Political Story

For many local voters, Referendum 71 encompasses more than politics- the piece of legislation puts religion front and center.

In the months leading up to the Nov. election, the Washington Association of Churches gathered a signature list of more than 85 clergy leaders that support Referendum 71. These clergy members come from a scope of different religions including Judaism, Methodism and Evangelicalism.

Among the clergy supporters of Referendum 71 on the list was Associate Pastor Chip Laird of the United Church of Christ in Pullman.

“Along with faith, this is also an issue of people’s rights in America and it should be treated like that so I’m very much in support with Referendum 71,” Laird said.

Referendum 71 is commonly referred to as the “everything but marriage” law because it would grant same-sex partners the same rights as married couples.

While many clergy leaders across the state support Referendum 71, a large population at WSU opposes the measure. Freshman McKinley Storey is one of those students.

“I oppose Referendum 71 because I’ve always learned that marriage should stay between a man and a woman,” Storey said.

Jordan Seider, a senior accounting major and member of the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender and Allies committee, said he has experienced direct opposition from conservatives that oppose same sex marriage because of their faith.

“I’ve noticed that people who are against this referendum are usually more conservative,” Seider said. “They try to bring in religion. In general people try to use the bible as a defense.”

Seider said that the bible has also been used in the past to stop progressive movements and to justify stances against interracial marriage and women’s rights.

“Every time one of these issues comes up there’s always a bible verse that is used to justify their position,” he said.

Though Seider is a non-donimational Christian himself, he said that he has not experienced any conflicts between his religion and his stance in support of Referendum 71.

Storey, a conservative Christian, said he uses his faith as a moral compass in determining his values.

“A lot of the decisions I make are based on what I learn from the church,” he said. “I think that’s a good thing because it has the power to be a strong guide.”

The majority of churches in support of Referendum 71 were from Western Washington. The United Church of Christ was the sole church from Pullman listed by the Washington Association of Churches.

Laird said he was unsure about whether other religious communities were in support of Referendum 71 in Pullman. However he believes that based on local historical beliefs less people in Pullman were in support.

“It continues to surprise me that people in America don’t support basic civil rights,” Laird said.

Despite his pessimism about people’s beliefs he said he was encouraged by the growing trend of religious leaders who signed in support of the domestic partnership law.


Outline:

Part 1: Lede: important to tie Referendum 71 to religion
-List of clergy leaders who support Ref. 71.
-support lede, centerpiece of story
Part 2: Localize issue. Pastor Laird signed list
-his input. Why did he sign it? What’s the consensus in this area?
-Brief recap of what Ref. 71 is.
Part 3: Student opposition and support. Student input. Why do you oppose this? Why do you support this? How is this connected to faith?
Part 4: Tie it back to Pastor Laird. Do people in Pullman share his same beliefs? Elsewhere? Broad view.

A brigade of New Orlean citizens, mostly black, camp out along the side of an interstate which cuts through the heart of the city. The citizens wait for buses to take them from their previous shelter at the Superdome to new shelters in Dallas and Houston.

Where a busy highway once existed now serves as a waiting area with hundreds of people but few cars in sight.

A tight crowd of evacees at the Superdome eagerly wait for buses to transport them out of New Orleans. People in the crowd display a mix of emotions from anger to disbelief as the thousands of citizens cram into lines.

Jeremiah Ward's sandals are anything but typical. Beneath each of his feet are two cardboard packages wrapped together by a rubber band. The cardboard packages ironically say, "keep moving"- something that many citizens have had to do in order to survive Hurricane Katrina.

Politics Story Proposals

Referendum 71

To localize this story I would talk to local groups that support and disapprove the referendum. Possible ideas would be to talk to a spokesperson from the Gender Identity/ Expression and Sexual Orientation Resource Center or other politic groups that support or oppose the referendum. I can also get input from random students. Furthermore I would ask questions how the referendum would directly impact WSU if it would at all. To get further detail in the story I could contact a lobbyist who may have a direct impact with the referendum. I would also need to provide background on the referendum such as what it would do if passed and how it became a referendum.

I-1033

There are several possible angles I could take on covering this controversial issue. I think the most affective angle that pertains to WSU would be how it could affect higher education if passed. According to a Seattle Times article published yesterday, the inititive if passed could mean deep cuts for higher education across the state. With massive budget cuts already in place it would be interesting to find opinions on those who support and oppose this initiative. I would interview sources within the WSU administrative and lobbyists in Olympia (possibly the ASWSU lobbyist for WSU). I could also get student input and input from professors.

Justice Story

During two hot summer nights in mid-August a series of assault allegations shook the WSU campus and raised serious concerns about public safety and accountability.

The three allegations from two freshman women turned out to be false.

“If you look at what happened when they did this you saw a sense of alarm and a sense of uneasiness around campus,” WSU Police Lt. Steve Hansen said.

The first alleged assault was reported on Aug. 19 and was followed by a second and third report on Aug. 24.

The freshman woman who reported the first and third assaults later recanted both accusations after police found inconsistencies in her statements.

The second report made by another freshman woman also had inconsistencies and was proven fictitious. There is no link between the two freshman women, Hansen said.

“We treated all three incidences as if they were valid until we proved they were wrong,” Hansen said.

The two freshman woman could face a gross misdemeanor for filing a false report which carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $10,000 fine, Hansen said.

Although WSU Police are unsure if they will file criminal charges, Hansen said they have a year and a day after the accusations took place to file a claim.

“These women should be punished to the fullest extent,” freshman general studies major Zach McKiernan. “Because of these false claims, women are now afraid when they see me or any guy when I’m walking home at night.”

The false assault claims led several students to ask questions about public safety, said freshman kinesiology major Allie Guy.

“Just because the assaults were fake doesn’t mean something like that couldn’t happen,” she said. “All the sudden me and my friends were a lot more cautious.”

Over the five day period when the three assault claims were reported, students who registered their cell phones to the campus alert system were informed through text messages about the alleged assaults.

“I think (the text messages) were very affective,” Hansen said. “It got the message we wanted out there in a short period of time.”

With members of the Cougar Security Program, police interns, and WSU and Pullman police making their presence seen during the night, Hansen considers campus a safe place.

“We’re always out there in the night patrolling,” he said.

Although there has not been a significant decrease or increase in the number of assaults on campus, new safety measure such as code blue alarms, elevator alarms, increased lighting and women’s transit has made campus feel safer, Hansen said.

“I definitely feel safe when I walk around campus at night,” Guy said. “I feel the likelihood of an assault is really low but there are devices that make me feel even safer.”

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Welsh Lede

Spokane police believe a local Catholic Bishop is the lead suspect in a strangling to a male prostitute in Chicago last month.

The Bishop, Lawerence Welsh, was visiting Chicago for a Knights of Columbus convention when the altercation took place.