politics: November 2004 Archives

I don’t even know what to say today. This whole election thing has left me feeling very very upset and disillusioned and disappointed and hopeless. The only thing more upsetting to me than the fact that we will have four more years of this kook in the White House is the thought that a majority of Americans actually agree with him.

I don’t get it. I don’t understand how so many Americans can support someone who is only moving us backwards. I don’t know how I’m supposed to support a President who lied to get us into a war where 1,000 Americans and god knows how many Iraqi civilians have been killed. I don’t understand how I’m supposed to support a president who would rather have abortions being provided in back alleys than clinical settings. Who thinks abstinence only should be taught in school. Who has a helluva time with this whole idea of separation of church and state. Who feels its far more important to open ANWR to drilling than to find alternative fuel sources which would be more environmentally sound. I don’t know how to support someone who feels the best approach to foreign policy is to give a big slap in the face to the rest of the world (except Poland of course) and look into only what protects OUR interests… and how pissing off everyone else is really a protection of our interests at all. Who thinks we can have millions of dollars worth of tax cuts, go to war, and still provide basic services to the American people.

I’m absolutely appalled and embarrassed by all the states that succeeded in banning gay marriage. Have we not evolved enough as a society that we can recognize every human being’s basic human right to make a commitment in the eyes of the law and their god and society to another human being, regardless of sex? Is it really the government’s job to decide who we marry?

I’m feeling really disillusioned with the whole political process right now. The greater of two evils won and I would certainly be feeling much better today if Kerry had been elected, but I’m not sure that I would still be feeling completely satisfied. My beliefs are more in line with his, but we still differ on a variety of ways. I don’t understand why we are so stuck in this two party system in America. Surely there are other ideas on how to run this country. Surely there aren’t only two answers to this problem.

The overwhelming feeling in this “looney liberal town” today is one of gloom. The coffee shop was all abuzz with talk of elections and war and outrage. One of my professors passed out chocolate in class today “because of its anti-depressant properties”.

I’m trying to look on the bright side of this… but I really can’t see it right now…