless occupation of Iraq. (Jim Grinstead)

5.    Despite Mr. Dean's plan to plant more bushes downtown, Nashville has no specific, city-wide plan to decrease our collective influence on the sustainability of our environment. Kudos to the last Council for setting the bar higher for new public buildings, but it's still too low to limbo. (Catherine McTamaney)

6.    Rooves and meals. - Nashville has a growing homeless community and a disturbingly intensifying anti-homeless public rhetoric. We need to stop thinking of a safe place to sleep as a luxury and of homelessness as the choice of the lazy. Effective policy and funding would go a long way. (Catherine McTamaney)

7.    (a) Chris Dodd for Majority Leader so that Democrats don’t let this happen again. And again. And again. And again. (Rick Lewis)

7.    (b) We need a mayor, city council members, school board members, state legislators, members of Congress and a President who put the people and their needs first. We need leaders committed to taking action and a public willing to back up that leadership with support and hard work. Leaders need to value results over who gets credit. (Jim Grinstead)

8.    Paper ballots and an end to the electoral college. (Rick Lewis)

9.    Equitable urban development. - Not just commercial and luxury high-rises downtown, but real livability in our urban centers, both to combat our suburban sprawl and to rebuild some of the neighborhoods that Nashville's community has lost as a result. (Catherine McTamaney)

10.    End to the Death Penalty - I will shed no tears for serial killer Paul Reid when he dies on Jan. 3. He is disgusting and evil. It is beyond my capacity to have sympathy for him. (Rick Lewis)

His death, however, will not accomplish anything other than revenge—which is not and should not be the purpose of our justice system. To drag a person out of a locked cell from which he would never be allowed to leave or escape, then tie that person down and kill him, is wrong. I have to keep reminding myself of that on an intellectual level, because I know the graphic details of the Paul Reid murders and emotionally I can’t get myself to care or mind at all that he is being put to death.

There are several reasons why people support the death penalty:

1. To protect society.- Once someone is locked away in a box for the rest of their life, society is completely safe from them. Since this argument is so quickly and easily refuted, it inevitably leads to…

2. It costs to much taxpayer money to incarcerate someone for life. - This is the most bizarre argument for the death penalty, because it reduces the worth/sacredness of a human life to a dollar amount. If it only cost taxpayers $10 a year to keep a killer behind bars, would that make a difference? What about $1,000? What dollar amount makes you say, “you know what – just kill ‘em”?

The morality of killing someone doesn’t change based on a financial motive. I think people on both sides agree this is a matter of justice, not budget.

3. It’s a deterrent. - There is no evidence the death penalty discourages violent crime. None. Crime stats don’t change one bit when a state or country adopts the death penalty or get rid of it.

Why not? Because killers either don’t care about the consequences or they think they can get away with it. Nobody commits a murder thinking they’re going to get caught and being okay with that because there’s no death penalty. They’re not thinking, “Let’s see. The penalty for this crime is 40 years. Totally worth it.” There’s no careful consideration of the penalties. No thorough analysis of all the benefits and risks. These are killers we’re talking about.The consequences do not enter into the decision. The death penalty is not a deterrent.

4. The Bible says it’s okay. - Only in the Old Testament. Nowhere in the New Testament does it ever say anything about any sin or crime being worthy of death. In fact, it says the opposite over and over again. Every time someone asks Jesus, “shouldn’t we hurt/punish/stone this person,” he says no. Every time.

When Jesus came across a criminal condemned to death by stoning, what did he say? “Let ye without sin cast the first stone.”

What did you think the moral of that story was? That adultery was okay? No. That adultery doesn’t deserve death but other crimes do? No. Jesus is saying you do not get to judge what other people deserve. You don’t get to decide who deserves death, just like you don’t get to decide you deserves hell. That’s God’s job. And He’s got it well under control.

If you want to lock someone away to protect society from them, great. But you do not get to judge who deserves death.

Revenge is not on the list, although it is the only potential justification for the death penalty that is actually accomplished by carrying it out. You can call it “retribution” if the word revenge bothers you, but really that’s just a semantic change. Either way, I can understand the desire for it, on an emotional level. I don’t blame anyone for wanting it.

But the justice system is not set up for emotional satisfaction (as if that could ever be achieved after a murder anyway). Revenge is not justice.

