The Roving Activist’s Blog

Last Tuesday and Thursday, I attended a poll worker training put on by the DC Board of Elections and Ethics, but this time, I was there not as a participant, but a presenter!

It all started two years ago, when I attended the trainings for the presidential primary and General elections. At those trainings, a video dealing with voters with disabilities was shown to the participants. I wasn’t really satisfied with the video, and of course, opened my big mouth to my friend, Bill O’Field, who has, among his many dutues at the Board, the responsibility of setting up the trainings. I told Bill that I thought that the video was going into one ear of the trainees, and out the other, and suggested that perhaps the Board should consider using real people with disabilities as presenters. I felt that the audience would pay more attention, ask questions, and ultimately, gain more from the training.

Bill called me while I was in Denver to let me know that the Board had put my suggestion into practice, and were using real folks in their presentations. He wanted to know if I would be willing to do a training, first with the poll workers and precinct captains, then, with the technicians who would deal with the electronic voting machines, which are accessible to people with disabilities. Of course, I jumped at the chance to do this, and on Tuesday, did my first presentation.

I began with an introduction, and told the audience a bit about my background, and thanked them for their commentment to serve as poll workers or precinct captains.

As part of the presentation, I referred the participants to the poll workers training manual, and explained that the sensitivity instructions were common sense items. Voters with disabilities should be treated as they, themselves would want to be treated–with courtesy, respect, and dignity. Speak directly to the voter with a disability, and not to their assistant, family member, interpreter, or friend. Do not pet, or otherwise distract a service animal. Keep a clear and open path in the polling place. Do not make assumptions about the intellectual abilities of voters with disabilities.

I soke of, and showed the trainees the audio system for voters with visual impairments, as well as the accessible doorbell for polling places that do not have automatic doors. I spoke of the importance of having all accessibility-related signage in place so that voters with disabilities would know that the polling place is accessible. I let the attendees know that the District leads the nation in that all but one of its 142 precincts are accessible to voters who use wheelchairs, and that this is due to the partnership between the Board of Elections and Ethics and the disability community. We should take pride in this fact!

Some of the things that I spoke of were not in the training manual. I instructed trainees that when assisting voters with paper ballots, to mark exactly where the voter says! Do not comment loudly about the voter’s choice–this takes away the person’s right to a secret vote. Do not try to coerce the voter into changing his or her mind about their vote. Finally, do not assume that since a voter cannot see, or read that you can mark any candidate as you see fit, contrary to the voter’s specifications. These acts constitute vote fraud! Unfortunately, this happens quite often to voters with disabilities. Do not suggest to voters with disabilities that in the future, they should consider absentee, or curbside voting because it is more convenient. The Help America Vote Act (HAVA), as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires public places, including polling places to be accessible, and it is up to the voter how he or she chooses to vote. Frankly, it is extremely empowering to get out into the community and be seen participating in the political proccess!

I then spoke about poll workers with disabilities, explaining that we are colleagues and team members. I advised precinct captains to allow us the right to choose our assignments, as we know our own abilities. I also advised the captains that when the team comes in on Monday to set up the polling place for the following day, to encourage and allow team members with disabilities to help out. Don’t allow us to stand (or sit) there looking pretty. After all, we are full and participating team members, and should be treated as such.

I then gave the audience the opportunity to ask questions. “Don’t be shy”, I admonished. “The only silly question is the one that isn’t asked”. The participants asked many good questions, so many that the session had to be cut short. I told the trainees that I would be availabe for questions at the end of the day’s session.

I then went to the technician’s training session. Bill was conducting this, along with a colleague. He introduced me, and I got started. This was a smaller group, so it was a bit cozier. I abbreviated my presentation, and opened early for questions, telling the trainees that more than likely, they would have questions about things that I hadn’t touched on. they, too, asked many good questions.

Afterwards, Bill went with me to the elevator, and asked me if I could do another training on Thursday. Of course, I agreed. Being friends, we chatted a bit, then, Bill returned to his class, and I went back downstairs.

Thursday’s training was much like Tuesday’s, except that we kept to the 15 munite guideline. The audience participation was still quite good, though, and many shook my hand as I left. The technician’s training was much the same as Tuesday’s training, and afterwards, Bill handed me an envelope that contained a couple of responses to the survey that is given after each training. He thought that I might like them. I did. One of the questions on the survey was, “what did you like most about the training?” One trainee responded, “Anita’s speech”. In the section marked “other Comments”, another participant remarked ” Anita gave some very good information on assisting the challenged voters at the polls. She is an asset to the team.”

