Years, and a husband or two ago, I read the short story Marching Morons by C. M. Kornbluth. This title has resonated through my thoughts for the last few days, because by my reckonning mankind is becoming more sheepish and dumbed down on a daily basis. Just like in the story.
Weekly I am receiving emails that target Barak Obama. He’s a radical muslim, this decade’s American version of the antichrist. He was sworn into office on the Quran. His campaign is being funded by Hugo Chavez. He’s been endorsed by the KuKluxKlan.
Oh mi God, and people buy this?
Not only do I receive these emails, but they come with the statement that you can check out the facts on Snopes and then directs the reader to pass the email on because people need to know “Who could become our next president.” I’m rolling on the floor in hysterics. Does anyone check Snopes after receiving these emails? Apparently not the people who send them to me, because, duh! They’d have not passed them on had they done so. No, they just believe and pass the ammunition of lies. I wish people would go check out the Snopes website because then they’d learn more, in fact according to Snopes there are several more rumors drifting around that I’d not received yet, but it is still months away from November give it time.
First I have to address the idiocy of the KKK comment, come on get real. The only reason they would back Barack would be to put forward McCain.
Secondly if he wanted to be sworn in on the Quran (a holy book) why not? You don’t think Romney would have asked for the Book of Mormons? Or better yet the triple threat? I mean lets cover all bases.
Thirdly, Hugo Chavez? C’mon get real. While Hugo could back most anyone, I don’t think Chavez is that wiley or interested in American politics at this point of the race.
Fourth, and perhaps the most important, Obama is not a muslim, radical or mainstream. And would or should it really make a difference? We’re suppose to be a diverse society of open minds; all for one and one for all – hey, I can dream. But no we label, suck up the miss information, and carry our banners of hate forward.
I read a blog yesterday that accused of all women who vote for Hillary Clinton of doing so just because she has a vagina. Huh? I respect the guy who wrote it, but come on, I have a brain that thinks. Accusing women of voting for Hillary just because she’s female, would be like voting Barack just because he’s half-black, or McCain because he’s a fear promoting warmonger, er I mean Republican.
I would vote for either Obama or Clinton for several reasons, they are quite similar in the positions I’ve already researched. First and foremost, they are not Bush, ergo they are not McCain. Second, they are both green candiates. They are both relatively open minded. But yes, all candidates and their political party affiliation have agendas… people be damned.
Barack Obama is against the war and pro phased pullout, is pro patriot act…errr sort of. Voted against raising the national debt limit, backs SSI. Has been pro choice in the past, is pro stem cell research. Supports the death penalty on a case by case basis, voted for minimum wage increase, supports affordable drug and health care, supports amnesty/permanent legalization for illegal aliens and temporary, and is wilderness conservation minded. Is pro gun protections (meaning he doesn’t support individual gun ownership rights [based on his previous voting.]) And is wilderness conservation minded.
Opposes Gay Marriages, Net Neutrality, and educational vouchers.
Hillary Clinton is anti war, is pro patriot act. Supports a balanced budget, supports Medicare assistance, is pro-choice, pro stem cell research. Believes in the death penalty, voted for minimum wage increases, supports affordable health care, supports Amnesty / permanent legalization for illegal aliens and temporary legalization for illegal aliens as guest workers. Supports civil liberties, favors gay marriage, is a free trade advocate (yes we remember Nafta.)
Opposes gun control legislation, Net Neutrality, and educational vouchers.
And just so you don't think these rumors and emails about about Obama only, here's Hillary's Snopes page, er the one she shares with her hubby -- you know sins of the husband and all that rot.
My mother will blindly vote on fear and the Republican ticket. I am still weighing the pros and cons of the Democratic ticket, although I can’t vote during Oregon’s Democratic Primaries in May (because I’m independent.) But how many marching morons out there will believe and vote based on 1) calculating emails forwarded in bunny fucking fashion? 2) Listen to their specifically slanted network and cable talking heads? 3) or vote their parent’s partly line, just because it’s the way they were raised? My father once bemoaned, “How did I raise so many democratic children?” Those of us there laughed, because we are both Independent. My father would have voted McCain **shivers run through me** at one time I thought he was against the war, silly me. My mother will vote McCain. I haven’t made up my mind yet, and I don’t mean to sway yours beyond getting out there and deciding for YOURSELF. And then get out there and vote, do it early, do it often.
Think for yourself, use your voice, be proactive, not reactive. Now the question is, "Would you buy it for a quarter?"
Sith
Cele
Thursday, March 06, 2008
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8 comments:
All I have to say to you, Friend, is RIGHT THE FUCK ON! WOW! You rock(K)Cele!!!
Thank you I get my druthers up in arms when someone assumes anything based on gender. MSP
Very well-spoken and researched.
One glaring distinction should be made, however. Obama isn't against gay marriage. He supports civil unions as a minimal national policy, but also supports each state's ability to legalize marriage and has categorically stated that those state laws should be nationally recognized. He wrote an open letter to that effect recently and has been giving speeches about it to Southern Congregations where that kind of message is getting resistance. He doesn't have to give those speeches and tell this to people who don't agree, but he has been doing it nonetheless.
That's one of the reasons I like him so much - he's not a "say what you want to hear" politician, he's a "say what you need to hear" politician.
Hey thanks Rick, I'd gotten my information from Select Smart's comparison chart, the only one that even listed the issue (out of the eight that I checked.) They state, "Obama...Same sex issues: Opposes gay marriage; supports civil union & gay equality."
So I went a step further to find what you were referring to and read his floor statement of the Federal Marriage Amendment. While I think he skirted the issue of his own belief (and that is fine a leader doesn't have to state his or her personal belief as long as they do what I want them to insert smiley face here) he doesn't believe it belongs in the constitution. I don't either, but I'm willing to put it there to stop legalized hatred,inequality, and disrespect of specific marriages and unions based on gender. We've been fighting gender bias for decades now, this is just another battle front.
Who am I to say anyone can not marry the person they love? And who am I to say that any relationship outside the union of a man and a woman will degredate and destroy the union of marriage. Shit, I've been married three times, each to men (er me being female) and have done more to destroy the union between a man and a woman (with help) than any number of same sex marriages.
Here's the letter itself.
As Andrew Sullivan says, here's the money quote:
As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws. I personally believe that civil unions represent the best way to secure that equal treatment. But I also believe that the federal government should not stand in the way of states that want to decide on their own how best to pursue equality for gay and lesbian couples — whether that means a domestic partnership, a civil union, or a civil marriage.
You might remember that last time around the Clinton's threw the GLBT community under the bus with respect to family rights and don't ask, don't tell.
Yeah and that was a policy that worked well...god what were they thinking?
Here's the proof I've been looking for . . . they can try to cover up the past, but regardless what Hillary says today, they were anti-gay in 1996.
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