By the way, why the heck did TCASK (Tennessee Coalition Against State Killing) not name itself the Coalition Against State Killing in Tennessee — which would have the anagram CASKIT?? Missed opportunity!    

Hooray for Dave!

David Letterman's Worldwide Pants production firm has agreed to a deal with TV writers and will return to the air next week. Congratulations to Letterman who chose to work with the writers rather than follow the example of Jay Leno and Jon Stewart who will come back without their staffs.

Leno and Stewart say its a difficult situation because while they support the writers, the strike also forces layoffs for staff members who are not writers. They have said they don't want those workers to suffer because of the strike.

As we've said before, this strike is an important one for the writers. They're simply asking to be paid for their work when it is used to make additional profits for the networks. It's a principle that has been used with musicians and other artists for some time.

The networks say the work can't be valued, yet they sue YouTube and others for millions of dollars when the work appears in places where the networks can't profit. Suddenly when their pocketbooks are at risk, the product has value.

Guild leaders said in a letter to membership Friday that Worldwide Pants accepted "the very same proposals that the guild was prepared to present to the media conglomerates when they walked out of negotiations on December 7."

We hope guests that frequent the late night talk shows will beat a path to Letterman's door to support his efforts and avoid Leno and Stewart who are helping their employers' profits at the expense of the writing staffs.

The writers are correct to stand their ground and they deserve more support than they're getting from people whose careers depend upon the magic of words.

    - Jim Grinstead

The right to vote

Bill Hobbs, the Republican's paid flack, is upset about the possibility of identity theft and not so concerned about the right to vote.

Hobbs has been lamenting about the theft of Davidson County voting data that contained Social Security numbers. That's a valid concern and one that needs to be addressed. However, Hobbs is most concerned about the risk of identity theft and his solution is to create photo voter ID cards. He blames Democrats for not favoring the idea.

What Hobbs doesn't say is that photo cards make it more difficult for people to vote and that has a bigger impact on the Democratic turnout than it does on the GOP. Such measures have been employed by the party for some time to support Republican candidates that would have less of a chance in a system that encouraged people to go to the polls.

Photo IDs won't solve the problem because people shave, they lose weight and a host of other things happen that change their appearance. Some form of identification number will still be required to protect the integrity of the system.

But, as we have seen by the current crop of GOP office holders, integrity is not much of an issue for them. Protecting power for a small elite group is the primary goal.

    - Jim Grinstead

Progressive New Year Wish List - Day 7

The start of each new year is a time to reassess and plan for the future. The coming year offers many opportunities for change and as we move into 2008, Progressive Nashville authors Jim Grinstead, Rick Lewis and Catherine McTamaney offer the top 10 things we'd like to see come true.

4.    An end to the senseless occupation of Iraq. (Jim Grinstead)

5.    Despite Mr. Dean's plan to plant more bushes downtown, Nashville has no specific, city-wide plan to decrease our collective influence on the sustainability of our environment. Kudos to the last Council for setting the bar higher for new public buildings, but it's still too low to limbo. (Catherine McTamaney)

6.    Rooves and meals. - Nashville has a growing homeless community and a disturbingly intensifying anti-homeless public rhetoric. We need to stop thinking of a safe place to sleep as a luxury and of homelessness as the choice of the lazy. Effective policy and funding would go a long way. (Catherine McTamaney)

7.    (a) Chris Dodd for Majority Leader so that Democrats don’t let this happen again. And again. And again. And again. (Rick Lewis)

7.    (b) We need a mayor, city council members, school board members, state legislators, members of Congress and a President who put the people and their needs first. We need leaders committed to taking action and a public willing to back up that leadership with support and hard work. Leaders need to value results over who gets credit. (Jim Grinstead)

8.    Paper ballots and an end to the electoral college. (Rick Lewis)

9.    Equitable urban development. - Not just commercial and luxury high-rises downtown, but real livability in our urban centers, both to combat our suburban sprawl and to rebuild some of the neighborhoods that Nashville's community has lost as a result. (Catherine McTamaney)

10.    End to the Death Penalty - I will shed no tears for serial killer Paul Reid when he dies on Jan. 3. He is disgusting and evil. It is beyond my capacity to have sympathy for him. (Rick Lewis)

His death, however, will not accomplish anything other than revenge—which is not and should not be the purpose of our justice system. To drag a person out of a locked cell from which he would never be allowed to leave or escape, then tie that person down and kill him, is wrong. I have to keep reminding myself of that on an intellectual level, because I know the graphic details of the Paul Reid murders and emotionally I can’t get myself to care or mind at all that he is being put to death.

