Post Election Reflections

Last weeks election results have me baffled. Keeping my cool has been seriously compromised. What are the American people thinking? On election day I hunkered down outside my local polling station, curious what kinds of folks would show up. Few did, but one Hispanic guy was open to discuss his choices. Pissed at our Democratic Governor who had been embroiled in scandal, he blamed  Richardson for stealing his Mom's pension fund. So he was ready for change. He claimed to listen to Amy Goodman's Democracy Now, but he voted for a Republican Governor. So now we have Susanna Martinez, the first female Hispanic Governor ever and what does she do? Investigate already on how to reverse recent legislation in regard to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) as if the environment needed not more, but less protection! With big money from Texas ,her home state ,we are sure to see oil interests rise and pristine areas opened to invasive drilling, resisted up until now. 

A planned acquisition of land for an ambitious 4 prong project to rescue wild Mustangs, to rehabilitate and employ them for therapeutic gains for kids and vets and tourists will likely get nixed with the myopic state of minds of most Republicans. One elderly lady expects hunters to be given access to up till now protected environments. One would wish for more wisdom with females in leading positions, but I never believed peace to reign with females bickering (and this our two contenders for Governor did up to election day.)

One of my favorite cute young check-out guy at Trader Joe's grocery store admitted he did not bother to vote. I gave him hell. Well, not really, but I did impress on him the importance of doing so and he agreed he made a mistake. Have you talked to your check-out guy or gal lately, about things that matter? I highly recommend talking to those around us for real.

At the dog park on my twice daily outings I inquired about how others feel about the results and lo and behold there are a few there too that voted supposedly conservative. The First Lady's entourage was blamed, the expenses of the President's trips were mentioned, but not the expenses of Bush's war mongering? It took only one round around the park for one woman to consider she may have made a mistake with her vote for Republicans. Mind you we parted with hugs and the satisfaction of being able to voice our differing views and hear each other and find a surprising lot of common ground. Have you talked to your friends and neighbors yet lately? Again, I highly recommend it, we do need civilized discourse. Politics and money should no longer be off limits, they are too important.

Bush is hawking his book and so I got to watch him on Oprah. He mentioned that sinking feeling when he learned that there were no weapons of mass destruction and then continued that EVERYBODY believed Saddam had them. Nope, I did not, and neither did the investigators and he chose not to listen to them, but follow in the footsteps of unconfirmed ideations of his own. I blame him for not having taken the time, not having had the wisdom to wait out the results of an  almost complete investigation. before going to war. Inexcusable. Bush did not say he was sorry! Instead he claims a black entertainer's critique of racism hurt him the most! But objections to his actions from throughout the world, in the millions, ran down his bare back like water and left him unaffected? Bush says he is done with politics and it seems to confirm that his stints as Governor and President were likely geared towards pleasing his Dad. Gosh what an immature mind. Do the American people really have such a short memory?

to be continued ...

Lost Opportunities

I grieve the lost opportunities that came with President Obama's rise - and fall. How can a man that was able to speak right out of the hearts of the people so suddenly get so out of touch? How can so much hope and excitement dissipate so fast? 

Today, the day after the mid-term elections, President Obama in his response to the press mentioned the height of craze of two years ago as he tried to convince us that we are all on a learning curve and that change is a process, not an overnight miracle. But the craze was not crazy, but real. So many of us want change, not incremental, but at the core. We believe too many bad weeds need uprooting, a purge of major proportion is in order. Wall street has to be given perspective and has to serve once more the people. Corporate power needs to be reigned in. Free enterprise does not mean free reign to those with money, power and influence, and no conscience. Corporate entities are not people and should never have been allowed to hold such status. Shame on those conservative courts. Shame on those that exploit.

I do not care much for the color red or blue, too primary, too simplistic for my taste. I like nuanced tones a whole lot better. Like so many I have not been able to identify with either party. We do need more options, but not the Tea Party. We need to step forward in time not backward. 

While I am not for abortions, I am most certainly not about to tell another woman what she can or can not do with her own body. Do we really want to revert to backrooms with coat hangers? We have to embrace science and not deny the well proven facts. Omitting to teach science and history according to facts rather then philosophy ought to be a crime and should be considered a terrible indoctrination.

I am a product of the sixties, which were the seventies in Europe, I have been anti-establishment since my teens. Voting Democratic by default I am suddenly accused of wanting government hand outs and worse having a socialist agenda intent on the equitable redistribution of wealth. Hilarious, if there were not as much at stake. By the way, I do own my home free and clear and pay off my credit cards monthly and so far managed to stay debt free.

A discussion on what ought to be under government control and what not might very well be in order. Locally we got our train and some bemoan that it is not a profit making enterprise. No wonder I say with the restrictive hours and destinations of it's service, but coming from Switzerland I do not believe train service has to be a profitable business, primarily it ought to benefit the people, the community and the environment. The decrease in carbon emanating commuter vehicles with the benefits of a lower carbon foot print, better air and less congested roads ought to be plenty of incentive to support travel by rail. I fear for our trains under our new Republican Governor.

Worse I fear the American mindset that loathes a powerful, intelligent, well educated and well spoken woman like Nancy Pelosi or President Barack Obama, but embraces personalities like Christine O'Donnell and Sarah Palin with their cocky, cutesy, even sexy, certainly folksy, but seriously uninformed states of minds. 

With shattered hopes and a country reverting back to old worn out ways, it is tempting to become a cynic, turn away from the ugliness of politics as usual, turn off the TV with it's toxic commercials and simply stop caring. But care we must! Conversations must be had. We do not have the luxury to ignore each other, we live too close, too dense, too dependent on each other. So I invite your views on the state of affairs post mid-term elections, please.