They say it's getting harder and harder to hold one's head up as a Californian. Well, I don't know - I do love my chosen state, but not for its elected officials. I picked this location in 1979 because of the crashing surf and the redwood trees and Yosemite and the early, long springs and the changing colors of the rolling hills. I love the diversity: the murals of the Mission and vegetarian potstickers, the jazz street fairs and the accordion festival, gay freedom month and lesbian feminist comedians.

They say they all the fruits and nuts settle here on the west coast. If that's the worst label they can saddle me with, I can handle that one. If the rest of the country sees the recall election as just another example of how crazy we get after roasting in the heat and having our brains jiggled loose from earthquakes, well, that's okay.

But what I'm more concerned about it that this wacky election is just another loose brick in the tumbling edifice that once was a democracy. Low voter turnout, dangling chads, and now this.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 14, 2003 at 10:12 AM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.