The views of this writer are not necessarily those of her fellow countrymen/women
I don’t even know where or how to begin this post. I have a running thread at times where I claim I am ashamed to be an American – but it’s more than that. There are some of you out there – rabid patriots – who adhere to the notion ‘My country, right or wrong’ – well I said it to my dad (during Vietnam) and I’ll say it to you with just as much vehemence – bullshit! Gee what a stupid, blind, ignorant sentiment. So what does that mean? If I disagree with ‘Uncle Sam’ I should be branded unpatriotic – well you know what – so be it. I do love this country and I am not about to stop yearning for change and doing what I can to affect a change – but one grows weary. The bottom line – the Democrats blew it – they failed – they should be ashamed of themselves. I for one am shell-shocked.
Something is gathering – it’s like the calm before the storm…and I am frightened of that coming storm. I don’t want to see this country torn apart by differing moral agendas. And by mentioning that I want to say something here; I have heard a lot of people, friends, co-workers, say that John Kerry did not have morals, or he was too liberal, or that people in general were voting their moral beliefs. Well folks again I feel this is a bunch of crap (not that I disagree with those reasons) – it’s crap because I simply don’t need to have the religious right telling me what to think, what to feel, who I can hang out with, or befriend. I don’t thinks morals can be legislated and they shouldn’t be either. Why are we so homophobic in this country? Gee you would think the government would want Gay people on their side. I mean by saying that a marriage should ONLY be between a man and a woman – isn’t that a religious question/dilemma/issue????? Gee and all this time I thought there was suppose to be a separation of church and state – but that line just keeps getting more and more blurred.
Yes I believe in God – and perhaps that makes me crazy and as some atheists would view it superstitious – and perhaps they are right – they are certainly ENTITLED to THEIR feelings/opinions. But I would never in a million years try to force my views about MY OWN spirituality/religious and/or moral convictions down anyone’s throats – and yet – that is what we have here in the United States – the moral right/conservatives telling us all what is right and what is wrong. Thanks but no thanks, I can make my own decisions about my OWN BODY and about IDEALS such as the institution of marriage – and what an institution it is – if they are so concerned about marriage between men and women – why aren’t they making it harder to get divorced or oh my God is that coming too???? Do we really want this country to be in the hands of people who think that a book written thousands of years ago by some dead Jewish guys (who by the way were definitely not into women’s rights, or gay rights, or religious rights other than their own), is what we should be using to guide the governance of this country? Isn’t that kind of outdated?
Frankly, while we are at it, why don’t we take a closer look at the lives and sexual pursuits of those very same right-wing conservative hypocrites shall we? Wonder how many of them have had affairs, or download porn, or do things that some of their constituents might consider immoral? Gambling, booze, dancing, prostitution the list is endless.
Look I am not saying we don’t need to have certain values – we do – yes we should be protecting our children from sexual predators, yes we should keep women safe from rapists, yes there needs to be some values built into our constitution – but do you really want your neighbor being able to tell you what kind of sex you can practice in the privacy of your bedroom? DO YOU???? Do you really want society to turn it’s collective backs on your gay son, daughter, sister, brother, mom or dad? DO YOU??? Do you really want the government to tell you what books you can read, what movies you can watch, what music you can listen to? DO YOU???? Do you really want a president who lies about the reasons he is attacking another country to wage war on your behalf? OOOPS! Too late you already have that one. We are losing our personal freedoms folks - don’t any of you see this?
I am beginning to believe there needs to be revolution in this country. I am hoping for a peaceful revolution – but I am not sure if that’s possible anymore – if enough of the masses get upset…
I was trying to find the quote from actor Richard Burton from years back when he was asked about communism and Russia – and I believe it went something like this (and please if anyone out there can find this quote I would really like it posted properly) – I believe he said the difference between the Russian Revolution and the American Revolution is that the Russian revolution is still going on – in essence what I believe he was getting at was that the ‘Revolution’ in this country has died – has failed – revolution/EVOLUTION needs to be an ongoing thing. If we are going to continue to follow our MORAL/RELIGIOUS convictions in this country and then on top of that try to convince the rest of the world they should listen to us... well then no wonder we are viewed as backwards, unenlightened, uneducated imbeciles by the rest of the world. We are indeed all those things and then some.
