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Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Annoucement: Speaking at 2016 Seattle Hempfest

Finishing up my undergraduate "career" (if you can call it that) has me all sorts of busy. Fortunately, I should be set to graduate in December. My senior project for my theatre major has been approved and is underway. Instead of taking a seven-credit anthropology credit, I am trying to get an internship at a local museum. If I am accepted to that, I will only have one course that actually meets in a classroom.

Two years ago, I spoke at the 2014 Seattle Hempfest on all three stages. Last year, I missed the opportunity by a small window (one day) because I had not been aware of the timeframe of when they were requesting speakers. I received an email from the organizers a few months ago, inviting me to speak at the 25th anniversary - special invites to speakers who have come before.

Because I accepted, I have three speaking slots this year. What is special for this one is that, although I will not be on the main stage this year, I will be on a panel in the Hemposium. For those of you who do not know, the Hemposium is a tent that hosts panels all day, as well as the VIP party on Friday night.

My line-up:

Friday 8/19 12:30-1:05 pm
Hemposium
"Activism: Can One Person Truly Make a Difference?"

Saturday 8/20 5 pm
Seeley Stage
"How to be an Effective Cannabis Activist"

Sunday 8/21 2:40 pm
Black Stage
"What the Upcoming Elections Mean for Marijuana"



To keep up with me at Hempfest, follow me on Snapchat - KatTheTrina. For more updates about my life and writing, visit my crowdfunding campaign.

Friday, June 17, 2016

What my sister's blind dog taught me about those with disabilities

It was late September of 2014 when my older sister sent a text to me, my other sister, and parents which showed a picture of this chihuahua-ish looking thing, telling us that she could not resist falling in love with this blind dog. She bought Missy at a discount as a birthday present for herself. That was probably one of the most random text messages I have ever received.

For the next couple of months, I heard horror stories about the Little Pest - barking at anything that moved and being mean to strangers. Come Thanksgiving, I finally had the chance to meet her at my aunt's house. Upon arriving, she jumped on me, wagged her tail, and started giving me kisses. Not quite the Little Terror I was expecting. Being small of size and only jumping on people when she is happy to see them, my sister encourages the jumping.

With about everybody who meets Missy, they are impressed with how well she gets around. We usually have to tell them that she is blind because it would be hard to tell otherwise. Many often say, "Maybe she can see a little...?" and of course Missy conveniently runs into something immediately afterwards. (Although there is a theory that she is aware of people catching onto her lies, so she will fumble when necessary.) We have determined that she is able to see bright lights. My older sister discovered this when taking a picture of Missy on Snapchat and the very bright flash went off. Missy perked her ears up and stared right into the flash. On our roadtrip from Seattle to San Antonio and back in the winter of 2015-2016, I had to snuggle with Missy in the backseat for the majority of the trip, and I was able to observe her affinity for staring at the sun.

Missy would wait on that chair in San Antonio when her mommy went out.

When exploring a new environment (such as a house), she travels around the area, getting to know boundaries and furniture. Once that is accomplished, she has a good sense of every leg of furniture and usually knows when to watch out for an obstacle. Some time after the initial run-through (hours, maybe days later), she does a second run-through where she does an exploration of any nook and cranny she can access. It's a quality that is pretty cat-like.

It is not her blindness that makes it difficult for my sister to care for her, but the impact of her life before being adopted. We have our theories about her history, such as her possibly being a designer dog meant for breeding (she's very well-built) and being neglected by her owners. We know that she has chihuahua in her, but we can only speculate what else. I think (miniature) pinscher and Shiba Inu. Whether or not it would be worth paying for lab results depends on if my sister gets too tired of guessing. Before being put into the shelter, Missy got pregnant and went to a foster home where she had the puppies and began house training. Of all the years of being domestic, she had never been potty trained. My sister still struggles to make sure she does not have an accident in the house. The biggest difficulty with Missy is that she can be aggressive towards other dogs and humans. That's why I was wary about meeting her for the first time, but we think she can sense when someone is related to her owner, which is why she was so nice to me.

We never know who Missy will choose to be aggressive towards, so we take precaution with everyone. Surprisingly, she does very well with children. My sister was shocked to learn of her aggressive behavior since she was so sweet towards her from the very beginning. Missy will not attack, but growl, bark, snarl, and hunch down at new people. If someone tries to reach towards her, she jumps back. Missy's bites, luckily, are not bad enough to tear skin - she's just too small. However, my sister has to be careful with Missy around people for many reasons, including the consequences if Missy were to bite someone and they filed a claim. My sister has been working on socializing her. Since my sisters and I brought up our family dog, Brooks, from San Antonio to Seattle, Missy got some experience with socializing with other dogs. Sadly, we put Brooks down about seven months later. Missy has made a couple of friends and does better at dog parks.

