Election Night
Last time I went to bed reassured that I would wake up to President-Elect Kerry. I wasn't all that crazy about him but he was better than the alternative.
We saw how that turned out.
So this time I'm in it only for Allen and Webb.
Yes, "macaca."
I've been holding a grudge ever since. Not just because of the racism, even though it was. Not just because of the lying about said racism even though he did. Not even because he followed the slur with that horrible "welcome to America" non-sequitur. Those things would have been plenty, but there was this other bit nobody ever mentioned:
That fellow with the videocamera was a kid. Sure he was a legal adult but ferpitysake he was an undergraduate who would be the only person willing, perhaps even eager, to take that gig in the first place. George Allen is an adult fourteen years older than I am*. He slammed a kid. A young, earnest, happens-to-work-for-the-other-side KID.
How uncivilized. How absolutely and completely without-a-doubt UNcivilized. Had I been able to do so, I would've voted Senator Allen off the island immediately...and silly me, I thought all of Virginia would feel the same way. Was convinced that without a doubt Webb would take Virginia; it wasn't even worthy of question.
Good thing I didn't share with anyone other than HBF.
It is now 9:33 Eastern Whatever Time (we just set the clocks back--that's EST right?) and in at least one poll, Allen has been projected to win. I can't tell you how much I hope that poll is wrong.
(prepare yourselves; she's about to wax philosophical.)
WHAT happened to Humanity?!? Look, if you're an atheist like I am you put all your faith and stock into the humans since we're the species that not only conquered the planet but got (are getting?) the closest to figuring out the Universe. Make all the arguments for cetaceans you like (and I agree we should cherish the mammal-friends) but we are the ones who got the dry land, the opposable thumbs and the language: humans sacrificed the ability NOT to choke to death in favor of a "voice-box."
We owe it to ourselves to strive for betterment, personal and otherwise. To do less would be wasting the achievement of countless previous generations. Therefore letting the uncivilized bastards like Allen who are willing to trash a kid of color in favor of a joke to his in-group lessens all of us. ALL of us. I'm hoping we--we fellow humans--won't do that.
I wish I had personal icons to which I could pray.
I'll be retiring soon. Given that the gap is hovering around ten thousand I'm thinking I'll wake up to a recount for Allen and Webb...and hoping that 31 pickups in the House will be a trend.
It's also still statistically possible for the Democrats to take enough of the Senate to make Cheney's life a living hell being the tiebreaker vote. I so hope that's true.
Sister Suffragette over and out...
*Birth date: March 8, 1952
We saw how that turned out.
So this time I'm in it only for Allen and Webb.
Yes, "macaca."
I've been holding a grudge ever since. Not just because of the racism, even though it was. Not just because of the lying about said racism even though he did. Not even because he followed the slur with that horrible "welcome to America" non-sequitur. Those things would have been plenty, but there was this other bit nobody ever mentioned:
That fellow with the videocamera was a kid. Sure he was a legal adult but ferpitysake he was an undergraduate who would be the only person willing, perhaps even eager, to take that gig in the first place. George Allen is an adult fourteen years older than I am*. He slammed a kid. A young, earnest, happens-to-work-for-the-other-side KID.
How uncivilized. How absolutely and completely without-a-doubt UNcivilized. Had I been able to do so, I would've voted Senator Allen off the island immediately...and silly me, I thought all of Virginia would feel the same way. Was convinced that without a doubt Webb would take Virginia; it wasn't even worthy of question.
Good thing I didn't share with anyone other than HBF.
It is now 9:33 Eastern Whatever Time (we just set the clocks back--that's EST right?) and in at least one poll, Allen has been projected to win. I can't tell you how much I hope that poll is wrong.
(prepare yourselves; she's about to wax philosophical.)
WHAT happened to Humanity?!? Look, if you're an atheist like I am you put all your faith and stock into the humans since we're the species that not only conquered the planet but got (are getting?) the closest to figuring out the Universe. Make all the arguments for cetaceans you like (and I agree we should cherish the mammal-friends) but we are the ones who got the dry land, the opposable thumbs and the language: humans sacrificed the ability NOT to choke to death in favor of a "voice-box."
We owe it to ourselves to strive for betterment, personal and otherwise. To do less would be wasting the achievement of countless previous generations. Therefore letting the uncivilized bastards like Allen who are willing to trash a kid of color in favor of a joke to his in-group lessens all of us. ALL of us. I'm hoping we--we fellow humans--won't do that.
I wish I had personal icons to which I could pray.
I'll be retiring soon. Given that the gap is hovering around ten thousand I'm thinking I'll wake up to a recount for Allen and Webb...and hoping that 31 pickups in the House will be a trend.
It's also still statistically possible for the Democrats to take enough of the Senate to make Cheney's life a living hell being the tiebreaker vote. I so hope that's true.
Sister Suffragette over and out...
*Birth date: March 8, 1952
posted by SamD | 7:46 AM
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