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After the general election in 2004, I could hardly contain my agony. As I tried to gather my thoughts about how I felt about a President who lied to get us into an unnecessary war, and who continued to lie about our presence there, and his continuing plans for world domination, a man who wanted to turn my country into his version of a police state operated for the pleasure of the few, I could only turn to one phrase. Concerning the voters who maintained this dunderhead in power, I could only say: “You stupid motherfuckers…” I realized that this rather impolitic thought was not something that I wanted to publish. Maybe it was because it lacked coherency, or the power of rational thought and reason to which I try to aspire. Maybe it was because I was afraid that the political police would be kicking down my door in the near future, dragging me away to the gulag over my political views. Or maybe it was because it simply didn’t go far enough to describe how unhappy I was at the results. I tried collecting the thoughts of others, from the political writers whose opinions I shared and whose writing I admired. I’d gather a quote, paste it into the word processor, and then add my own thought, but it always came out the same: “You stupid motherfuckers…” I tried copying the phrase over and over, as if simply repeating it enough times could defuse the anger and hopelessness that I felt. It didn’t work. In the end, I wrote nothing. I was defeated by my sheer and overwhelming anger at the fools who voted in our Moron in Charge. I’d even broken up friendships over this. A woman I’d known since High School called me on that fateful Wednesday to gloat over her party’s victory. I told her that I couldn’t talk about it, and hung up on her. She was my friend for over 32 years, and I’ve communicated exactly two words (“Vern Rolle”) to her since. I don’t anticipate that we’ll ever talk again, as I simply cannot comprehend how somebody I like can work towards the destruction of my country and most everything that I believe in. I despaired for my country. I hated to see what the ideals and standards that I had sworn to protect and defend had been sold for. I was disconsolate. But here we are, a few weeks past the election of 2006, and voters across the land (well, most everywhere except in my own legislative district!) checked boxes and touched screens (that were actually counted!) and with almost a single voice cried out to repudiate the Republican party platform of endless war, tax reductions for those who don’t need it, elimination of habeus corpus, and the wholesale destruction of 230 years of carefully nurtured democracy. Hallelujah! And it wasn’t a small voice in the corner quietly speaking either. No, it was a loud and resounding call that came in from across the land, slapping the fools and criminals out of office until their numbers became, if not meaningless, then at least a minority. No longer can Bush roll back democracy and freedom by fiat. The checks and balances which maintained freedom for each and every one of us have been returned to efficacy. At present, there is no such thing in this country as unlimited power. In 2004 I started to wear my “Freedom” belt buckle. Purchased in 1986, it ostensibly celebrated the restoration of the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of everything that this country once stood for. To paraphrase the French whose sculptor created the statue, it stood as a symbol of Liberty, Freedom, and Equality. I vowed to wear this buckle until George Fucking Bush was removed from power, until my country was restored to me, until the power of good defeated the power of evil. No doubt there is still evil in the world, and a lot of it speaks on behalf of me, although not in my voice. But it seems that my voice shall be heard, and that while the world has been made to be a truly shitty place, there is at least hope that it won’t become any worse. I’ll continue to wear this buckle until George is removed from office, either through the expiration of his term, his impeachment, or his death. But I swear on this day that I have not lost hope for my country, or my planet. |
This page is authored and maintained by Rich Webb.You can send E-mail to me by following this link to the contact page. And feel free to contact me if you have any comments, criticisms, or suggestions. I remain, however, perfectly capable of ignoring your useless opinion...