Tonight was our big chance. Tonight was the chance we had to prove something.
Tonight we lost.
I am not referring to the result of the presidential election which for the second time in this millennia will be debated in a court of law.
We, is referring to the country that at one time could call itself the United States of America. One can simply recognize it for what it is. A corporate driven, capitalistic machine that utilizes the joint democrat and republican machine to polarize people in the name of fear and hate.
Tonight, we had the chance once again to make our voices heard. Tonight we had a chance to vote for all those antiquated terms that politicians tell us we don’t understand: Liberty, Justice, Freedom.
Tonight we watched a slew of southerners and middle americans prompted by their churches vote against the godless liberals. Tonight we watched a crusade of defensive intellectuals prompted by the ‘other team’ to vote against the establishment simply because it’s them.
We have turned the words liberal and conservative into racial slurs. Only we’ve almost been able to do so without bringing race into it anymore. Four years ago, I heard screams (yes, literally screams) of NEVER AGAIN. And yet, four years later not only is the map unchanged…. but the networks all agreed, “The reds got redder and the blues got bluer”
And those in the middle? Those that actually hoped their country would remember what it stood for and what freedom and liberty meant? What of them?
Not less than 10 different people considering emigration. I have watched already abject depression and detachment from people. If you didn’t think your vote counted in 2000, you probably think it even more now. The media almost said it, and John Stewart of the daily show did. The country tonight consisted of 9 states. The rest…. no one cares.
I for one am making a declaration. If the political machine of the two major parties wishes to turn the elective process into a polarizing challenge of US GOOD, THEM BAD… so be it. But my declaration is that THERE IS NO LONGER A UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
From this day forth they shall be known (by me and anyone else who agrees) as
THE STATES DIVIDED BY AMERCA. (sic)
SDA if you must.
The first half is obvious. If we were to be foolish enough to call this collective a nation anymore we would have to agree it would have to be called a nation divided. And no matter how many times Peter Jennings tells you that the polarization of the vote doesn’t represent the polarization of the people; check the numbers. In almost every state, the numbers were divided by less than 10%. Typically less then 3%.
The word Amerca, I picked for several reasons. One… it’s a mispronunciation that I have heard in both the urban centers as well as the most rural. (And I’ve lived in both). Further, it rather poetically removes the “I” from America. Lastly, it makes it sound more like a corporate name than a country. I find this nomenclature more apropos. Ooh, sorry, that last sentence may be too cerebral for the likes of half the country. I’ll try again. Ah, find th’ new name, more fittin’.
There are some that will run up and call me unamerican. Which I will find ironic. I did my duty. I voted. And I voted for the candidate that I felt most represented my views. I believe in a nation that protects the rights of all its citizens. I believe that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are not mutually exclusive ideals. I also believe that I have not seen a whole lot of happiness in the past 10-20 years in this nation.
Tonight, some partisans are crying and other people are preparing to gloat. Some are preparing to fight, some feel there is no fight necessary. Primarily because their team did or didn’t win. Some, because they still think they can win this one for the gipper. (Who incidentally wasn’t on their team, but details details) Tonight the brainwashed fundamentalists that are electors prepare to be let off their chain by their masters so they can push the button they’ve been told to. Tonight the two major political parties won… and you lost.
Tonight, I would weep. But how do you shed a tear for a group of people that were a nation and now have no soul to weep for. When the two sides become religion with no spirituality and intellectualism with no wisdom.
I for one… I shake my head.
It is my belief that evils like superstition, tyranny, and oppression must not merely be fought against, but utterly vanquished. Destroyed if you will. The human will must be preserved, defended, and fought for. But it must be done with a combination of brains, wisdom, faith, and philosophy. And when the issues bump up… you must find out what is the deeper core of the issue.
As long as I am a citizen of this land where they say I can speak as I will (As long as I don’t incite to panic or make threats against our administration; of which I do neither)…. I will speak as I will. I will speak until I am hoarse. I will keep speaking even when they have told me to stop. I will fight both sides of the issues until they bloody well shake hands and say, “Ah, that was it.”
I will fight, rip, tear, shred, rend. Until polarization is a thing of the past. I will NOT allow the politicians to neatly stack up buzzwords like chess pieces until they can build the perfect stalemate that renders the voice and will of the people undone.
If you cared enough to vote, than Damn you all if you don’t care enough to figure out what you really care about and fight for it until you have sucked the marrow out of life.
If you want to call yourself Americans… Than by anything you hold holy, divine, or the lack there of….
Start acting like americans. Stop acting like puppets.
