I should be in bed, but I don't think I can sleep before getting this out of my system.
Compared to friends of mine, I had a rather uneventful trip to the RNC. There was a little intenseness, but mostly it was fun. I even got a peaceful political activist button! (or 8-ish...) I got home all pleased, if tired. Once again we'd fought the good fight--except for the fighting part. Then I started hearing about my friends stuck behind bars for as long as 36 or so hours, and in the chemical-burning pens no less. Then I read about the cops' new pre-emptive (in the Bush-ish, really-meaning-preventive sense of the word) arrest tactics, and how they ignored 3 court orders to let over 400 people go, as per habeas corpus. Then I watched the actual RNC speeches (and the Daily Show coverage of course; awesometastic as always). Then I saw the latest polls. And read more news. And saw more pictures. And heard more speeches.
It's too much. The neo-cons want to fuck over every one of us just to make a couple extra billion, only to keep it locked in some non-taxable offshore bank account. They want to legislate our bodies and our marriages and our "morals." Then they go and brag about protecting American freedoms, and about empowering doctors and patients to make their own medical decisions. I mean, you probably know the million other shitty ideas to come out of Bush's mouth (by way of Cheney's brain of course).
And now we can't even scream about it, let alone actually being heard and/or televised. We all at least heard about those orange censors the NYPD unfurled around anyone preparing to express opposing views to those vocalized in the MSG (and I don't mean the people who got carried out on national television). Our president is scary when entrusted with as much power as he has. Hell, the cops are scary and the worst they have is a chemical weapon or two. What is terrifying is that so many people have been duped by him and the Republicans. I keep wondering, what country should I move to if Dubya wins again?, and I'm kidding a little less each time.
Some hopefulness I guess comes from The Boston Globe and Paul Krugman. But they're mostly preaching to the choir. Oh also, I heard a guy on NPR today (a caller) who said he was from New Hampshire, and that the purple heart band-aids and Zell's speech made him decide to vote for Kerry. So, at least maybe the Republicans could have shot themselves in the foot.
But, I mean, fuck. What are we supposed to do? I'm sick of waiting for November and hoping for the best. I'm too afraid and angry and frustrated to do that.
As for now, I'm too tired to write more. If there was anything else I meant to say, I forgot it. So I'll leave you with...
Bush, in the faces of soldiers who have died in the Iraq war.
For a sign that all is not lost, see my new blog post: Hope is On the Way! Then, play the sound clip of Mrs. Doubtfire saying, "Help is on the waaaay!" until you throw up from laughing. Then,.... I dunno.... ooh! We could have a target range like in the Post World Industries video!!
ReplyDeleteooh, good idea! i mean, every self-respecting activist should at least know how to make and use a molotov =)
ReplyDeleteand, it's not like chicago '68 or anything... they used tear gas (and people thought it was a good idea to cover themselves with vaseline to protect their skin from it... oh and used urine instead of apple cider vinegar. ew), and cars with barbed wire on the front that they drove into crowds... and stuff like that. 'course, that got way more press... but i'd rather not face the barbed wire police car of doom anyhoo.