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2. Politics

"When the country falls into chaos, patriotism is born."  -Lao Tzu

 

 

                 

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(May 2003) The 2003 War in Iraq:

     I am an American, but that does not mean that I blindly support everything that our runaway government does in the name of American interests. Being an American means that I have freedom, not obedience.  I am embarrassed by the treatment of those few who spoke out against the US reasons for the war.  I am angered by Saddam Hussein, his bloated dictator-esque ego, and thumping his chest at the world.  He is in no real risk of death, the actual citizens of Iraq are the ones at risk.  I am angered by a United Nations filled with out of touch hypocrites.  I am angered at the US charging in with the claim that we are after weapons of mass destruction, and then locating nothing.  And to have it all based on lies.  Then changing the claim of war from weapons search to "ending the bloody regime".  What about the weapons of mass destruction?  Whose war is this?   Is it about Weapons, Regimes, or Oil?  Who is fighting this war?  Where are the wealthy offspring?  It's all middle and lower class, which has become just one big American lower class.  It's a case of the haves and the have-nots.  We shouldn't pretend otherwise.  And the casualties are lower class on both sides be it American or Iraqi.  Does anyone think the average citizen in Iraq wants this any more than the average US citizen?  Terror by Saddam, or terror by the US...it's the same situation of the haves in control,  and the have-nots losing limbs and lives.  I am mad that the war was announced to be "over" (according to president Bush) in May of 2003,  as soldiers continued to die .  I am angry that my tax dollars paid for it, and that "400 and some odd Billion" more will go to finishing the job.  Meanwhile our education system, child welfare, and job outlook are going belly up.  Where is common sense?  We cannot help the world if we cannot even care for ourselves. 

     There is no greater illusion than fear. While working on an editorial piece on journalists in war, I was told that my image "did not showcase the dignity of war".  What?!  There is NO dignity to war.  How can we rejoice in the victory and delight of the slaughter of men?  What a nice distraction it is from the white collar crimes that seem to have increased in the last few years.  Saddam is not the only robber on the block.  The idea of "us" versus "them" creates the perfect breeding ground for leadership by Fear.

 

(Three years later: March 2006)

     That war that was "over" continues to produce dead US soldiers.  But, President Bush sure did look heroic in his flight suit announcing the end of the war.  What continues to happen in this situation is no longer a just cause (was it ever?), nor is it heroic, or sane.

 

(Spring 2003) Afghanistan & 9/11:

     What  secret promises were made to Afghanistan when they were fighting Russia in the 1980's?   Put yourself in the shoes of one of the poorest countries on earth, devastated by war for the last 20 years.  As you fight for your freedom against a superpower (Russia), the US slides in to whisper sweet nothings in your ear concerning a "donation" of some weapons and training to defeat that other "evil empire".  There are also vague promises to help re-build after the destruction of your country is complete.  You are a patriot for the freedom of your country.  Hey look!  The war is over, and the US is nowhere to be seen...that's because the Soviet Union is crumbling- your Vietnam style  war is no longer needed. 

     Now you watch your country, still billowing smoke from the war that lasted generations, starve and die as the US chants they are now number one!  Wouldn't  you be pissed off enough to try anything to pay them back?  To align yourself with anyone for some measure of respect.  I am not by any means all knowledgeable on Islam, but I do respect the difference of ideology.  Cultures should celebrate the difference, maybe in the hopes of  finding  a better view of life as a whole on this planet.  I am ashamed of how targeted any Muslim group became post 9-11.  Terrorists, and extremists come in all religions...just ask anyone who visits a planned parenthood.  I do not believe that flying a jet into a building of business people was the right answer, I think that was an act of desperation. And I think it was an act of mass murder.  Desperate times=desperate measures.  This is yet another case of the US supporting questionable leaders, until they no longer serve our interest.  We turn a blind eye to the terrible atrocities these people commit as long as it means more money, and more business.

