(no subject)
Okay, I've calmed down. No more 5746392 paragraph angry political rants. Not that I don't have more to say. Trust me, I could go on forever. Its just time to let it go, because there's nothing I can do about it. At least he won fairly this time. I don't know how, but he won the popular and electoral votes. And its just something I have to deal with.
I really like (and envy) how both Angela and Jason handled the whole thing. Accept calmly, hope for the best and move on. Neither of them are going on and on about it. I am normally the level-headed, rational one in my family but oh how that has changed. The past few days have turned me into an angry, depressed and apathetic person. It makes me feel weak and foolish. But, on the other hand, I feel so strongly that my opinions are valid and need to be recognized. Maybe I feel weak because I'm an opinionated woman, and the redneck idealogy of this country only puts me behind a stove? Because come on, those still exist. The redneck ideology won the election this time. But I don't want to pull the "devalued woman" card though. I hate when people play the victim. I don't feel victim to my gender, so why should I blame my personally perceived weakness on that? I also hate when people push their opinions down my throat, and that makes me a huge hypocrite since that's all I have been doing. Its a fine line that's so easy to cross. I'm sorry that I have crossed it. I just really wanted a change in America, and was incredibly disappointed and fearful when it didn't happen.
I'm very passionate about politics and issues, and to be completely honest, I love political arguments and discussions. I'd be in my glory if I could sit in a room with a Republican and pick at their brain and let them pick at mine. I love talking about issues, and hearing why other people think the way they do. Not because I'll be changed. I'm too stubborn for that. Recently, I have become really interested in why people support Bush. Probably because I don't see one valid reason why any American would vote for him, but evidently, there's something there I don't see. Or there's something there I see and they don't (which is the explanation I prefer).
Luckily, or unluckily as you may see it, I was raised in a household where it was okay to speak out...to a certain point. As much as my whole family resisted, finally accepted and now are sick of my political ideals, I was always free to talk about them, for a short amount of time at least. That could be why I am so talkative on here, and you are all the victim of that. They have gotten sick of it. By Tuesday, as infuriated as my parents were, they didn't have the patience to hear me go on and on and my only outlet at the moment was this. It was therapeutic to get it out. I should have cut it, but I wanted to be heard for once. New York isn't a battleground state, so we were ignored.
I guess in closing, I realize that I should use these intense emotions for the next election. Get out there and campaign for Edwards or Hillary Clinton or whoever it may be in 2008. If they lose, the hurt will be ten times worse but it gives me every right to bitch and complain about the shortcomings of this country. And as much as people say that bitching about the country and/or the president is unpatriotic and disrespecting to the people who gave me that right... I say you're the disrespectful and unpatriotic one. They would be glad to know I care about the future of America and I am actually doing something about it. I am using the rights they afforded me in the best possible way. I am trying to make this a better place. Now, I'm just afraid we've gone too far to ever get better.
I really like (and envy) how both Angela and Jason handled the whole thing. Accept calmly, hope for the best and move on. Neither of them are going on and on about it. I am normally the level-headed, rational one in my family but oh how that has changed. The past few days have turned me into an angry, depressed and apathetic person. It makes me feel weak and foolish. But, on the other hand, I feel so strongly that my opinions are valid and need to be recognized. Maybe I feel weak because I'm an opinionated woman, and the redneck idealogy of this country only puts me behind a stove? Because come on, those still exist. The redneck ideology won the election this time. But I don't want to pull the "devalued woman" card though. I hate when people play the victim. I don't feel victim to my gender, so why should I blame my personally perceived weakness on that? I also hate when people push their opinions down my throat, and that makes me a huge hypocrite since that's all I have been doing. Its a fine line that's so easy to cross. I'm sorry that I have crossed it. I just really wanted a change in America, and was incredibly disappointed and fearful when it didn't happen.
I'm very passionate about politics and issues, and to be completely honest, I love political arguments and discussions. I'd be in my glory if I could sit in a room with a Republican and pick at their brain and let them pick at mine. I love talking about issues, and hearing why other people think the way they do. Not because I'll be changed. I'm too stubborn for that. Recently, I have become really interested in why people support Bush. Probably because I don't see one valid reason why any American would vote for him, but evidently, there's something there I don't see. Or there's something there I see and they don't (which is the explanation I prefer).
Luckily, or unluckily as you may see it, I was raised in a household where it was okay to speak out...to a certain point. As much as my whole family resisted, finally accepted and now are sick of my political ideals, I was always free to talk about them, for a short amount of time at least. That could be why I am so talkative on here, and you are all the victim of that. They have gotten sick of it. By Tuesday, as infuriated as my parents were, they didn't have the patience to hear me go on and on and my only outlet at the moment was this. It was therapeutic to get it out. I should have cut it, but I wanted to be heard for once. New York isn't a battleground state, so we were ignored.
I guess in closing, I realize that I should use these intense emotions for the next election. Get out there and campaign for Edwards or Hillary Clinton or whoever it may be in 2008. If they lose, the hurt will be ten times worse but it gives me every right to bitch and complain about the shortcomings of this country. And as much as people say that bitching about the country and/or the president is unpatriotic and disrespecting to the people who gave me that right... I say you're the disrespectful and unpatriotic one. They would be glad to know I care about the future of America and I am actually doing something about it. I am using the rights they afforded me in the best possible way. I am trying to make this a better place. Now, I'm just afraid we've gone too far to ever get better.