Textual Exegesis
Dear Critical Readers:
I have demoted my comments to two replies below. As you may expect, the
major topic of conversation is the Council's action requiring Catholic institutions to pay
for insurance coverage for contraception and Councilmember Graham's comments regarding the
issue. But the real sparks fly over the origin of the Pogo quotes. We here at themail have
our priorities straight.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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I am not clear on what the law as passed requires. I have read that it
does not, in fact cover most church employees, since most are in self insured plans that
are subject only to Federal and not DC laws. Some of what I have read gives me the
impression that the Roman Catholic church wishes all employers who profess Roman
Catholicism to be exempt from any requirements on contraceptives, not just the church
itself as an employer. Is this the case?
If so, I disagree. A garage owner who is Catholic should be required to
follow the same practices as any other employer. If there is a requirement that health
plans cover prescription items, it must be a general requirement. Churches themselves have
special rights, but secular employers should not get to pick and choose. Churches are not
expected to be 100 percent equal opportunity employers. No one requires one religion to be
open to hiring believers of another religion to preach their services or lead their
choirs. But secular employers are expected to be equal opportunity employers. If they had
exemptions so they could tailor a health plan to be suitable only for people who are the
same religion as the proprietor, surely that would not provide an equal employment
opportunity. What if adherents of no-alcohol churches refused to cover substance abuse or
adherents of no-meat churches refused to cover treatment for high cholesterol?
[The dispute was completely over institutions owned and operated by the
Catholic Church itself. The Church wanted a conscience exemption for all of its
operations; some Councilmembers wanted to limit the conscience exemptions to those
institutions that had strictly religious purposes — churches, not hospitals;
monasteries, not schools. — Gary Imhoff]
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Councilmember Graham indicated during the debate about contraceptives last
week that this is a medical issue that should not be colored by religious beliefs. If this
is so, I hope that he will give unbiased medical consideration to the District's seriously
flawed policy on HIV reporting by physicians. HIV that has not developed into AIDS yet is
only reported anonymously. Therefore its spread cannot be tracked. However, other less
deadly sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis must be reported and partners
alerted. If Mr. Graham is only concerned with sound medical policy, and not politics and
prejudice, than this policy should be changed immediately. The District of Columbia is
among the top five cities nationwide in the rate of HIV infection. A change in this flawed
policy will save lives and help contain the spread of this deadly disease.
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Bad Dogma! Bad! Bad!
Mark Eckenwiler, eck@panix.com
In the 7/16 issue of themail, Tom Matthes writes — apropos of the
contraceptive/health insurance imbroglio — “when you vote to force the Catholic
Church to pay for condoms and birth control pills for its employees, contrary to the
church's moral teachings, you exceed your [constitutional] authority.” In a word:
balderdash.
Were Mr. Matthes even vaguely acquainted with recent Free Exercise
jurisprudence, he would recall Employment Division v. Smith, 494 US 872 (1990).
In that case, the Supreme Court held that a “valid and neutral law of general
applicability” — in that case, Oregon's drug laws — is enforceable even
against, say, a member of the Native American Church who ingests peyote in connection with
his religion. (This is not the case with laws specifically intended to disfavor religion;
cf. Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah, 508 US 520 (1993)
(striking down animal slaughter ordinances deliberately tailored to disfavor practitioners
of Santeria).) The DC Council's legislation is just such a valid, neutral law of general
applicability. Whatever one thinks of the Council's actions — and of Jim Graham's
Sinead O'Connor-like performance — it is arrant nonsense to suggest that the proposed
law is constitutionally defective.
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Constitutional Prohibitions
Lee Perkins, lperkins@cpcug.org
Tom Mathes is WAAAAY off the mark. The constitutional prohibition he
refers to is that of establishing an official state religion, NOT assuring employees
adequate insurance coverage.
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I am sure that you will gets lots of mail on this one. I wanted to comment
on a point in your logic. You said, “I don't believe the Council would pass a bill
that would force Jehovah's Witness and Seventh Day Adventist doctors to perform blood
transfusions.” I have no idea if the council would do such a thing or not; however
they did not require Catholic institutions to prescribe or dispense birth control. They
simply required that if a company or organization has a health care plan that covers
prescriptions that the plan must cover FDA approved prescriptions for birth control. When
home rule, public health, human rights, religion, and money intersect, everyone has an
opportunity to be on many sides of an issue for many reasons.