 

 

(Update...Three years later: June 2006) 

One thing that I have come to believe in, is that to set your mind on one idea, one view, one belief- is to never again have an open mind.  This is ignorance.  To continue to learn with an open mind, means confronting incomplete ideas, or a belief system.  My first taste of this was in reading the biography of Malcolm X when I was a sophomore in college.  Through the reading, I understood that he challenged the limitations that were first imposed on him in understanding his Islamic faith.  He grew as a human being with the tough decision to NOT accept every aspect of his faith as truth.  I greatly respected that approach to education.  And so, here I sit amending the view stated above. 

     Maybe the reason for 9/11 lies not in the past Afghanistan war and promises, but in the religious conflict itself.  The Koran and the Bible both are clear with their mandates to destroy the non-believers (infidels).  Rather than have the act of flying the planes into buildings be the acts of madmen, maybe they are acts of faith.  A belief that you are acting in accordance with God.  Muslims believe the words in their texts are from God, just as Christians believe they are acting in Gods name.  I do agree with author Sam Harris in that people speaking to God, the very religious types-  immediately strike me as psychotic.  The sooner we dispose of all religions, the better off we will all be. I am no longer willing to tolerate everything in the name of being politically correct.  Everything in the name of freedom is not good, it is a case of the blind following the blind.  The "evil" in the world is not from the stories of the bible, but the bible itself.

 

"Believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you." (Koran 9:123)

"As a man believes, so he will act." (Sam Harris, the End of Faith)

"I love my country so much, like an exasperating friend." (No more, Mike Doughty)

 

(August 2007) The virtue of politics

     Back when I was in college, I used to have a professor who after finding out that I was a registered Democrat ceaselessly pointed out the corruption of Democrats while extolling the virtues of Republicans.  He would argue with me, not realizing that I was not really participating.  I had a particular point of view then, which I still hold true to now.  I was registered to one party, simply to vote.  Not because I blindly followed any particular viewpoint.  I was constantly berated about "Slick Willy" (Bill Clinton) and the "liberal" Democrats as if I were in on a conspiracy to destroy his personal retirement earnings.  I felt like a kid being bullied on the playground.  I was (and still am) amazed how many people become enraged on one side or the other, without realizing how bad both sides can be.  I picked who I thought would offer some good, or as I used to say "the lesser of two evils".  Sometimes I even go far outside if I think there is something to believe in...ala Ralph Nader.  I recently came across a few words from Confucius that I find appropriate as another election nears:

The Master said, 'In his dealings with the world the gentlemen is not invariably for or against anything.  He is on the side of what is moral.' and  'The gentlemen understands what is moral, the small man understands what is profitable.'

 

     I  have always held to the same principles on politics.  You can't change anything without voting, and do not believe what anyone says, believe what they do.  But, if they don't let you vote- then you have no control.  And if they are not held accountable for what they do- then they can do anything they want.  We live in a country that was supposed to be controlled by the people, and governed by the people.  It's not that way anymore- that is a myth.  In my arguments when I was in college, I was eternally caught up in the naivety of hope.  Eternally following the myth instead of the truth.  Hope for a better world can make you turn a blind eye, but only if you allow it to cast a shadow across your brain.  The arguments were always focused on money.   Financial gains, retirement funds, jobs, and material goods.  I am as susceptible to that as anyone else (see my TV rant above), but I try to balance my wants and needs.  I try to adhere to my moral beliefs and look to pursuing my personal virtue as a supreme, lifelong goal.  Occasionally, I have found an honest politician that is trying to do something good for the world as a "public servant".   The world goes downhill if all eyes are on profits.  To paraphrase another favorite saying:  If you can keep your head, while everyone about you is losing theirs, you will be alright.  Money is not virtue.  Status breeds hollow respect.  They are sexy demons that lead you away from what really matters, and they leave you with no fulfillment and no relationships of meaning.  I guess that it all comes down to this:  I never miss a vote, and I always try to vote for what is just, what is moral, and what matters most to me. Believe it or not, my type of vote is feared by those in power.