I was asked by Gwen, one of the lead trainers, if I could come back next Thursday and do another training. i told her I would, if there was no one scheduled to do it. I spoke to Bill about it, and he will check to see if anyone is scheduled, and get back to me.

What was great about both trainings was that there were several folks with disabilities in the audience. One was my friend Angela Miller, who is a Capitol Area ADAPT member, and another was my colleague on the Elderly and Disabled Transit Advisory Committee, Jerome Parsons. There were others who I didn’t know. I think that this is really great, and with the continued efforts of Bill, Jim Dickson at AAPD, and activists like myself, there will be many, many more folks with disabilities who will be poll workers, and perhaps, even precinct captains, and technicians.

Here is an update on the DC Voting Right Act from DC Vote…

House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) announced that the Subcommittee on the Constitution will mark up the DC Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act (DC Voting Rights Act, H.R. 5388) on September 14, 2006.

In a historic vote in May, the House Committee on Government Reform passed the DC Voting Rights Act with overwhelming bipartisan support and a vote of 29-4. Now the bill moves to the Judiciary Committee by way of the Subcommittee on the Constitution.

UN Rights Body Urges D.C. Vote in Congress

From DC Vote…

The United Nations Human Rights Committee on Friday urged U.S. lawmakers to give the District of Columbia a voting member of Congress, saying the lack of such representation appeared inconsistent with international law.

The rebuke came in a report released by the committee in Geneva on Friday which said residents of the U.S. capital deserved to take part in government affairs directly or through freely chosen representatives under the 1992 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The District of Columbia has been without a voting member of Congress since its founding as the national capital in 1790 because it was specified by U.S. Constitution as a federal district that was not part of any state.

D.C. residents were not allowed to vote in presidential elections until 1961, when a constitutional amendment was ratified.

The U.N. Human Rights Committee said it “remains concerned that residents of the District of Columbia do not enjoy full representation in Congress, a restriction which does not seem to be compatible with article 25 of the Covenant.”

“The State party (the United States) should ensure the right of residents of the District of Columbia to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives, in particular with regard to the House of Representatives,” the panel said.

Voting and human rights advocates welcomed the statement and hoped it would boost support for a bill to give Washington a seat in the House of Representatives.

Timothy Cooper, executive director of Worldrights, said the statement also could provide the basis for legal challenges to the prohibition on voting representation.

“No longer can the U.S. hide from its international obligations,” Cooper said. “It should act to right this human rights wrong without delay.”

So far, so good for the DC voting rights bill. The mark-up went very well! 

From DC Vote:

Washington, DC - In a momentous vote cast this afternoon by the House Committee on Government Reform, the DC Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act (H.R. 5388) passed by a vote of 29-4. The bill would give Washington, DC, residents a voting member in the House of Representatives for the first time ever.

“This mark-up is the crown jewel of the decade for the DC voting rights movement,” said DC Vote Executive Director Ilir Zherka. “Today we celebrate an astounding victory on a historical vote. We have been inching toward our goal of congressional voting representation for years, and the mark-up of this bill moves us miles closer to the finish line.”

Republicans and Democrats have come together on a consensus bill, H.R. 5388, the DC Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act of 2006. Representative Tom Davis (R-VA), sponsor of the bill and the chair of the committee, marked-up the DC Voting Rights Act with the support of Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) as well as the committee’s vice chair and ranking minority member.

“The mark-up is a bright green light, empowering us to move full-speed ahead on the DC Voting Rights Act,” said Zherka. “We have our work cut out for us in the coming weeks, and we are eager to begin our work with the House Judiciary Committee.”

A high point in the committee hearing occurred when Representative Dan Burton (R-IN) expressed a change of heart after speaking with former vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp and a young African-American woman who pressed him to finish the work of the civil rights movement. Burton had voiced his opposition to the DC Voting Rights Act earlier in the committee meeting.

