I Am Proud …
by Levi Asher on Tuesday, November 7, 2006 11:29 pm
... to be an American voter today.
I'm not excited because I'm a "Democrat", and I really don't care about the partisan red/blue stuff that usually reaches a hysterical pitch every election day. I agree with many who are sick of all the finger-pointing. But I do feel deeply disgusted with our country's leaders, and in fact my dissatisfaction with our government has reached the point where I can barely stand it anymore and don't even know what to do. I feel simply relieved right now, because I see that a large majority of my fellow citizens have come to the same conclusions I have.
Our current government has betrayed our trust and performed below any reasonable standard of competence, and today we took the first steps towards solving this problem. Democracy worked today. We just elected ourselves a new government.
Yeah, the same clueless liar is still sitting in the big chair "deciding", or whatever it is George W. Bush does these days. But I am hoping for fast, aggressive moves by our new Congress against Bush administration policies and processes. The guy's a lame duck, finally, and not a minute too soon. Please, Democrats, don't let me down -- decisive action from the new Congress cannot wait.
I voted at 8:45 this morning at P.S. 139 in Rego Park. The volunteers working the tables vastly outnumbered the voters, but maybe that's because Queens, New York has always been bluer than the sky. I couldn't have voted for a Republican congressman if I wanted to; there was none on the ballot. Yeah, I guess I've got Democratic partisanship in my blood, but I really don't think today's election was about party politics. Voting for change today meant voting against the war in Iraq, against the shame of Abu Ghraib, against the botch-up that's currently taking place in Afghanistan (and the failure, after five years, to catch Osama bin Laden), against the failure to help in Darfur, against the federal government's incredible refusal to rise to the occasion when New Orleans was devastated by a flood. This is why I have been so angry, and this is why I feel so proud to be an American today.
Okay, enough blog-babbling and channel-flipping and Daily-Kos'ing -- I'm going to get some sleep.
I'm not excited because I'm a "Democrat", and I really don't care about the partisan red/blue stuff that usually reaches a hysterical pitch every election day. I agree with many who are sick of all the finger-pointing. But I do feel deeply disgusted with our country's leaders, and in fact my dissatisfaction with our government has reached the point where I can barely stand it anymore and don't even know what to do. I feel simply relieved right now, because I see that a large majority of my fellow citizens have come to the same conclusions I have.
Our current government has betrayed our trust and performed below any reasonable standard of competence, and today we took the first steps towards solving this problem. Democracy worked today. We just elected ourselves a new government.
Yeah, the same clueless liar is still sitting in the big chair "deciding", or whatever it is George W. Bush does these days. But I am hoping for fast, aggressive moves by our new Congress against Bush administration policies and processes. The guy's a lame duck, finally, and not a minute too soon. Please, Democrats, don't let me down -- decisive action from the new Congress cannot wait.
I voted at 8:45 this morning at P.S. 139 in Rego Park. The volunteers working the tables vastly outnumbered the voters, but maybe that's because Queens, New York has always been bluer than the sky. I couldn't have voted for a Republican congressman if I wanted to; there was none on the ballot. Yeah, I guess I've got Democratic partisanship in my blood, but I really don't think today's election was about party politics. Voting for change today meant voting against the war in Iraq, against the shame of Abu Ghraib, against the botch-up that's currently taking place in Afghanistan (and the failure, after five years, to catch Osama bin Laden), against the failure to help in Darfur, against the federal government's incredible refusal to rise to the occasion when New Orleans was devastated by a flood. This is why I have been so angry, and this is why I feel so proud to be an American today.
Okay, enough blog-babbling and channel-flipping and Daily-Kos'ing -- I'm going to get some sleep.
6 reponses to "I Am Proud …"
America WonEarth won. But let us look at our prior defeats. Bin Laden came to power when we were sleeping; afraid to stand up to the Lewinsky scandal. Bush came to power because we were afraid to demand an honest recount in Florida. The Iraq war happened because we were afraid to speak the truth...duh, it was Osama, not Saddam, and no connection between them. I applaud Litkicks, Kos, CherryOrchard, and all the hard work; but don't let the fire go out. Please.
A Sigh of ReliefPlease Democrats, don't let it stop here. For example, Torture. I can't believe that I have lived to see Torture debated in Congress. Torture was what the bad guys did. Are we the bad guys? Also Kyoto treaty, although there has been a grass-roots movement by the governers of various States to bypass Bush. I remember reading an interview with Seymour Hersh in the New York Times, where he said something like "a handful of neo-cons, despite Congress, despite the Bureaucracy, despite the people, were able to push through the war in Iraq." I hope that we have just had a close call, and that everyone has woken up now.
My thoughts exactly. I remember hearing some politician on NPR, contradicting himself on torture. He seemed to believe we should use torture in some instances, but he said it was never justified, but maybe we should consider it, but he was really against it, but he understood we might have to use it...and I thought, do you know how stupid you sound?Now we got 28 Democratic governors instead of the previous 22, which is good, but we still need to put a good man in the White House. You know, people say you shouldn't vote sectarian, but yesterday I wanted to leave no doubt as to my stand on war, stem cell research, and personal freedoms, and I know damn well it's not the Republican stand!
long gonethe fact bush won second termwas most disturbin event sinceWATERGATE! but we gave up evenbefore that(save pour ol jimmy carter-the last decent prez!
Shared DisgustI totally agree with your anger and disgust with the government. I voted also and yet even when the candidates that I voted for won, I did feel any elation whatsoever. All of the politicans feel so Machiavellian that it really doesn't matter what party they attend. I picture them all with dogeared and highlighted copies of The Prince under pillows "Ahh, yes the ends does justify the means." How truly sad.
That was the easy part.What a godawful mess left to deal with.