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You'd think, if you just listened the rhetoric coming from the Catholic
Church, that the DC Council was forcing Catholics in the city to start using
contraceptives. I applaud Jim Graham for his comments; while I have no problem with the
Catholic Church when it acts like a church, and appreciate the many important
contributions it's made, its leaders have an unfortunate habit of acting like politicians
then calling anyone who disagrees with them “anti-Catholic bigots.”
If you want to see bigotry, look to the Vatican, where we have the Pope
ranting about how gay and lesbian citizens are unwholesome, defective people who are
inherently sick — and then adds a “but be nice to them” disclaimer to try
and shirk responsibility for the inevitable outcome of his words, which is discrimination
and violence. In a society where we are asked to foot the bill (though insurance) for
couples who want fertility treatments while lots of children go without the basic
essentials of life, coverage for contraception is a simple, smart public health measure.
Individuals opposed to contraception can continue not to use it. Sometimes
we have to pay for things we don't like because we're part of a larger society. Here's a
deal — get rid of the contraceptive provision, and make churches pay taxes. Why
should I, as a taxpayer, have to help foot the bill for a church that I not only don't
belong to and don't want to belong to, but which actively works to make me a second-class
citizen?
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Councilmember Graham Replies
Jim Graham, GrahamWOne@aol.com
How did I become a “bigot of the unreconstructed kind” (Bishop
Lori) by opposing homophobia and advocating individual choice? Is it enough to simply
disagree with Church position? I have a record of working with Catholic clerics and
institutions in Ward One and while at Whitman Walker Clinic that refutes any such
suggestion. And it was certainly never my intention to offend my friends and colleagues in
the Catholic or any other church.
Gary, you are clear that you favor religious institutions denying health
benefits on the basis of religious tenets. We disagree on that. But, Gary , for all your
talk of “toleration,” there was not one reference in your message about
tolerating gay men and lesbians. Not one word from you. Yet it was in objecting to a
parade permit — yes a peaceful demonstration — for a gay pride festival, that
the Pope declared publicly that gay people were “disordered” and “contrary
to natural law.” A parade permit in Rome was all the impetus he needed to make these
sad sweeping statement.
Consider this: Is there another group in the world about whom he could say
this and not have a major outcry? And consider this: The number of gay people worldwide
who will be injured and discriminated against due to this express license from the Head of
the Church whose opinion is “infallible.” But, Gary, none of that seems to
concern you enough to even mention the subject of Papal intolerance to gays in your
“plea” for same.
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Does Truth Count in themail?
David Sobelsohn, dsobelso@capaccess.org
Gary Imhoff claims that some “hunt for the enemy” Pogo made with
the alligator, Albert, was Walt Kelly's first use of the phrase “We Have Met the
Enemy and He Is Us,” which Gary claims Kelly used “frequently as [a] catch
phrase,” and used for Earth Day only as “one of the last uses.” Here's what
http://www.igopogo.com/we_have_met.htm,
one of several web sites devoted to Walt Kelly's “Pogo,” has to say on the
subject: “Walt Kelly first used the quote 'We Have Met The Enemy and He Is Us' on a
poster for Earth Day in 1970. The poster is shown above [i.e. on the web site]. In 1971,
he did a two panel version with Pogo and Porky in a trash filled swamp. This is the only
example I know of with a balloon, indicating Pogo responding to Porky with 'YEP, SON, WE
HAVE MET THE ENEMY AND HE IS US.'”
Walt Kelly was an environmentalist. In his artwork, he used the line,
“We have met the enemy and he is us” to support the environmental movement and
not for other purposes. No other Pogo cartoons have this line (although Kelly did end his
text forward to a 1951 collection with the line “we shall meet the enemy, and not
only may he be ours, he may be us”). On this point every other Pogo web site agrees
with igopogo.com, as do several articles in various journals devoted to American culture
or cartooning (citations provided on request). Gary, does truth count in themail or is it
more important that you have the last word? I actually have the Pogo cartoon from Earth
Day 1971; do you have the one you claim to remember?
