Political Rant...in spoilers to spare you...
SPOILERS! (Click to view)
I think it's fucking pathetic that watching CNN this morning (as always) I end up seeing a report on how Virginia is "bracing for a record turn out" of voters.
I admit, part of me is excited to watch the American people get all engaged in the political process, including myself, who admittedly, finally realized how LITTLE I know about our political process, but have always voted
On the other handwhy is it that the nation has to get into THIS kind of hot water before the people become engaged? I mean, isn't the whole idea of democracy SUPPOSED to be that the PEOPLE of the nation run the governement (more or less?).
I meanmany, many, many, many years agosome dudes, right here in Boston, dumped a bunch of tea into the Charles River JUST SO many, many years latersome women would go no a hunger strike in jailJUST SOright here, in 2008 I can show up to the local fire station and cast my vote for president?! ISN'T THAT THE WHOLE FUCKING PREMISE OF AMERICA?!
So why is it that I have to sit here and watch on the news about how FREAKED OUT everyone is about the hoardes of people who plan to show up on electionday? Why is it that expecting barely over half of the eligible voters in America would CAUSE such a "hoarde?"
Seriously We SHOULD be seeing 100% of the eligible voters EVERY TIME!!!
The current state of affairs in America has me MAJORLY concerned. NONE of the careers I'm trained for are recession proof Throw in a six month old who won't take a bottle and MY returning to the workforce becomes even MORE of a stretch. Add a very hard working husband who is in the construction field, literally weeks from being laid off for the winterchild support taking HALF of the unemployment checkand let me tell you, I"m ready to shit my fucking pants over here. We're ALREADY on food stampsAND welfare, but only because I had to go in there and lie to get my son on health care through the state of Massachusetts. I had to lie and say my husband had left me. Thanks America, for making me and my family a bunch of fucking liars.
But maybe, more importantly, what has me concerned is how we got here. And to be honest, this includes myself. Watching CSPAN for the first time as the "Bail Out Bill" went through the house, with more excitement than I mustered for the ACTUAL superbowl this past year between the Pats and the Giants (and for a new yorker living in new englandwell, 'nuff said) I stood there, legs crossed because I couldn't stand to walk away from the TV long enough to pee and miss the votes being countedand realizedI am not NEARLY involved enough in the politics of this country. I should be here in front of CSPAN for EVERY important bill that goes to vote. I mean, isn't that why they put that boring shit on TV in the first place? And why did I just call it boring when I stood there doing the pee pee dance instead of risking missing something? That's hardly boring.
I am ashamed of the fact I had to actually ASK someone who the fuck congress was, because while I know the name, I don't know the fucking difference between the house of representatives and the senateand why one would also be called "congress." I admit to you now that I STILL don't know shit about "the electoral college" although I'm convinced that will be my son's first phraseseeing as we don't watch Barney in this house, it's strictly CNN.
I'm embarassed of myself, embarassed of my fellow countrymen, and deeply ashamed of my government. How lazy and spoiled have we, as Americans becometo have "suddenly" found ourselves in this predicament? How many years did it take to GET us here, and why was nobody paying any fucking attention?
Oh waitthat's rightI remember the last election. Not only did I suffer through it, a yankee living in Houston at the time I remember fed-exing my absantee ballot back to NYC to be CERTAIN my vote counted I went to bed that night, secure in the fact that America was pissed off enough to show up and make that change we so desperately needed.
America broke my heart that next morningand I admit, no matter how passionately I feel about this election and how "engaged" I amI can't help but be filled with fear that the American people will do it to me again. Orthat the republican party will do it again
And how fucking sad is THAT?!
I think it's fucking pathetic that watching CNN this morning (as always) I end up seeing a report on how Virginia is "bracing for a record turn out" of voters.
I admit, part of me is excited to watch the American people get all engaged in the political process, including myself, who admittedly, finally realized how LITTLE I know about our political process, but have always voted
On the other handwhy is it that the nation has to get into THIS kind of hot water before the people become engaged? I mean, isn't the whole idea of democracy SUPPOSED to be that the PEOPLE of the nation run the governement (more or less?).
