A plea for civility this election season, and why I wholeheartedly support Prop B in Houston

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Election day is right around the corner, and we are in the middle of early voting, so this is essentially a stretch where I can’t read Twitter.

(Don’t worry, “stick to sports” guy, there will be a sports take here).

The political landscape in this country is not only divisive, it is dangerous. We have become a society that picks a side and then defends everything it does. Anything I say is right. If you don’t agree with me 100 percent, you are completely wrong. There is no room for anything else.

Let’s be honest here; there is not a politician in the world you agree with 100 percent of the time. If that’s the case, you have a) found a unicorn, b) are lying, c) are too lazy to do any research.

This is not a plea for anyone to vote a certain way (with one exception). This is me begging everyone to actually study the candidates and proposals on the local level, and pick the person that best aligns with what you believe is best for your community as a whole.

There will be many judges on the ballot. These are people who can influence our city on many levels. Take some time to read up on them, learn their credentials and make the choice you think is best. I poll several of my lawyer friends, read up on the candidates and make my decisions that way.

The problem? That takes work. It’s easier to just vote straight ticket and not think. But that’s where we need to start changing.

I have been called everything from a bleeding heart liberal to a right wing gun nut, depending on the issue. And on individual issues? Absolutely, I am one or the other. But is there a real definition for someone who looks at the issues on their merits and then decides where to take a stand based on what is best for all of us? I also try to focus on where I can have a real impact: Local first, state second, national third.

But like a lot of people, I have checked out on politics in general, because we as a society have taken them down a path they were never meant to go. In my mind, politics should be about compromise. I don’t agree with you on everything, but I do on these things. Let’s do them and continue to explore the ones we don’t agree on.

That’s not how it works, though. We are supposed to stake a stand, ignore anyone who disagrees with us, spout hyperbole and belittle the other side. Compromise is weakness. And it doesn’t matter on which extreme of the landscape you sit.

I can be guilty of this, too. Anyone I think is merely parroting one side’s political stances I tend to brand as extremists and ignore what they say. I grew weary of trying to find common ground with them, because there is none. Even if I agree with you 90 percent, that’s never enough.

The reality is that is not an answer, either.

Here is the problem: Political views have been ruined by three key components: Social media, traditional media and sports.

I could write volumes on the first two. But in sports, we pick sides. We support our teams. Our players are better than yours. Our fans are better. You are an idiot or loser if you don’t agree with me. (Or, my personal favorite, ‘looser.’)

In sports, that’s fine. Sports is supposed to be fun. It’s entertainment. It’s an escape. (I told you there was a sports take).

But opinions like that don’t work when we are talking about things that actually matter in our everyday lives. Policies are important. What we discuss shapes our society.

So my plea is simple; let’s start a little at a time by trying to find common ground. By actually looking at what the other person is saying and analyze it without already having our minds made up, issue by issue. Then let’s make the best decision for our community. No, that is not easy. It takes work. But isn’t that better than apathy, and even worse, hyperbole?

If we can’t find that common ground, then it is perfectly acceptable to take a stand for what you believe. In fact, our country was founded on doing just that. But when we are rigid in everything, we accomplish nothing.

I know I am screaming into a wind tunnel here. But if you are still reading, I plan to do just that; take a stand. And I hope I can do it respectfully.

I support Prop B in Houston. The prop will give firefighters equal pay to police. I will start by saying I believe both are criminally underpaid, and we should find other ways to save money than at the expense of these two groups.

But firefighters have not had a raise since 2011. The starting salary is $28,000 a year. At that, a fireman can’t even live in the city he or she is protecting.

Opponents - including Mayor Sylvester Turner - say that passing of the ballot would lead to layoffs and a 30 percent increase in salaries.

Even if that number is accurate, and for the sake of argument we will assume it is, then it would still be less than 5 percent per year for some of the most important people in our community; people who were woefully underpaid to begin with.

Mayor Turner is staunch in his opposition to Prop B. This is where I am supposed to question his motives or intellect. But the truth is, I respect Mayor Turner. I voted for Mayor Turner. He has done a lot in this city I agree with, and some things I disagree with. (Um, about the sex robot brothel ban, Sylvester...sorry, had to inject a little levity).

But I am against him on this one issue. And I am sure there will be others. But that won’t likely stop me from voting for him again.

It’s OK if you agree with the Mayor. In the spirit of fairness, you can (and should) read his take here. I think the city can budget better and make other sacrifices, but I am not the one having to balance all of that.

If you think the public should not be dragged into contract negotiations, I respect that opinion and do not fault it. In fact, in most instances I would agree with you. But I also believe the firefighters have exhausted all possibilities.

And they don’t just fight fires. They pull you out of your car when you are in accident. Their EMTs help you when you are hurt. They are the first responders we deal with most. They risk their lives to save ours. When I had my accident, the first friendly face I saw was HFD. When my former sister in law’s house was struck by lightning in the middle of the night, they were there to put out the fire with lightning bouncing all around them. When I witnessed an accident with a pregnant woman, they calmed her down, pulled her out of the wreckage and got her to the hospital.

I believe they are the backbone of our city and some of the most important people in Houston. And they deserve my support.

And if you choose to vote against it, I understand your opinion. If the public turns it down, I will support them as they find another way to be treated not just fairly, but humanely.

