It is only in my latest years that I have been paying more attention to the political happenings in our country. As a younger adult, I'm ashamed to say, I was not overly involved. I voted, but not with a full grasp of how it all worked or what might be at stake. As I became more firmly dedicated to my career (community mental health services) and aged up myself I also became more keenly aware of how the actions of our government have direct effect on our day to day lives. Sometimes, those actions can, and do, leave people feeling disenfranchised. Yet, I vote.
I remember being very upset and feeling that Al Gore had been shafted when he lost his bid for president leaving us with Mr. Bush at the helm once again. And I was overjoyed when Barack Obama won and had a renewed sense of hope for this nation. And now we are faced with the next big decision. Who will be our next president? I've been watching the debates - both republican and democratic - with interest and, to be honest, awe. The Republicans seem to have created a new way to slam their conservative views into the mainstream but not really saying what it is they would do if elected but, somehow, diverting the attention to a sideshow of incredible proportion. And this is where I want to speak to America...
Dear America,
This is a big, bright, beautiful land full of wonderful people of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, religions, colors, beliefs, economic standards, education levels and races. For a long time, we have managed, albeit not without our struggles, to come together from time to time and make things work. We still have far to go. But I'm afraid.
I see the person some people are heralding as the one who "speaks their mind" and "tells it like it is" as the next great candidate for President of the United States of America. His platform is one of intolerance and hate and he's using all of you to make that happen. He's even called you all, his followers "uneducated" and prides himself on being able to lead you around. And you are being lead around. He has no sound plans to lead this country anywhere or do anything to, as he says, "Make America Great Again". It's all just words. So many words said through a smirk and shrug and the clink of a another million in his pocket. He thinks less of you all than he does the elevator operator at Trump tower. And yet you follow.
He tells you he can "shoot someone in the middle of 5th Avenue" and you follow.
He called someone "fat" and has them removed from his rally and you follow.
He degrades women by calling them names and you follow.
He says Mexico is sending rapists and mentally ill and you follow.
He blames Mexico and China for "taking" our jobs but has businesses that make clothing and jewelry in both countries and yet you follow.
He talks about companies hiring illegals but only just settled part of a law suit where he hired illegal workers and was sued for not even paying them minimum wage and yet you follow.
He's bankrupted his own companies when they were losing money several times and yet you follow even though he cannot show how he can balance or repair a budget.
But most of all, he has said repeatedly he would seek to send away thousands of immigrants already here and find a way to "identify" Muslims while they were here in order to "fight terrorism". That, my friends, is very much what Hitler said, and did, at the very beginning of the Third Reich. And yet, even with people showing up at his rallies in full KKK regalia and carrying Confederate flags, YOU FOLLOW.
Why? Because he is the candidate the media has created. He is the sound byte they gave you. He is the political version of a reality TV show - just entertaining enough to keep the water cooler conversation lively. Nobody wants to hear someone talk about real issues when they can watch a car wreck. But the horrible truth is, America is just dumbed down enough to take that car wreck seriously.
Wake up, America! WAKE UP! If you have to vote Republican, please, for the love of all that's holy, do not vote for Donald Trump! He is the scariest thing to happen to American politics in a long, long time.
Sincerely,
Me
Showing posts with label America. Show all posts
Showing posts with label America. Show all posts
Friday, February 26, 2016
Monday, May 2, 2011
How do you explain it?
I have friends from all over the world thanks to the internet. Over the years it's been interesting listening to how other countries percieve us here in the good old USA. I remember, when I first went to Sweden, I was surprised to hear that over all they saw the US as an overly religiously preoccupied country. I didn't see it. Certainly, I am not overly religious. In fact, I am not religious at all. And though I have friends and family that are religious, I've never felt it was overt. Yet, I can see how that perception started when I watch the media, our politicians, and see how religion does infiltrate areas of our lives whether we subscribe or not. In god we trust...vodee oh do do!
Last night, when it was announced that Navy Seals had killed Osama bin Laden I have to admit I was amazed and thrilled. I clearly remember the fear and unrest we all felt on September 11. 2001. It was an act of terrorism that shook us to our core. I remember wanting to be home among my loved ones and stay close to what I knew to be good and true because it felt like all the goodness and truth in the world blew up when those planes hit the World Trade Center. So hearing bin Laden was dead was some sort of closure. Then today, on facebook, I read some of the statuses of my friends from over seas. They didn't share my relief. In fact, they felt very much that this was just one more dead man, more blood on the hands of America. I get where that comes from, I really do. I mean, I am not convinced that our troops in Iraq has ever been a good thing or necessary. I question our foreign policy in so many ways and think that we have always been quick to act in a military stance when it was that we had something to gain. But to read the words of my friends who were equating bin Laden with just so much US propogana...well, to tell you the truth, that hurt a little. I don't expect them to celebrate. I'm not really celebrating this myself. It seems wrong to celebrate someone's death even if he was a terrorist monster. But some understanding would have been nice.