I’ll keep you posted… 

I received this article from a disability rights activist in New York City. It seems that they have their work cut out for them, as the powers that be don’t appear to be listening…

Voting Machines for Disabled in New York City

This is a huge disappointment. Advocates have not been heard.
Despite efforts from Jan - May to meet with Ravitz & the NYC-BOE (3
meetings have been cancelled by BOE at the last minute), at which I
thought we were going to stress that we want to see new voting
systems that enfranchise all affected classes of voters, and that
we do not want separate and unequal treatment, this ridiculous interim
plan is being rolled out. Outrageous! READ ON!

May 17, 2006
Voting Machines for Disabled in New York City
By MICHAEL COOPER

ALBANY, May 16 - New York City would provide voting machines that
are accessible to the disabled at five locations in the city this
fall as part of the state’s plan for settling a federal lawsuit for
failing to modernize its voting system.

The proposal falls far short of a goal of the federal Help America
Vote Act - to have a voting system accessible to the disabled at
each polling place in the state - but city and state officials say
it is the best they can do with fall elections approaching.

The state was sued in March by the Department of Justice, which said
that New York had fallen behind the rest of the nation in putting
the Help America Vote Act into effect. The measure called on the
states to overhaul their election systems.

But with the September primaries approaching fast, city and state
officials said that there was not enough time to replace all the
voting machines in the state without causing chaos in the elections.
So late last month the state offered - and the Justice Department
reluctantly agreed to support - a vastly scaled-back stopgap measure.

That measure allows the state and its counties to determine how many
handicapped-accessible voting systems to put in place. Most counties
asked to have only one machine put in place. New York City is
planning to have accessible machines put at one site in each
borough. The proposal is now being considered by a federal judge
here.

State Senator John J. Flanagan, a Long Island Republican, said on
Tuesday that the interim plan provided too few accessible polling
places, and questioned why voters who use wheelchairs should have to
travel long distances to use accessible machines. He proposed that
the state quickly provide $10 million to counties so they can buy
more accessible machines.

But the counties say that it is not just the money, but the lack of
time that they have to buy new machines, test them and train workers
in their use. And they note that delays at the state level were
mainly responsible for their predicament.

John Ravitz, the executive director of the city’s Board of
Elections, said the city would do the best it could in the short
amount of time it had. “This whole interim response is part of a
dysfunctional process that has been laid at our doorstep,” he said.

At the Board of Elections office in each of the five boroughs, the
city will have two to five ballot-marking devices, and experts will
be standing by to deal with any problems that arise, he said.
Disabled voters will continue to have the option of voting with
absentee ballots, or with assistance at polling places.

The handicapped-accessible machines would allow voters to bypass
traditional lever machines. The ballot-marking devices could include
machines that use audio, for blind voters, or machines that use a
technology that allows quadriplegic voters to sip and puff into a
machine that can read such signals to mark ballots.

The Justice Department said in court papers that it reluctantly
supported the interim plan - but added that the state could still be
liable to lose some or all of the $221 million of federal money it
has received to overhaul its election system.

I could go on and on about how idiotic this proposal is, but you have heard my veiws enough times already. Hopefully, disability activists in New York City will get out and fight this. I will, however, leave you with this thought:

One of the many things that I have learned through my disability voting rights activism is this: Politicians judge the political power of a sector of the population not only by how much money they contribute to their campaigns, but also by the percentage of it’s members who get out and vote. Too often, many segments of the American people decide that it is useless to vote. Especially after the 2000 and 2004 elections, many people feel, “why bother–the rich can always buy and steal elections”. Though it doesn’t seem so, this cannot be further form the truth! Elected officials and other politicians are watching and taking note of who votes for them. Do you ever notice how they refer to groups of people by the vote? You know–the Senior vote, the African American vote, the Hispanic vote, the Business Community vote, the Women’s vote. Politicians know that these groups not only get out and vote, but they bring in votes through organizing. Have you ever heard of any references to the Poor vote, the Homeless vote, the Disability vote? Of course not, because these groups of folks are often disenfranchised, and because they are busy attending to getting the basic necessities and civil rights, voting is a low priority for them. For their own sake, these groups will have to create a way to incorporate voting into their main objectives. The disability community is beginning to see this, and several groups, especially American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and to a lesser extent, ADAPT, are starting to see the importance of voting, and are fighting for physical access to polling places, and accessible voting machines. Indeed, AAPD has an entire project known as the Disabilty Vote Project that it operates in several states, and the District of Columbia. The Project has been in existence for several years now.

