Greetings~
I am having a rough few weeks with writing…I have completed a few posts but, the rest of the time, I have felt blocked. I do some journaling, a bit of meditation…pour a cup a joe…sit down at my laptop and begin to write. Within a few minutes, I am distracted.
This time I am not distracted by how pretty my nails look (oh, purty lavender pink) or by how messy my house is (was that a mouse or a gigantic fur ball that just went around the corner?). So, what the hell is going on in my little brain? Well, I’ll tell ya. POLITICS!!!! Yep. Politics.
I read emails from friends who are sending me all of these creepy clips of Palin saying all of these freaky things. Then someone sent me a link to the Palin dolls which almost pushed me over the edge. Then there is moveon.org, Obama’s website, my fella watching fox news (to hear what the other side is saying) and pretty soon…my head is filled with so many thoughts. Many of these thoughts are triggering a ton of anger and disqust. I rarely feel discusted towards people…and right now…I am feeling full on discust.
So, when I come here to write to you…about some issue with a pinch of humor…I can’t find anything funny or witty to say. What is happening in this country just ain’t funny. I am feeling really sort of scared. I am fearing for my sons, and I am really afraid for all of the young women out there who might lose the freedom to do what they think is best for their own bodies. If the other side wins…they are planning….PLANNING…to take away more of women’s rights. It is absolutely appalling.
The other thing that freaks me out is that Palin believes that this war is God’s will….or she wants it to be. Seriously? Is she demented? You know who that sounds like? The folks that flew some planes into some buildings a handful of years back…they called that “God’s war” too. Their god just looks a bit different…oh yea, we can’t say how it looks…but, vibrationally…its is all of the same thing.
Fanatical Fundamentalism.
Now here is what is so uncomfortable for me. My life is about supporting a variety of world views…I love diversity. I love working with progressives and conservatives. With atheists and Mormons. With agnostics and Catholics. With home schooling parents and parents who have their kids in parochial schools. With people who have chronic illness and people who have health. I love diversity. I love working with different races, different sexes, different sexual orientation…folks from all over the world doing and believing many different things.
So while I have my own ideas and values, I want other people to be able to have their own too. I am not interested in living in a homogenized world. This is part of what enrages me about people trying to over turn Roe v Wade…it takes the freedom to choose away. It forces one opinion.
I am not sure how to shift my writers block except to explore it…which I seem to be doing right now…with much discomfort. I know that there is room in this world for many views, for many ideals, for many points of focus…but, Obama needs to win this election or I feel that we are all doomed. And so are our kids.
There I said it.
Before I delete this whole post…I am going to hit “Publish”~
Then I am off to go chase down that gigantic fur ball~
September 12th, 2008
Amen, sister-write on!
September 12th, 2008
Thanks Jenny~ Difficult topics for me to write about…because secretly…I have very STRONG opinions!!!!!!
September 12th, 2008
Lynne, Your having pushed “publish” inspires me. I too believe whole-heartidly in being able to think for ourselves…and in respecting those who think and believe differently. I don’t believe in pushing one’s belief system on others and believe that diversity is apart of being American.
I have had my hope for this country and our future rejuvenated, through the Democratic primary, both by Obama and Clinton. Obama foremost has spoken to my values and to my hopes.
I have watched my children excited about politics for the first time, and believing that our country can do better and that they can be a part of making it so. My oldest daughter (17) spent last spring working on Obama’s campaign and registering voters at her high school. She was a delegate to the state convention.
I am in disbelief that the choosing of Palin has excited so many, especially woman. Her values are Bush’s, and many are more extreme. She did not spend two years fighting to be on the Presidential ticket. She does not espouse rights for woman and yet she could be the first woman president.
Neither her or McCain have formulated plans to fix this economy under which so many citizens are suffering, in foreclosures, bankruptcy, lack of healthcare or healthcare coverage, inability to afford college, failure of schools–the rate of drop outs has never been so high (children are being left behind!) Not only have McC/Pal not spoken of plans to fix the plights of so many Americans, they do not seem to see how serious the problems are.
It doesn’t matter whether Dem. or Rep. all are effected by the above issues, all are effected by our falling reputation in the world–so needed for our security. And, all are dependent on this earth and the effects of global warming for our existence.
I want my children, who are inspired by Barrack Obama, by his words, his gentle way, his humility and especially by his call that we all engage in the political process, to continue to believe that they can make a difference. Obama turned the apathy of young people into action and hope. If McCain and Palin win, I fear the return of apathy, the worsening of economic struggles, more suffering for those effected by it, many steps backwards for the rights of woman,the health of our environment, and a less secure US because of a continued policy of fear.
I’m going to push “submit” now–thank you Lynne for your courage to push “publish”.
September 13th, 2008
Thanks for your comment Kerry~ I agree with everything that you said. My boys had a stirring of excitement and now they are just mad. They have both said that if McCain and Palin win…they want to leave this country…we may just join them! Because this means that the people of this country don’t care…they don’t learn…they are not progressive and we do not deserve to be a leading country. A leading country has to be about new ideas and progress…not the same old fashion views. This country just won’t make it if it continues to move in the direction of fanatical conservatism.
September 23rd, 2008
This is such a difficult time. I don’t recall ever experiencing an election where feeling ran this high.
What I know for me is that I can’t watch or listen to or read the vituperative commercials, “news” programs, “articles” about the candidates. I watched both conventions (not all, just the important speeches) and I will likely watch part of the debates but the less I watch, the better I feel.
The other thing I know for sure is that for me, I have to stay focused on winning rather than losing–Obama having beliefs I support rather than anything about Palin (I can barely write her name without going into paroxysms of negativity). If I focus on how much good Obama can do for this country and how I will be so great to have someone in office I can feel confident about, I feel so much better than I do when I think about the opposite.
It’s good to have a “dialogue” where we can express our beliefs without danger of being attacked by one another. I love that!
I’ll bet you didn’t realize writer’s block would stir up so many of our passions, did you?
Thanks, as always, for your unvarnished thoughts.