Taxation without Representation

We live in Washington, and I love it here. My family and friends are here, there are wonderful parks, museums, restaurants and cultural opportunities, and in the sense that the personal is the political, it's a great place to live. Most people share our views on marriage rights, the environment, education, and the other issues that matter to us. We were able to complete a second parent adoption, unlike many of our friends. Our employers both offer domestic partnership benefits, and we have set up powers of attorney and other documents to provide ourselves some of the rights we'd get if we could marry.

But even so, it can be quite frustrating to live here, because there's really not a damn thing we can do to change anything we don't like, even local matters, because DC is not a state and is therefore powerless in Congress. It's the national issues that are most problematic. Write your Senator, they always say. Call your Congressperson. Well, we don't have one. (Yes, yes, there's Eleanor Holmes Norton, and she is wonderful, but I prefer to leave her alone so she can spend her time working on Statehood.) So I am asking all of you who DO have congressional representation to help out.

I got a message today in my inbox alerting me to the fact that Bush is working towards appointing another hideous judge to the Federal bench. Judge Leslie Southwick of Missouri is virulently racist and anti-gay, and has handed down decisions that make my skin crawl. If you have a Senator, please write her or him and try to stop this horror from being perpetuated upon us all. I can't do it, so consider it a two-fer if you do.