I have a fairly radical view when it comes to voting. I feel that it is not only my right, but my duty to vote. As an African American, I know that people have died so that I may have this right, and how dare I not honor their memory by doing so at every opportunity! As a person with a disability, I feel the same way–disability activists have put themselves out there, endured humiliation and ridicule, and in some cases, have gone to jail so that we can enjoy and benefit from the rights that we now have. However, the fight is not over. There is much more work to be done, and the voting rights issue is a prime example. I therefore say to the folks in New York, and elsewhere: Get up and fight! Don’t take the outrageous deal that’s been handed to you sitting down. Don’t just roll over and accept absentee ballots just because they’re there. Remember that in most cases, they are a ploy to keep you unseen, and to keep you from full access to the political process. Don’t just sit around moping, mourning, and complaining. Organize! The time for complacency is over. Employ every legal, peaceful, and non-violent means to get yourself heard, and to bring about change. Don’t know how to do this? Go sit at the feet of those activists that you’ve heard about, and learn from them. Believe me, they’ll be glad to teach you! Scared? Don’t want to make waves? Tough! Grow yourself some courage! Stop ridiculing, belittling, and bemoaning those “troublemaker activists” and join them. Stop sitting around waiting for your rights to be handed to you on a silver platter, because they never have been, nor will they ever be. Every right that you have, or will ever get was won by activists who got up, spoke out, wrote letters, protested, went to jail, and sometimes, died! Thats just the way it is, so get used to it. Decide what group you will be in–the ones who complain, and cry for change, or the ones who go out, and bring about change? Either way, the politicians are watching, and we can either continue to be dismissed and ignored by them, or we can become one of the groups whose vote they will actively seek. It’s up to us.

Who knows? Washington, DC just may get some voting rights in the not-too-distant future. On May 11th, a bill crafted by Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA), and Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) called the DC Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act of 2006 was introduced into the House of Representatives. This bill would give the District a vote in the House, and would permanently increase the number of members in the House of Representatives from 435 to 437 and adding a temporary at-large seat in Utah.

Utah, which just missed getting an extra House seat after the 2000 census, currently has three House seats held by two Republicans and one Democrat. To avoid an immediate shift in this balance, the fourth seat under the Davis-Norton bill would be at-large, representing the entire state, until the 2012 election. Davis’ office said this was a common procedure in the 19th century, when the House expanded as the nation’s population grew.

Norton, who can cast votes in committees and participate in House floor debate but can’t vote on the floor, said her ultimate goal is to achieve voting rights in both the House and the Senate, but acknowledges she doesn’t have enough support for that now.

Here is a bit of history: Congress in 1801, shortly after moving to Washington, took away the voting rights of D.C. residents, who until then had voted for Virginia or Maryland lawmakers. The 23rd Amendment, ratified in 1961, gave D.C. residents the right to vote in presidential elections, and the city of 537,000 has been allowed to elect its own leaders since 1973.

The bill has to clear a number of hurdles on its way to becoming law. It would have to get through the Government Reform Committee, of which Rep. Davis is a member. There would have to be more bipartisan support than there is now. The majority of Republicans are against this bill, and some are conducting an underground effort to quash it. Some Democrats are scared of the fact that it would give an extra seat to Utah, a staunchly Republican state. Of course, President Bush will have to sign it, and that remains to be seen. I will keep you updated on how this goes.

There is growing public support in Rochester for the rights of people with disabilities to have access to polling places. More and more letters of support are coming in to the editor of the Democrat and Chronicle. I applaud this, and hope those letters keep coming in!

There is another aspect to access at the polls, and that is access to the actual voting machines, themselves. Here is my perspective:

I’m glad that people are speaking out in favor of the right of people with disabilities to have access to the voting booth. Remember though, that we also need access to accessible voting machines, especially for those of us who are blind, or visually impaired, have limited use of our hands, or who cannot read. Touch screen machines are the answer to this, but then, one runs up against the spectre of security fears. More and more people want a voter verified paper audit trail (VVPAT), which will involve the voter picking up a piece of paper in some cases, to verify their vote.

