Tunnels and Guns

If this is your first visit, please read "Introduction".

Today I feel the need for a short rant on two subjects.

The first is the hostage situation in Sydney. There are two questions to be asked:

1.   How did a known nut case acquire a shot gun in a country with draconian gun control laws?

2.   What would the outcome have been had one of those hostages had a 9mm under their jacket?

It is a hackneyed phrase, but if guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.


The second subject is the Highway 99 tunnel along the Seattle water front.

I am not an engineer, I have no access to special knowledge, but I knew, and predicted, that the water front tunnel was going to be a giant boondoggle.

I do have some knowledge of the characteristics of that water front from the perspective of an historian, and from what I know having spent three years working for a geotechnical engineering firm.

When Seattle was first settled there was very little flat land at the water front.  The hills that we all enjoy climbing descended almost directly into Elliott Bay.  There were buildings, streets and wharves built on pilings out over the water, as well as railroad tracks built on low trestles.

Beginning in 1909, Denny Hill, which once stood roughly where the Seattle Center is now, was sluiced down into Elliott Bay along the water front to create the flat land that now exists between the foot of the downtown hills and the current water front. The series of projects was completed in 1911. The soil is highly granular (sand, gravel), which means intruded salt water and ground water are present and contribute to the structure of the soil. If you pump that water out, settling will occur within the regrade area. That is not rocket science, folks. What is in today's news was 100% predictable.

Guess what. When the 1909-1911 project was underway the contractors did not bother to remove any improvements that would not extend above the final grade. That area is full of the remains of buildings and the pilings on which they stood. If Bertha is stopped by an 8" thin wall steel pipe, imagine when she hits 10-12" fir pilings that have been sitting in an anaerobic environment for over 100 years.

More fun.  The story goes that sometime in the 1890's a steam locomotive was being shipped from Alaska to Washington Iron Works for rebuilding and sale. In the process of attempting to move the locomotive from the barge to dry land, it got dropped in the Bay. According to the various accounts, it was not deemed cost-effective to retrieve the loco. So, if the story is true (there is evidence both ways), that locomotive now lies somewhere in the re-grade area.

I knew all this when the tunnel project was first proposed, and I made the prediction, on FaceBook, that, if attempted, it would be a boondoggle.

When the project got approved, I wondered how they would proceed. Though not a tunneling expert, I KNEW, that a boring machine would not work. There is simply too much debris in that fill.

I also KNEW that the traditional method of working a face would be very difficult because of the granular nature of the soils and the presence of large quantities of ground water and intruded salt water.

I figured that, from a design standpoint, the only method that would work was cut and cover. But that would involve disrupting much of the water front activity for as long as it took to build the tunnel.  I figured that was economically impractical, at best.

I don't think Bertha will be able to complete the job. So the City (tax payers) and/or the State (tax payers) will shell out bags of hard-earned dollars to remove Bertha.

My prediction is that the project will either be abandoned and another approach taken, or the tunnel project will continue, but construction will be cut and cover, to major detriment to the businesses along the water front.

No matter what happens, us tax payers are on the hook for large sums of money for a failed project.

Conversation

If this is your first visit, read "Introduction" first.

The left keeps saying that we need a conversation about race.

So what have we been talking about for the last two months?  A conversation has certainly been taking place.

But it is not the conversation that the left is talking about.  Their idea of a conversation is that they talk and the rest of us listen and agree with them.

Sorry.  Those days are over.

Ferguson

If this is your first visit, please read “Introduction” first. In fact, even if you have been here before, take a look at it. It has been edited.

It is time for me to express the rest of my thoughts regarding the unfortunate events in Ferguson, MO. I have been working on this piece for several weeks and I am still not 100% sure it captures all I want to say.

I want to headline this opinion by attempting to communicate the level of heartbreak I feel for our inner city poor. The hopelessness that permeates these communities has gone on for far too long. It is not only a tragedy for those trapped in the cycles of poverty, it is a huge waste of human potential and a drag on our society culturally, psychologically, and economically.

I also better make sure we understand the term “inner city poor”. “Inner city” is not really a geographic description, but is a shorthand term to characterize what amounts to ghetto communities. They are not necessarily located in the geographic inner city, but they share the characteristics of many of the east coast inner cities. As one moves west, it is likely that the “inner city” areas are actually located outside the urban core.

The characteristics include a population that is predominantly black, very high unemployment rates, a high percentage of poorly maintained buildings, almost universal poverty, high levels of drug and alcohol abuse, and high crime levels. Other characteristics may include few intact families, strained relations between the people and government officials (particularly police), failing schools, and gangs in primary control of the streets.

The existence of these communities is a national tragedy.

The complete elimination of poverty is not possible in a free society. Some will always make poor decisions.