I haven't said anything to these friends yet. Mostly because I just don't know what to say. I certainly don't want to get into some kind of patriotic pissing match with them. That's just not my style. I guess I get tired of always being seen as the "greedy American", the "ugly American", the "War mongering American", the "useless American". It's easy to point the finger at the bad stuff and negate all of the good the US does all over the world. At the very least, on a personal friendly level, give me a break. And let me have this moment of relief.
Last night, when it was announced that Navy Seals had killed Osama bin Laden I have to admit I was amazed and thrilled. I clearly remember the fear and unrest we all felt on September 11. 2001. It was an act of terrorism that shook us to our core. I remember wanting to be home among my loved ones and stay close to what I knew to be good and true because it felt like all the goodness and truth in the world blew up when those planes hit the World Trade Center. So hearing bin Laden was dead was some sort of closure. Then today, on facebook, I read some of the statuses of my friends from over seas. They didn't share my relief. In fact, they felt very much that this was just one more dead man, more blood on the hands of America. I get where that comes from, I really do. I mean, I am not convinced that our troops in Iraq has ever been a good thing or necessary. I question our foreign policy in so many ways and think that we have always been quick to act in a military stance when it was that we had something to gain. But to read the words of my friends who were equating bin Laden with just so much US propogana...well, to tell you the truth, that hurt a little. I don't expect them to celebrate. I'm not really celebrating this myself. It seems wrong to celebrate someone's death even if he was a terrorist monster. But some understanding would have been nice.
I haven't said anything to these friends yet. Mostly because I just don't know what to say. I certainly don't want to get into some kind of patriotic pissing match with them. That's just not my style. I guess I get tired of always being seen as the "greedy American", the "ugly American", the "War mongering American", the "useless American". It's easy to point the finger at the bad stuff and negate all of the good the US does all over the world. At the very least, on a personal friendly level, give me a break. And let me have this moment of relief.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
What the hell is wrong with us?
Today, an armed graduate student walked into a lecture hall at Northern Illinois Univeristy and opened fire minutes before the class was scheduled to end. At last report, 12 people were injured, 5 were dead including the gunman who turned his gun on himself.
In America, this is an all too familiar scene. It seems that almost every other month someone, somewhere reaches the end of their tightened rope and takes out as many people as possible. And it's always with a gun.
For the next few weeks we will be inundated with debates over whether it was the act of a mentally unstable individual or the result of a country where getting a fire arm is all too easy. No doubt, anyone who would think to do this is mentally unbalanced in some way. And no doubt, it is far too easy to obtain a fire arm legally or otherwise in the United States. And we can stand on our Bill of Rights and Consistutional fortitude all we want, it won't bring those students back who were just taking in another day of classes on the road to their future. It will not ease the pain of those families who called the posted hotline numbers desparately seeking the news that their son or daughter was not a victim only to find that they were not the lucky ones, it will not ease the sadness of the family of the shooter who may or may not have known how troubled he was and who will never have the opportunity to tell him that there is help if he wants it.
Other parts of the world have the idea that we Americans are a very brutal lot. They look to the example of our government, most notably a President, who can glibly excuse the actions taken in Iraq and other coutries where we have chosen to use force rather than diplomacy. And when they see that every sixty days or so, one of us takes a shot gun and kills 10, 15 or 20 people - their perception of us would be right.
What the hell is wrong with us? Why are we so cruel and cold to one another to the point where it drives someone over the edge and into the dark oblivion? When did we stop caring so much for the simple decency of others that we are now so dissensitized to this? And, at the end of the day, are we too far gone to change? When is enough really enough?
In America, this is an all too familiar scene. It seems that almost every other month someone, somewhere reaches the end of their tightened rope and takes out as many people as possible. And it's always with a gun.
For the next few weeks we will be inundated with debates over whether it was the act of a mentally unstable individual or the result of a country where getting a fire arm is all too easy. No doubt, anyone who would think to do this is mentally unbalanced in some way. And no doubt, it is far too easy to obtain a fire arm legally or otherwise in the United States. And we can stand on our Bill of Rights and Consistutional fortitude all we want, it won't bring those students back who were just taking in another day of classes on the road to their future. It will not ease the pain of those families who called the posted hotline numbers desparately seeking the news that their son or daughter was not a victim only to find that they were not the lucky ones, it will not ease the sadness of the family of the shooter who may or may not have known how troubled he was and who will never have the opportunity to tell him that there is help if he wants it.
Other parts of the world have the idea that we Americans are a very brutal lot. They look to the example of our government, most notably a President, who can glibly excuse the actions taken in Iraq and other coutries where we have chosen to use force rather than diplomacy. And when they see that every sixty days or so, one of us takes a shot gun and kills 10, 15 or 20 people - their perception of us would be right.
What the hell is wrong with us? Why are we so cruel and cold to one another to the point where it drives someone over the edge and into the dark oblivion? When did we stop caring so much for the simple decency of others that we are now so dissensitized to this? And, at the end of the day, are we too far gone to change? When is enough really enough?
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