Desperation

So I’m sitting here watching the Daily Show, and I’m beginning to think that I’m completely oblivious to the way most of my countrymen live. 3 out of the 4 commercials in the last break referenced tough times and high gas prices. Are the marketing machines skewing the facts again or am I just out of touch? I’m not in an ideal place, but I am hardly hurting. (The first sentence of this post reveals that my cable bill is being paid.) I guess I should know by now that the media takes about a clear picture of the nation as a whole as a camera coated in vaseline.

I just want to know how my fellow man is actually doing. If I don’t know, none of us can find a solution.

Pigeonhole

If I wasn’t working right now, I might feel like doing a rant on politics. On secord thought… Since I’m so glad to get away from my mind numbing topics, I’ll say a few words.

It’s fun to talk about things I have no idea about. I suppose if constitutional lawyer or veteran military commander heard me blathering on and on about the things I complain about, they would laugh in disgust. There is no way I could understand these topics in the same way that people who delight thir lives to them do. (Something I’m glad about.) However, I am allowed to form opinions based on my knowledge on the subject.

As happy as I am to live in a country where I am permitted to share my ideas and hear the ideas of others, it’s incredibly frustrating when people don’t do their homework. Our politicians have trained us like Pavlov’s dogs. We hear a buzz word like “socialism” on one side and “Bush” on the other and start bristling at the neck and pulling at our collars. Politics has always been about passion, but when did it become so reactionary.

I see so many people arguing about things they don’t understand and absorbing whatever headline and blog post that floats into their transum. Don’t people research anymore. Don’t they read? Better yet, don’t they spend time in quiet thought finding out what they believe. I know they have good sense, because they argue things that are innacurate so well.

I have to stop rambling now and do some work.

Edification

When my dad first started taking steroids for his various health problems, he pulled me aside to explain the  side effects. At this point, he was recently separated from my mom. Life was anything but rosy, so I was used to him having mood swings and under eating. Like most things from this period in my life, I was not aware of how bad the situation actually was until I grew up. My dad did a good job of hiding his chemically-induced depression from me when I was visiting. He told me later that he would sit down to watch the evening news and bawl. He said that it seemed as though all the reports pointed to the end of the world, and humankind seemed anything but redeemable. He would curl into the fetal position and let the evening sitcoms run. Eventually, he would go to bed early.

I was thinking about this today while watching the news. I’m not on any medications, but sometimes its all a little overwhelming. For instance, I was watching Lou Dobbs today. Not something I do on a regular basis, believe me. I was looking to hear about old Hillary. Anyway, he was discussing the recent graduation rate report. Guess what? Only 70% of students in the US graduate! That’s not the best part. In Nevada it’s 45%. I’ve been upset about the state of public education for awhile, but this is just depressing.

Sanguine

I am proud to say that I did follow my new schedule for the day. I got up when I was supposed to and dispersed of my tasks. I may have spent more time lollygagging than I should have on blogs and news, but I’m taking it down. I’m still going as always.

In other news, Barack Obama has clinched the democratic nomination. I’m extremely pleased to be able to cast my first vote for President in an election I believe will be thoroughly historical. Now that I have entered the workplace, I understand how blessed I am to live in a country where I have a voice. I may have thousands of reasons to be cynical. My country is experiencing a fuel price spike and we are unsure of how too transition to other energy sources. The dollar is losing value. People are losing homes. I’ve seen my peers go overseas to die. However, I am still optimistic. I believe in my generation ’s and my resilience and determination.

I’m going to exercise my right to vote in November. Whatever happens, we got through the last eight years; we’ll make it again.

P.S.

My friend Kim and I are looking to organize a Rock with Barack Ba-lock Party. We were thinking about preparing some “Drink the Obama Kool-aid” and providing voter registration forms. Let me know if you are interested or just have good theme snack ideas.

Jingoism

I must say it certainly is a beautiful day to be sitting outside doing some work. The trees by my patio have filled out and they are lovely.

With all the stuff going on with the Olympics and elections and the time I spend on Internet forums, I have been trying to wrap my head round why people all hate each other so much. There are indefinitely people that I can’t stand, but when I really try to think about them and focus on that hatred it just sort of melts away. The idea of putting any effort into hurting someone seems so idiotic. I don’t think I could even do it.

It makes me think about the idealogical divide in this country and how people get so angry at one another. On the Internet, you run into a lot of evangelical Atheists that think the country has been ruined by Christian Conservatives. In my state, I run into a lot of Christian Conservatives that think Atheists are ruining the country. It occurs to me they are both being silly. Let’s say as an Atheist you ascribe to a philosophy of humanism to derive your moral judgment. (Note: This is an assumption on my part, but I don’t think it’s entirely unfair. I have gotten into some really scary eugenics and bioethics conversations, but for now, that is neither here nor there.) As a Christian, you wish to uphold the values of Christ. This is the real goal, after all of the born-again-iciousness of it.

So, we have what amounts to two people who are supposed to regard others above themselves. Interesting to see how all of this meshes with capitalism and a representative democracy. Oh, what do you know! It doesn’t.

I’m not even going to get started on China.

Hybrid

Well, it’s primary day in Texas. The bitter cold of yesterday’s storm front has been replaced with the bitter cold of political rivalry. My friends from college are shouting at everyone who will listen via Internet. “GO VOTE!” and then the campaign slogan of their choice as if an all-caps appeal will sway any last minute holdouts.

I was in college in 2004. Yes, college students are likely to get caught up in the parade of famous faces and ad hominem politics as much as the average joe. There constantly people waving signs in their faces and cramming doom and gloom down their throats while they are trying to walk to class and regurgitate some facts they just crammed in before they purge themselves on their own. A college student is supposed to make a 4-year career of research and thought, but they seem to put little thought into such a monumentally important decision. I heard all this before, and I know it’s easy to blame “the kids” for ruining the political system, but I think that pundits and middle-aged intellectuals need to lay off the stereotyping.

In fact, everyone needs to lay off. I’m tired of others admonishing those who don’t agree with them about who wears a lapel pin. I know American politics won’t stop being a cult of personality anytime soon, but assuming any voter who disagrees with you is doing so because they like the tone of someone’s voice rather than their views on healthcare is wrong.

I voted last Wednesday after spending many nights studying the positions of the four candidates I could choose. I even looked up (be it far less) information on candidates for local posts. I feel I made informed decisions based on my stances and their stances on key issues. Before I criticize someone who voted for another candidate, I’m going to consider the fact that they probably did this too. We simply disagree. Is that a travesty?

You can hate a candidate for their supporters all you want, but until you look into their politics, I have no respect for you.