political blather
Jul. 27th, 2004 11:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rmI've finally managed to watch some of the DNC, and I saw Kerry's wife speak for the first time. It wasn't a great speech, and she's not a great speaker (and I hadn't realized about the accent -- I wonder how that will play), but she she just radiates power in a way you pretty much never seen from political wives, and really even female politicians or female public figures in general. I mean, there's just this undefinable Bene Gesserit sort of thing about her that leaves no doubt she would be ruthless in defense of whatever she viewed at her domain. Interesting.
Meanwhile, there a controversy errupting over shirts you can buy on the Planned Parenthood website that say "I Had an Abortion." Without touching the actual abortion part of the debate, I think these are interesting, powerful and problematic. In our all-irony, all-shock all-the-time culture I can too easily see them being baby-t's on 13-year-olds trying to look cool, and that disgusts me. But as women who are encouraged to be silent about these choices, who are encouraged to let everyone believe that no matter what they think about abortion it only happens to other people who aren't as good as them... I love these shirts, I love the idea of stark words speaking silently, because I am that sort of marketing person. Of course, my understanding of protest comes from Act-Up, which was shocking, stark and marketing savvy. Anyway, I think the shirts are smart and interesting in a world that can't keep up with them. http://store.yahoo.com/ppfastore/ihadabt.html
How do we say we do not celebrate a thing, while also saying I am not ashamed of it? How do we talk about doing what is necessary in a world that seems broken into craven and lazy? How do we say, life is full of terrible choices and the critical thing is that we remain capable of choice, not just in the law, but in our hearts and minds? When politicians talk about moral education, character education, what they should be talking about, and I think are often talking about in code, are reasoning skills.
I don't believe you can teach morality. I believe you can demonstrate kindness, and love and that you can teach reasoning skills and ethics, and if you're serious about it, morality is the result. But if you seek to solely instill a set of beliefs over a code or framework from which to find beliefs, all you will do is beat fear and lack of thought into a mind.
Finally, I know most of the people reading this are ass broke, and of a range of political spectrums, however I think we can all agree we are fighting for our country's future in this election, and are devided with a hostility and fierceness I don't think any of us have previously seen in our lifetimes.
If you want Bush out of the White House, please give money to the Kerry campaign. If you're ass broke, dig the change out from under your couch cushions, count it up, and make a contribution that size. Even if it's only $10. Kerry may not be the man you want on the environment, or gay rights or whatever your specific concerns are. I know he's not a perfect fit for me, but I also know he will at change the current direction of things that terrify me so much.
To the few Republicans who hang around these parts. To my knowledge, you're all my type of Republicans, which is to say smart, more libertarian than not, and annoyed by your party's constant distraction from important stuff like the economy and national security to wage wars on crap like the marriage ammendment. Vote for whomever you're going to vote for, but do me a favour and take the time to get involved in your party and make it a party that doesn't require me to roll my eyes when you talk about the party of Lincoln. I'm for smaller government, and I could get behind your cause and we could have a lot more unity and civility in public discourse if you would all stand up and take your party back. So do what you need to do, donate money where you need to donate money, but do something.
Meanwhile, there a controversy errupting over shirts you can buy on the Planned Parenthood website that say "I Had an Abortion." Without touching the actual abortion part of the debate, I think these are interesting, powerful and problematic. In our all-irony, all-shock all-the-time culture I can too easily see them being baby-t's on 13-year-olds trying to look cool, and that disgusts me. But as women who are encouraged to be silent about these choices, who are encouraged to let everyone believe that no matter what they think about abortion it only happens to other people who aren't as good as them... I love these shirts, I love the idea of stark words speaking silently, because I am that sort of marketing person. Of course, my understanding of protest comes from Act-Up, which was shocking, stark and marketing savvy. Anyway, I think the shirts are smart and interesting in a world that can't keep up with them. http://store.yahoo.com/ppfastore/ihadabt.html
How do we say we do not celebrate a thing, while also saying I am not ashamed of it? How do we talk about doing what is necessary in a world that seems broken into craven and lazy? How do we say, life is full of terrible choices and the critical thing is that we remain capable of choice, not just in the law, but in our hearts and minds? When politicians talk about moral education, character education, what they should be talking about, and I think are often talking about in code, are reasoning skills.
I don't believe you can teach morality. I believe you can demonstrate kindness, and love and that you can teach reasoning skills and ethics, and if you're serious about it, morality is the result. But if you seek to solely instill a set of beliefs over a code or framework from which to find beliefs, all you will do is beat fear and lack of thought into a mind.
Finally, I know most of the people reading this are ass broke, and of a range of political spectrums, however I think we can all agree we are fighting for our country's future in this election, and are devided with a hostility and fierceness I don't think any of us have previously seen in our lifetimes.
If you want Bush out of the White House, please give money to the Kerry campaign. If you're ass broke, dig the change out from under your couch cushions, count it up, and make a contribution that size. Even if it's only $10. Kerry may not be the man you want on the environment, or gay rights or whatever your specific concerns are. I know he's not a perfect fit for me, but I also know he will at change the current direction of things that terrify me so much.
To the few Republicans who hang around these parts. To my knowledge, you're all my type of Republicans, which is to say smart, more libertarian than not, and annoyed by your party's constant distraction from important stuff like the economy and national security to wage wars on crap like the marriage ammendment. Vote for whomever you're going to vote for, but do me a favour and take the time to get involved in your party and make it a party that doesn't require me to roll my eyes when you talk about the party of Lincoln. I'm for smaller government, and I could get behind your cause and we could have a lot more unity and civility in public discourse if you would all stand up and take your party back. So do what you need to do, donate money where you need to donate money, but do something.
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no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 04:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 04:51 pm (UTC)I mean... do you volunteer with any political causes at all? Are you actually planning to move? I mean you don't have to be pragmatic, that's my bugaboo, and I'm clearly not going to convince you. But what are you doing other than telling us how you're above it all here in LJ land?
This isn't me saying love it or leave it... but if the source of this conversation is a concern over empty rhetoric, prove to me yours isn't.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 04:59 pm (UTC)I've volunteered to help stop the various anti-GLBT ballot measures that the rural and suburban bigots keep proposing in this state. Given that these same people have just (I read it in the paper yesterday) gotten an anti-SSM measure on the ballot, I'll be volunteering to help stop that one too (although, I fear this one may actually pass, unlike the other measures that have all failed by fairly narrow margins).
Are you actually planning to move?
If Bush is re-elected, I'll be in Canada within the year (if not sooner), along with Becca, Alice, and Aaron - we are still deciding between Toronto and Vancouver BC. I've been doing a fair amount of research on this. I don't expect Bush to win, but I'm ready if he does.