Are you biased? Who gets to vote on that?

'Being human' becomes our excuse when we are fallible and our defense when we are, well, human. I found myself in the unique position of responding to a newspaper story, today. The owner of the start-up that I manage is funding candidates for political office. The implication was that my new employer was biased and that was the reason candidates for office had declined our invitation to participate in a debate.

It was surreal.

The newspaper is my former employer.

You cannot defend that you are not something. You can't defend a negative. How would you prove you're not biased?

What if you are biased?

I would hazard a guess, all of us are biased on some level. We cannot escape that we have our own unique belief systems, value systems, and political leanings. When we find others of like minds we may cluster.

And we may not.

In reality, I don't proclaim my political party, political leanings or political beliefs.

If asked if I support gay rights, gay marriage, gay couples, I will answer, "I support monogomy."

When my friends who are Democrats, ask me to march in the Hazel Dell Parade of Bands to support their candicacy for public office, I move through my inbox and find the email from my Republican friends. I give the same response to both. "Thanks for thinking of me, I'm unable to participate."

Is that right? Is that fair?

I don't know. Chalk it up to being human.

That parade I'll participate in.

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Read the columbian.com article here: Candidates decline to do video for rivals’ donor. Wealthy activist says his website is a fair venue

Or, skip to my comments here: Let the reader decide -- we welcome debate.