     What the political "machine" wants, is to keep us out.  They want us "disenfranchised".  They don't want the middle class, the black and latino, or the youth to vote.  That would mean an end to their power, and a re-birth of democracy in the United States.  Although our country has had decades of difficulties with politics, in 2000 something else happened.  Something frightening, and we all allowed it.  An election was stolen and rigged, and democracy was lost.  This was not about hanging chads, this is about turning legitimate voters away to the tune of 57,000+ innocent voters labeled as felons (therefore- no voting rights) in Florida (97% of whom were black).  This is about Ohio in 2004.  This is about causing voters to wait in line for 4 or more hours within the (largely) democratic inner city, but no wait in the (largely) republican suburbs.  How many voters just left?  This is about the media ignoring the hard questions.  This is about large corporations and power.  This is about a war that no one wanted.  This  is about lies.  This was about billions of dollars, and a careless disregard for what our country was founded upon.  This is about respecting that we already marched for voting rights in Selma some 40 years ago.  This is about true democracy, not the myth.  True choice, not bullying.  After 7 years, I finally know this nagging feeling that has shadowed me since 2000.  It is fear.  Fear to live in my own country, and for me- that's not OK.  But that won't stop me from voting.  Because I believe, even in the face of thieves, bullies, and villains- that it can change if we all stand up for what is right, and what is moral.  We are better than what we have become.

 

(February 2008) America the "bad", and that elusive change

    

“We can’t all be heroes because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by.”  -Will Rodgers

 

     Americans are all wrong…isn’t that the way it seems?  Within the last week I have read, or come across stories that say Americans are: Overweight, lazy, poorly educated, falling behind in math and science, world bullies, obsessed with celebrity, shallow, wasteful, obnoxious, not money savvy, in credit trouble, and spiritually weak.  All in one single week!  How many good stories balanced out the woes of the world having a burden of Americans…ZERO.

    At this very moment in time in the United States, I can’t fully disagree.  But in generalizing the people, or lumping them into what our government chooses to do as a personality is quite a bias against the masses by the media.  Most Americans are intelligent, thoughtful, and tired of how our government represents us to the world.  Most Americans give a lot of time and money to help others, even when our government should be doing the same- but fails.  One solid truth is that the majority of Americans want change for the better, and are willing to sacrifice some small luxuries (and maybe some big ones) to make that a reality. 

    What will the next leaders (whoever they will be) bring to the table?  I feel safe in saying that our next president WILL be an African-American, or a female.  That is change, but is it really?  Simply because Obama has more melatonin, or Hillary lacks a penis…does that mean that they will inherently introduce change?

 

     Obama Some of what people are saying is tied to a visible piece of his personality, and some of it is instinct. The whispers are that he is perceived as aloof.  That there is a deadness in his eyes that indicates something is missing, maybe it's leadership or even a passion to lead.  Anyone can say the right things, and he does say the right things with an energized oratory skill.  But being black in itself, does not guarantee change- and anyone believing that his skin color is enough to indicate change must withhold judgment.  Hold on until he has been challenged.   It is not a test of conviction when things go right, it is a test when things go wrong.

     Clinton.  I am more familiar with Clinton as she is part of my state, and I can say without hesitation, that she is as bad as everyone else talking out of both sides of her mouth. She skews the stats to her favor, and presents both sides as if they are one. The Clintons have a way of purporting to tell the whole story, but a veiled version of reality.  It's kind of like requiring reading glasses, and sitting down to read.  You may make out a word or two, but the rest is hazy guesswork. Words come in and out of focus, as does the truth.  In my opinion, that makes her part of the machine.  However, she is also a fighter.  And while she may stockpile the cash and power, she also chooses to fight for what we all need.

     Somewhere between the two of them lies the answer.

    That being said, they are both charismatic.  But charisma does not know good or evil.  It is just a personality presentation.  I am sure Satan could deliver a good powerpoint, and Jesus must kill on a dry erase board, but that is just presentation.  Hitler and Stalin had charisma and oratory skill, so did Gandhi- but charisma in and of itself will create neither a positive or a negative change.