[David Sobelsohn's message gave me a happy hour looking at Walt Kelly
material on the web. I am wrong about the exact wording of the quotation; I remembered the
first phrase as, “We has met the enemy,” which would be consistent with Pogo's
grammar, but it is, “We have met the enemy.” I also remembered the second phrase
as, “and they is us,” which is the way that it is quoted about half the time;
but Kelly wrote, “and he is us.” David cites the Earth Day 1971 cartoon as the
first use of the phrase in a Pogo cartoon, but at least one earlier use was on August 8,
1970, when Porky says it. The strip is also environmental: Albert says, “I resolve
we'll go right on with our fight against pollution!” The bats: “Woof, Yow!,
Right on! Immediately!” Albert: “Bravely! Right after lunch at Pogo's Place,
kee-rect, Pog'?” (They assemble around a picnic table, toasting with lemonade.) The
Deacon: “Here's to each and all; Bless 'em!” Churchy: “Hear! Hear!”
Bun Rabbit: “C'mon Albert, toast up!” Albert: “I'm still broodin' about
pollution!” Then, while throwing his cigar into the tub of lemonade: “All them
characters what dumps anything anywhere... They is enemies of the people!” Pogo,
shocked at the cigar in the lemonade, cries, “Albert!” and Porky raises his cup
and says, “We have met the enemy and He is US.”
[This description is from a 1991 exchange in the archives of The
Humanist, an exchange that began with someone asking for a citation for the exact
strip that I remembered and described. He wrote: “Given the quotation, which I had
remembered as 'We have met the enemy and he is us' they all responded with exactly the
same context I had attached to the quotation: an episode in the colour weekend version of
the strip (as opposed to the daily, black and white, more overtly political version) in
which Pogo and his friends are searching the swamp for the enemy (no one could remember
who) and, as they move in a circle, their leader encounters the last member of the group.
After the conventional gestures of surprise, one of the group (none of us could remember
who) uttered the famous line. Could we all be suffering from mass hermeneutic hysteria in
order to supply exactly the same context for a non-utterance?” This writer never got
any reference for it, either, but I'm convinced that he and I are not imagining it. We
Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us is also the title of the third Pogo compilation, in
which the context is political but not environmental; the cover art is Pogo looking in a
mirror with caricatures of J. Edgar Hoover, John Mitchell, and Spiro Agnew surrounding
him.
[At least I'm not in the same position as Chennai, a columnist for The
Hindu, who on January 25, 1999, had to apologize for crediting the quote to Al Capp's
Lil Abner. What's the majority vote? Does anyone else out there remember this strip, or
was Congressman Frog right when he said, “I'll tell you, son, the minority got us
out-numbered!” — Gary Imhoff]
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Recognizing the Disease and the Cure
Len Sullivan, lsnarpac@bellatlantic.net
I find woefully inadequate the suggestions by Michael Bindner (7/12) and
Ed Barron (7/16) that problems with DC's government workers can be solved by simple
organizational “flattening” or name changes. The apparently acceptable —
but surely derogatory — word used by virtually every new agency head that has come
(and gone) from DC recently is “dysfunctional.” And dysfunction can't be cured
with band-aids like new letterhead, fresh initials on uniforms, or management frontal
lobotomies.
Dysfunction will only be cured by a fundamental cultural change in a
largely patronage-based, heavily unionized, racially sensitized, poorly trained workforce
of human beings still protected by 30-year-old civil service regulations. The problems of
revitalizing the force in a democratic society are truly daunting. They include: inspiring
those who should stay; providing a decent, union-acceptable escape mechanism for those who
shouldn't (and knowing which is which); formalizing new job descriptions, and conducting
the training to go with them; developing credible efficiency benchmarks and convincing
others to accept them; updating or replacing outdated civil service procedures; finding
new workers and managers (or contractors) willing to step into a fluid situation; and
winning approval (and funding) from the DC Council, the Control Board, and four meddlesome
Congressional subcommittees for each proposed change — all while continuing every day
to mow the grass, pick up the garbage (after a fashion) or open the schools. Ill-informed
pundits, impatient activists, and misguided “overseers” do not help this
difficult, multi-year process by impugning the intelligence and efforts of those recently
elected and hired to effect the cure. As nearly as I can tell, they're working at it
pretty hard — and getting a lot of the residents' other, simpler complaints addressed
at the same time. I think they deserve our support.