There are several reasons why people support the death penalty:

1. To protect society.- Once someone is locked away in a box for the rest of their life, society is completely safe from them. Since this argument is so quickly and easily refuted, it inevitably leads to…

2. It costs to much taxpayer money to incarcerate someone for life. - This is the most bizarre argument for the death penalty, because it reduces the worth/sacredness of a human life to a dollar amount. If it only cost taxpayers $10 a year to keep a killer behind bars, would that make a difference? What about $1,000? What dollar amount makes you say, “you know what – just kill ‘em”?

The morality of killing someone doesn’t change based on a financial motive. I think people on both sides agree this is a matter of justice, not budget.

3. It’s a deterrent. - There is no evidence the death penalty discourages violent crime. None. Crime stats don’t change one bit when a state or country adopts the death penalty or get rid of it.

Why not? Because killers either don’t care about the consequences or they think they can get away with it. Nobody commits a murder thinking they’re going to get caught and being okay with that because there’s no death penalty. They’re not thinking, “Let’s see. The penalty for this crime is 40 years. Totally worth it.” There’s no careful consideration of the penalties. No thorough analysis of all the benefits and risks. These are killers we’re talking about.The consequences do not enter into the decision. The death penalty is not a deterrent.

4. The Bible says it’s okay. - Only in the Old Testament. Nowhere in the New Testament does it ever say anything about any sin or crime being worthy of death. In fact, it says the opposite over and over again. Every time someone asks Jesus, “shouldn’t we hurt/punish/stone this person,” he says no. Every time.

When Jesus came across a criminal condemned to death by stoning, what did he say? “Let ye without sin cast the first stone.”

What did you think the moral of that story was? That adultery was okay? No. That adultery doesn’t deserve death but other crimes do? No. Jesus is saying you do not get to judge what other people deserve. You don’t get to decide who deserves death, just like you don’t get to decide you deserves hell. That’s God’s job. And He’s got it well under control.

If you want to lock someone away to protect society from them, great. But you do not get to judge who deserves death.

Revenge is not on the list, although it is the only potential justification for the death penalty that is actually accomplished by carrying it out. You can call it “retribution” if the word revenge bothers you, but really that’s just a semantic change. Either way, I can understand the desire for it, on an emotional level. I don’t blame anyone for wanting it.

But the justice system is not set up for emotional satisfaction (as if that could ever be achieved after a murder anyway). Revenge is not justice.

By the way, why the heck did TCASK (Tennessee Coalition Against State Killing) not name itself the Coalition Against State Killing in Tennessee — which would have the anagram CASKIT?? Missed opportunity!    

Tennessee's population growing

Tennessee's population has grown by eight percent since the last official census in 2000, according to new estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bureau says most of the growth comes from people moving into the state.

The growth rate makes Tennessee the 17th fastest growing state and the 12th in migration growth.

The Bureau also projects the Jan. 1, 2008, population will be 303,146,284 -- up 2,842,103 or 0.9 percent from New Year’s Day 2007.    

In January, the United States is expected to register one birth every eight seconds and one death every 11 seconds.

Net international migration is expected to add one person every 30 seconds. The result is an increase in the total U.S. population of one person every 13 seconds.

  - Jim Grinstead

Kentucky facing budget woes

Kentucky officials say their budget is going to be $300 million short this year.

The problem is being caused by "high gas prices, problems in the housing industry and low employment statewide." A hiring freeze, cutbacks in spending and similar measures will be used to deal with the shortfall and state leaders say they don't expect to have to cut jobs.

New revenue estimates in Oklahoma and Rhode Island are telling a similar story while California is considering a 10 percent budget cut.

It appears more bad news is yet to come. The White House says things are slowing down and we've yet to deal with the money being spent on the occupation of Iraq. Even China, which has had a booming economy, expects to be tightening its belt.

But, alas, all is not gloom and doom.

George Bush leaves office in 2009.