     If you set aside the republicans (because they are out anyway), that leaves only two choices...soon to be one.  Both will say whatever they can to get elected, that is the age we live in.  Taking a stance, and sticking to it no longer carries respect, but did it ever?  I LOVED Ralph Nader...back in the 70's. Now he just seems left behind.  I respected his unwavering manner.  But he never came close to toppling the machine.  We lost the chance for any change with Perot.  Not that he was good, or even a stable human in regards to mental health- but his run in 1992 had the chance to make more choices seem realistic.  That is gone.  All we have left is the mannequin posing for photo-ops.  We ALWAYS look back with rose colored glasses on past situations.  It happens with Reagan, and it happens with Clinton, it happened with JFK...and it probably happened with Jefferson and Washington as well.  It's easier when you are in a state of crisis to say "look how good we had it when...", but it is not always true.  It’s a skewed and desperate view of the past.  Until the next outside the loop person gets something going, we are resigned to the same old same old.  Crossing our fingers, and applauding our past.  Our politics are no longer free, they are paid for, and we are no longer asked to the dance- we just are left sitting home crying in an ugly prom dress.

 

   Change.  I like to consider what needs to be changed, and how much sacrifice would have to be laid out to make it happen.  So here is a short list, with many overlooked areas of importance, but I wanted to keep it to a 6 or 7 sound-byte for now.

  1. Gun Control.  Enough of the maniacs who have fallen through the psych ward loopholes that go out and purchase mass weapons.  In this month alone, there have been mass shootings at Malls, Colleges, and High Schools- by those who have simply decided to stop taking their psychotropic medications.  Everyone does not NEED a gun.  Give the guns to law enforcement, and reasonable weapons to hunters.  Screw the constitution.  If you can’t act humane, then you lose human rights.

  2. Health Care.  Universal now.  Plain and simple.  Doctors bite the bullet and stop charging ridiculous fees,and  pharmaceutical companies stop charging ridiculous rates.

  3. American companies in America.  Radical idea?  Or is it due to watching companies that enjoy American civil and commercial liberties lay-off American workers to go somewhere to pay foreign employees pennies for wages.  If you want the tax break, the freedom, the economy, and the capitalism- make it here.

  4. The Middle class The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.  Larger tax breaks, employment incentives, and housing for the group that has kept everything afloat since 1776.

  5. Education.   Priority number ONE.  We can’t do anything if everyone is dumb.  We can’t replace our English language with texting, nor can we dumb down literature to cliff notes to avoid tension with our youth.  Our youth needs to be led, not appeased.  Instead of a media focus on Brittney’s crotch, let’s focus on interesting science, or literature, or philosophy, or art, or medicine.  Instead of 500 billion to Iraq, let’s put 500 billion into upgrading computers and school libraries where we need it most. Think of the great strides that are to be made in medicine and science- it could happen sooner if we focus on our schools.

  6. Environment.  Education may save us from the gas pump (one ties to the other).  Recycling should not be an option, it should be mandatory.

  7. Who we are as a nation.  Have we lost our way as Americans?  We fought for our independence from tyranny- but is that not what we have created in ourselves?  We live a in a country founded on great ideals.   But the reins are supposed to be in our hands, not the hands of the rich.  It’s not the money, the size of the home, the celebrity status, the over-the-top opulence that matters.  Who we are as a people makes the difference.

 

     I don’t claim the perfect answers, or the end to problems- but we all know that these are a few of the paths that we must embark upon-soon.  And that any path that creates true change will have its faults and its sacrifice.  In order to make these a reality, those that lead must sit down with people well versed in each area.  Not appoint the person who has done the dirty favors.  A guy that sells oil and is a CEO of a multi-billion dollar corporation has no clue about helping the middle class, no clue about public education, no clue about struggling with survival based bills, no clue about being lost in a public education system, no clue about who we are as Americans.  They may know the "bottom line", but the bottom line rarely deals in ethics and reality.  I would instead suggest dumping the political favor agenda from a greased palm, and seeking out appointments that include real Americans.  Instead of paying millions of tax dollars for a staff of silver spoon laden mouths, seek out the average honest American.  Pay them a decent wage to be included in the solution.  In fair governmental representation, we become stronger as a whole; instead of broken shards fighting for the scraps that fall from the table.

