Stories from the ACLU of Washington

As a college student, I could have spent my last summer before graduation doing any assortment of activities. I could have embraced living in Seattle by getting a job in a hip coffee shop. I could have traveled, trying to see the world before I get a job that requires me to stay in one place. Or I could have taken a full load of classes, trying to get ahead on credits so that I could add an extra major or try classes for which I wouldn’t normally have time.

On the heels of Seattle Weekly reporter Nina Shapiro’s in-depth examination of the Border Patrol’s aggressive tactics on the Olympic Peninsula (“Twilight for Immigrants”) comes a revelation that sheds light on the troubling situation. In a follow-up story, Shapiro reports about a Border Patrol whistleblower who has come forward to assert that BP agents don’t have meaningful work to do far from our northern border. 

From her career as an athlete came some important lessons: “Don’t fear a challenge, welcome it.” “The game ain’t over till it’s over – there are many quarters, many innings, and you have to play every one hard.” “You’ll never know the true joy of victory unless you have known defeat. Be humble in both.” Maj. Margaret Witt found these maxims from the world of sports stood her in good stead during her years of service in the military – and during her long legal battle with the government over her dismissal from the military under the now-repealed “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.  

Congratulations to our drug reform allies in New York for passing the nation’s fourth 911 Good Samaritan Law. The law aims to save lives by encouraging people to call for emergency services when they witness overdoses. New York becomes the largest state to enact such a much-needed measure.

Having studied political science in college, I have learned much about the process of drafting, introducing, and passing bills. But it is one thing to read about it in textbooks and listen to lectures. It is certainly another to be an active participant in the process. I had exactly that opportunity in my internship with the ACLU of Washington.