my last political post in awhile
I don't particularly want to beat a dead horse with yet another reaction-based post about the election-- but I promise this will be it, then I will keep mum until the next national crisis.
A lot of us Blue State dwellers feel betrayed by our Red State brethern, who seem to think that having a fool, a liar and a radical lead our country for four more years is a fine idea. But hey, you and I and record-breaking millions exercised their rights on Tuesday and remarkably, Bush got himself elected fair and square (for once). What the international community must now think of Americans, I am terrified to know. I'm ashamed of us. We promised them, it'll be better, we'll be responsible next time around... and we weren't. Sigh.
Republicans now control the House and Senate, with some old nemeses still maintaining offices they don't deserve. The reasons the pundits give for this development? The over-whelming number of voters persuaded by VALUES and the CHURCH. At this, I'd just like to say, wha?? You've got to be kidding me, right? Let's see a "values" issue to me would be something like, is my leader a good role model for my kids? Bush is a man who's lied about his war record, the war in Iraq, WMDs (oh hell, you name it, he's lied about it), he's been a drunkard and a druggie for most of his adult life, he certainly is no shining star of America's education system, and he's displayed behavior akin to temper tantrums on live television.
Now, as far as the Church is concerned, well, I'm a Catholic. I live in Pennsylvania, a Proud Blue State with a large Catholic population. Another Proud Blue State is Illinois, which also has a large Catholic population. As does Jersey (Blue), Massachusetts (Blue), and New York (Blue). I have listened to my fair share of recent sermons advocating Life that I personally disagreed with, but I have also listened to intentions advocating peace in the middle east and prayed for the souls of our dead troops in Iraq and their families. I think other Catholics can relate to these experiences, and the polls certainly show that they didn't think that Bush supported their values. So then which church has the far-fetched values that got Bush re-elected? (Because it wasn't the Catholics.)
Respecting Life, it seems to me, means that one respects ALL life, whether they be unborn, criminal, or our foreign enemies. Now, as I said before, I am Pro-Choice. I believe in the separation of church and state. I believe that no one, not my church, not my government, not my father and not my boyfriend has any damn right to tell me what to do with my own body. I'm open to suggestions, but the ultimate decision is mine and mine alone. That said, I respect Pro-Life supporters... who aren't hypocrites. For example, let's take Bush himself. He is the prime example of a Pro-Life hypocrite that seems to abound in this country. On the one hand, he considers the unborn sacrosanct, to be protected at all costs. Fine, Mr. Bush, you're entitled to that opinion. However, then he feels quite free to ZAP anyone within 10 feet of death row into the hereafter and slaughter hundreds of people in a country half-way around the world who would have rathered we not bring them "freedom" in the form of chaos and military occupation.
To quote the West Wing in its better days: "You can say all you want about the Catholic Church, but their position on life is unimpeachable. No abortion, no death penalty." And I think it's safe to add 'no waging unnecessary war.'
All the spin people say that it was the Evangelical Christians who placed the Texan over the top and if that is true, then all I can say is that those people now officially terrify me. I recently reviewed The Seville Communion, part of which dealt with how radicalism is steadily growing in the modern church, making a new version of the Inquisition seem like a very possible event for our near future. And it's not because people are insane (though it sure seems that way) or because they're directly malicious, but simply a fear-driven violent reaction to modern society. Okay, I realize that statement is not entirely coherent, but my mother assures me that Tony Campolo discusses the whole situation better.
Fear. You remember, it's what Cheney has preached for the past three years. And what I will have for the next four years in regards to my personal rights.
A lot of us Blue State dwellers feel betrayed by our Red State brethern, who seem to think that having a fool, a liar and a radical lead our country for four more years is a fine idea. But hey, you and I and record-breaking millions exercised their rights on Tuesday and remarkably, Bush got himself elected fair and square (for once). What the international community must now think of Americans, I am terrified to know. I'm ashamed of us. We promised them, it'll be better, we'll be responsible next time around... and we weren't. Sigh.
Republicans now control the House and Senate, with some old nemeses still maintaining offices they don't deserve. The reasons the pundits give for this development? The over-whelming number of voters persuaded by VALUES and the CHURCH. At this, I'd just like to say, wha?? You've got to be kidding me, right? Let's see a "values" issue to me would be something like, is my leader a good role model for my kids? Bush is a man who's lied about his war record, the war in Iraq, WMDs (oh hell, you name it, he's lied about it), he's been a drunkard and a druggie for most of his adult life, he certainly is no shining star of America's education system, and he's displayed behavior akin to temper tantrums on live television.
Now, as far as the Church is concerned, well, I'm a Catholic. I live in Pennsylvania, a Proud Blue State with a large Catholic population. Another Proud Blue State is Illinois, which also has a large Catholic population. As does Jersey (Blue), Massachusetts (Blue), and New York (Blue). I have listened to my fair share of recent sermons advocating Life that I personally disagreed with, but I have also listened to intentions advocating peace in the middle east and prayed for the souls of our dead troops in Iraq and their families. I think other Catholics can relate to these experiences, and the polls certainly show that they didn't think that Bush supported their values. So then which church has the far-fetched values that got Bush re-elected? (Because it wasn't the Catholics.)
Respecting Life, it seems to me, means that one respects ALL life, whether they be unborn, criminal, or our foreign enemies. Now, as I said before, I am Pro-Choice. I believe in the separation of church and state. I believe that no one, not my church, not my government, not my father and not my boyfriend has any damn right to tell me what to do with my own body. I'm open to suggestions, but the ultimate decision is mine and mine alone. That said, I respect Pro-Life supporters... who aren't hypocrites. For example, let's take Bush himself. He is the prime example of a Pro-Life hypocrite that seems to abound in this country. On the one hand, he considers the unborn sacrosanct, to be protected at all costs. Fine, Mr. Bush, you're entitled to that opinion. However, then he feels quite free to ZAP anyone within 10 feet of death row into the hereafter and slaughter hundreds of people in a country half-way around the world who would have rathered we not bring them "freedom" in the form of chaos and military occupation.
To quote the West Wing in its better days: "You can say all you want about the Catholic Church, but their position on life is unimpeachable. No abortion, no death penalty." And I think it's safe to add 'no waging unnecessary war.'
All the spin people say that it was the Evangelical Christians who placed the Texan over the top and if that is true, then all I can say is that those people now officially terrify me. I recently reviewed The Seville Communion, part of which dealt with how radicalism is steadily growing in the modern church, making a new version of the Inquisition seem like a very possible event for our near future. And it's not because people are insane (though it sure seems that way) or because they're directly malicious, but simply a fear-driven violent reaction to modern society. Okay, I realize that statement is not entirely coherent, but my mother assures me that Tony Campolo discusses the whole situation better.
Fear. You remember, it's what Cheney has preached for the past three years. And what I will have for the next four years in regards to my personal rights.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home