 

Update: August 2008

I think that the challenge that Barack Obama faced with his democratic primary battle with Hillary Clinton, has strengthened his ideology.  It has strengthened his character, and it has completed him as a strong candidate for 2008.  His eyes do not seem so dark, they seem to have come to life.  The possibility is there for history.

 

(September 2008) Pickin' a good one- Sarah Palin...W-T-F?

The 2008 Election

Now, I am a registered Democrat- but I keep my mind open to the best possible candidate.   However, does the Republican GOP think that we are freaking idiots?!

 

"It's not rocket-science." (Sarah Palin on having a government job without experience) 

On Sarah Palin's "foreign relations experience as the the Republican VP candidate:

Steve Doocy (Fox News):

"But the other thing about [Sarah Palin], she does know about international relations because she is right up there in Alaska right next door to Russia."
Cindy McCain (you know...John McCain's wife):

"You know, the experience that she comes from is what she’s done in government, and remember, Alaska is the closest part of our continent to Russia."

By that logic...
1) NY borders Canada, so I'm a foreign policy expert. (Pssst...lake Ontario touches Canada too, that makes me Canadian)
2) The Atlantic Ocean laps at NY, so I'm now a marine biologist and a Coast Guard Admiral and a navy seal.
3) My 4 year old sings "Old McDonald", so therefore I am a farmer and a cow.
4) I own a car, so I'm qualified to be the CEO of Ford.
5) An old man lives next door, so I'm president of the AARP.
6) I live "next to" the moon, so I'm a NASA rocket scientist and an astronaut and from outer space.
7) I live close to a church, so I'm the Pope and Jesus. 

On her fight as an "outsider" and against government earmarks:

That's a rather telling drive-in sign in her town of Wasilla

[Former Wasilla mayor John Stein] says that as mayor, Palin continued to inject religious beliefs into her policy at times. "She asked the library how she could go about banning books," he says, because some voters thought they had inappropriate language in them. "The librarian was aghast." The librarian, Mary Ellen Baker, couldn't be reached for comment, but news reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire her for not giving "full support" to the mayor.

ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 1 -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin employed a lobbying firm to secure almost $27 million in federal earmarks for a town of 6,700 residents while she was its mayor, according to an analysis by an independent government watchdog. [...]
In fiscal year 2002, Wasilla took in $6.1 million in earmarks -- about $1,000 in federal funds for every resident. By contrast, Boise, Idaho -- which has more than 190,000 residents -- received $6.9 million in earmarks in fiscal year 2008.
"She certainly wasn't shy about putting the old-boy network to use to bring home millions of dollars," said Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense. "She's a little more savvy to the ways of Washington than she's let on."
Do I really need to mention the jet that she DID NOT sell on eBay, the 6 college transfers BEFORE getting a degree, denying press interviews, "troopergate" which she has McCain lawyers helping her with (including her husband refusing to testify)...Where is the government "outsider" or the "maverick" in this mess?

 

Do you still have any doubt that McCain/Palin = more of the same?
     Just as George W. Bush fired U.S. Attorneys who wouldn't do his bidding in carrying out his personal crusades, so it turns out McCain's VP pick has fired Alaska state employees for not doing hers. Now finding herself under investigation by the Alaska State Senate, Palin's not just lawyered up, but already refining her Bush-Cheney stonewalling chops:
The state has hired a private lawyer to represent Gov. Sarah Palin's office in the Legislature's investigation into the firing of former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. The lawyer already has challenged whether lawmakers even have authority to oversee the inquiry. Palin has so far ducked interview requests from the i
nvestigators, and Alaska state legislators are already talking subpoenas. Yes... subpoenas. Sound familiar?
How about this?
E-mails from the Palin administration are being withheld from the public and the governor is citing executive privilege.
OoOoOoOohh! What a "reformer!" What a "maverick!" And just what kind of "executive privilege" are we
talking about?

Apparently these super-privileged e-mails are all cc'd to... Palin's husband.  So, if she can cc someone NOT in the government, and that person is an average citizen- how can she claim privilege?  W-T-F?

 

(is that a drugstore, or a photomat, or a Dunkin Donuts?...oh, it's her former city hall.)

