Driving me crazy
I was going to write up about how my classes are going and everything, but the election and news and world is currently taking up my mind and must be blogged about.
First off, my day started off pretty happy. Although I got like no sleep last night, my mother called me this morning (while I was at work) with several happy thoughts:
Clay Aiken finally came out of the closet. (it's so nice when you hear someone isn't in denial/hiding anymore)
Today was apparently National Punctuation day (which just made me laugh).
She told me another story about her lovely adorable 3-year-old student.
The boy (Ethan I think his name is?) has apparently proven it for my mother's coworker that homosexuality is genetic, not a choice, because the boy couldn't be more out if he even knew what it meant to be "out":
While working in his vocabulary books, my mother informs me he recognizes bows and braids and flower pictures, but doesn't know footballs or shovels or other boy things. He openly admits his favorite color is pink. He constantly goes around imitating London Tipton by saying "yay me!" quite often. He LOVES Hello Kitty, and got ridiculously excited when he found out one of his (female) classmates was going to be the character for halloween. He apparently has a barbie collection. And the clothes he wears (my mother can't get over it) are just so "fabulous" that today, when he came in wearing a powder blue hat, my mother had to take a picture of him. When he asked why, she asked him if he had seen High School Musical, (to which he of course responded "yes!") and told him he looked just like Sharpay's brother. To which he apparently just laughed and smiled.
(There's more to this boy but I can't remember at the moment because I'm working on 3 hours sleep, but you all get the gist right?)
But then I read the newspaper (which I've been doing a lot lately, especially since the horrific and depressing stock market nightmare, that I don't completely understand but try my best to since I think it'd be just plain lazy of me not to) and watch the news and hear more about the 2008 Presidential Election, McCain and Palin and I just get depressed. While hearing/reading about Obama does get me hopeful (and I'm not exaggerating, reading about his ideas and speeches reall do get me excited because he does sound like he knows what he's talking about and wants to do, and anything he's not sure of he gives the impression he will discuss it with someone who does know more about it), the amount of support McCain and Palin are getting scares me (and my father too apparently, as he told me this morning--he can't believe how much McCain has been gaining in the polls since he picked Palin--please girls, just because she's a woman doesn't mean she's smart or a good choice!!).
Those two seem much more proactive than Bush, which I hope if worse comes to worse they are elected that means they'll do more to help fix some problems going on in one of the many different areas of government and the country. But then it scares me what they may choose to do first to make it seem like they ARE going to be making changes--such as attempting to overturn Roe vs. Wade (which will NOT stop abortions, it will just make them more unsafe people!) or pushing the Federal Marriage Amendment. Even if they aren't successful with such things, the atmosphere it will give the country by having the elected leaders have such opinions...it really worries me. Especially when I think that Obama could really do so much better (a feeling I did not really get with Kerry, no offense--but then, I didn't have the ability to vote then so I wasn't following it as closely as I could've I guess).
Now, I'm not saying Obama is perfect by any means, but he does seem just so much more fair. I'd prefer so much more if he had the gall to say he was pro-gay marriage instead of just civil unions (seperate but equal is never equal--it's either the same or it's not). But it annoys me that the only real reason I hear people disliking Obama is because of his lack of expierience (because those in office right now with expierience are doing such a fine job)--which i feel he amends by picking an expierienced and well-informed cabinet--or his stance on abortion, which I mentioned earlier, taking away Roe vs. Wade would only lead to less safe abortions. His plans are so descriptive and thought-out (hell, one of his most recent campaign commercials tells you to go online to read the full plan!), I'm constantly amazed on how much he has to say on issues. And discussing with some of my friends (fellow college students) I get excited hearing that they seem to be on the same page, despite whoever they may have been supporting before hand, they agree that Obama is by far the better choice.
I've also taken to watching The Daily Show and The Colbert Report recently (my roommate really got me onto it, I never really watched either before) and I laugh so hard in agreement with most of the issues or statements brought up. Then I hear both shows won emmys and I get excited thinking that "yes! We're getting smarter!" because how else could they win if not for a majority audience agreeing and getting their humor?
But then I see on the news a crowd of kids from a college holding up McCain-Palin and "NObama!" signs and I just think "...why?" Because that means it's not just stubborn conservative older people set in their ways promoting the two of them--it's young people, my age, enthusiastically supporting such views too.
It scares me what that could mean for kids like Ethan in my mom's class. (yes, the LBGT issues I admit are make-or-break it for me, I'm not going to bother hiding it--I just can't support someone who can't support other human beings because of their sexuality, or are too frightened to give an opinion and just claim the states should decide themselves--like Palin and McCain) It makes me want to do something more, but I can only vote once. Which makes me sick that it's still possible once the electoral college comes around for it not to matter, or that even if it does, enough people out there won't take that into account, or will and just choose hate over acceptance.
But even outside of those issues...I can't understand why people would choose McCain and Palin over Obama and Biden...
Someone please assure me my country's not headed for hell and things will get better no matter what happens...
I think I'm going to go write something now to make myself feel better. :(