WARNING: this blog is political in nature. If you cannot handle politics with calmness and civility at this time, I command you to leave my blog immediately. Go to your room and put yourself in timeout until you can play nicely with all the other kids.
After my two-year hiatus in Brazil ended in late-July of 2005, away from the "real" world and all the complexities of a postmodern existence, I returned to my beloved homeland. Shortly thereafter, I stated publicly (however small my public may have been) that the Democratic party would retake the White House in 2008 as long as they put forth a candidate that could appeal to moderates and independent voters. I had absolutely no idea who that candidate might be, but I was fairly confident in my prognosis.
My little statement came true yesterday, but in a way that I hadn't imagined at that time. Yes, I supported Barack Obama. That's probably not that surprising if you've ever discussed politics with me. I've not been a big fan of the Bush administration for some time, and I frequently found myself disagreeing with its policies and political tactics. But I didn't support Obama merely to spite the GOP; I believed him to be the best candidate running for president. I found it a refreshing change to listen to a skilled orator, and his speeches often left me energized and reminded of the true spirit of America. I even donated $5 to his campaign when I visited the tent they had set up at Lollapalooza. Oddly enough, McCain didn't have any presence there. Guess he's not a rock and/or roller.
I remember vividly an experience I had the night Obama accepted the Democratic presidential nomination. A cousin of mine had gotten married that day and was holding a wedding reception up in Farmington, Utah. I made the drive, met up with my parents as well as my sister and future brother-in-law who had both flown in from Wisconsin the night before. After the reception, I was driving southward on I-15 through Salt Lake County. There is a stretch of road near downtown SLC in which my iPod FM transmitter receives too much interference from local radio stations. I was forced to pause my iPod and switch to normal radio for a few minutes. The nearest station happened to be NPR, and it was then that I remembered about the convention. Obama was already near the end of his remarks, but I quickly became an enthralled listener. As he closed with powerful words about our need to remember our American responsibility, chills coursed through my body. I don't think a politician's words have ever had such an effect on me as Obama's words that night. It was something I won't soon forget. The speech soon ended, and I returned to my iPod's playlist and finished the drive home.
I was not surprised to see Obama win. He had too much momentum going into the election. The polls predicting his victory were accurate, though I was somewhat surprised by how handily he won. What did surprise me was the fact that some people seemed surprised that he won, and by some people, I mean right-wingers. I don't really go around discussing politics with random people so I never really grasped how red many people were until I heard them discussing the ongoing results of the election. They spoke so openly against Obama and seemed to assume that everyone else around them felt similarly; I kept my mouth shut many times when I wanted to offer rebuttal, and that was probably a wise move on my part. Evidence: I'm still alive.
So I listened in silence as these very right-wing people denigrated and vilified (oooh, big words) Barack Obama and the people voting for him. Then it was over. Obama was declared the president-elect of the United States, by a wide margin, and everything came crashing down for the right-wingers.
I feel like I should mention that I have nothing inherently against the right-wing, but their reaction to yesterday's election was both terribly entertaining and somewhat disconcerting.
I decided early in the evening that I'd best stay out of people's hair, especially once it became obvious that Obama was going to win. That meant that I spent a lot of time in my room, and that meant spending a good amount of time on my computer. I loaded my Facebook and was instantly amazed at the status updates I saw. Here are a few of them (names will be changed):
"X is in a state of misery."
"Gomer Pyle is worried about the future of his great country." "Darth Vader is sorely disappointed in the wicked choices which the people of the USA are making on this day." "Screech thinks we should all move to Texas and succeed (sic)." I think that was meant to say secede - maybe not. "Rollie Finger's mustache is afraid that all the terrorists in the world are jumping for joy right now - the American people just made their (the terrorist's) quest easier."
"The artist formerly known as the artist formerly known as Prince says: "Welcome to the USSA (United Socialist States of America)! Thanks Obama."
"George Bush's imaginary friend is sickened by the idea of a nation completely overrun and dominated by Democrats."
These are just a few of the expressions of rage, fear, and disgust that filled Facebook last night and today. It's obvious there are a lot of sore losers out there.
Those of you in Utah County know that it was rainy/snowy here yesterday. At one point last night, I remarked, "Maybe the rain is really just right-wing tears." I think only two out of the three people who heard it (excluding myself) appreciated the remark. You can't please everyone all the time, I suppose.
Okay, I've shared how I was entertained by the right-wing reactions. Now I must express my frustration with those reactions.
Can anyone truly say that they believe the last 8 years to have been progressive in any possible way? Have we achieved anything great? There was a brief moment following September 11th in which the country came together and united to help one another, and I think that is something we can all be proud of. But it wasn't long before those feelings of patriotism and concern for our fellow Americans were exploited for political purposes. They were used by the Bush administration to get us into an unwise conflict in Iraq; let's not forget the blatant deception of going into Iraq under the pretense of seizing their weapons of mass destruction (they were hidden very, very well). So we got into a conflict we were absolutely unprepared for. The administration had no plans for a successful long term occupation and showed zero understanding of the Iraqi people and their dire, fragmented political situation.