 

Not to mention...

A) That the Iraq war is a "mission from god".

B) Her church "cures homosexuality" and does not like Jews...unless they are Christian.

C) She supported and pushed (see photo with supportive t-shirt) that 50 million dollar bridge to Nowhere Alaska, and she lied in her convention speech on 9/3/08 that she refused the congress funding.

D) One of her listed foreign dignitary "trips" was for her airplane to stop and gas up in Ireland.

E) She claims experience with the military as the governor of Alaska (which has a national guard), even though she has no say and is not informed of any national guard activities- it's under federal government command.

F) Conservative commentators and an informal McCain aide were picked up on a live microphone on MSNBC on 9/3/08 discussing Palin's choice as VP as "Political Bullshit", and that she was "without experience", and a "gimmicky choice".

G) The Republicans have other experienced and much more professional women to choose from...right?

H) She has continually NOT separated church and state.

I) She has repeatedly lied, denied, and misled the public away from her past stances.  Words and actions DO mean something, you cannot just lie and say you didn't when you did.  You cannot point the finger at everyone else hoping that's enough to solve the problem.

J) She was blessed in her church by a Kenyan witchdoctor in 2005 against "every form of witchcraft".

K) Her own aids have stated that she was a "quick study" in policies utilizing crib note form over detail, because that allows her to repeat back the key to the idea instead of having to memorize the information...that's called "parroting"- and it's for idiots.

 

        (by the way, that pink shirt says:  "I may be broke but, I am not flat busted"...those right wing republicans are experienced and classy)

 

     There is so much soap opera trashiness to this that I could not even bear to watch her GOP speech.  It just made me sick.  I knew it would be hollow and filled with all sorts of bush-speechwriter lies and exaggerations.  She is all propaganda.  Yes, she is a governor with a pregnant teen daughter and 5 kids (supposedly)...but so what?  Just this summer while being interviewed (about her name being in the VP pool) she admitted she does not follow the Iraq war, and she had no idea what the Vice President actually does.  Is this our next world leader? Have we come to fear change and promote religion instead of decency?  ew.  Even I'm sick of this topic.  I am predicting that Palin will be used as a way to say the nasty things that will be used to drag Obama down.  She is not there for experience or smarts, that leaves only her being used as a tool (ha! I said tool).  And in a way, a perfect tool for racial and personal slurs.  Any comeback will result in the inevitable "sexist" response.  I see her being dangerously close to inciting hate. I am choosing to VOTE in believing that we are better than this.

 

Update 10/30/08

     Well...that did not take long to have those last lines come true.  As soon as the the McCain campaign began trailing it turned hypocritically ugly by equating the darker skinned and un-american Obama with a "terrorist", having crowds calling for "treason" and to "kill him".  She claims The "gotcha" journalism has treated her unfairly and that if she cannot criticize Obama, she is being denied her first amendment rights.  She has not been treated unfairly, she was put in a position way over her head, and the spotlight burned her.  As I have stated before regarding Hillary, simply because she lacks a penis does not mean she gets a pass on ethics.  She cannot rile up a crowd of bigots attending a rally and then use the typical republican hypocrisy of I-did-nothing-wrong-they-did.  That amounts to yelling fire in a crowded theater.  Has anyone seen Lord of the Flies?

 

Update 11/5/08

     W-H-E-W.

 

(September 11, 2008) Nationalism is killing us all

      Would we ever really forget if the slogan "never forget" was not emblazoned on coffee mugs, commemorative coins, wall plaques, bumper stickers, pennants, posters, t-shirts, and endless DVD's about the 9/11 tragedy?  Is the annual moment of silence and town-hall-parade-band-athons necessary after 7 years?  Just today at the local fire hall the sign says "9-11, We did not forget...did you forget?"  How could I?  It's on every paper and magazine at the grocery store I just went to.  What about all of the other American tragedies? I remember that day very clearly and it still pains me with how the world changed,  don't worry America- I am not going to forget those that died. 

