Election thoughts, a few days late
I haven’t said much publicly since the election ended with John Kerry conceding last Wednesday. Like a lot of other Democrats, I’ve needed a few days to recover from the pretty devastating blow we were dealt. It’s hard to put so much passion and energy and hope into something only to have it defeated. Living in Iowa, I was led to believe that my vote could make a difference. But it turns out the election was over before the ballot box in Iowa was even open. I really had high hopes for this election. I sent John Kerry an e-mail over 3 years ago and pledged my support to him if he decided to make a run for the presidency. When he came back from so far behind and won the Iowa caucuses and then the nomination, it seemed like things were going to really work out. Over the next few months, I attended most of the rallies that he had here in Cedar Rapids, and really threw myself into doing everything I could do to help out. One of the blessings/curses of living in a swing state like Iowa is that you really get to know these candidates and you really feel like your vote can make a difference.
Then on election night I stayed up until almost 3 in the morning watching results come in. On Wednesday, like a lot of my political friends, I was devastated by Kerry’s surrender. But, like I heard it stated later, “fear will win out over hope every time.” D.L Hughley said something the other day that really struck me, “What I find the height of hypocrisy is the godly nation that we are espoused to be, lets fear rule the day. Fear and faith cannot exist in the same spheres. They just can’t. They can’t exist together.”
It’s hard for me to believe that most of the exit polls showed that most people said they voted for Bush because of “moral values.” We have men and women DYING in Iraq because of “faulty intelligence” and there are really people in this country that went to the polls and cast their vote because they are uncomfortable with two men kissing???? That boggles my mind.
And how exactly can the Christian-right be parading around boasting about their “pro-life” views and still support this war and the death penalty? George Bush did more for the death penalty in Texas than anyone else. That’s like saying, don’t kill the baby…let the baby grow up and then kill him. That’s absurd.
It would be great if we could get to the point in this country where being liberal wasn’t so taboo. How did we get to the point that being Liberal means you hate America and have no values? I don’t know anyone who loves America more than most of the Liberals I know. Why else would we fight so hard for the rights of ALL Americans, the rights that they’re guaranteed in the Constitution? Why else would we fight so hard for the protection of animals and the environment? And as far as moral values go, since when did a belief in Jesus suddenly mean that you have moral values? Being religious and being moral is not the same thing. All these Christian right-wingers are boasting about how we’ve returned to our “moral center” now that Bush has been reelected. D.L. Hughley joked the other night, “was this moral center when they had slaves or killed Indians?”
Like a lot of other democrats, I’m feeling a little lost right now. What do you do with all that passion and energy that you’ve put into this election that now suddenly has no outlet?
Then on election night I stayed up until almost 3 in the morning watching results come in. On Wednesday, like a lot of my political friends, I was devastated by Kerry’s surrender. But, like I heard it stated later, “fear will win out over hope every time.” D.L Hughley said something the other day that really struck me, “What I find the height of hypocrisy is the godly nation that we are espoused to be, lets fear rule the day. Fear and faith cannot exist in the same spheres. They just can’t. They can’t exist together.”
It’s hard for me to believe that most of the exit polls showed that most people said they voted for Bush because of “moral values.” We have men and women DYING in Iraq because of “faulty intelligence” and there are really people in this country that went to the polls and cast their vote because they are uncomfortable with two men kissing???? That boggles my mind.
And how exactly can the Christian-right be parading around boasting about their “pro-life” views and still support this war and the death penalty? George Bush did more for the death penalty in Texas than anyone else. That’s like saying, don’t kill the baby…let the baby grow up and then kill him. That’s absurd.
It would be great if we could get to the point in this country where being liberal wasn’t so taboo. How did we get to the point that being Liberal means you hate America and have no values? I don’t know anyone who loves America more than most of the Liberals I know. Why else would we fight so hard for the rights of ALL Americans, the rights that they’re guaranteed in the Constitution? Why else would we fight so hard for the protection of animals and the environment? And as far as moral values go, since when did a belief in Jesus suddenly mean that you have moral values? Being religious and being moral is not the same thing. All these Christian right-wingers are boasting about how we’ve returned to our “moral center” now that Bush has been reelected. D.L. Hughley joked the other night, “was this moral center when they had slaves or killed Indians?”
Like a lot of other democrats, I’m feeling a little lost right now. What do you do with all that passion and energy that you’ve put into this election that now suddenly has no outlet?