Reposted by Kevin Bowen
A far-right "constitutional sheriff" divided a Washington county. Now as he retires, there are signs his controversial legacy may endure: www.investigatewest.org/a-constituti... in collaboration w/ @boltsmag.org
investigatewest.org
A WA election tests the ‘constitutional sheriff’ movement
As Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer retires, candidates have distanced themselves from some — not all — of Songer's most controversial positions
![I had missed this when I wrote my Clemente Award nominee post yesterday, but I really cannot believe that reliever Jason Adam is the Padres nominee. The same Jason Adam who along with several teammates refused to wear rainbow caps and sleeve logos on Pride Night while with the Tampa Bay Rays four years ago. And he didn't just refuse. He defaced his official uniform by tearing off the patches. His justification was his religion:
“A lot of it comes down to faith, to like a faith-based decision. So it’s a hard decision. Because ultimately we all said what we want is them to know that all are welcome and loved here. But when we put it on our bodies I think a lot of guys decided that it’s just a lifestyle that maybe — not that they look down on anybody or think differently — it’s just that maybe we don’t want to encourage it if we believe in Jesus, who’s encouraged us to live a lifestyle that would abstain from that behavior, just like [Jesus] encourages me as a heterosexual male to abstain from sex outside the confines of marriage. It’s no different.”
As most actual Christians and most people who have actually read and studied the Bible know, there isn't a single sentence in it where Jesus condemns gay people or, to use Adam's words, "encouraged us to live a lifestyle tat would abstain from that behavior." But go on with your bullshit justifications, bro.
As I said at the time that all went down, imagine if someone tore off the American flag patch on Veterans Day because their religion caused them to be opposed to warfare. Or if they tore off a sponsor patch that players wear on their uniform sleeves now because the company in question did things which were offensive to the players' deeply held values. I know exactly what would happen: the player would be roundly condemned and ostracized. They'd be front-page news for weeks or longer and they might very well see their career come to a premature end because people would be outraged.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:vevk6lgrt6o4wncrbp7joij3/bafkreieglh7kjl7sf3yoannguzlyy74gb6wskh6kovmsrca5pd7t2hwizu)
![[middleaged guy in front of vacant, boarded up building]
-I’m a volunteer landmark historian and I'm here to document this building
-In the mid-1980s it was Ned's Diner, the very first restaurant in the region to serve loaded potato skins
-a vital part of the foodways of Wallingfordian culture in the late 20th century
-if the city grants my historic landmark designation we can preserve this important piece of culinary heritage
-honoring our forebears and their innovations in casual family dining
-oh and also they won’t be able to put a 64-unit apartment building here](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:carj4mhaflwfubqzioy5wxl3/bafkreiegis3h44qdjmmaai3whjkas3k2kea2dyos4j4oqr6znsp2ca7sn4)