I guess I better define “poverty”. Staying true to my contrary nature, I refuse to define poverty in accordance with the common understanding. I will not define poverty as a lack of money. The reason is that I know people who do not have much money, but they are not in a state of poverty. They happily enjoy a simple life uncluttered with large quantities of material possessions.

Rabbit Trail: Those living a simpler life may be very good examples for the rest of us. Though that may smack of the old Roman attitude that virginity is a noble attribute best found in others.

No. I define poverty, and I believe it is a defensible position, as a person who does not attain their full potential. That may pertain to all of us to some degree or other, but it clearly applies to all those who have attained nothing.

In the United States (I was about to say “in a country such as ours”, but there are no other countries “such as ours”) everyone enjoys the liberty to make their own decisions. Some people will invariably make poor life decisions.

Some people are unable to make good life decisions, or even make life decisions at all. That is a completely different subject for another discussion.

I also must make sure that everyone understands that we are talking about the United States (which I will abbreviate from this point forward as “America”). In America we have freedoms and opportunities that other countries do not enjoy. In many other countries breaking free of poverty may be impossible for the average person. I am not talking about those countries.

Rabbit Trail: I will not use the term “African-American”. Black Americans are not half African and half American. They are fully American. Just as I am not a Scots-American, or Canadian-American (I am an immigrant), I am fully an American. America, the only country in the World where you can come from somewhere else and become not just a citizen, but recognized as “one of us”.

The people who are trapped in inner city poverty are, for the most part, normal people who have no innate problems that would preclude them from making the kinds of decisions that would free them from the clutches of poverty and allow them to succeed.

So why do we see these problems arise?

It looks like a puzzle. Even going back to the Trayvon Martin case. If one reads the evidence presented at trial, it is clear that Trayvon was the aggressor. So why is the not-guilty verdict viewed by so many intelligent people as an injustice? The evidence presented to the grand jury in the Michael Brown case supports the jury's decision not to indict Darren Wilson. The question again arises, so why is this viewed as an injustice? By smart people?

Part of the explanation must be laid at interests that profit from racial tension. Those interests include the left wing press (ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN) who want a story that garners viewers and supports and promotes the left wing narrative, and the race hustlers (Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and that ilk) whose fame and fortune depend on racial hatred.

There are also the usual bunch of trouble makers who will use any excuse to riot, loot and burn.

But these interests cannot drum up the tensions from within a vacuum. There has to be some fuel to the fire upon which they can throw gasoline.

The rage is real. It exists. It cannot be denied as irrational. The people who are trapped in the inner city communities have real grievances.

Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown are symbols. Their deaths serve as rallying points for people who have grievances but feel they have no voice.

Race is not the issue. The idea that the white police are out hunting down blacks, or that anyone can kill a black without consequences is simply not true. Likewise, the concept that the white establishment (particularly conservatives) are dedicated to denying blacks opportunities is a fiction. Systemic racism is dead. That conclusion is supported by the evidence. Last time I looked, the President of the United States was black. At least as of 10:00 PM last night, so was the Attorney General. In the previous, Republican, administration, the two most important cabinet posts were held by blacks. A current possible presidential candidate is retired from the most prestigious chair in American medicine and is black. Blacks occupy important positions in major businesses throughout the country. There are blacks serving as CEO's in some of the largest corporations in the country.

The evidence is clear. You can attain your vision, in America, regardless of race.

The message of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man of wisdom, faith, peace and reconciliation, reverberated throughout the country and changed hearts and minds. I firmly believe that Dr. King was given a prophetic message, from God, to call America to live up to its stated ideals.

And there is not a single other issue. The issues are many and varied. The following narrative lists only the biggest issues. There are others.

The first issue is the general culture. There is a pervasive attitude within the communities that to do those things that point toward success are “too white” or anyone who engages in them is a traitor to their race. To some degree, the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King has been wasted. For a young black seeking acceptance within his community, it is very difficult to buck that attitude, especially if he has no positive male role model to follow. If all of his male role models are gangsters, guess what.

The second issue is the almost complete collapse of the black family within the inner city communities. I don't need to start quoting the statistics here, you can easily look them up yourself, but the number of black children born into single parent households is appalling. I am not here to diminish the efforts of single moms (most single parents are moms). It is a heavy burden made heavier still by having to watch one's children travel down a path of poverty and crime. The path that has led to this situation has to be laid firmly at the feet of well-intentioned liberalism. Yes. I was once a supporter of the very philosophies, attitudes and programs that are at the center of the problem. I don't need reminding. The combination of the sexual revolution that denigrates the responsibilities associated with sexual activity (male and female), a women's movement that devalues marriage and the importance of the mom and dad partnership, and welfare programs that discourage marriage, while damaging middle class families to some extent, has absolutely devastated the black family.

The third issue is the state of public education within the inner city communities.

