bicycles

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/31/opinion/sunday/the-dutch-way-bicycles-and-fresh-bread.html?src=recg

I brought my bicycle with me to DC this summer. Although I haven't ridden it as much as I thought I would (the brutal DC heat scared me away from bike commuting), it has been an amazing asset to me. I love walking, and if I had time, I could and would walk everywhere I needed to go in DC. But, sometimes walking just takes too long. I can cover so much ground on a bike; I feel like I can go anywhere. Ever since my first city biking experience, when I rode down Elm Street in Somerville, MA, I felt like the bike opened doors for me that I hadn't even realized were closed. In DC, I can bike to yoga, or to meet a friend for dinner, or to see the monuments on the mall. It is free and fast and great exercise.

This article about biking in the Netherlands made me smile. It reminded my of my semester in Belgium, where the Belgian students would bike everywhere, even in a rainy country where they were often forced to hold an umbrella over their heads while pedaling down the street. My hope is that I will always live in a place where I can walk, bike, or take public transportation to get around. One day I might have to break down and get a car, but I hope that day is a long way off. It is impossible for me to be angry while I'm biking with the wind in my face. And after a 2.5 mile walk to meet a friend for lunch, my spirits are always high. Driving can be liberating, but it is also isolating. The hustle and bustle of a city is not so intimidating when you are walking or cycling amid the crowd.

Senate Floor Debt Ceiling Debate

Was anyone else watching the debt ceiling debate on the Senate floor this afternoon/evening? Like most of the Senate debates that I have watched or listened to, it seemed as if the Democrats and Republicans were talking about two completely different bills. Both sides were talking about the fact that the other needs to compromise and touted the compromises that they themselves had made. The tone wasn't nasty, but it is clear that there is so much animosity between these two sides. It's called a debate, but it is really just a sequence of speeches. Just once I want a senator to respond directly to a claim made by the other side. To acknowledge a good point when it is made. To refute a misstatement or exaggeration. To accept a critique and consequently alter their position or explain themselves more thoroughly. I know the senate floor is mostly political theater, and the real negotiations happen behind the scenes. On the floor, each senator wants to put in her/his two cents for the record. But is that really helping us get closer to compromise? Or is it just entrenching the already disparate views?

Me

I love DC. This is my second summer here, and I am constantly discovering new neighborhoods, hidden gems, and serendipitous events. It is a wonderful city that attracts amazing and passionate people from all over this wonderful country. I am convinced that these diverse backgrounds and opinions are an essential ingredient in good policy decisions. But sometimes I fear people come to DC with rigid ideologies and preconceived notions about their political opponents. What should be a chocolate fondue swirl of ideas and inspiration instead becomes the burnt and hardened chocolate crud at the bottom of the pot. I can't honestly say that completely innocent in this regard; I have strong beliefs about many political questions, particularly when it comes to energy and environmental policy. But, throughout my education and professional career, I have striven to objectively examine the foundation of my beliefs--only a fool would build a life and a career on a shaky foundation. I have sought to balance my emotional gut reaction with rational analysis. There is no right answer in most policy matters, but I do believe that through reflection and compromise, we can move towards a more tranquil future.