Wow, I surely am glad you wrote to me. I am trying to be a vegetarian. I've taught yoga classes and I know a bit about Ayurveda. So, mentally I am with you, but I haven't yet made the full transition to vegetarianism.

I think the problem is not yet enough knowledge of how to do it. I leave off meat for days, using seeds and nuts, cheese, etc, but then fall "off the wagon" and eat something I wish I wouldn't.

I did a ten day silent Buddhist retreat that was vegetarian and very pure food, and I loved it. Someone else who knew how to feed us was preparing the food.

On the environment and global warming: these would be the most important issues if it were not for the war in Iraq. I got diverted from the environment by trying to stop the war. All of these things are of vast importance!

Thank you for writing to me. I will do my best to support progress in the important area that you mentioned.

In peace and friendship, Cheryl

I liked her answer and would certainly consider voting for her with her breadth and depth of understanding that all issues of oppression and the need to take responsibility for lifestyle are interrelated.

 Can you guess on what subject?  :-)  Here is her response and mine back.

crist4congress@aol.com wrote: Hello, Steve.  I am thinking about this issue, and I appreciate your input.

No restrictions at all?  How about nuclear weapons?  Rocket launchers and missiles?

My grandparents lived on a farm in Eastern Colorado and had a shotgun to scare away the hawks that went after their chickens.  This use of a gun seemed perfectly natural to me. 

But if the citizens of a crowded city wanted to ban guns within the city limits and voted to do so, I would think of Okinawa and how safe it is to live there.  No guns are allowed on the whole island, and there is almost no crime.  There are rare knife fights, but these almost never result in a death.

Won't you please consider that there might be some flexibility in our thinking on this issue?  For example, I support the restriction that ordinary passengers on an airplane should not be allowed to carry a gun.  It's just too dangerous to the safety of the other passengers.

And now, may I ask you a question?  How do you feel about this war/occupation of Iraq?  Is it a good use of our tax dollars?

Please let me know what you think.

Sincerely,
Cheryl Crist

Hi,
Thanks for your input I appreciate it.  Let's say I am referring to small arms, rifles, handguns, etc...  although historically the citizen militia's of this country were able to acquire small artillery although that was usually a public purchase for the common good of the town/county guard.

As far as Okinawa goes, remember that Japan has different views of firearms and weapons ownership than do some in the Western world.  Also, look at DC, they have a near total gun ban and yet have gun crime.  The solution is social, not prohibition. 

As far as the war in Iraq goes, I support a rapid withdrawal and end to the conflict.  It will destabilize the nation further, however they would have sunk into civil war sooner or later when Saddam lost a grip on power through one means or another.  Get out of there and let the UN or an alliance of Arab states work on stabilizing the area. 

Going back to guns, I'm not sure banning arms on airplanes does much good.  There was a period in time when pilots and even passengers would carry revolvers on planes and nothing happened.  Given how easy it still is to sneak stuff on planes... 

I routinely carry a handgun on the bus, especially when I go to Seattle. 

Like anything a broad right must be tempered by personal responsibility and the willingness of society to impart those teachings.  We all know it is perfectly legal to get up in a park and start giving an inflammatory speak peppered with profanities, yet few would do it.  But there may also be a time when such an act is justified.  The same with guns.  We should know what is part of a broad right, and when exercising the outer limits of the right is justified. 

I appreciate your time to talk with me on this.  As a politician I think the guiding lamp for your policy should of course be your personal beliefs but also the beliefs and ideals enshrined in the guiding documents of the people would would represent. 

Thanks,
Steve

No firm stance on gun control issues, but we agree on Iraq. At any rate I told her she has my support as long as there is no opinion on private firearms ownership that goes against the careful protections enshrined in the Washington State Constitution.

I'm going to sit back at watch her for a bit. Smart person, fun to talk to.