It is not my intention here to cast aspersions on classroom teachers. The teaching profession requires a high level of dedication, patience and, yep, the “L” word, love. Everyone who enters the profession knows that they will have a career of long hours, successes and failures, and they will never be wealthy. Every teacher I have met has been an extraordinary person.

Having said that, public education in America has been on a steady decline, despite the spending on education as a percentage of GPD having risen. Throwing money at it has not worked. Not only have the results deteriorated, but classroom teachers still earn salaries that do not reflect their value to society, still work hours more typical of small business owners, still have to pay for their own continuing education, and often have to purchase classroom supplies from their own pockets.

And that is public education in general.

In the inner cities, the above problems are multiplied by dilapidated facilities, severe lack of supplies, lack of textbooks, problems associated with students living in poverty, and plagued by a subculture opposed to success in education. All spiced up by the chance of being assaulted by a student schooled in the rules and methods of the street gang.

The totality of the issues render the possibility of anyone having hope of breaking out of the cycle unlikely. That it happens at all (see Ben Carson “America the Beautiful”) is amazing to me.

Those stuck in the cycle can hardly be expected to have a vision for a better life. Without a vision, the people perish (somehow Biblical wisdom always seems insightful). For many in the inner city communities it seems the only way out is crime or professional sports. Crime only lands one in prison (or the morgue), and only a very few can expect to succeed in the brutally competitive world of professional sports.

This is not a black problem, or a white problem, or an inner city problem, or even a government problem. It is an American problem. And this is America, the United States. The once and still greatest country on Earth, ever. We can solve this. We have solved big problems before. But we have to look at the real issues and work out real solutions.

I have some thoughts on that. I wish I had the wisdom to layout a program for every issue that I am positive would work. I am not that wise. What I propose are actions I have thought about, that others, wiser than I, have thought about. The point here is to lay something out.

Though we have succeeded in solving big problems, we have also failed. Prior to 1865 America was divided into two economies, one based on free labor, the other based on slave labor. Without a rational solution the tensions became so intense that it resulted in the bloodiest war in history up to that time. Just over 500,000 military personnel were killed. It destroyed the economy of half the country. The south did not recover from the Civil War for over 100 years.

We cannot afford to let the problems of the inner city communities escalate to that extent.

The first thing to do is to stop the hate. Whites are not out targeting blacks. In fact, the statistics indicate that if anybody is hunting anybody it is blacks hunting blacks. Whites have no interest in denying opportunities to blacks. Those who are not liberals understand that helping someone else prosper helps everyone prosper. Nor are all blacks criminals who want to riot, loot and burn.

Everybody needs to ignore the haters.

The second major issue that can be addressed is the education system. That it is broken cannot be denied. I believe that “delegating down” is the most efficient means of improvement. Let's put the power back in the hands of the parents and the classroom teachers. One way of doing that would be to institute a voucher system. Parents would receive vouchers for each of their children that can be redeemed at any accredited school anywhere in the country. That would allow parents to send their kids to the best schools, and it would encourage each school to be the best in order to attract students. I have heard the argument that a voucher system would destroy the public education system as we know it.

Good.

Fixing the family will be very difficult. The forces in our society that work against intact families are large and well entrenched. And some of the forces are intertwined with other aspects of the poverty mentality. When there is no hope for a better life, the pleasures of the moment, like sex, but also including drugs and even violence, have a strong attraction with no offsetting admonishment that they may ruin your life. If your life is already ruined, why worry? So establishing a vision for a better life (see the following paragraph) will help. But educating young men that when you jump on your lady you accepting some very large responsibilities, and helping young women to understand that a life-long partnership with a responsible man will mean a better life.

Rabbit Trail, sort of: The womens movement has reduced the respect for motherhood. Motherhood is viewed as something separate to a career. On the contrary, motherhood is the highest calling to which a woman can answer. But engaging in that career, completely, requires a partnership with a responsible man, because being Mom is a 24/7 career. Yes, I know of Moms who have had other careers and have successfully raised awesome kids, my ex-wife is one of those. But those women are truly exceptional. Face it. For the average person, one career at a time is plenty.

The other difficult nut to crack is changing the culture. Ignoring the haters would be a good start. But those who have broken free of the cycle of poverty through education and hard work need to be welcomed and encouraged to return to the inner city communities to serve as examples and mentors and provide inspiration.

To provide a vision that a better life can be had.

Wise Words

If this is your first visit, please read "Introduction".  Heck, even if you have been here before, take a quick look.  "Introduction" is occasionally edited.

I have more to say about the issues revolving around the events in Ferguson, MO.  While contemplating and scrounging for information, I came across the words of a man far wiser than I.

These are words that will be guiding my research and thinking as I prepare my next post on this subject.

"Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding a deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction."

The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.