Freak Out, Sellwood Style

I should say that this post has nothing to do with politics, for the most part, but it does address a sort of mob mentality/mass hysteria, which I have seen with certain political parties, so it does have that in common.
Almost one year ago a clinic opened in my neighborhood that treats sex offenders. Level One, I believe, and not the level of offenders that would require any kind of notification, since it is a clinic and not a residential facility. Almost one year ago.
At some point in the last couple of weeks, a parent or two decided to find out what this nondescript business was that had been operating for almost one year in their neighborhood. Almost one year.
It started with a rational email, from someone I will call Muffy, and somehow within the course of a few hours Muffy sent out a followup email that included some pretty scary information about her daughter being whistled at, men catcalling, etc, but that information wasn't included in her first email. So I am not sure if she didn't think it was important enough to include the first time, or if she hadn't come up with a lie yet that would rile people up. Once people start to get worked up and hysterical it's hard to know what their real motivations are. But it worked! People got riled up and just knew that this place, that had been open for almost one year, just had to go because obviously it was a threat to the community, considering how many assaults and abductions had happened around it in the last year. Which I believe is ZERO, but that doesn't matter. When people get worked up into a frenzy they can't  be bothered by facts.
Like the fact that including the home address of the property owner that rents to this business was included in an email, even though the only reason I can think to include this would be to intimidate, but why let something like intimidation get in your way? Especially when it took ALMOST ONE YEAR for anyone to notice what this business was. Maybe these people are feeling guilty, or like they aren't very bright, since it had been almost one year and no one bothered to learn anything?
This clinic treats sex offenders as well as victims of these crimes. But why should anyone here care about victims getting the help they need? That would be a bothersome fact that they can't handle.
But the thing that is bothering me the most today are their mental high fives, and how they are thanking Muffy for "fighting the good fight". I don't think that term really applies to someone that is fighting against a group of people that no one wants around. If they want to congratulate her for fighting the safe, obvious, easy to win, fight, I think that would be more appropriate.
These people are what is wrong with this world. They don't look at the big picture, focusing instead on their narrow view, and hoping that they "win", even though their win will mean someone else is losing. But that is a fact that is overlooked. Especially when Muffy riles up the townspeople.

I just took a look at their e-petition they are passing around, so they can submit it to Mayor Sam Adams, asking him to help change notification laws in the city of Portland. They are asking Mayor Sam Adams to help them with sex offenders. And it is important to remember that the term sex offender is very broad and includes so many things, even something like having inappropriate sexual contact with a minor, even if it is consensual.

Election Night!

I can't believe that the election is finally over! At least this part of it. My candidate won, President Barack Obama, and I am thrilled! I wasn't voting against RoRy, I was voting FOR President Obama, and I am, like I said, thrilled! I know that the next four years could be even worse, politically, than the last, but I hope not. I hope that politicians actually do their job and work together, not just trying to block President Obama at every turn.
I am also thrilled that it seems as if marriage equality has come to three out of four states voting on it, by a vote of the people, for the first time! That is truly encouraging news. Bravo, Maine, Maryland, and my neighbor to the north, Washington. Job well done. Maybe hate and lies are finally fading away, maybe the future will be brighter.
There are so many candidates on the national level to be excited about, but a special shout out must go to Tammy Baldwin, the first out lesbian elected to the US Senate! And she won against a well known candidate in Wisconsin, so, wow. Really.
Local measures are passing that I voted for, the big one ensuring funding for our library system that is, really, one of the best on the planet.
Yes, this is all good news, really, but it seemed so easy now that it is over and that easiness worries me. But I will try to be optimistic and just enjoy what might possibly turn out to be the most exciting and progressive election cycle in my lifetime so far.