for Partisan Politics, Once a e l d n a C a nd For ht g i L s ’ All Let It’s nearly here again: the time to cast our votes and decide the fate of, oh, some simple things, like who’s going to be the leader of the entire nation, and also, who’s going to run our local soil and water districts. It’s an exciting time—but it’s also right about now that we start to look ahead to it all dying down already. In honor of this year’s election cycle, we present you with our special elections coverage, in which we say, let's light a candle for partisan politics, shall we?
El Día de los Muertos
This year’s elections issue is part nod to the marriage of Aztec and Christian traditions that brought us the Day of the Dead—those days in early November during which people honor those who have passed (and in this case, things we wish would). In a season when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has publicly attacked Latinos, calling them “rapists” and “killers” and demanding we build a big ol’ wall to keep them out, it’s fitting to remind ourselves that Latinos have always played a huge role in the fabric of our society. In an article this July, Donna Maxey, founder and director of RACE TALKS, stated: "Oregon was part of California, which was claimed by the Spanish, as well as the British and French Canadians. It became part of a territory settlement bartered by President Alexander Polk and subsequently the Oregon territory. 'To welcome' Spanish speakers/Latinos is somewhat of an oxymoron. We know Spanish speakers were here before other European cultures." Latin culture is not an “other” culture. It is part of our collective American culture and has been for a long, long time.
What We Wish Were Dead: Partisan Politics
Increasingly, partisan politics haunts our electoral doorstep each cycle with memories of a political system that used to differentiate candidates, but now is only the bones of a model voters can actually use to choose. Increasingly, we are asked to look past the inadequacies for governance in candidates and vote for their party. The reasons for doing so increasingly have less to do with what is best for our community and more to do with what is best for fundraising and seat counting. While it may seem that this primarily pertains to the national election, it is even more pertinent at the local level. Politicians are as nuanced in their positions, their voting records, their community service and their experience as we as voters are in what we desire from representation. So why limit ourselves to voting in a binary fashion? While it may seem naïve to pronounce partisanship dead before the body is cool, it starts with informed voting. Before we all light one last candle to honor the death of this busy election season (and the partisanship that comes with it), take a look at the following pages, where you’ll get our take on the measures and candidates on your ballot.
VOLUME 20 ISSUE 42 / October 20, 2016 / THE SOURCE WEEKLY
T I O C N E L E ·2016· S
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