So please, do your own research. Make the best decision for your community and yourself. And I will still respect you either way.

Maybe we can start right there. Was that so hard?

Back on the blog, and a giant bean sparks city on city crime

So since the death of Houstonsportsandstuff.com, there really is no place for fiction or things that have nothing to do with sports. So I will post things that are inappropriate for SportsMap here from time to time. This was inspired by a giant bean.

For some reason, with any controversy these days, we slap a “gate” on the end. And lo and behold, Houston finds itself mired in just such a national quarrel.

Call it “Beangate.”

OK, let’s not. “Gate” is overused and a copycat term, and since the city is basically being accused of doing just that, let’s use something different. In fact, the impetus of all this is a structure called Cloud Gate.

So maybe we will go with something more simple: “Bean angst?”

It all started when Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts got a new statue, a work by British sculptor Sir Anish Kapoor entitled “Cloud Column.” The structure is similar to a work he did for Chicago, “Cloud Gate,” better known as the famous Bean. Chicago’s structure is awesome and a tourist draw. Houston is obviously hoping for some of the same.

(Plus, who doesn’t want a structure from a “Sir?” It adds class and dignity. And who would not want to have Sir in front of their name? Sir Fred Faour. See? It’s a game changer.)

The problem is our good friends in the Windy City are somewhat upset over Houston getting the new work of art, albeit it a vertical version of the Bean. In particular, a reporter named Kim Janssen of the Chicago Tribune is particularly bothered. Janssen did his best to troll the good people of Houston.

Said Janssen: “If being surrounded by a cultureless abyss insufficiently communicates to confused tourists that they are in Houston, the bean’s verticality will therefore act as an additional reminder of their poor life choices.”

Let’s toss in the headline for good measure: “Unoriginal 4th place Houston gets its own bean sculpture... whatever”

And, of course, now Houstonians are in an uproar over being called a “cultureless abyss.”

That qualifies as trash talk? That gets our city up in arms?

I would love to bash Chicago and come to our defense. But in truth, we brought it on ourselves. The headline on the story linked above in Houston? “Move over, Chicago, Houston has a bean now, too.” Yes, one could see why that would be considered “unoriginal.”

Janssen seems more upset that Houston is going to pass Chicago as the third largest city sometime in the next decade. He writes, “the (Houston) metro area gained 94,417 residents in 2017, while the Chicago metro area lost 13,286 residents. If that trend continues, Houston could eclipse Chicago as the nation’s third largest city in the next 10 years.” Bad news, Kim, that trend has been going on for quite some time...Whatever.

I would love to list all the reasons why Houston is not a “cultureless abyss,” but if you live here, you already know them all. (And you won’t find an actual “abyss” in Houston other than the potholes). And I would also love to bash Chicago. But the reality is it’s a great city. I have spent a lot of time there, especially in the past two years. Sure, it has its negatives -- if you fly in via Midway, there is a *67.5 percent chance you will be murdered on the Uber ride to downtown. (*-based on watching episodes of Chicago P.D.). But it’s not like we don’t have our own questionable areas (“Gunspoint,” anyone?)

Millenium Park, home of the original Bean, is awesome and we have nothing like it here. Chicago’s downtown is loaded with excellent restaurants, bars and amazing architecture. It remains the cultural center of the Midwest. The craft beer scene is fantastic. Lou Malnati’s, Giordano’s and Gino’s pizza are personally responsible for at least 10 of my pounds.

Of the art we have collected for our home, everything is from Houston except two works, both purchased from a Chicago artists. I have Blackhawks gear I like to wear. So I would be hypocritical to bash the city. And I get the angst. Chicago has always been third fiddle in terms of culture behind New York and Los Angeles, and now some upstart is about to pass them for third largest city. Go cry in your multiple sports titles and terrific beer and food scene, Chicago. And, oh, by the way, you still have a lot of unique structures that no one will ever be able to match. 

And I will not give Houston a pass for the “move over, Chicago” bit. Our fine city has long had an inferiority complex. “Dallas gets a TV show. Wah. Austin gets to be the cool place. Wah. We didn’t get a space shuttle. Wah.”

“We get a bean, too, and can be just like Chicago!” Whatever.

It would also be wrong to make fun of the writer who trolled Houston. That’s what trolls want, right? For you to come after them? Why would I take that bait? After all, his name is Kim. Unless you are Korean or a talented Canadian rocker or actor (Kim Mitchell, Kim Coates), your parents are dooming you to mediocrity at birth. I would never make fun of that.

And there is no way I would mention that a reporter for a major newspaper has less than 4,000 Twitter followers. What has he been covering? Bake sales? Dog walks? Only someone from a cultural abyss would go there. So I won’t.

And there is no way I would bring up that newspapers in general are so desperate for relevance and survival they resort to trolling. That would be unoriginal of me. 

So yes, Houston now has a bean. Should the brilliant work of a famous artist not be displayed because it is similar to something he did elsewhere? Should it just be locked away somewhere? There was a time when imitation was the sincerest form of flattery. Where someone would say, “hey look, they want to be like us. Cool! Thank you!” Instead, we resort to insults.

Then again, maybe you guys are the copycats; trying to steal our inferiority complex. So...Cool! Thank you!

Whatever.