Profile | Larry Stickney
Website | Washington Values Alliance
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- "Extreme Seattle" vs. Washington State
- Gays to Anti-R-71 Camp: "You were Right, this IS about Marriage"
- Some traditions should never change - REJECT R-71!
- An Open Letter to Friends of Referendum 71
- Sodom on the Sound
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"Extreme Seattle" vs. Washington State
By Larry Stickney | 12/13/09 | 09:47 PM EDT | 6 Comments
In the wake of the Referendum 71 campaign and prior to the upcoming 2010 Legislative Session (which is scheduled to begin January 11), now is a good time for some introspection and contemplation of the future for Washington families. While we all need a break from politics at times, we must not forget the urgency of the situation at hand.
We remain in a very serious crisis here in Washington, living under the dominion of the most liberal legislature and Governor in state history. While it is certain that outside of the greater Seattle area we are NOT a liberal state, we are hamstrung politically by the lack of representation by those who espouse traditional values in our government.
University of Washington professor of geography and expert in urban demographics (Dick Morrill) has done some extensive analysis of the R-71 vote and written an informative and fascinating article "We Are Two States: Seattle and Washington". He writes that there is an "indisputable polarization in what we might call the modernist-traditionalist divide". He continues:
"Referendum 71 passed by a 53 to 47 percent vote, revealing the power of the King County electorate, which alone provided a margin of 104,000 of the statewide margin of 113,000. It points again to what a statistical outlier Seattle is among cities, what I called in an earlier article, "Extreme Seattle."
Morrill points out that Seattle has the lowest number (2.08) of persons per household in the United States and is right behind San Francisco on several other telling statistics:
"A related statistic is the share of households that are families with children; the Seattle share is 19 percent, San Francisco 18 (lowest in the country), and Portland 24. (The U.S. average is 31 percent share of families with children.) Conversely, the share of non-family households (singles, unmarried partners) is 55 percent (33 for the U.S.). Seattle is only slightly behind the winner, San Francisco, in the share of adults never married (51 percent to 52 percent, 30 for the U.S.). Lastly, the proportion of the population under 15 is 13 percent in Seattle and San Francisco, 18 percent in Portland, and 20 percent nationally."
Morrill then delineates the positive correlations for people who voted for R-71:
"users of transit, non-traditional households, singles, same-sex households, college graduates, managerial professionals, aged 20-39, and Asian.
The strongest negative correlations (those opposing R-71) are: drivers of SOVs, traditional families, aged under 20, born in Washington, high-school education only, Hispanics, laboring and craft occupations."
While Seattle remains a beautiful city and a desirable place to live for many, it has, sadly, declined as a great place for families. In fact, statistics bear out what Seattle has become, both politically and demographically: One of the most expensive and family unfriendly big cities in America.
As conservatives living in a state dominated by a big liberal city, we certainly have our challenges ahead of us. We have, however, turned things around politically in Washington before. In 1994, for example, we voted out a high taxing, liberal, Democratic majority legislature and sent dozens of genuine conservatives in to replace them. Two years later these same conservatives passed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Washington voters will have the opportunity to replace the current legislature during next year's election cycle. Until then, it is up to each of us to remind our legislators and Governor Gregoire that we will not sit idly by as our values and institutions are sacked and plundered by Seattle-centric extremists who have little or no respect for their neighbors in the "other Washington".
We are in an epic struggle for the survival of our faith, our families and our freedoms. It is our values versus those of the secular "progressives" or "modernist" left. If we believe our cause to be just and right then we must carry on the fight!
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Comments
Outstanding article, Larry. You are doing a great job getting the word out on the challenges before us. Living with a 900 lb liberal gorilla (Seattle) for a neighbor makes things tough for conservatives in Washington but we are up to the task.
