Yesterday I felt it totally…yes it was the Kerry thing and yes it drove me right to the bottom. The question is why?
I have been trying to figure out why I had this reaction on the heels of all that has gone on in this election season, which to many of us has gone on for not a few months, but over 6 years. There has been no respite or release from this in these past years, just sometimes it’s better news, but mostly it is bad news.
I guess the reason is that the recent debate over Kerry’s remarks has brought out all the rancor over 2004, with the old tales being resussiated and polished to give new breath to old saws that divide this country.
Yesterday, it became so unbearable I had to tear myself away from nonstop cable news, cspan, blogs, etc. to watch some old movies, history channel or anything else I could find to divert me.
Oh sure, I had my times when I just had to take a peek to see where the story was at the time, but all in all I tried to keep my distance. Then this morning, on my radio station that is on all night, I awoke to the discussion of Kerry and that sent me over the edge again.
Bottom line is I want this election to be over so we can get on with things, or start to fight the voting discprepancies, which are sure to come….but let the election be over, please.
On another note Dena (Sangreal79) our Iraqi friend here in Kansas on the Fullbright, had her first taste of Free Speech….seems that fundamentalist, fire and brimstone, evangelical preachers have come to U of Kansas and the result has been hilarious to hear Dena tell it and I wish she would, while knowing she doesn’t have the time, I will try to relate at least some of it.
The first travelling ‘preacher’ came a week ago, he started to speak in the central area of the school commons, spouting hate for all gays, non Christians, sex and all manner of things as you can imagine. Dena was there at the beginning sitting on a bench, trying to do a little studying and watched it unfold. Students started to gather, hastily making protest signs, bringing bags of condoms to throw into the air, bags of eggs to throw at this man, which apparently had no effect as he continued to rant. Dena’s observations were many but the primary thing she saw in the whole deal was that there was no violence, in other words, no one died.
Then Mon. there was a new preacher, this time he hated everyone and everything, including Iraqi’s and wanted them all dead, including most of the middle east it seemed. Next she saw a young woman stand up to the man in a very emotional way, tears streaming down her face as she spoke saying “how can you talk this way about Iraqi’s, and so on. Dena approached her to give her a hug and the woman was surprised until Dena spoke up and said “My name is Dena and I am from Baghdad.”
Immediately, she was welcomed and given much attention and caring. Dena in time became so emboldened she made her own poster and stood there next to the preacher man holding her protest sign…Well I cannot tell you how excited she was to have participated in her first protest, something she would have never done in Iraq. So there you are, draw your own conclusions, but I see much hope there, because as bad as it is here, as bad as it may become, it still looks like freedom to at least one person who has come here from the middle east.
So what’s on your mind, what are your thoughts about this election and are you exhausted?
