Wednesday, March 7, 2018

are we woke?


We are in the end game of the culture war. Those that opposed the wave of change that started in the 60s are still opposing it. Through the years the far right took over the Republican party and turned to gerrymandering and voter restriction to take control of the government to end the liberal wave of equal rights for all (people of color, women, non-christian, LGBTQ) and other cultural issues (poverty, education, health care, immigration, etc.) and bring the country back to being white and dominated by white rich 'christian' men and they have no compunction about breaking laws and engaging in unethical behavior in order to do it, all the while claiming the moral high ground by virtue of their very unchristian christianity. And we let it happen while we were distracted with raising our families. My husband thinks that this war will never end until all the baby boomers are dead and maybe even a lot of our children too. He may be right. We may have realized the war wasn't over until too late. And so we have a Republican party in charge of Congress and occupying the White House, a Republican party that only dances to one tune...that of the 2%, well, two tunes, the 2% and the NRA; a Republican party that is dismantling safety regulations and protections in industry, banking, and the environment as fast as they can; a Republican party that is selling off our national lands for mining and drilling; a Republican party that is passing laws to allow discrimination, that won't address the gun violence rampant in this country, that is deporting illegal residents as fast as they can no matter how long they have lived here, no matter how much they contribute to their communities, no matter that they have served in our armed forces protecting the people deporting them, no matter if this is the only country they have ever known, no matter that the 'family values' party is breaking up families; a Republican party that forced through a tax reform bill without their members even reading it that benefits the 2% and corporations on the backs of everyone else increasing the national debt which they intend to make up some of by cutting SS and Medicare; a Republican party that enables a president who has basically given our country over to it's biggest national enemy while destroying our ties with our allies, a man who thinks it's great that China has once again come under dictatorship rule and thinks America ought to try it and not a peep out of the Republicans, a man who thinks the presidency is all about using the position and power to increase his personal wealth. OMG. I could go on and on. This is just a drop in an ocean of destruction.

So maybe we are woke now. We better fucking well be or we can kiss this country goodbye. When the party in charge doesn't give a fuck that Russia is undermining our very democracy as long as it keeps them in power, then we are done.

Yesterday was the primary. In Texas there has been a huge Democratic turnout. In this very red town in this very red county, the auditorium was crowded. I've never seen this many people turn out for the primary here. And a lot of Democrats, maybe more Democrats than Republicans I think. I didn't think this town had this many Democrats. A friend posted after voting that when she was asked which ballot and she said Democrat, "I bet you do not hear that much." The volunteer said, "you'd be surprised. Especially this time." So maybe we are woke but we need to stay woke, we need this and more in November.

(been a few years since the year of the selfie and apparently the wrinkles quadrupled in that time)





16 comments:

  1. Oh, look, almost as many wrinkles as me!
    Sometimes I feel so defeated. It's hard to get jesus fucking christ mad, shin kicking mad. These kids in Florida reminded me I still have it in me. And our only hope is the ballot.

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  2. You have summed it up nicely. Sad that so many people have tunnel vision. If I have to hear one more idiot proclaim "all I can tell you is I got more money in my paycheck", I may resort to violence! The students in Florida make me proud as they continue to speak out! This is the generation that will fight the battle.

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  3. I am hoping in all of the few secret places in my heart which can still bear hope that people are finally getting to the point of saying "enough". And then voting.

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  4. And on top of it all, he is now letting the rich big game hunters bring elephant trophies back. Erased all the years of conservation. I was hoping political correctness would die, but not the way it has.

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    1. don't know why everyone thinks PC is bad. it's what lets a diverse group of people live together peacefully.

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  5. Never, ever thought I'd say this, but I hope that as Texas goes, so goes the nation!

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    1. let's make sure it goes the right (left!) way first.

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  6. We have some dude already running for prez, but not sure what party. He said the B word he claims-bipartisanship. They should only allow a few weeks for this, why waste $$$$

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    1. well, the donald is already holding campaign rallies and donor events. I don't know why, he doesn't really like the job and isn't happy. but our primary was for the upcoming state mid-terms.

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    2. He is basking in all the attention, even though most are now fleeing the White House as long as he has Twitter he thinks the world is watching his every move and he is right..but we aren't doing it because we like him. I stuck out my tongue at a woman with a "he won get over it" sticker on her car...then I thought to myself, how low I have gone due to my disgust of this man and his followers. So my awakening has been quite a bitter one! Glad to hear of the positive turn out that is what is going to take to OUST him and his kind!

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  7. I was glad to see the selfie. It was fun watching for those every week.

    You describe the situation very well. Every day it's something else absolutely unbelievable, All these years, I never knew that whoever lived in the White House had such power! I did not realize that he could decide by himself to impose tariffs, and sign them into law within a week! I thought there was a process and Congress had to vote on those things. Of course, Congress is really a cluster of store mannequins for all the good they do, anyway. Except, I guess somebody there decided to allow elephant trophies in. Where's the surprise there when we know Cadet Bone Spur's sons like to shoot wildlife.

    How devastating to find out that our faith in the government of this country has been so misplaced.
    My husband and I voted early here in Dallas County, We were the only voters there, with several helpers standing around. It is encouraging to know that more people did vote, but I hope we do lots better in November.

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  8. Your writing is, as always, spot on.

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  9. I think your husband may be on to something there. The generation that is our grandchildren seem to have a clear and logical view of what needs to be done. Perhaps they are the only real hope in all of this mess.

    Wrinkles? They are like scars, they show character and a special kind of beauty. Seriously, I love them. I think it's sad the rest of the world doesn't find them attractive and interesting. I certainly do.

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  10. I hope you're right, and the turnout continues! I'm alarmed by how many people of my generation (X) call themselves conservative and vote Republican. I don't think it's simply a matter of an older generation dying -- because young people become older people and older people often seem to become more conservative. It's troubling!

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    1. I don't think people necessarily get conservative as they get old. us hippies from the 60s didn't.

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.