People,
What. The. Fuck.
I tried to post yesterday when I was insanely full of piss and vinegar, but Blogger was not working (which is happening more and more frequently - bastards!)
Anyway, this blows, but we all know that.
What's been on my mind a lot since I calmed down is the fact that America, this place I love, is not mine anymore. There were no dirty tricks in Florida this time around, no Supreme Court bullshit and not even enough voter intimidation to change the fact that Kerry lost by four million votes. I am, for the first time, very aware of my position in the minority.
I feel really alienated from the people and I've never felt that way before. I mean, I knew that there were crazies out there and fundamentalists who I would never see eye to eye with, but I always thought we could meet on some common ground, but I guess I was wrong.
I
never thought my America would stand for:
- An unjustified offensive war on a sovereign nation based on faulty intelligence
-A non-veiled attack on the rights of undesirable groups (gays, minorities)
-An insistence on bringing "freedom" to the world while at the same time limiting it at home
-The spending of hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars on the military, money that is coming from programs for the young, the schools, the elderly etc.
-A man who has the absolute balls of steel to tell us that in the midst of this giant shitstorm we call our foreign and domestic policies that what we need is a tax cut.
-A man telling us that 1,200 American and 100,000 Iraqi lives have been worth it for what we've accomplished.
-A man telling us that this is how to fight terrorism.
America should be ashamed of itself for letting this happen. These four years could very well be the worst four years in American history and I say that with no irony whatsoever.
Shit.
hey, joe. not that i don't agree, but let's not despair here. maybe it's because i'm more used to being in the minority, but (as much as i've been really depressed about this whole thing too) i'll just quote my friend will in the best piece of advice i've heard in a while. read below, brother, and don't give up.
-romo
-----
Hey, all.
I can't imagine that any of you are too happy today with George W. Bush's victory last night. It's amazing and disheartening to realize that so many people in this country define "morals" and "values" in a way that doesn't include peace, a balanced budget, a healthy environment, solvent social security, or CIVIL LIBERTIES!
What's even more disturbing to me is the reaction I've heard today from young people who voted for Kerry. Talk of "moving to Canada" to avoid the repercussions of a second Bush term. It's in jest, for the most part, but it's indicative of an attitude amongst younger Americans: That our efforts, votes, and voices don't count. That the problem is too big to solve, and that ignoring it is the only solution. An easy out.
It isn't. In fact, it's not a solution at all. Getting involved is. Doing whatever we can. There's a congressional election in 2 years, and that's where the fight starts. If a congressional district near any of us has a Republican representative, we need to contact the Democratic challenger and see what can be done to help. Even if it's answering phones or designing a flyer. If we can help defeat a Republican Senator in our state, we have to do whatever we can. If our Republican governor is up for re-election, then we need to call his opponent's campaign headquarters and GET INVOLVED!!! Donate $20 over the internet. Post a link to their campaign on your band's website. Hand out flyers. Talk to neighbors. Get co-workers to the polls. Because the job we have, BEFORE the one we get paid for, is to be informed and involved citizens in this democracy. If we don't take that one seriously, our paying jobs may not be there for long.
I know we're all horribly disappointed and saddened today, but those feelings won't change the situation now. Commitment and hard work will. PLEASE use the emotions of today to help fuel a positive movement for change in 2006 and beyond!
Thanks for listening, and good luck to us all!
-Will