I meanmany, many, many, many years agosome dudes, right here in Boston, dumped a bunch of tea into the Charles River JUST SO many, many years latersome women would go no a hunger strike in jailJUST SOright here, in 2008 I can show up to the local fire station and cast my vote for president?! ISN'T THAT THE WHOLE FUCKING PREMISE OF AMERICA?!
So why is it that I have to sit here and watch on the news about how FREAKED OUT everyone is about the hoardes of people who plan to show up on electionday? Why is it that expecting barely over half of the eligible voters in America would CAUSE such a "hoarde?"
Seriously We SHOULD be seeing 100% of the eligible voters EVERY TIME!!!
The current state of affairs in America has me MAJORLY concerned. NONE of the careers I'm trained for are recession proof Throw in a six month old who won't take a bottle and MY returning to the workforce becomes even MORE of a stretch. Add a very hard working husband who is in the construction field, literally weeks from being laid off for the winterchild support taking HALF of the unemployment checkand let me tell you, I"m ready to shit my fucking pants over here. We're ALREADY on food stampsAND welfare, but only because I had to go in there and lie to get my son on health care through the state of Massachusetts. I had to lie and say my husband had left me. Thanks America, for making me and my family a bunch of fucking liars.
But maybe, more importantly, what has me concerned is how we got here. And to be honest, this includes myself. Watching CSPAN for the first time as the "Bail Out Bill" went through the house, with more excitement than I mustered for the ACTUAL superbowl this past year between the Pats and the Giants (and for a new yorker living in new englandwell, 'nuff said) I stood there, legs crossed because I couldn't stand to walk away from the TV long enough to pee and miss the votes being countedand realizedI am not NEARLY involved enough in the politics of this country. I should be here in front of CSPAN for EVERY important bill that goes to vote. I mean, isn't that why they put that boring shit on TV in the first place? And why did I just call it boring when I stood there doing the pee pee dance instead of risking missing something? That's hardly boring.
I am ashamed of the fact I had to actually ASK someone who the fuck congress was, because while I know the name, I don't know the fucking difference between the house of representatives and the senateand why one would also be called "congress." I admit to you now that I STILL don't know shit about "the electoral college" although I'm convinced that will be my son's first phraseseeing as we don't watch Barney in this house, it's strictly CNN.
I'm embarassed of myself, embarassed of my fellow countrymen, and deeply ashamed of my government. How lazy and spoiled have we, as Americans becometo have "suddenly" found ourselves in this predicament? How many years did it take to GET us here, and why was nobody paying any fucking attention?
Oh waitthat's rightI remember the last election. Not only did I suffer through it, a yankee living in Houston at the time I remember fed-exing my absantee ballot back to NYC to be CERTAIN my vote counted I went to bed that night, secure in the fact that America was pissed off enough to show up and make that change we so desperately needed.
America broke my heart that next morningand I admit, no matter how passionately I feel about this election and how "engaged" I amI can't help but be filled with fear that the American people will do it to me again. Orthat the republican party will do it again
And how fucking sad is THAT?!
I have tried so desperately to keep my political rantings to myself...No Religion, No Politics, right? That's the old bartender creed... But I just couldn't hold it in anymore!!!
What scares me is how far behind in the democratic process the American system is.
A two party system? That was outdated almost a century ago!
New Zealand and Japan have a FABULOUS system that should be adopted anywhere that claims to be democratic. However, the American system is touted to Americans as the Ideal and thus people don't actually examine things like whether or not two parties accurately represent the American population, or how the number of seats won may not correspond to the popular vote... Until the American public realizes how far behind they are, no positive change to the system can occur.
Oh and did you know that in some democratic countries you HAVE to vote, it's MANDATORY and you get FINED if you don't. I don't know how well that would work in America - especially with only a two party system. While I appreciate the need for that, it's reassuring to know that I can lock my republican friends in a closet for a night and not have to worry about them.
</rant>