« I had a difficult time deciding if I wanted to post this… So what’s next? Destroy their power base. »
I’m sorry you view things from such a completely jaded place.
People believe in things. Yes, the country is currently polarizing into two camps, split by those beliefs. If you really take it apart, however, people are following those two camps less and less…there are more and louder cries for a legitimate third party that represents some of those labelled ‘moderates’.
I just had to comment and protest the fact that you seem to be saying that believing in things, particularly polarizing issues, is wrong. It sounds like you’re suggesting that we’re supposed to all hug one another and sing ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy’ as a unified group.
Won’t happen. Not as long as we’re free.
One of the penalties of freedom is diversity that goes beyond the realms of tolerance and causes polarity. I pay that penalty without reservation. While I would love for everyone to see things my way, it isn’t going to happen. That’s the reality. I gladly deal with that reality because of what I get in exchange: the freedom to hold these beliefs, even the ones that polarize us as humans and Americans.
People are going to hate me because of some of the things I believe. That’s okay. I can handle that. By the same token, I will do whatever I can within the system to try and fight them. Without that fight, without that diversity, we would be weak and passionless creatures, easily lead and dominated.
Again, I’m sorry you see the political system the way you do. I’m sorry you feel like America is somehow less because of the division on sociopolitical issues that we now see. If you want unity, you are going to be wanting a very long time. Even if you just want -more- unity, the only way to achieve it is by fighting the fight, as you say you will. Just make sure the fight is one that actually has a chance to unite and isn’t just a raw cry of unity for unity’s sake.
Start a new party. Try and find like minds. The choice is yours, you can achieve anything you like. See, you can do all of that because, despite the way you seem to see it now, we’re America. For better or worse, we remain united and we celebrate our diversity. There are still good guys and bad guys, but we’re all Americans…and the only real bad guys are the ones actively working against us as a whole.
If I cry it will more be for my family, who I watched being legally declared nonentities and subhumans in about a third of the country yesterday. And although we have some hard won and possibly temporary rights as human beings in this state, it is very possible the feds will decide my state does not have the right to grant human rights to my friends.
Not for the Democrats, who have virtually assured their destruction by asking how high to jump and apologize everytime someone says the word “liberal” to them, and thus have come up with a series of unappetizing, bland candfidates who don’t seem to stand for anything at all.
But yeah – Americans are getting the government they deserve. Unfortunately, the small minority of us calling the warnings to them are going to suffer along with them.
You took the words right out of my mouth.
The candidate I wished to vote for didn’t make it past the primaries. After that, it came down to with whom do I disagree less? Which is why I vote independent — and my votes split around parties based on the records of the candidates.
Either way, no matter what happens, at least half of this country is going to be upset. Fleeing the country seems like a really bad way of using one’s citizenship, though.
As long as I am a citizen of this land where they say I can speak as I will (As long as I don’t incite to panic or make threats against our administration; of which I do neither)…. I will speak as I will. I will speak until I am hoarse. I will keep speaking even when they have told me to stop. I will fight both sides of the issues until they bloody well shake hands and say, “Ah, that was it.”
I will fight, rip, tear, shred, rend. Until polarization is a thing of the past. I will NOT allow the politicians to neatly stack up buzzwords like chess pieces until they can build the perfect stalemate that renders the voice and will of the people undone.
Damn straight! Better words have never been said.
I live in Ohio. I am terribly deflated today. Time to take a more serious look into expatriating…
As long as the politicians are not totally neutral against the influence of big companies and the people vote for candidates who convince them with scare tactics (this starts for the home use on MTV) instead of analysing the facts and then mobilise new voters to desperately row the sinking ship in the next harbour there will be no change in the way the U.S.A. is going be represented in the world – Wild West Style
People who say they voted for the first time in their life – well keep it up – but not just in 4 years – keep the political work up until you achieved what you desire – heads up everyone, don’t let them drown you in their mud
I made almost the same post, except for the part about “wanting to call yourself Americans”, because I no longer do, nor do I see that as a desirable goal.
To paraphrase (because I don’t have the text here),
The country, long divided must unite, long united must divide. So has it ever been.
If you have time, pick up & read the abridged Three Kingdoms. There’s a lot in there about military strategy, but there is also a glimpse of what we (as a nation) may very well be heading for.
I think this was one of the most eloquent election type posts made so far. I comend you. I for one am all about the “sucking the marrow out of life.”
I feel that until people can stop being sheep and be individuals and choose for themselves we will never find the land of the free and the home of the brave.