(no subject)

[cabbitzilla]

I've seen a couple of folks pop up with 'I will not...' posts in regards to the still-going-on U.S. Presidential election. While it's a nice sentiment, it's not one I can really claim whole heartedly, even though I'm likely more bound by it than anyone except the folks in the various arms of the U.S. military. I'm not ranting about it, nor am I foaming at the mouth... but my situation isn't exactly 'normal'. I'll cut-tag the rest of this, to spare folks the pain of yet more political postings.


I've seen several variants of this; it's popping up all over the place. This one in particular I clipped from meghan_mitsumi's journal, since it was the one handy. The pledge itself will be bolded, my answers italicized for ease of reading.

If the "other guys" win on Election Day, I will not:

• Move to another country, nor even claim I want to.
I was born and raised here, and have travelled through quite a bit of the United States. While it's not perfect, for the most part it's been about the best choice available. For every bad spot or bad person, I've generally found two or three good ones; in spite of my current woes, I'm well aware that I've seen and done more than a good many folks twice my age. But in the last four years I've watched an undercurrent of fear/hate/loathing for alternative lifestyles blossom into a full force effort to codify prejudice into the foundation of this country, pushed forward by the incumbent. Given who and what I am, I really have no choice but to view that as a direct threat to me... and I've already been marginalized quite enough, thank you. But given my rather unusual situation, leaving the country really isn't an option for me; I can't think of a single nation that would accept someone not able to function in the work force as an asset rather than an additional fiscal burden. That sticks me here whether I like it or not, and is a decidedly uncomfortable position. Should the incumbent secure re-election, I've more than a suspicion that the attacks on civil rights will resume... which, to be honest, frightens me. Any desire to leave would be dependent on those factors, though it does nothing to make leaving any more likely. In short, I'm stranded here, and have little choice but to make the best of it.
• Say "He's not MY president."
Honestly, I've never understood that stance. The president of the U.S. is the president of the U.S., and denying it accomplishes nothing beyond making the speaker look foolish. I may not LIKE the president, but so long as I'm here I'm sorta stuck with him. It's rather like denying that your supervisor is your boss; you can babble it all you want, but the super's still the one signing your time sheet.
• Rant about how we're all going to be dead, in concentration camps, living under the eye of Big Brother, starving in the streets, and/or under martial law before the 4 years are up.
*raised eyebrow* Fascinating. Let's see... no, doubtul, have been for years, some already are, and unlikely... in that order. Slaughtering your civilians is a good way to prompt a coupe d'tat and find your head on a plate. Concentration camps are rather hard to hide, and given the speed that news and media reporting travels nowadays, it'd either end swiftly or yield the same result as wholesale slaughter of civies. Big Brother's already here; in the age of internet banking and availability of data, you're already living it. :p I honestly don't know if the numbers on homeless folks and the far below the poverty level folks have gone up or down or sideways; it's just not been among my research. And putting everything under Martial Law again brings up the topic of coup or revolution. I just don't think it's a tenable option, regardless of who's in power.
• Call my fellow voters stupid (or worse) for their choices.
Stupid? Not my preference of phrasing. Uninformed or uninterested in the same issues that are so central to me would be better. But in the heat of the moment, yes, I've probably used 'stupid' before. I do my best to avoid it, with varying success. I make a conscious effort not to initiate personal attacks, but I've been guilty of a retaliatory strike more often than is pleasant to admit. I just wish folks could at least -try- to see the other side of the issue, and it seems that the more intelligent a person is, the more likely they are to be completely focused only on their choice of position. *shrugs* It's a failing I'm likely guilty of myself. Maybe this is one of those times.
• Delete my account or abandon it in disgust.
*snort* After everything I've dumped into my journal, unlocked and visible, it'll take more than an election to shut me up. :p Yes, fear and/or rolled eyes are probably appropriate. :p
• Say I no longer like or recognize this country.
Isn't that just a -little- juvenile? Just because I disagree with politics/stances/rhetoric doesn't mean closing my eyes and clicking my heels together is going to make it go away.
• Cease speaking to anyone, nor drop any of my hobbies and loves, nor change what I eat for breakfast, based on the outcome of this election.
Bah. I speak regularly to folks that utterly loathe some of the choices I've made and beliefs I hold; sometimes friendship involves avoiding a subject that's only going to cause hurt feelings. And if the people involved can discuss things without it snowballing into a war, then good for them! Understanding another's stance is the path to common ground, and informed discourse can offer insight into cultures and living situations that you've not encountered afore.

The upshot of all of this is that regardless of who wins this election, I'm stuck here. Since I'm stuck here, I'm going to actively do my best to make ends meet and continue onwards; doing less is begging for failure.

"Do, or do not. There is no 'try.'"
-- Jedi Master Yoda

And that's really where I stand. To be completely honest, George Bush, Jr is probably a really nice guy taken as an individual person... but having him as president scares me half to death. There are reasons why the Founding Fathers were specific about the separation of Church and State; in a nation where more than one religion is present, legislation based on theology is inevitably going to strip rights from someone. The legislature's role is to see to the well being of ALL of the citizens, making the choices as best they can to provide as fair an environment as possible. Individual citizens are free to make choices within that framework that best suit their religions, living to their own creed (hopefully) without negatively impacting the next citizen. Theocratic mandates marginalize anyone who's not a member of that particular sect - they have no placein the legislature of 'the Land of the Free'.

And I'll shut up now. I'm not sure when this became a framework for a dissertation, and I apologize to anyone I've pushed into a boredom-induced coma. And if you actually read this far, then bully for you! I really hope it makes sense...

I really need to stop making posts when I'm 'pondering the great mysteries of life', or whatever you want to call it. Damn, I'm a seriously long-winded fuzzle sometimes. *shakes her head* CNN has the electoral votes at 249 for Bush, and 242 for Kerry. This simply isn't going to resolve any time soon, and I'm already lightheaded from my meds. Time for me to go tuck myself in. G'nite, darlings.

Comments

[freakishspleen.livejournal.com]

Your tune will change! Bush actually has a plan to make oil from blood, like the evil guy from Tank Girl, except with oil instead of water. He's testing it in Iraq right now, while he sits in his office killing kittens.

Its true! Aliens told me through the implant device in my teeth.