On the home front, civil liberties were tossed to the wayside. The administration believed they could disregard the Constitution and a little something called the Bill of Rights in the name of national security. American citizens were secretly spied on (there goes the 4th amendment). Detainees were held at Guantanamo Bay without formal charges being pressed against them; they were denied due process, and in the long years since the detention camp was opened in 2002, only a very small percentage of the detainees have received a trial. So we've got the 5th and 6th amendments down the tube. Don't tell me that they have no rights as they are not American citizens - do we truly believe that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights?" Then there was the revelation of torture techniques employed by the military. Sounds like cruel and unusual punishment to me; there goes the 8th amendment. That's 40% of the Bill of Rights the Bush administration has carelessly tossed aside, not to mention a little something called Habeas Corpus, oh yeah, and the Geneva Convention.
Another casualty of the past eight years: the concept of the loyal opposition. You know, the idea that we can disagree about policies and legislation while still remaining loyal to the nation. After 9/11, anyone who dared to openly speak out against the administration had their loyalty questioned. Dissent was equated with treason. Patriotism became nothing more than blind loyalty to the powers that be and their decisions, which, of course, were never wrong. There could be no loyal opposition because opposition was seen as inherently disloyal, and this cannot happen if a democracy is to remain healthy and vital.
There was the mishandling of Hurricane Katrina, the poor medical treatment given to our injured soldiers and 9/11 rescue workers, the current economic debacle, and numerous cases of corruption amongst government officials.
With all of this in mind, I once again ask, "Have the last 8 years really been that good? I mean, for people besides munitions manufacturers, CEOs, and Big Oil? Have all these people around me been receiving some secret goodness (kickbacks from Big Oil?) that I have not? I have seen the world's regard of America drop lower and lower, and I have witnessed this personally in Brazil. Please, someone show me the progress America has made in the last eight years.
I am unaffiliated with any political party, and I try to remain open minded when it comes to politics, knowing that neither side is always right or wrong, but it's been difficult for me to get behind the GOP at any point. I have not felt like the administration cared for my interests or wanted to hear my political voice. It was entirely self-interested and failed to preserve what this nation ought to stand for.
Now right-wing friends, please refrain from your Chicken Little routine. Things aren't so great for America right now; the sky has been falling for some time. A majority of the American people has shown that fear tactics and hate mongering will no longer be tolerated in the political sphere. Words like hope and change motivated never before seen numbers to get out and vote. It must be weird and frightening to observe masses of new voters (especially younger voters and minorities) that usually remain apathetic and don't vote to exercise their fundamental democratic right.
Here's part of a conversation that took place between my main-man Justin and I via text messages this morning that will hopefully illustrate just how stupid and ignorant the attacks against Obama are. This is not intended to offend anyone with its irreverence; we were merely attempting to highlight the absurdity of many of the attacks employed against Obama.
Me: the world didn't come to an end overnight when obama was declared the inner of the election. i don't know what to do!
Justin: Oh that's because i think we all have to suffer first and sacrifice some body parts and then wander aimlessly around the desert. Then the world will end, i think.
Me: but I thought if he won we'd all turn into socialists and be freely attacked by his muslim terrorist bff's. and we'd all get gay marriages and abortions.
Justin: I am having a gay marriage later today and an abortion is in the works. I think he is not even human, i bet he is a cyborg...a muslim cyborg. I heart socialism.
Me: could a muslim cyborg get me twenty virgins? how much of my soul would i have to sell for that? bow before obamatron.
The world has not ended, nor has the Apocalypse arrived, and I'm pretty sure that Obamatron is just something I made up. Go ahead and move to Canada if you're so afraid to stay in America - though you might not like the socialism you'll find there. Stock up on guns because Obama is somehow going to suddenly repeal the 2nd amendment. One man or woman cannot change much, even if they are the president. They make up the Executive Branch, not the Legislative Branch. Sure, he can sponsor and support pieces of legislation, but he cannot do anything that you seem so afraid of on his own. There's a thing called checks and balances, and I'm optimistic that it is returning to our democratic processes. Obama is not the anti-Christ. He is not Muslim (why would that matter anyway?) nor is he a terrorist. Don't distrust him because he talks real good English. Believe it or not, but America has had a long history of skilled orators as president; in fact, that used to be one of the most important factors in an election.
I don't know what will happen in the next four years. Obama is inheriting a tremendous mess and will likely find resolving all of our nation's immediate problems difficult, but I am confident that the American people have made the correct choice. Our nation has always seemed to elect the right person at the right time during critical moments in our history. Lincoln, FDR, Kennedy, etc. I hope that the next few years will show that we have done so once more.
I support and applaud our president-elect and hope that we, as American citizens, will do our part to resolve our nation's problems throughout the next four years. Here is to change, progress, hope, and our American responsibility and privileges.
And honestly, people. Get a grip. Lose the melodrama. Life goes on as it always has and always will. Be careful how quickly you defame some one's character and abandon charity and courtesy.
This concludes the most political blog I've written. Congratulations if you have read it all. Please, if you feel like posting and telling me how stupid and evil I am, don't waste your time. If you do have something constructive to say, then feel free to leave a comment. I welcome open and civil discourse.
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