I don’t like the idea of VVPAT, because it comes with it’s own problems, not the least of which is the added cost of the paper and printer, as well as the problems that arise when the paper ballots, which many people want to be the ballot of record, gets lost, or misplaced. However, since VVPAT seems to be the wave of the future, it has to be accessible! I have said countless times to VVPAT proponents that if the voter must physically touch a piece of paper, or have assistance in ANY way, then, the system is inaccessible because it takes away a person’s ability (and right) to vote secretly and independently. I believe that security is very important, but I want security AND access, not one, or the other. We should not be so concerned with security that we disenfranchise entire sectors of the voting public. This should be the real vision of voting machine companies. All of the arguing, fearmongering, and other devisive tactics should stop. I have said often that some people are so concerned about potential voter fraud, and what could happen, yet, literally couldn’t care less about the voter fraud that is routinely perpetrated against disabled voters.

My thought is this: If VVPAT is the way it’s going to be, make it accessible! The technology exists. If we can send a man to the moon, and send a probe to the outer reaches of the solar system, surely, combining security and access in a voting machine should be a piece of cake. I also believe that the process for crafting standards for voting machines, as well as their certification must be streamlined. It shouldn’t take months or even years to create standards for a touchscreen machine with an accessible VVPAT, and it shouldn’t take months or years to get these machines certified. My experience in this work leads me to believe that the main obstacle to doing things the right way is not a lack of money, but pure politics. Somebody, or some group(s) is convincing some pretty powerful people that it would be to their benefit to disenfranchise entire groups of voters. Couple that with most of society’s outdated views of people with disabilities, and things look pretty bad.

My logic tells me that it is wrong to exclude any group of people from enjoying equal rights, and making worthy contributions to society, and that includes participating in the political process, and electing our public officials. Obviously, I am not the only one who feels this way, and those who would deny me and others our civil rights would do well to remember our freedoms are bound together. If my freedoms are in jeopardy, eventually, so are yours.

Rochester, NY–

Over the past several months, the Democrat and Chronicle has devoted
a great deal of print addressing the need for new voting machines.

From what I understand, there has also been a survey going around asking about the need for access in polling places. here is one man’s response, printed in the Democrat and Chronicle:

No change needed in voting booths

As a voter for more than 50 years, I have never experienced a problem
with our existing voting machines. My handicapped son has been voting
for 15 years and has experienced no problems. He utilizes the
absentee ballot. This requires no special arrangements for
transportation or trained personnel to accompany him to the voting
booth. All it requires is a 39-cent stamp.

FRANK KUHN
SCOTTSVILLE

Clearly, Mr. Kuhn feels that he knows whats best for our community.   As far as I am concerned, this is the danger of absentee ballots in relation to folks with disabilities. Parents of folks with disabilities are also getting in on the act, and must STOP! The decision to use absentee ballots should be up to the person with a disability, and no one else. Anyway, here is my response posted on the CDR forum:

Yeah, but what if you don’t want to vote absentee? What if you are able to get out and about in your community? I live only a few blocks from my polling place, and wouldn’t use an absentee ballot unless I were confined to my bed, or out of town. I want my community to see me, and know that I am a part of it, and that I vote.

I feel that some officials may be using the absentee ballot as a tool to convince people with disabilities to stay away from the polls. Actually, I have seen this happen on a number of occasions. They tell people with disabilities how convenient the absentee ballot is, and how they don’t have to go to the polls. Then they tell the community at large, or the media, or perhaps other officials that they have no access problems, or that there is no demand for access.

In my opinion, absentee ballots should be the last resort for people with disabilities, not the first. I can understand if a person is house-bound, or stuck away in some nursing home, or lives a long distance from their polling place, as is the case in some rural communities. Absentee ballots shouldn’t be used as a means for getting out of providing access to polling places.

According to some other posts that I’ve seen elsewhere, I am not alone in my sentiments. It’s time for officials and others who want to keep up hidden to wake up to reality–we are here, we’re not going away, and we VOTE!

Early this month, I got this notice from the Rochester Center for Disability Rights in Rochester, NY. Many of these folks are ADAPT members.