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Combating On-line Scams
Ron Eberhardt, RGE1022@aol.com
As we all already know, on-line scams are as plentiful as street crime.
You have probably received well intentioned warnings from friends about everything from
not dialing area code 809 to HIV-laden needles affixed to gasoline pumps and darkened
theater seats. Each urgently circulated the globe. Of course, these and many more are
hoaxes. Here is a web site worth looking at or subscribing for free to keep up with all of
the phony warnings and Internet scams: http://www.scambusters.org.
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This is to let you know that the July, 2000 on-line edition has been
up-loaded and may be accessed at http://www.intowner.com.
Included are all community news stories, editorials (including prior months' archived),
restaurant reviews (prior months' also archived), and the text from the ever-popular
“Scenes from the Past” feature. Also included are all current classified ads.
The next issue will publish on August 11, and the web site will be updated within a few
days following.
To read the lead stories, be sure to click the link on the home page to
the following headlines: Adams Morgan Park Slated for Rehab; New Playground Tentatively
OK'd; Stalemate Over Dogs in the S and T Streets Parks; U Street Clean-Up Day Huge
Success; “Dr. Laura” Protesters Urge WDCA Boycott.
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CLASSIFIEDS — CITY PAPER PREVIEW
Dave Nuttycombe, webmeister@washcp.com
From washingtoncitypaper.com's LOOSE LIPS column, appearing this Friday
(This time we mean it!):
FOUR OR AGAINST: On a recent campaign swing through a middle-class section of Ward 4, D.C.
Council candidate Adrian Fenty discovered that self-introductions are often unnecessary.
As he alighted on the front stoop of Kansas Avenue resident Corine Gartrell, Fenty barely
had time to extend his hand before Gartrell declared, “We're expecting great things
from you, young man.” Gartrell noted that she'd already received Fenty's campaign
literature and even borrowed a line from the candidate's platform for the Sept. 12
Democratic primary: “It's time for a change for Ward 4,” said Gartrell.
The Corine Gartrells of Ward 4 have a lot to say about their current rep, incumbent
Councilmember Charlene Drew Jarvis. They say that Jarvis comes around on schedule —
once every four years — because her second job, as president of Southeastern
University, has removed her from the community.
Read the entire Loose Lips column here: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/lips/lips.html
From washingtoncitypaper.com's CITY LIGHTS page, here are a few early
warnings for upcoming events:
MONDAY: Stephen Greenberg presents “From Visitation to Vaccination: The Impact of
Germ Theory on Society” today at 10:30 a.m. at Magen David Sephardic Congregation,
11418 Old Georgetown Road, Rockville (meet at the Jewish Community Center of Greater
Washington, 6125 Montrose Road, Rockville). $18 (includes transportation to Magen David).
WEDNESDAY: Tony DiCicco talks about coaching the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team over
breakfast at 7:45 a.m. at the Capital Club, in the MCI Center, 601 F St. NW. $23.
More details and more critics' picks are available online at http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/pix/pix.html
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
DCbaseball.org Regular Season Finale
John Vocino, vocinodc@hotmail.com
On Saturday, 7/29, the Anacostia Mariners and the DC Dukes amateur
baseball teams are playing each other for the regular season finale. The game is scheduled
for 3:00/5:30 pm at Bannecker field in the District (across from Howard University). The
talk has been going on between these 2 teams for a couple of weeks now; mainly because we
all part of one group — dcbaseball.org — and all practice together every
Wednesday night at Eastern High. So it should be a fun time for the players and anyone who
comes to watch. Afterwards, we'll reassemble at Mickey's Patio on Capitol Hill (8th Street
and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE) for some post-game refreshments (at 9:00).
We're inviting all our friends, family, as well as sponsors and supporters
of the Anacostia Mariners and DC Dukes, which makes up dcbaseball.org. It would be great
if you could make it. Bring a camera, a lawn chair and some beverages to keep cool, and
enjoy some baseball in DC. If you have any questions or need any additional info, please
feel free to contact me at 512-7290 (w) or 544-0094 (h), or check our web site — http://www.dcbaseball.org.
