You expect all the usual hijinks on an occasion such as George W. Bush's second inauguration. Students at Seattle Community College tearing up the pamphlets of an army recruiter, forming a shouting mob and driving him away from his information table under a security escort. Far Left Seattle "hacktivists" taking over - albeit briefly - conservative Web sites with an atrociously written diatribe. But even here, in Sodom On The Sound, there are certain lines not crossed.
While members of our city council have pondered the presence of nuclear submarines at our annual SeaFair gala; deliberated the fate of circus elephants; and spent an ungodly amount of time fiddling with the wording of a meaningless resolution in support of our troops in Iraq, they have not, to date, officially called for President Bush's impeachment.
Apparently they are happy to leave such bleeding-edge posturing to the council of the U.S.'s densest fruitcake of a municipality, Arcata, California, a place where vagrants who smear feces on the windows of local businesses are said to be "oppressed."
This Thursday past, on inauguration day, Arcata City Councilman Dave Meserve - who last October got the council to pass a resolution demanding Bush's impeachment, spoke out once again on his favorite subject during a "Not One Damn Dime Day" spending boycott/anti-Bush rally. Among the signs visibile: one stating "Bush is Satan." (Yeah, we knew that already).
Meserve must be an inspiration to other would-be council members in Arcata. Such as Andrew Lord, one of six candidates vying to fill a current council vacancy.
Sitting in a local cafe, Lord said he wants to be a part of the City Council's progressive tradition, including leading the nation on issues like nuclear-free zones and taking a stand against the Patriot Act."It seems to me the City Council is a great place for an individual to create positive change not just on the local level, but on the national level, and I think that can be done without negating local issues," he said.
But all this tilting at windmills may not be in the City of Arcata's best interests. I have an odd hunch judge J. Michael Brown, who just stuck it to the city on a matter seemingly unrelated to Arcata's symbolic politics of the absurd, may harbor a bit of a grudge.
Justice works in mysterious ways.
Posted by Matt Rosenberg at January 23, 2005 12:32 PM
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Arcata is such a madhouse it is un-f-ing-belivable. I went to Humboldt State for six months back in my college days. The real funny thing is the undercurrent. You have alot of old hardy logger type locals, and they hate the fact they have been over ran with bunch of Hippies, and their offspring. I loved these older locals, they were a touchstone of sanity to the area.
A bit of a story which may illistrate my point (reguardless its a great story). The six months I was there covered the '96 Clinton/Dole election. As normal for poor college kids, we were always on the look out for free drinks. Election night we decided to go to the local DemHQ for the party.
We get there and it was as boring as hell. Here were the WINNERS and they were sitting around drinking juice and "talking about issues". They were the usual Humboldt crew of the dreadlocked unwashed. To top it all off we were interrogated with question on why we were there. It seemed more like a wake than a party. (Party of the youth? BAH!)
Since it was a small town, we went to the GOP HQ just down the street. There the LOSERS partied with beer, some old grandmother's cookies, and other refreshments. We joined a group of oldsters, grizzled logging types, and business leaders with no problem.
Posted by: Drambuie_man at January 23, 2005 07:43 PMI am a resident of Arcata, and I am embarrassed as all hell that the city council of this community is considering a resolution in support of members of the US Military, who have volunteered to serve, who are refusing to go to Iraq or Afghanistan. I will save you the lesson about the 300,000 murdered Iraqi citizens thanks to Saddam or the cruelty that was inflicted upon the women of Afghanistan by the Taliban. I just lost my father on New Years Eve. He was a 20 year Navy veteran of multiple tours in Vietnam. He got himself killed there and did not even know until 6 weeks ago. Yes, he was a victim of Agent Orange according to the VA. So I feel that I have something to say about this subject. My father was a proud volunteer and answered when the country called and went were they needed him most. He was a combat medic (Corpsman) assigned to Naval Special Warfare and Marine Recon. He was in the business of saving lives. I can still remember him telling me about the pain of not being supported back home when he was seeing first hand the wholesale slaughter of Mountain people by the so called "agrarian reformers" (aka Nethanial Victor and Victor Charles.) Well, the Iraqi people have spoken. They have spoken at the ballot box. They have spoken with their ink stained fingers. They have given us a lesson in democracy and civic responsibility. They have reminded us of the courage of our ancestors. Did they get this from some burned out, Hippie, professor on the North Coast of California? No, they were given this by the blood and sacrifice of young men and women in Kevlar Helmets and tan boots. They were given this by the heroic stand that so many Iraqis have taken against tyranny. When you see a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine in a public place. THANK THEM. Do not feel corney about it or embarrassed. Thank them for their service, thank them for their integrity, thank them for their courage. And thank them for me and my father.
A proud son.
Posted by: Blaine at February 16, 2005 11:01 PM