     That being said- blind nationalism is killing this country.  We live in fear, we live in war- and we hide this behind a flag.  Despite what many would think about me writing something inflammatory on this topic, I was raised to respect the flag as a symbol for what is good about the United States.  What 9/11 has become, and what our country has been doing both inside and outside of the U.S.- has nothing to do with what the flag actually stands for.  It stands for freedom, equality, justice, and most of all it stands for unity.  Yes, we needed to come together for support as this all unfolded in 2001, we needed to close ranks- but that was 7 years ago.  We are more than half-way through a decade of war without reason, and unity without being united.  That decade has seen politicians use fear to freeze us all.  Fear to make us allow freedom to be stolen, lies to plague our media, and billions of war dollars disappearing down the "rabbit hole" of Iraq. A country that had nothing to do with 9/11.  But that is not what we have been led to believe.  How many stories have tied Iraq to 9/11 and why?

     We are watching what our ancestors fought for against the British, what established this very country- be taken away by our own hands.  We have been bullied and misled to where we are, lost in the woods of grief.  Words and actions mean more than propaganda, propaganda moves the masses.   But, the masses are finding it harder and harder to move as we are drowning and stuck in a syrupy mix of  distortions and outright lies. Our leaders bank on us not questioning their choices and statements.  This is no conspiracy theory, no new world order...just pure sadness.  Not for 9/11- that was processed years ago as grief.  The key word is WAS.  Dragging grief out distorts your ability to live in the present, and to make sensible choices for the future.  And the problem is that all this flag waving is blocking our sight and our recovery.  How much more can be said, or sensationalized, or commemorated?  I can only end this with a question...What are we fighting for?

 

(November 4th, 2008) Electing our dignity.

     (10:30 am 11/4/08) I started obsessively following the election in the middle of the Democratic primaries, curious about this "Obama" character.  I was online and scanning tv every day...except Fox News- they suck.  The primaries and election offered everything, I felt like an obsessed stalker.  It had drama and heart, heroism and cowardice, lies and truth- and watching it all made me realize that our very future is at stake this time around. 

     That was a tough Democratic primary, and one thing that threw me off was that Obama appeared a bit lackluster.  There was a deadness in his eyes.  But then something happened, he rose up.  He was still a politician, but he gave speeches that offered a poetic hope for the future.  He spoke of a whole country, a whole nation rising up to take back its dignity.  What really caught me was in his convention speech in August he mentioned that "We are better than these last 8 years", and I found myself energized and behind him.  A politician, someone who is supposed to be out of touch, superficial, concerned with their money and power- understood what has been nagging at me for a decade.  He got it- he understood that what has been nagging me is this embarrassment of what we stand for and who we are as a nation.  He got it.  Not as lip service, but as a fundamental block in his platform.  Call me whitewashed or hypnotized...or whatever...he got it.  He was not a political idiot, he was smart, and he had one major fundamental positive.  Even in disagreement- he listened.  He did not shout back.  I listened to Obama and heard something that I was craving...dignity. 

      I respected John McCain.  He was a POW, a war hero, and a public servant fighting for issues.  I may not have agreed on his point of view, but I respected him- until his campaign began.  Instead of lifting us up- he pushed us down, he not only shouted back- he simply yelled to drown everyone who disagreed out.  There was a bitter negativity in his campaign.  The joke was that McCain came across as some old guy yelling "Get off my lawn!"  There I was, 10 years old playing street football with some guy feverishly watching his lawn to see if we dared step on it.  There was brief moment in October during the campaign where the old McCain showed up, like the rally where he took a microphone away from a scared old lady claiming Obama was a "a-rab".  Those moments were far and few between, there was too many personal attacks.  McCain for the most part came across as a wildly out of  touch hypocrite.  After 3 months of following the up & downs, the positives & the negatives, the quotes & missteps...there I was holding my son as I pulled the lever for Obama.  I voted in what may be the most important election of my lifetime.  In one moment I was able to actually do something that washed away a national hypocrisy. 

