Thursday, September 4, 2008

POW

Guiliani is a jerk. Palin I actually want to like. I have a vagina and I’m a sucker for underdogs finding themselves in places they never dreamed. But it amazes me how these folks are missing the big picture. Mocking Obama for his enlightened sense of politics? She needs to realize that If it wasn’t for the Obama vibe of new ideas and different, smarter and more human approaches to everything that’s going on in the world, she would be no where near that podium. That’s right. Even McCain caught Obama fever as evident in his choice for VP.

And speaking of McCain, I can’t say I dislike him as a person. I think after 8 years of Bush, it’s hard to not figure that even the worst case scenario is better than what we’ve been dealing with.

I have enormous respect for POWs (in case you haven’t heard, McCain is one as well). My Grandpa Pete was one. I even have his POW pin as a keepsake that provides constant inspiration to how much of a Bad Ass he was. If he wasn’t such a Bad Ass, I wouldn’t exist.

He fought in World War II. Got captured by the Germans. Escaped before he even hit his cell. Took some folks with him. And then got caught again. They starved and tortured him, (while telling the story he never failed to mention how good the svelt him looked whilst being starved) But his spirit never broke. He actually made friends with one of the German guards, Heiny (yup, Grandpa even bestowed his foe with a cutesy nickname) because he knew this whole scenario wasn’t personal. Although fate put them on opposing sides they shared a universal sense of humor. Grandpa respected that so much, he purposely didn’t escape on Heiney’s shift when he made a renegade spree for freedom the second and final time.

See, there’s no point in being a Bad Ass if you don’t have a good brain and a good vibe to go along with it. Otherwise you’re just a douche.

My dead grandpa is a better candidate for president then John McCain because he learned WAR IS FUCKING STUPID.

How is it that with all the progress humanity as a whole has made-- with information and science and technology ---that a great portion of the population thinks maybe everyone from the Neanderthals to the Nazis were onto something with this whole gratuitous violence thing?

In laments terms - When you got bullied in kindergarten, did your parents run over to the bully’s house with brass knuckles, nunchucks and the like and proceed to beat his family to a bloody pulp?

That is what the republicans are making themselves out to be. All while mocking the parents whose kid also got bullied, but decided to sit down with the bully’s family and see where the kids coming from, then exploring sensible options to prevent further bullying down the road. Then as they’re leaving the bully’s house, they notice the bloody massacre next door because the republicans had the wrong address.

I know that’s not the most cerebral analogy. I was just trying to think of one of life’s earliest examples in the simple concept of learning how to be a good person --don’t use violence. You don’t have to exactly “turn the other cheek” but WORK IT OUT.

Then come other basic lessons in life. Treat everyone equal. Even if they’re gay. Or not loaded. Don’t torture animals. Don’t shit all over the planet. DO YOUR HOMEWORK and don’t listen to everything you’re friends say--you may look like an ass what you regurgitate their asinine rhetoric.

Watching the Republican national convention, I can’t help to be reminded of the reoccurring angry mob on The Simpsons. Especially, the Treehouse of Horrors with this nugget:
“Abortions for all! [BOO]
Very well, Abortions for none! [BOO]
Abortions for some, miniature American flags for others! [YAY]”

Guiliani mentions 9/11 in one breathe (ok, 37 breathes) then in the next spews his love for the war in iraq. Everyone cheers. USA! USA!

IRAQ DIDN’T CAUSE 9/11! I know it. You know it (I hope). Do you know how many people STILL have no idea? This can’t go on. It’s embarrassing.

Ok, I’m getting angry and I don’t want to fall asleep this way. So let me shift my attention to what has given me countless inspiration the last year and a half.

In 2002, myself and billions of other people worldwide took to the streets to take part in earth’s largest protest in the history of mankind against the war in Iraq. And it didn’t do shit. I became jaded. Everyone became jaded. Jaded became the cool thing to be. So it got old.

A few years ago, I decided to declare jihad on the jaded. I wanted to believe in my dreams again. I stopped blaming everything else “holding me back” from achieving those dreams and began taking responsibility for my actions. And, changing my actions to achieve these dreams. Instead of complaining that shit sucks, taking that energy to do my part helping shit not suck so bad. Taking a more enlightened approach from all my past experiences, and those of my Bad Ass family. Working with what I’ve got to be the best that I can be – and I’m not there yet but am a hell of a lot closer now that the jaded part of me is merely a fraction of my person.