I love how Republicans continue to paint Ref. 71 as something which will harm families in Washington state. The truth of the matter is quite simply the opposite, with our state saying that we believe all people deserve equal rights regardless of who they love. This is truly no different than saying people deserve equal rights regardless of the race/ethnicity of who they love. It's also comical that Republicans can preach about how they are the party of limited government while simultaneously trying to use the government to impose their outdated morals on others. In addition, I find it fascinating that Republicans say we have to rally behind the president, and say that we have to rally together as a county when they are in power, then turn around and do the opposite when they are the minority.
Of course gay marriage will harm families in Washington State. The homosexuals will not stop at domestic partnerships nor will they stop at marriage because they are looking for validation of their illicit and dangerous lifestyle. Yes, DANGEROUS. They will never get what they want until all religious and moral teaching has been done away with.Why would thinking Republicans want to promote their agenda in any way? As far as Republicans supporting Obama goes - the man is a disciple of Saul Alinsky and likely a non-citizen and a communist. Patriots recognize the fraud, which is why his approval ratings are in the tank. Let's just hope he's gone before the country is destroyed.
HAHAHAHA, ah good, I needed a good laugh. President Obama is decidedly not a communist (which you would know had you bothered to follow any type of news organization or done any research yourself), and has presented what is constitutionally required to prove he is a citizen. As for homosexuality being dangerous, I ask how? There are a number of gay and lesbian Republicans, so it clearly can't be their political leanings. Many of them are religious, so its clear they don't want to do away with religion. It could, I suppose, be that secretly you yourself are homosexual, and lash out at others to mask it (not unherad of in the Republican party). Regardless, I'm glad you're at least admiting your homophobic viewpoints, becuase at the end of the day that seems to be what most anti-gay activists are about. You don't like what someone else does, and have decided that your viewpoints should trump theirs. Perhaps, though, you could try thinking about how many of these same arguments were made to deny interracial marriage from taking place (destroy morality, against religious belief, etc.), and tell me how you are any better than those who attack interracial marriage are.
God does not see interracial marriage as a sin. If you were to read, and interpret correctly, the Holy Bible, it is described countless times that homosexuality is a sin. Republicans/Democrats... this isn't about politics in my opinion. Every one of us are sinners. I am a sinner. I am not Holy and perfect, and I admit it. I confess to God my sins, and give thanks for Him and His sacrifice of His only son. Jesus. God is perfect, and He wants us to be like him, Holy and Pure. Because He knows we cannot be, he sent His son, Jesus, to die for these inequities, these sins. He loves us this much, to send His only son... and He wants us to live in His image. Therefore, He made us with hearts filled with love. People may be "religious", but in the future, when you speak "religion", be sure to note the Holy Bible and the followers of Jesus Christ is the way. The point here is this: with this passing Referendum, have we really set the table well for our children. Look back in history at Soddom and Gamora, and, more recently, Babylon (the current Iraq). These are stories where societies lived in open, and welcomed, sin. Though they were warned to repent, they did not, and were disciplined. I would hate to see this happen to Seattle, and our grandchildren. But why would you care? If you had it your way, men would be living with men, women with women, and their would be no "society". Free will = bad choices. But our love from God is eternal. Have a Merry Christmas, and know I will be continually praying for your salvation. I won't check back to see how you respond, but have faith the Holy Spirit will intercede for me. In Him, with Love, Honor, and Grace, AB
Ah, glad to see you are so supportive of the seperation of church and state, along with the freedom to believe whatever religion you wish to follow. Not sure how free will=bad choices, but I'm further glad you admit that you don't actually believe in fundamental American values. As for religion, tell me why is your version of Christianity correct as opposed to someone else's, why is Christianity correct rather than Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, or Daoism to name a few. Indeed many of our founding fathers were Theists or Doaists, not necessarily Christians, and so they set up a county not founded on religion but on individual free will. I will ask you something though, since you appear to believe so literally in the bible. Should we be allowed to stone people for working on the Sabbath? Should we be allowed to have slaves? Because to the best of my knowledge both of these things are allowed in the bible, yet scorned as immoral by today's society. Why is it that you say the bible must be used to justify homophobic policies but the same bible should not be taken literally on other moral issues?
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