Here is part of the notice:

NYS Elected Officials HAVA Survey

Elected Officials Give Input to Ensure HAVA Compliance

New York State is being sued by the U.S. Department of Justice (US DOJ) for their lack of compliance with the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA). At least one voting machine per polling place must be fully accessible. US DOJ’s March 2005 State of Mississippi opinion letter requires full access to all polling places per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Use of federal funds also activates non-discrimination protections under Title V, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Recipients of this notice were asked to write NY state officials to encourage them to do the right thing. Here is my letter:

As a New York State government leader, it is time for you to accept your
responsibilities and comply with federal law! New York is the worst state
in the nation when it comes to the implementation of the Help America Vote
Act (HAVA). It is incumbent upon you to provide full access to voting
machines, the ballot, and polling places per HAVA, the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), and through use of federal funds, Title V Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

People with disabilities in New York, and in other states around our
country, should not be denied full access to their voting rights because
of the negative impact created by your indifference and/or inaction. New
York’s dubious position makes it the test case for the rest of America.
You must rise to the occasion and ACT like a leader in your state. Comply
with federal law so Americans with disabilities can have full access to
their fundamental right to vote “privately and independently” after more
than 200 years in the history of your state and our country.

I live in Washington, DC, and in 2004, I was able to vote secretly for the
first time on the touchscreen machine. It was a breeze, and I felt so
empowered! As an election judge and poll worker, I have seen firsthand
what people with disabilities endure when we don’t have access to private
and independent voting. I have seen people with disabilities coerced into
changing their vote by election judges and poll workers. Often, people
with disabilities were afforded no privacy, as workers would loudly repeat
the person’s choice of candidiates that they wanted to vote for. I was
aghast! People are so concerned with voter fraud that MAY happen with the
touchscreen machines, yet, totally disregard the voter fraud that IS being
perpetrated against people with disabilities. This scare-mongering is
being used to take away our right to secret and independent voting, and
that is totally un-American!

I implore you government leaders of the great state of New York: Don’t let
your state become a test case for discrimination against people with
disabilities. You have the power to do the right thing. Stand up, and
deliver!

Sincerely,

Anita Cameron

Now, on to Part 2…

On Saturday, my sister and her kids came through town from North Carolina on their way to Pennsylvania. I met them at Union Station, and we walked over to the Capitol, which is a few blocks away.

My niece, who is 16, began asking questions about life in the District, and among other things, I began talking about voting rights and representation, and how those of us in Washington, DC have no voting rights in Congress. She said that her teacher was telling her class about that, but it was clear from her statements that she really didn’t understand. She thought that people in the District couldn’t vote at all.

I explained to her that we can vote for all public offices, but the representative from the District can’t vote. We have one representative, but no senator, and that person cannot exercise a vote in Congress. Our representative can sit on a committee, or a subcommittee, but has no vote. She cannot vote on legislation that she is in favor of, or that might affect the District. Therefore, the citizens of the District have no representation, but we do pay taxes. To me, that is really unfair!

Now, my niece is a smart young lady, but she still didn’t get why this would seem unfair. I then explained that her representatives from North Carolina have the right to vote on any legislaton that they are for, or against, and any legislation that may affect North Carolina.

Since she still didn’t see why that would seem unfair, I explained it to her in terms of MiCASSA. My niece is well aware of MiCASSA, that it is a piece of legislation written by ADAPT, that is sitting in Congress as we speak. She knows of the work that ADAPT has done regarding the bill. She also knows that if passed, MiCASSA will give people with disabilities and seniors who are living in nursing homes the right to live in the community with the assistance they need, and that MiCASSA will save states millions of dollars. Of course, my niece is all for MiCASSA! “Okay”, I said. “When MiCASSA comes up for a vote in Congress and the Senate, your Reps, who are for MiCASSA, will be able to vote for it, but my Rep, who is also for MiCASSA, won’t be able to, because she has no vote”. Immediately, understanding crept on to her face. “That’s messed up, that’s not fair”, she said. I knew that she finally got it.

I then started telling her about how every law that we pass must be approved by Congress, and how other senators and congressfolks can write laws that affect us, though they don’t live here. However, she feels that since Washington, DC, is where everything “goes down”, that it’s okay for someone living in Texas to try to make decisions for us in the District. I asked how she would like it if someone from Colorado or California made laws for her state when they didn’t live there. She said that she wouldn’t like it, but she still felt that DC is different, so it was okay.

Oh well, I see that I’ll just have to keep educating her, but I suspect that unless she comes to live in the District, which is highly unlikely, she simply won’t see the unfairness of this. Still, I can try…