Saturation
Whew. I'm all blogged out. Crazydaisy Kerstin is at her Knits End and the action is hot. I've been spending a lot of time over there reading, contemplating and writing. It's been great to watch the discourse turn from anger to measured, educated, and passionate debate. I love it and I'm so happy it's happening. If you haven't already been there - check it out (link to yesterdays post with 100 comments!). Weigh in. Especially if you’re on the opposite end of the spectrum...your voice is welcome and it will be heard.
It's easy to get saturated with talk about the election, our country, the "moral majority", etc, etc, etc. That's where I am, saturated. I keep going back for more. Why? Because I'm still trying to understand it. What makes people feel the way they do? I see a president who misleads me, judges me, and limits my choices as a person and as a woman. I see a president who picks his battles for personal gain, who refuses to protect the needs of his natural world, and who puts his people in harms way. I see a president who fails to admit his wrongs, does things because he "feels" they're right, doesn't know one geographic border from another.
This is what I see. I also see a country divided, as it was four years ago. The actions of the executive office did nothing to bridge that gap last term. I don't see any way they'll accomplish that this term. We can all argue until we're blue in the face. It's time to start to understand one another and learn, teach, and hear. I’ve been hard pressed to find measured opinions from those who voted for Bush. I'm working at finding partisan (from both sides) and non-partisan sources backing up my thoughts because I'm going to start speaking. Speaking out a lot...
Go team!
It's easy to get saturated with talk about the election, our country, the "moral majority", etc, etc, etc. That's where I am, saturated. I keep going back for more. Why? Because I'm still trying to understand it. What makes people feel the way they do? I see a president who misleads me, judges me, and limits my choices as a person and as a woman. I see a president who picks his battles for personal gain, who refuses to protect the needs of his natural world, and who puts his people in harms way. I see a president who fails to admit his wrongs, does things because he "feels" they're right, doesn't know one geographic border from another.
This is what I see. I also see a country divided, as it was four years ago. The actions of the executive office did nothing to bridge that gap last term. I don't see any way they'll accomplish that this term. We can all argue until we're blue in the face. It's time to start to understand one another and learn, teach, and hear. I’ve been hard pressed to find measured opinions from those who voted for Bush. I'm working at finding partisan (from both sides) and non-partisan sources backing up my thoughts because I'm going to start speaking. Speaking out a lot...
Go team!
posted by Bookish Wendy at 11/10/2004
5 Comments:
Oh goodie... I'm looking forward to it Jackie! You go girl. ;)
Very, very well-said, Wendy. I agree! I really enjoyed Kerstin's site... have I ever met her?
~ Erin
Wendy, I agree there is a great divide of the nation, but I fail to see why one side has to clarify itself and give you proof of the reasons why they voted for Pres. Bush. I read your synopsis of Bush and think, more liberal media bias talking points. I haven't seen any proof that Bush has done anything to affect our environment, only scare tactics by the left. Your view of the war is only your view, what makes it right? What limitation has Pres Bush actually put on you as a woman? I must have missed that passage of legislation, because I haven't lost any rights myself. I hear the left telling us he will do terrible things, but haven't seen any proof of it. As to judging, what are you doing yourself, if not standing in judgement of Pres. Bush? Yet I haven't seen any of his perceived judgements on anyone played out in legislation. Oh horrors, he enactd the right for religious groups to get grant money to help the people in need. Any religous group, not just from his faith. That's a bad thing?
We could argue these points all day, but if we continue to come from the stance that only our views are right, we will just continue to anger the other side. We actually need to stop fearing everything about government and start living and helping our fellow man. Start at the ground level and see where it goes. Instead of screaming for government to give the "poor" more money, let's help the poor ourselves. Instead of fearing what the media "tells" us the Ex. Off. is doing, let's search for the truth ourselves. I have had it with this reporting that Pres. Bush is bringing back the draft. Democrats (Charles Rangel for one) were the ones who submitted that bill. The Pres. has said time and time again he is not bringing back the draft. I haven't seen him break his word, can you show me proof of it.
P.S. I left Kerstin's blog, after more than a year of a personal online friendship with her, because of the hostility. I am glad to hear it is getting to a more measured discussion. But I won't go back, I tend to stay away from gangs who bully people just because they hold a different view. Oh, and judged me for listening to Rush Limbaugh. Gee, how open minded they are, anybody's view but a conservative.
Respectfully yours, chrisknits.blog-city.com
They don’t HAVE to clarify. I’m not demanding it, I’m asking it. I ask it for it so that I can understand why they made the choice they did. Not convince them they are wrong. This is my way of learning how to cross that divide. All of the “liberal” talking points that I stated - they were me... they were my opinions. I didn’t garner them from some newspaper, I live them everyday. I work in a non-profit environmental organization. While we are lucky in Massachusetts to have tougher environmental laws at the State level Bush’s policies still have a strong effect on my everyday work life and our environment. If you’d like I can gather specific cases. You don’t think that you’ve lost any rights? The Patriot Act denies civil rights. I’m not going to argue whether the Patriot Act is right or wrong... just that it is there and that it limits rights and that this Presidents supports it. Even something as little as a right to search library and bookstore records (http://weholdthesetruths.org/Civil-human-legal/Articles/patriotbooksellers.htm) is a big deal to me. It’s just too “Big Brother” for my tastes. I’d rather stay away from the abortion issue, it’s something that is too personal for me. However, I will say that Bush hasn’t had any qualms about appointing ideological members of the scientific community to important boreds and committees. His judgements may or may not act out in legislation. We can all be thankful that our founding fathers had the forsight to recognize the need for separation of powers. However, the man got up and stated that his goal this term was to get a constitution ammedment passed banning gay marriage. That is a huge deal to me. That limits my rights and the rights of my unborn children.
I suppose I have judged President Bush. But I’m not pushing to enact legislation preventing him from being who he is as a person and as an American, I would just rather not see him as the leader of my country. More importantly, I’m not judging you. You have a right to believe as you do. I’m just trying to understand what and why you believe that. That’s my goal here. And I appreciate and welcome your comments.
Hey Wendy ~ Would you write up an essay for homegrown? Use Chris's comments as your starting point. I find this fascinating. (And you know what I mean by that, right?) Damn right, I have opinions on people who listen to bigots.
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