When Obama first came into my life, he was an enigma. Now he’s a vibe. Fuck it, he’s a heightened level of consciousness. He’s taken the idea of making shit not suck so bad to gigantic proportions and he’s just getting started. And I feel like he’s a part of me. Yeah, I’m an artist, he’s a politician. Black/white, dude/dame--It’s all about vibe. I’ve noticed people around me these days are soaring in every direction. Working their asses off to be better versions of themselves in all contexts and achieving things on levels the jaded versions of themselves wouldn’t even consider. It’s Obamarama. And yeah, he’s so on point with foreign policy and healthcare and equality and the environment and oil and understanding the perspectives of those different from him. There’s so much more to say why he’s the only sensible option at this point in time, but I’m not a political journalist. (DO YOUR HOMEWORK!) This is personal. (And I’m working full time this week so I’ll wrap it up. )

Republicans are so adamant about repeating the war hero thing over and over again. Like I said, I love our soldiers –some very, very personally and I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I ever lost those individuals.

But ESPECIALLY after witnessing and experiencing the bloodshed and complete disregard for human life firsthand, how can you possibly even entertain the thought that violence is the answer?

I honestly think it might have something to do with post-traumatic stress disorder. But don’t worry Johnny. Obama’s looking out for veterans like you.

5 Comments:

Blogger America's Top Hand Model said...

the glazed frenzy of the chanting from the audience combined with the smug smiles of Guiliani and Palin left me with a headache.

there were many jaw dropping moments for me during her speech... this one stands out because of her flippant way of saying it while putting her elbow on the podium as if to say 'Sheesh, that obama free love candidate' and what came out of her mouth was "Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights?"

um..yeah... rights... human rights.. human decency. um... is she negating all that? cuz. yikes..that is f*cking scary.

and i love your analogy of the kindergarten bully.

September 4, 2008 10:27 AM  
Blogger ilovestiggers.com said...

All party conventions are equally wierd and ridiculous. Its just that there's one you favor and you ignore how ridiculous they are too.

I'm not paying attention any intelligent attention to all this stuff until the debates start. But im still munching the popcorn as it all goes on.

Anyway BA, that was one of the more bearable commentaries Ive read, kudos. I can't write about this stuff at all much to my disappointment.

September 4, 2008 2:30 PM  
Blogger BAM! said...

It's so hard to write about this stuff! But it's something so big in all our lives right now, I couldn't hold it in any longer. I just wrote from the gut, from what I know.

And yes, I'm biased like everyone else in the world, but as for The DNC vs The RNC (and i only saw a few speeches from each), I'll once again stick with what I know. RNC= jr/HIgh School mentality. DNC= College mentality.

September 4, 2008 2:47 PM  
Anonymous la duchessa said...

while i am interested in what the GOP is churning out i'm with stiggers: bring on the debates. last night was nothing, it was simply a dog and pony show where she read a heavy-handed script and was prepped to go out there swinging. in her position she has to. strike while the iron is hot, or so they say. plus, considering the flack she is getting she has to make her jabs count when people are paying attention to her, not to the myriad controversies brewing in the background.

if i was to judge her based on her speech, which i think is a mistake, i would say i found her condescending, overbearing, and lacking substance. but as i said, this was a dog and pony show, spectacle and nothing more. the baby-daddy on stage? the close-ups of the downs syndrome kid? "look at that beautiful family?" (mccain's own words). also, did anybody else notice how he was checking out her ass? gross.

i will say this: i find it absolutely insulting that mccain thought he could snap up hillary supporters with a pro-life-NRA- member-conservative running mate for no other reason than she has a vagina. her feisty attitude and "pitbull with lipstick" persona doesn't fool me one bit. and no self-respecting hillary supporter is going to be fooled by this either.

September 4, 2008 5:02 PM  
Anonymous la duchessa said...

also, i will say that i don't think mccain is horrible. as far as republicans go he is AWESOME compared to GWB. i do think he is very, very out of touch, though. since when does $500,000/yr make you middle class? i could go on... but i won't. we need change... and it ain't coming with the GOP no matter how "feisty" his running mate is.

September 4, 2008 5:07 PM  

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