The neo-con right is correct about one thing: This election was about values. These are some of mine:

Currently something like 50% of marriages end in divorce, often leaving in their wake embittered spouses and lost children. As a society, we should be doing everything we possibly can to foster loving, stable families, even if those families might be considered “non-traditional.”

People have the right to decide, along with their doctors, what the best treatment options are. If a doctor does not believe a treatment is ethical or appropriate, he or she need not perform it. If a patient doesn’t want a particular treatment, there’s no law forcing it. Medical ethics should not be legislated by the federal government.

“Freedom of religion” also means “freedom from religion.” And this means not only worshipping, or not, as one chooses, it also means freedom from legislation that pushes someone else’s religious beliefs down my throat.

Hard science trumps pseudo-science, religion, “gut feelings,” “I only want my beliefs taught in public school,” and “that would be bad for business” every time. Get over it.

Abortion should be legal, safe and rare. Because the drive to reproduce is stronger even than hunger, and because most human beings have hormones that work, providing abstinence as the only option serves only to create unintended and unplanned parents. People (including teenagers) who do not believe having sex is the right thing for them to do, will not suddenly change their minds because there’s a condom machine in the restroom. People who do want to have sex will, whether the condoms are there or not. Disallowing both birth control and abortion is social stupidity of the worst sort. Foisting that view off on developing countries by refusing funding to groups that teach and provide family planning is morally reprehensible.

We live on a small planet that’s growing smaller every day. We must learn to get along. We must come to the playground willingly and with an open mind. We can neither be the bully nor take our ball and go home when the other countries disagree. Neither will foster the sort of respect and tolerance that is needed. We must follow the golden rule. We must share our toys. We must play by the rules agreed to. We must let others have a turn.

Individual rights are the oldest of American values. The Bill of Rights was written specifically to contain the power of the government and protect individual liberty. No matter what the circumstances, attempts by any US official or body to limit the inalienable rights of any human being should be ruthlessly stamped out.

These are some of my values.

This is why I voted for John Kerry.

A man was stuck inside a chimney in North Portland this morning, apparently attempting to burgle a house.

The man had managed to get approximately 10 or 15 feet down in the chimney before becoming stuck. Extracting him took more than an hour and required tearing down the chimney and removing sections of the roof.

Since he was not the homeowner, and I guess could not prove he was Santa on a test run, the man was assumed to be a burglar and was arrested when he emerged.