How can we sit here, allow our Government to police the rest of the world, continue to ‘whip a little democracy’ on them, thinking we are helping to save them? (From what???) – well gee I guess we would be thinking we are saving them from THEIR OWN MORAL/RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS!!!! (Because of course theirs must be wrong if ours are right, right?) How arrogant, how impossibly stupid and just how ignorant are we? How dare we is the better question. Did any of you out there who believe Mr. Bush was right in attacking Iraq go over and ask the people of that country if they wanted to die for US? For OUR views? No I didn’t think so…. (or perhaps you think those people are too uneducated and stupid to know what is good for their own families) - why don’t you though – you friggin’ idiots – why don’t you hop on the next plane to the Middle East and ask one of those grieving mothers out there how they feel about having American bombs dropped on their villages (please before you do this make sure your affairs are in order and your will is complete, because if I were that mother and you had been party to the killing of my son or daughter – let’s just say you would not need a return ticket back to America). And hey while you are over there – why not stop in France and make sure to pull the plug on Arafat – just to hasten the war that’s coming – might as well get it over with because in my view friends, if Arafat dies – all hell is going to break loose in the Middle East –they are going to put someone in his place that makes him look like a Pollyanna.
How do we clean up this mess now? The answer is we don’t. The answer is this is our legacy and it is here to stay. And there is no turning back – there is no retreat with honor from this. Not that I think it would have been any easier for John Kerry – but somehow at least I would think we could have held our heads up – or more importantly been able to face ourselves in our collective mirrors.
I don’t know what the answers are anymore. I am as I have indicated I am pretty weary. I have been trying to be an active participant in my country since I was 12 years old (when I protested Vietnam – much to the horror of my dad and mom). Now I guess what I am going to try and do is just bring things to people’s attention. I mean what else can I do – except be there for my friends, except pray that eventually enough people will get sick of this to truly do something to change the world. Peaceful warriors that’s what I think we should all be – the question becomes – where do you stand? You don’t need to answer to me – you might someday have to answer to your children though and your grandchildren. Hopefully you will be able to look them in the eye and not flinch.
Something is gathering – it’s like the calm before the storm…and I am frightened of that coming storm. I don’t want to see this country torn apart by differing moral agendas. And by mentioning that I want to say something here; I have heard a lot of people, friends, co-workers, say that John Kerry did not have morals, or he was too liberal, or that people in general were voting their moral beliefs. Well folks again I feel this is a bunch of crap (not that I disagree with those reasons) – it’s crap because I simply don’t need to have the religious right telling me what to think, what to feel, who I can hang out with, or befriend. I don’t thinks morals can be legislated and they shouldn’t be either. Why are we so homophobic in this country? Gee you would think the government would want Gay people on their side. I mean by saying that a marriage should ONLY be between a man and a woman – isn’t that a religious question/dilemma/issue????? Gee and all this time I thought there was suppose to be a separation of church and state – but that line just keeps getting more and more blurred.
Yes I believe in God – and perhaps that makes me crazy and as some atheists would view it superstitious – and perhaps they are right – they are certainly ENTITLED to THEIR feelings/opinions. But I would never in a million years try to force my views about MY OWN spirituality/religious and/or moral convictions down anyone’s throats – and yet – that is what we have here in the United States – the moral right/conservatives telling us all what is right and what is wrong. Thanks but no thanks, I can make my own decisions about my OWN BODY and about IDEALS such as the institution of marriage – and what an institution it is – if they are so concerned about marriage between men and women – why aren’t they making it harder to get divorced or oh my God is that coming too???? Do we really want this country to be in the hands of people who think that a book written thousands of years ago by some dead Jewish guys (who by the way were definitely not into women’s rights, or gay rights, or religious rights other than their own), is what we should be using to guide the governance of this country? Isn’t that kind of outdated?