     Our country is in chaos on multiple fronts, and we have lost our way- but today gave me hope.  We needed a leader that united our country.  Even if change is slow to come, I was finally able to vote for a candidate who is not an old white man looking out for wealthy interests.  I voted for the 21st century choice.  A choice that is the best possible one- period, not just the best possible white guy.  He is the new direction.  One of intelligence and dignity.  Change is never easy, but with change comes opportunity. 

 

"Always remember, nothing can stand in the way of millions of voices calling for change- yes we can." 

 

      I proudly took my 4 year old into the booth and made a vote that I really believe in, one that shows how far we have come as a country, and where we want to go.  That vote made me proud of being an American for the first time in almost 10 years.

     (12:20am 11/5/08)  Yes we can.  My wife and I both had tears in our eyes as it was announced at 11 PM that Barack Obama was elected the next president.  We watched a 100,000 people in Chicago, thousands in New York City and at Spellman College rejoice in witnessing history.  I watched Jesse Jackson crying.  I watched students at Spellman crying- and I knew that I was watching a historical moment.  Again, to those who say he won't do all that he said, or that he is just another politician- I say that it is not about those things.  It is about a new American chapter, one of strength and support- one of hope.  As we lay there watching, we both said that this may be one of the most important moments of our lives.  We lay there watching in disbelief as hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people gathered happy and rejoicing in streets across America.  We lay there watching 70,000 people in chorus respond to Obama's speech with: "YES WE CAN!"   We lay there watching history unfold, and yes- we teared up too.

 

(February 2010) Crib notes on your palm = retard

      And I do mean to use retard in its truest sense: someone that slows us down as a society.   Sarah Palin (yes she is still here) gave a keynote speech to the "Tea Party" convention.  The Tea Party is a group of conservatives that are unhappy with the government so they get together and complain, and hire speakers that possess the power of getting out of a paperbag.  Following the speech Sarah had a sit down Q&A, not mentioning that she was given the questions ahead of time.  She looked at her palm right at the start, and that keyed the media into the fact that she had written notes on her hand.  Not too surprising that soon after that Mensa convention for idiots, a picture exposed the crib notes on her palm.  That's funny, because during the speech she specifically chided the President for using a teleprompter.  Maybe because Alaskans like to do things the old fashioned way.  What was written on her hand?  What monumental-world-altering ideas had to be markered down on her palm over a piece of note paper?  She wrote on her palm the following notes: "energy"; "budget cuts" ("budget" was then crossed out and replaced with "tax"- presumably because a call for budget cuts would require sticky specifics); and "lift American spirits".  She also jabbed the president by saying "How's that hopey-changey thing werkin' out fer ya?"  In her good old look-at-me-i-am-a-regular-joe slang.  Here's a response:  "How's that mavericky quitty thing werkin' out fer ya?"  Being that she quit as the Governor of Alaska, that's what we want in a leader- QUITTING.  She is an idiot- write that on your hand you moron.

       Just a week before she called for the firing of the White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel for referring to conservative critics as "retards".  Sarah (supposedly) has a child of her own who is developmentally disabled.  She had a right to make a point on the word being used in a bigoted manner- if that was what this was about.  But then a few days later, Rush Limbaugh (The conservative-bigots sleezy god) used the same term.  Now she had an opportunity to stand up for the rights of the disabled, but back-peddled stating that Mr. Limbaugh used it in jest.  Really?  That doesn't work for me, and this is coming from a guy with a journal topic on the word "retard" (it can be found mid-way down on page 7: "Media & Society").  She talks of being outside the political arena, of being a "maverick" (yes still), but she is what we all despise in politicians. She is a fake, and the act is getting old very fast.  To misquote coach Dennis Green "She is who we thought she was!"  Who needs to write notes on their hand for questions they already know?  I have not done that since junior high school.  Are people really this gullible?  Or are people really this desperate to not change?

      What is it about her that people are responding to?  Do they buy her act of down-homey goodness?  What would you rather have, a well educated "politician", or one that couldn't manage the stressors of college- but sure can hunt a moose from a helicopter?  I would rather have the type that was smart enough to run the country and deal with the rest of the world, over the one who may become dumbfounded in trying to get a lottery ticket from a vending machine while chewing venison flavored gum.

 

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