It is not Missy being unable to see that is the problem with taking care of her, but that is what people see when they meet her. We have found that people are quick to coddle Missy because of her blindness. While at the animal shelter, Missy was not allowed outside because the staff feared for her safety, ignorant to how well she gets around. It would have been more productive to allow to her socialize with other dogs. I do not think her being blind is the biggest contributing factor to her aggressiveness. I have actually gotten to know another blind dog who is a love bug.

Coming to my aunt's apartment in the LA area, I got to meet her new dachshund, Liam. Unlike Missy, he is a real sweetheart to both humans and dogs. Like Missy, he's also blind, and has been so since birth. His story before my aunt adopted him is somewhat sad too. He had been at a shelter where he was deemed "unadoptable" because of his condition. Fortunately, the woman who runs a dachshund rescue found Liam and took him in, then gave him to my aunt. Having a conversation with my aunt and uncle, caring for Liam is practically no different than caring for any other dog. Sometimes you have to be more mindful of the layout of your dwelling, and guide the dog while you're taking it for a walk ("Up!" or "Down!" if there's a step it has to take), otherwise, it is not significantly harder. My aunt and uncle are no strangers to how heartless people can be towards animals. There is a snake my uncle that a breeder gave to him for free because it was the "wrong color." If my uncle had not taken it, the breeder would have "destroyed" it.

Liam
I have many animal friends, including dog buddies. Lots of people cannot deal with the thoughts of becoming blind and developing other disabilities because of how they have relied on their eyesight (and other functions) for their entire life. Missy and Liam do not know of a life with sight. Despite their blindness, they are able to make their way around their surroundings very well and are capable of happiness. People feel bad for dogs like them and are too quick to dismiss them because of superficial reasons, despite not actually knowing what they are really like. Being a blind dog does not make Missy less of a dog. Being confined to a wheelchair doesn't make a person less human. I am inspired by Missy and Liam, but I really should not be.

We downplay their strengths and exaggerate their weaknesses when we should really be paying attention to their actual needs. My aunt's other dog, Duke, is gradually becoming blind. As a dog who will need to learn to rely on his other senses to get around, he will probably have greater trouble getting around. It does not mean that Duke should be treated any less of a dog or that he is somehow defunct. It just means that those around him have to learn how to accommodate his needs. Human or animal, we have to get into our heads that each one is different, and it is our duty to them and ourselves to give them respect they deserve.

If you are interested in adopting a blind dog or reading up on how to take care of one, you can check out these resources:

Blind Dog Rescue Alliance

Tiny Dog Rescue & Blind Dog Haven

Pets With Disabilities

BlindDogs.net

BlindDogTraining.com

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Sunday, May 29, 2016

Libertarians, don't feel obligated to vote for Gary Johnson

As a Gary Johnson supporter, I have been on the edge of my seat all weekend to see whether or not he would be elected as the 2016 Libertarian Party presidential nominee. I had been legitimately scared that a certain candidate would be nominated instead, and as a result, the public would become even more alienated with the Libertarian message. (Besides that, I have some statist blood flowing through my veins - contrary to the purist message many LP candidates peddle.) The point being is that if the LP nominated someone I did not like, I would not vote for them.

One of the various photos I have taken with Gary Johnson

Now that my favorite candidate has been nominated, I cannot expect myself to convince people who dislike Gary Johnson, for one reason or another, to support or vote for him in the presidential primary. It would make me a hypocrite if I did not respect their reasoning (whether or not I agree with it), but it is more than just not wanting to be labeled as a hypocrite.

Some people do not like Johnson's stances on certain issues. Others do not think he has the skills or charisma to take on the establishment, which makes me sad to think about since he was much better in 2012. Regardless of their rationale, they are not willing to compromise.

A few weeks ago, I half-joked on Facebook with:


I did this to illustrate the hypocrisy of some libertarians when it comes to drawing a line between principles and partisanship. I guess you could argue that there's a difference between personal and party principles, but if you are a part of the LP because you agree with its principles, you are not obligated to vote for their candidates if you believe they go against what the LP stands for. By "compromising" (versus actual compromise) to take votes from other candidates or to create a false image of party allegiance only ensures that our current political system is kept in power. Nobody should have to be guilted into supporting a candidate, party, or legislation. If you change your mind of your own accord, great. Otherwise, it is just political bullying.

(I should add that it is not wrong to support the LP if you not not believe in everything they stand for. I don't. Whether you are a former Republican or Democrat, or believe in a different form of libertarianism, you understand that the LP holds certain values, that for the most part, should not be swayed by the minority in the party. If you do hold other values, you can support the candidates who most align with them - it's a radical notion called "people over parties." Not to be mistaken when only saying it if it appeals to your personal agenda.)

