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Politics Redux
Sep. 10th, 2008 09:06 pmWas reminded of a few things tonight. Spoke with a friend who told me that he did not think Rock Star Sarah was going to win this election. Because when it came down to it, we vote for the President not the Vice President. And Sarah and McCain to date still have not mentioned anything regarding how they will fix our economy, which let's face it is the number one topic for 80% of Americans. Food prices have gone up, mortages are up, fuel is up, education is up, everything but the value of our property, our cars, and our jobs has risen. Middle Class Americans are using food stamps. And over 85,000 jobs were lost this past month. And all Sarah and John talk about is Iraq? He also reminded me that it is not Sarah Palin who upsets me, it is her policies and her views. The fact that I do not agree that the Bible should be read literally or interpreted literally. (I don't. It is my problem with 80% of the Christian Religions - the fact that they believe the Bible is a "biblical record of factual information handed to us directly from God" - while I believe the Bible is an anthology made up of fables, morality tales, historical records, poems, stories, and songs passed down orally and written by men to explain their beliefs, figure out the world, philosophy, and comment on what was happening - often via metaphors. To read it literally to me is a bit like watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and seeing that as the Gospel, and believing vampires really exist. I do not believe that the Bible should be interpreted literally and that attempting to follow it's dictates literally only leads to hypocrisey and destruction and horrible things - because it contradicts itself in places and like any written work, is complicated.) I despise her world view not her. It's an important thing to remember - that we don't hate a person, we just disagree with how they see the world, for it is the opposite of how we do.
He told me that while he did not think McCain would win this, that the polls are the popular vote not the electoral vote where Obama is still leading, he is afraid there is an outside chance that Obama may lose primarily because he is African-American or Black. There are quite a few working class middle Americans out there from small towns, who no matter how bad things get, how poor they are, would never in a million years vote for an African-American ('Negro') for President. I pray this isn't true, but I read this morning in the paper, how NY's first African-American Governor, David Patterson, saw racism implicit not advert, but implicit in Sarah Palin's speechs and between the lines. And yes, I see it too. Sarah is like a lot of small town white Americans - who have lived in one place their entire lives and never interacted with a diverse group of people - she's Archie Bunker from All in the Family. Say what you will about Norman Lear but he nailed middle American white bigotry and it has not disappeared.
That said? This election is a positive one. It is the first time in US History that two women, and a black man ran as viable candidates for President. Not only that, they got more attention than the White Guys. That's major. It gives me hope that maybe we are beginning to move away from the old boys club. Regardless of the outcome - the fact that a woman and a black man ran as viable candidates - and one of them will either be President or in line for President of the US, when just a few decades ago neither had the right to vote - is something to celebrate and worth remembering.
Anywho - got this from another friend via email tonight:
Eve Ensler, the American playwright, performer, feminist and activist best known for "The Vagina Monologues", wrote the following about Sarah Palin.
___________________________________
Drill, Drill, Drill
I am having Sarah Palin nightmares. I dreamt last night that she was a member of a club where they rode snowmobiles and wore the claws of drowned and starved polar bears around their necks. I have a particular thing for Polar Bears. Maybe it's their snowy whiteness or their bigness or the fact that they live in the arctic or that I have never seen one in person or touched one. Maybe it is the fact that they live so comfortably on ice. Whatever it is, I need the polar bears.
I don't like raging at women. I am a Feminist and have spent my life trying to build community, help empower women and stop violence against them. It is hard to write about Sarah Palin. This is why the Sarah Palin choice was all the more insidious and cynical. The people who made this choice count on the goodness and solidarity of Feminists.
But everything Sarah Palin believes in and practices is antithetical to Feminism which for me is part of one story -- connected to saving the earth, ending racism, empowering women, giving young girls options, opening our minds, deepening tolerance, and ending violence and war.
( cut for length )
He told me that while he did not think McCain would win this, that the polls are the popular vote not the electoral vote where Obama is still leading, he is afraid there is an outside chance that Obama may lose primarily because he is African-American or Black. There are quite a few working class middle Americans out there from small towns, who no matter how bad things get, how poor they are, would never in a million years vote for an African-American ('Negro') for President. I pray this isn't true, but I read this morning in the paper, how NY's first African-American Governor, David Patterson, saw racism implicit not advert, but implicit in Sarah Palin's speechs and between the lines. And yes, I see it too. Sarah is like a lot of small town white Americans - who have lived in one place their entire lives and never interacted with a diverse group of people - she's Archie Bunker from All in the Family. Say what you will about Norman Lear but he nailed middle American white bigotry and it has not disappeared.
That said? This election is a positive one. It is the first time in US History that two women, and a black man ran as viable candidates for President. Not only that, they got more attention than the White Guys. That's major. It gives me hope that maybe we are beginning to move away from the old boys club. Regardless of the outcome - the fact that a woman and a black man ran as viable candidates - and one of them will either be President or in line for President of the US, when just a few decades ago neither had the right to vote - is something to celebrate and worth remembering.
Anywho - got this from another friend via email tonight:
Eve Ensler, the American playwright, performer, feminist and activist best known for "The Vagina Monologues", wrote the following about Sarah Palin.
___________________________________
Drill, Drill, Drill
I am having Sarah Palin nightmares. I dreamt last night that she was a member of a club where they rode snowmobiles and wore the claws of drowned and starved polar bears around their necks. I have a particular thing for Polar Bears. Maybe it's their snowy whiteness or their bigness or the fact that they live in the arctic or that I have never seen one in person or touched one. Maybe it is the fact that they live so comfortably on ice. Whatever it is, I need the polar bears.
I don't like raging at women. I am a Feminist and have spent my life trying to build community, help empower women and stop violence against them. It is hard to write about Sarah Palin. This is why the Sarah Palin choice was all the more insidious and cynical. The people who made this choice count on the goodness and solidarity of Feminists.
But everything Sarah Palin believes in and practices is antithetical to Feminism which for me is part of one story -- connected to saving the earth, ending racism, empowering women, giving young girls options, opening our minds, deepening tolerance, and ending violence and war.
( cut for length )
