I can be in my own little suburban world with my own thoughts and feelings about the world, not really keeping up with the "stuff" going on in the world. But then I visit a blog like Philly Transplant where Sparky Duck's Thursday Thirteen just blew me away with the words to Pink's song and Pink's Video There are others out there who feel the way I do. What has happened to the idea that we are a democracy where we are governed by the people? This president just isn't one of us. Born with a silver spoon, coddled through prep schools and colleges, called National Guard serving his country when he basically skipped out through most of it and had all his failing businesses, and yet surround him with smart, rich neo-cons, he is now our president. Do we really elect the best person possible for president? Or are we electing the richest? (Or is the richest buying the election?)
Here's another blog that makes me think every week, Buck Naked Politics. This week it was the 13 differences between American and British Political Systems. Can you just imagine our president having to answer questions without a script? How about that voting system?
I love to smile and laugh through Thursday Thirteen (Thanks BohoRap for the introduction to the Urban Dictionary...) and I like to see that I am not alone in my domestic survival. However, I do love learning that others are out there being politically active and engaging others in political discussions. We can hate the war and support our troops, One Gal's Musings has a great post from July about Operation Shoebox and this is something that I plan on doing this month. I also plan to pay more attention to the candidates coming through NH and to listen with my brain and not my emotions.
I worry about a war that is putting our troops in danger. I worry that healthcare costs will cripple our country. I wonder who is paying for the ads that are linking 9/11 to the war in Iraq. I wonder who will be Karl Rove's next marionette. What do you worry or wonder about?
Hi Jen~
ReplyDeleteThere are many of us that think and feel the same way you do. It's hard to stay quiet and it's hard to stay informed when we're given nothing but the spin. This time in our country's history will end and likely be remembered as one of the darkest administrations in our history. I'm grateful to artists like Pink who are willing to take a stand. I posted a different performance of this song in April of last year because it moved me so deeply.
Thank you for the link to Sparky Duck's site. I didn't visit there yesterday, so I will today.
What do I worry and wonder about? Jen, the list would be very long. How about what I don't wonder about? I don't wonder when this administration will end because like any house of cards it will come down one day.
I am so glad and grateful that you remembered my post. As I've said before, when I began blogging I never expected anyone to actually *READ* what my musings, so to know that my post stayed with you and encouraged you to act just makes me happy beyond anything.
ReplyDeleteNOW BUCKLE YOUR SEATBELT & GET READY FOR THE RANT: The thing that worries me most these days is ... well, me. I'm getting numb and I hate it. In a weird way, I was happy to hear about Owen Wilson because it made me feel bad. I was afraid I had stopped caring about people whose lives don't actually touch my own. (Or who don't have fur.)
I worked very hard on John Kerry's campaign and I'm proud of every moment. I wasn't working against W. I was working for someone who had dedicated his entire adult life to public service -- war hero, public defender and Senator. Anti-war as only a soldier can be, anti-death penalty as only a DA can be, multi-lingual and versed in the ways of the world. And he lost because, according to exit polls, he wasn't "warm" enough. He wasn't "Christian" enough. He didn't have the "right" wife. People believed that immoral and dishonest Swiftboat crap. (I met a man who served with John Kerry and I believe him over Karl Rove, thank you.)
I think about who we tossed away and why and it still hurts, all these years later. And it doesn't help to look at what we got instead.
Now Bush's approval rating is below freezing. Just about everyone hates this war. Everyone is disgusted with this Administration. Well he got more than 31% of the vote, didn't he? Where were all these people in November 2004? Sometimes I'm sorely tempted to just tell my fellow citizens to screw themselves.
And it's that temptation that bothers me. Being numb and doing nothing is as bad as being against everything and doing nothing. That's what worries me.
Oh, if I let my political side loose on my blog, I'd ruin my reputation for being a place to escape to. Sometimes, we need to escape a bit so that we can return to the problems all nice and refreshed.
ReplyDeleteI'm Jewish. That in and of itself carries a lot of baggage of the political nature.
My way of making a difference isn't avoidance, although I don't like to talk politics. I'm trying to lead by example -- and stay tuned for an essay I wrote about a time where I DID stand up for something I believed in.
I didn't vote for him either time. We had some good choices last time and messed up.
ReplyDeleteI am NOT a Republican but if Colin Powell had run for President, he would have gotten my vote. I never saw a more intelligent man.
yea, I am late as hell, but thanks for the shout out. What I worry about today? That the shrub will make 75K per speech in a year and a half
ReplyDeletePssst! I just tagged you.
ReplyDelete