Now I am going to delve into why I, as a Gary Johnson supporter, have no qualms about Libertarians refusing to vote for him. If you know me at all or have come across some of my other work, I denounce libertarian puritanism, partially because like I mentioned earlier, I am by no means the "perfect" libertarian. Most importantly to me is that the public needs a guiding hand to libertarian philosophy. Yelling about that "TAXATION IS THEFT!" or "Crystal meth needs to be legalized!" will only turn off potential supporters.

That is not to say that we should not talk about "radical" drug policy or other issues. What we should be doing is introducing people to libertarianism before they have a chance to label us as "nutty". That means we need to work on messaging. And Gary Johnson is just the person for that. I followed his campaign in 2012, and I know he has what it takes to do it. Also as a former two-term governor, I know people will be able to take him more seriously as a candidate. As someone who has actually held office, I can trust him if he takes office again.

I have seen many libertarians refer to Johnson as a moderate in a negative manner. More specifically, a liberal moderate. Tactically speaking, this is gold for the LP. A former Republican governor who has liberal views? Makes it easier to get votes on both sides of the conservative-liberal spectrum. Besides, I see many libertarians praise conservative-branded politicians and views. I do not see why this has to only be applied to conservatives.

Any slack by Johnson being unable to pick up certain libertarians can be made up by disenfranchised newcomers to the LP from the right, left, and anywhere outside or between the spectrum. I would go so far to say that it is thanks to Johnson's moderate views that many nonlibertarians come to "see the light" with libertarianism. For that, I welcome the sacrifice of libertarian purists.

Saturday, April 9, 2016

"The Power of Listening: Making Allies Out of Perceived Enemies" - speech at 2016 LPWA Convention


I was invited to speak at the 2016 Libertarian Party of Washington State Convention. My speech was more-or-less (ashamedly less) this:

Who here likes debating politics? [To which the majority of the room raised their hands]

Well, that's because this is a roomful of libertarians. Many people don't enjoy debating politics, whether it's because they're indifferent or they just don't like debating. This is where many libertarians go wrong when trying to get people to join them.

How would you feel if a conservative came up to you and tried to convince you to support Ted Cruz by telling you that all of your viewpoints are wrong? Understandably, probably most of you would feel very uncomfortable, and you would either try to get away or tell them that their viewpoints are wrong.

The problem in this scenario from the Ted Cruz supporter is that they made an enemy of you from the beginning. You can’t assume a person’s views, nor should you point out flaws in viewpoints if you want to politically appeal to them. Having a debate because both of you want to is fine, but you are not going to convince anyone to join your side if you antagonize them.

Now let’s bring this back to libertarians. If you are trying to win votes for a Libertarian candidate, you’re going to positively attract very few members of the voting populace talking about how all drugs should be legalized. If you do happen to engage some people, but you find out that they believe drug abuse would become rampant if all drugs were legalized, you don’t tell them, “Do you even read?? Drug abuse is very bad today because of the criminalization of drug use, and when drugs are on the black market, they usually become worse because they are cut with other substances!” And while a lot of us here have accepted that as our truth, saying this will only scare most people away.

We have to face it: many libertarian views are nutty in the eyes of the general public. A lot of these are beliefs people have never heard of. Never even fathomed of. Using a condescending tone when speaking to nonlibertarians only makes it worse. So…How do we fix this?

As Michelle Darnell said last night and as well as many other Libertarians at the convention in the past few years: we listen. Learn what interests the person. “Oh, you believe in ending corporate welfare? So does my candidate!” “Yeah, income taxes suck. My candidate actually has this idea for tax reform…”

It’s also about giving and taking. If the person is receptive, listen to their points, then share some of your own. This is a great time to provide sources to back up what you’re saying. Unfortunately, I’ve seen libertarians run into problems in this area as well: “Wow, you really don’t know anything at all, do you? Go read some Hayek.” “What? I didn’t know Salma has such extensive knowledge on…”

Me with James Holcomb

Whether these nonlibertarians you’re speaking to are conservatives, socialists, or liberals, there are bound to be some issues you agree on. Learn what matters to them and why. This is not about convincing them to change their worldview. Wouldn’t it be awesome if that happened? If everyone you preached the gospel of libertarianism to became libertarians afterwards? Sadly, that’s not going to happen. The way to win these conversations is to make sure everyone wins. Cheesy, yeah I know, but it is a huge win for libertarianism when a nonlibertarian says or thinks, “I will consider what you told me” or  “Yeah, I will look into that topic” or “Steven Nielson, was it? I’ll be sure to tell my friends about him.”


Don’t think of this process as converting people so much as making allies. If people deem you worth listening to – because you listen to them – they will be open to the idea of working with you. While getting people to join our sides as full-blown libertarians is an uncommon occurrence, it does happen. The change within them may be slow, but it is our job as activists to nurture it, and be patient. Let’s stop looking at nonlibertarians as our enemies, and instead, let’s welcome them to work with or alongside us. This can be our future if we make it so. Thank you for listening.