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Volunteers for Graffiti Cleanup
Josh Gibson, Adams Morgan, LEDCBID@aol.com
On Saturday, July 29, the Adams Morgan neighborhood will be the kickoff
site for a citywide anti-graffiti cleanup. Seventy-five to one hundred volunteers are
expected to join the Mayor (invited) and Councilmember Jim Graham (invited) in staging a
full-scale assault on neighborhood graffiti. All supplies and paint are being donated by
the paint industry. But we need your help! The more hands we have to hold brushes, the
more graffiti can be eliminated! So, if you are interested in participating in the
cleanup, please E-mail Josh Gibson at ledcbid@aol.com. Volunteers should meet at 9 AM in
front of the 18th Street entrance to Marie Reed School (across from Wyoming Avenue).
Cleanup will be conducted from 9 AM to 3 PM, and after the event, volunteers will feast on
lunches donated by area businesses. Rain date is August 5.
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TasteDC.com’s Mid-July and August Calendar of
Wine and Food Events
Charlie Adler, wine@tastedc.com
1) July 18th, Tuesday, “Embassy of Poland Cultural Reception,”
Embassy of Poland, 2640 16th Street, (between Euclid and Fuller St., just south of
Columbia Road), NW, 7-9 PM reception and tasting, $50 in advance, free valet parking
available. Join us at the truly lovely Embassy of Poland, one of the original mansions on
16th St. We'll taste a wide variety of Polish delicacies from the Old Country with some
really assertive Polish vodkas straight up or mixed in drinks to your liking (wine and
beer will be served as well)! Wander the Embassy, taste Eastern European fare, and listen
to live classical piano music. Embassy officials will be on hand to answer any questions
you may have about changes going on in Poland today, so definitely bring your business
card! 2) August 8th, Tuesday, “New Restaurant Series: Christopher Marks
Restaurant,” 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. Metro Center Metro, 7-9 PM, $45 per person,
tax and tip inclusive. Join Executive Chef Robert Polk (formerly of Bistro Bis under
Jeffrey Buben, and Occidental Grill) as he introduces his culinary prowess with
contemporary American cuisine. Featured dishes include New England Seafood Shephard Pie,
Rosemary Lamb, and more! Vegetarians welcome. This wonderful tasting menu will be paired
with six wines. Sign up early as space is limited! 3) August 13th, Sunday, Seafood and
Wine Festival at Washington Harbour,” Washington Harbour Waterfront, 3050 K St., NW,
parking in the building, 6-9 PM, $70 per person, tax and tip inclusive, rain or shine.
We're going to have four seafood stations plus a raw bar and a premium ice cream station.
All seafood will be prepared with a theme in mind and paired with wines from that region
(think salmon from the northwest paired with Oregon Pinot's!). A live Caribbean steel band
will entertain. Space is limited to 200 people. 4) September 20th, Wednesday, “New
Restaurant Series: Yanyu Restaurant” 3435 Connecticut Ave., NW, Cleveland Park Metro,
7-9 PM, $70 per person, tax and tip inclusive. Chef and owner Jessie Yan (owner of Spices
and Oodles of Noodles) will introduce the latest cuisine from Hong Kong when she returns
from her Far Eastern tour. The menu has not been set, but it will be at least four courses
and each course will be paired with wine. We have rented the whole restaurant for this
fine-dining experience. 5) September 28th, Thursday, “Embassy of Russia Vodka,
Caviar, and Smoked Salmon Tasting.” This event will include a vodka nartini bar, a
caviar tasting (yes, Beluga and many other fine caviars will be sampled), and smoked
salmon from all over the world. If you like the taste of luxury, this is the event for
you! A folk dancing demonstration is included. This is an exclusive TasteDC.com event,
more info. soon! Reservations, click on https://labyrinth.dgsys.com/clients/tastedc.com/order.cgi,
phone 333-5588.
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CLASSIFIEDS — HOUSING
I have a friend moving to DC to work at the ExIm Bank. Needs a studio or
English basement apartment. He's been having a tough time locating a place. Middle aged
single professional male. Please respond to me directly at vchudows@meridian.org.
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