Frankly, while we are at it, why don’t we take a closer look at the lives and sexual pursuits of those very same right-wing conservative hypocrites shall we? Wonder how many of them have had affairs, or download porn, or do things that some of their constituents might consider immoral? Gambling, booze, dancing, prostitution the list is endless.
Look I am not saying we don’t need to have certain values – we do – yes we should be protecting our children from sexual predators, yes we should keep women safe from rapists, yes there needs to be some values built into our constitution – but do you really want your neighbor being able to tell you what kind of sex you can practice in the privacy of your bedroom? DO YOU???? Do you really want society to turn it’s collective backs on your gay son, daughter, sister, brother, mom or dad? DO YOU??? Do you really want the government to tell you what books you can read, what movies you can watch, what music you can listen to? DO YOU???? Do you really want a president who lies about the reasons he is attacking another country to wage war on your behalf? OOOPS! Too late you already have that one. We are losing our personal freedoms folks - don’t any of you see this?
I am beginning to believe there needs to be revolution in this country. I am hoping for a peaceful revolution – but I am not sure if that’s possible anymore – if enough of the masses get upset…
I was trying to find the quote from actor Richard Burton from years back when he was asked about communism and Russia – and I believe it went something like this (and please if anyone out there can find this quote I would really like it posted properly) – I believe he said the difference between the Russian Revolution and the American Revolution is that the Russian revolution is still going on – in essence what I believe he was getting at was that the ‘Revolution’ in this country has died – has failed – revolution/EVOLUTION needs to be an ongoing thing. If we are going to continue to follow our MORAL/RELIGIOUS convictions in this country and then on top of that try to convince the rest of the world they should listen to us... well then no wonder we are viewed as backwards, unenlightened, uneducated imbeciles by the rest of the world. We are indeed all those things and then some.
How can we sit here, allow our Government to police the rest of the world, continue to ‘whip a little democracy’ on them, thinking we are helping to save them? (From what???) – well gee I guess we would be thinking we are saving them from THEIR OWN MORAL/RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS!!!! (Because of course theirs must be wrong if ours are right, right?) How arrogant, how impossibly stupid and just how ignorant are we? How dare we is the better question. Did any of you out there who believe Mr. Bush was right in attacking Iraq go over and ask the people of that country if they wanted to die for US? For OUR views? No I didn’t think so…. (or perhaps you think those people are too uneducated and stupid to know what is good for their own families) - why don’t you though – you friggin’ idiots – why don’t you hop on the next plane to the Middle East and ask one of those grieving mothers out there how they feel about having American bombs dropped on their villages (please before you do this make sure your affairs are in order and your will is complete, because if I were that mother and you had been party to the killing of my son or daughter – let’s just say you would not need a return ticket back to America). And hey while you are over there – why not stop in France and make sure to pull the plug on Arafat – just to hasten the war that’s coming – might as well get it over with because in my view friends, if Arafat dies – all hell is going to break loose in the Middle East –they are going to put someone in his place that makes him look like a Pollyanna.
How do we clean up this mess now? The answer is we don’t. The answer is this is our legacy and it is here to stay. And there is no turning back – there is no retreat with honor from this. Not that I think it would have been any easier for John Kerry – but somehow at least I would think we could have held our heads up – or more importantly been able to face ourselves in our collective mirrors.
I don’t know what the answers are anymore. I am as I have indicated I am pretty weary. I have been trying to be an active participant in my country since I was 12 years old (when I protested Vietnam – much to the horror of my dad and mom). Now I guess what I am going to try and do is just bring things to people’s attention. I mean what else can I do – except be there for my friends, except pray that eventually enough people will get sick of this to truly do something to change the world. Peaceful warriors that’s what I think we should all be – the question becomes – where do you stand? You don’t need to answer to me – you might someday have to answer to your children though and your grandchildren. Hopefully you will be able to look them in the eye and not flinch.
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