Articles

The Senate should unanimously confirm Ryan Bounds. He is a brilliant attorney with one of the sharpest legal minds I have known. More importantly, he is compassionate, thoughtful and fair. Ryan is an open listener, willing to hear and consider every perspective and struggle to fully understand an issue from all sides. That is why his college writings are such a preposterous way to judge the man he is today. They were written by a kid who was in the process of becoming this man. I have seen Ryan work on some of the most challenging cases that come before the federal bench. From International Terrorism, to advocating for an inmate assaulted in prison, what has always impressed me is his ability to connect to people – to really SEE each of us as individuals – flawed as we may be.

I had the privilege of interviewing and hiring Ryan into his […]

I am not enough. I suffer from Imposter Syndrome: an inner dialogue that insists any success I have is a fluke and any failure proves my inadequacy. In moments of triumph, I am flooded with anxiety and fear of being outed as being the “phony” that Holden Caulfield lamented in Catcher in the Rye. Waiting for someone to point and yell: “She isn’t one of us, she doesn’t belong, she isn’t (fill in the blank) enough. These beliefs usually focus on four themes:

1. Professional/Academic Competence: I am not as smart, skilled, rich, polished, or pedigreed as my peers.
2. Body Image: I am not thin enough, strong enough, tall enough, or pretty enough.
3. Internally Flawed: I am the “wrong kind” of person. I am broken and can’t be fixed.
4. Unloveable: No one could love me as I am. I will only be loved if I achieve, perform, give, sacrifice, and convince others that I am […]
   

Fish is good food. Rich in Omega 3 fatty acids and protein, eating fish strengthens our hearts against heart disease, inflammation, dementia, diabetes, digestive disorders and even autoimmune diseases. Besides, it’s delicious. Unfortunately, not all fish are created equal, and most fish are not created in a way at promotes environmental equity. As unsustainable commercial fishing practices ravage global fish populations, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find quality, sustainably-sourced seafood sourced. As we chose between labels that read: “wild caught”, “local”, and “farm-raised”, what we are missing is the option to buy fish that is both organic and sustainably raised.

By 2030, two thirds of the world’s seafood will be farmed. That same year, the global population is expected to reach 8.5 billion. Our current over-reliance on land-animals for protein conflicts with our effort to reduce carbon emissions to stave off global warming. It takes a small fraction of both the food mass and […]

As appeared on OregonLive.com December 17, 2014

On the four year anniversary of the Corvallis mosque bombing, we should be mindful of how recent global events feed a climate of Islamaphobia in the United States.  Radical extremists have plotted against, and in some instances killed, Americans in places like Boston, Fort Hood, even here in Oregon. Most recently, the rise of the group calling itself “The Islamic State (ISIL)” has recruited our citizens to join its violent quest for power throughout the Middle East.

Terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaida and ISIL, radicalize people in new ways.  Using sleek ad campaigns and the Internet, they recruit Americans to attack their neighbors and to fight overseas in Syria and Iraq.  We must counter these efforts without sacrificing our American values.

As I have talked with Oregon’s diverse Muslim community, I’ve heard from so many who have a deep love for this nation.  I spoke with […]

Appeared on OregonLive.com May 18, 2013

Last July, Prineville police responding to a call found Willard Wilhelm with a loaded gun. Wilhelm had previously been convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence assault. There were two women and four children in the home when Wilhelm was arrested.

In December, Portland police responded to reports of two boys, 11 and 7 years old, who tried to carjack a woman with a loaded handgun. The 11-year-old had taken the gun from his home, where his father, a convicted felon, had left it in easy reach.

Amanda Marshall

In January, Timothy Gaines was sentenced to prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The conviction stemmed from an incident where the 20-year-old Gaines was seen throwing a gun as he fled the scene of a shooting. Gaines, a gang member, committed this new […]