Taking it Outside

Russell asks how I managed to go from right wing to left wing (in sum). I guess a number of things, in no particular order and probably incomplete.

Not a big religion guy, so no pressure from, e.g., church to "Vote Republican" and also nothing really to "abandon."

Met my future wife, and over the years had my eyes opened.

Went to law school. It was a very liberal law school, but I don't think that had anything to do with the shift. More like, it built a heavy respect for the law. Such that, if we're throwing people down a rat hole for life because we think they're bad, we better know they're bad. Which leads to...

The Bush Administration. Holy Hell. Nixon on PEDs. I voted for him in 2000, because I was a Republican ("he shared my values") plus I thought Gore would ruin the country to stop global warming. If only.

Finally, ObWi, or, to be more specific, katherine and hilzoy and their various posts on the U.S. government's actions after 9/11 and their effects. Jeebus. I was watching Saving Private Ryan on the TV for a few minutes earlier tonight, and specifically the scene where they let the German prisoner go, to bad effect later. It's a scene that used to make me proud to be a citizen of the United States. Alas.