Dear Friends,
It’s Election Day again and I fear what this day and week will bring. On one hand, I realize that the wheels for what is happening in our country have been set in motion for a long time and all the rhetoric that is out there is just another layer of deception. On the other hand, though, we (the people) have allowed this to take place. We are culpable and the only recourse we have is to get out there and vote for the people that we hope and pray will make things right.
Regardless of what you believe, I hope you exercise your right to have a say in what happens in our world. When I was younger, I didn’t always vote in mid-term elections, and I regret it. I wasn’t exercising my rights and that is on me. I hope others do not make that same mistake because here we are, and our democracy really is on the line.
For a long time, I have been of the mind that none of our elected officials care much about what happens to the average person. I’m pretty convinced that they are all on the same team, even if the two parties seem diametrically opposed at the moment. When push comes to shove, they are going to do what’s best for the corporations that sponsor their lifestyle. The rest of us just need to watch TV and worry about who the Masked Singer is and stop worrying about democracy.
It seems clear to me that our rights are kind of a happy meal that we’ve been fed. There is no substance, and we are supposed to be distracted by the cheap toy in the box. The unfunny thing is that the toy never lasts and sadly, neither do our rights.
I have four daughters and a granddaughter who are being told by countless ads on TV and possibly their legislators that they don’t have a say over their own bodies. It would be hard enough to stomach this if I didn’t also come in contact with hundreds of female students who also will openly treated as second class citizens during their lifetimes if the lawmakers hiding behind the cross have their say.
It’s also incredibly disheartening to see the ads labeling teachers like myself as people who are looking to groom children and abuse them. This weaponization of words is very dangerous and could easily get myself or my peers hurt or killed. During the rest of my teaching career, am I going to have to swear an oath to Kari Lake or Donald Trump to keep my job?
I wish this was far-fetched. I wish we were a country that understood what it meant to take the high road, but we are not that country. Some would say we never have been and that the history we are taught in school has always been a lie or worse: a myth. I have a hard time accepting this, but I need to get over that.
For a while, I thought the democrats were trying to take the high road and not lower themselves to the mudslinging the MAGA republicans seem to enjoy so much. Other than a few members of congress, and yes, I am deliberately avoiding using capital letters to describe these bozos, I can’t understand why someone on the democratic side hasn’t come out and just said something like:
“These motherfuckers are crazy. Seriously, people…are you listening to what they are saying? Wake the fuck up, America!”
As a lifelong fan of human beings, it is hard for me to not look for some good in people. Deep down, I want to believe there is some good in people like Lake or Trump or those like them. I want to believe that they just see the world differently and they really do want what they think is best for the country. I’d like to believe that they truly do see the democrats as some sort of evil that needs to be vanquished, but I don’t.
I think they see the democrats as a tool to gain more power and wealth. They are the “other” and if I shout about how bad the “other” is long and loud enough, people will fall in line. It’s been happening more and more, so I’m not trying to take credit for this idea. I’m just shocked that it is okay in our country to spread lies and both sides are doing it.
Honestly, I don’t want to be associated with either party. I just want people to be treated fairly and for everyone to play their role in making our society safe and healthy for everyone as much as possible. I don’t see why we can’t get on board with an idea like this, especially when we have so many smart people out there who could figure out something better. I’m so tired of hearing people say they are fight for me and my rights when they don’t seem to want to know what my concerns are or what I need.
I’ve been talking a lot about what we can do, though, for years. I vote with my wallet a lot. I do my best to avoid supporting businesses that are contributing to what I see as the downfall of democracy. I also do my best to listen to everyone, even if I don’t agree with what they are saying. If I can understand why a person disagrees with me, it certainly seems like it would be easier for us to come to some sort of common ground and work together. These are not easy things to do, but they can be done.
I don’t want to hate someone because a leader tells me I should. I don’t want to hate anyone. It’s a waste of time and energy. So much of what is happening in our country is supposedly motivated by religion, but as someone who spent a few years studying Jesus Christ and the churches that are supposed to be devoted to his teaching, I don’t see a true connection.
Peace to us all.
See you tomorrow.
This is what I feel like listening to today.
I want to share a frightening statistic I recently found out. You remember that written test the army gave you before you went off to basic? The one you used to sneak peeks at other soldiers scores? Well, apparently the army is facing a recruiting problem because 75% of all applicants are too stupid to pass that test. Let that sink in for a minute. When I first heard that, all I could think of was that scene in Idiocracy when they inform Joe that he's the smartest man in the world, to which he replies."Are you sure? Because that test was really easy." We forget that the overwhelming majority of America doesn't have enough IQ points to keep their…