Monday, November 01, 2004
Baronmind aka Micah, has pictures up on his website from his Halloween party. I was dressed as the hippie, while Big was Death. I must say I am very good at looking stoned off my hinder (I wasn't). I think that if Big and I ever do a group blog, we should call it Death & Hippie. It sort of fits.
Because of this upcoming election, I'd like to think of myself as more politically aware, but less politically active. I don't debate people a lot, and basically your opinion is just as valuable as mine, even if we disagree. Meantime, Big is more of a blasting cap of political debate. He knows a lot, and makes it known to anyone: lately, my very conservative Uncle Gene, who as far as I know has never lost a debate when politics is bantered around by my family. I'm not the only one in my circle whose significant other is like this. Leslie, my boss, says her husband Chris has changed from a meek zoologist and environmentalist to a somewhat closeminded politico. It's gotten so that Leslie doesn't want to be around him if Bush is re-elected. "I'll have to move out for a few days," she tells Connie and I this afternoon.
It's not so bad around here, but I do admit it has been a bit strange:
Scene: driving in car, beautiful Fall day, parked at a stoplight, not much conversation going on
ME: Oh, look, a monarch butterfly just flew by my window.
BIG: Really? Wow. Hmm. Hey, you know what's really bad about Bush?...
Scene: Watching Entertainment Tonight, Mary Hart mentions Britney Spears
BIG: God, I can't stand her.
ME: Yeah, she's a bit overexposed.
BIG: And she's a Republican. I can't believe she's so stupid to support Bush.
Scene: Walking FiFi around the neighborhood, come across sign in neighbor's yard that says "I pray for and support George W. Bush"
BIG: Fee, go pee on that sign!
ME: No. Stop. You're driving me crazy.
BIG: What?
ME: Well, you're pretty much preaching to the choir. We both are voting for change for this next election. But just because we have our opinions doesn't mean that we have to convert others to our way of thinking. It's oppressive. It's just as wrong for us to tell Fee to pee on that sign as it is a Bush-supporting dog to pee on a non-Bush sign. The First Amendment guarantees us the right to express ourselves in many ways, including politically, and it's a right that many Earthlings don't have. I've always supported promoting political harmony, peace, exchange of ideas, and tolerance of those who disagree. And it's up to me to accept the consequences of the election, and to go from there, and to continue learning, and working for what's right. (I shrug my shoulders) That's just how I feel about this whole thing.
BIG: Yeah. I still hate Britney Spears, though.
ME: Well, that's okay.
This isn't to make Big sound irrational and intolerant, because he's not. To be completely honest, we've never really had this kind of conversation, except the whole Britney Spears thing, and I sound like frigging Eleanor Roosevelt (I'm not even close). I guess my point with all of this is how powerful this event is, the beauty of it's potential, and the seriousness of the consequences have affected even the most apathetic. I'm a changed woman.
Please, please, please, if you care at all, vote tomorrow. It's worth it.
Because of this upcoming election, I'd like to think of myself as more politically aware, but less politically active. I don't debate people a lot, and basically your opinion is just as valuable as mine, even if we disagree. Meantime, Big is more of a blasting cap of political debate. He knows a lot, and makes it known to anyone: lately, my very conservative Uncle Gene, who as far as I know has never lost a debate when politics is bantered around by my family. I'm not the only one in my circle whose significant other is like this. Leslie, my boss, says her husband Chris has changed from a meek zoologist and environmentalist to a somewhat closeminded politico. It's gotten so that Leslie doesn't want to be around him if Bush is re-elected. "I'll have to move out for a few days," she tells Connie and I this afternoon.
It's not so bad around here, but I do admit it has been a bit strange:
Scene: driving in car, beautiful Fall day, parked at a stoplight, not much conversation going on
ME: Oh, look, a monarch butterfly just flew by my window.
BIG: Really? Wow. Hmm. Hey, you know what's really bad about Bush?...
Scene: Watching Entertainment Tonight, Mary Hart mentions Britney Spears
BIG: God, I can't stand her.
ME: Yeah, she's a bit overexposed.
BIG: And she's a Republican. I can't believe she's so stupid to support Bush.
Scene: Walking FiFi around the neighborhood, come across sign in neighbor's yard that says "I pray for and support George W. Bush"
BIG: Fee, go pee on that sign!
ME: No. Stop. You're driving me crazy.
BIG: What?
ME: Well, you're pretty much preaching to the choir. We both are voting for change for this next election. But just because we have our opinions doesn't mean that we have to convert others to our way of thinking. It's oppressive. It's just as wrong for us to tell Fee to pee on that sign as it is a Bush-supporting dog to pee on a non-Bush sign. The First Amendment guarantees us the right to express ourselves in many ways, including politically, and it's a right that many Earthlings don't have. I've always supported promoting political harmony, peace, exchange of ideas, and tolerance of those who disagree. And it's up to me to accept the consequences of the election, and to go from there, and to continue learning, and working for what's right. (I shrug my shoulders) That's just how I feel about this whole thing.
BIG: Yeah. I still hate Britney Spears, though.
ME: Well, that's okay.
This isn't to make Big sound irrational and intolerant, because he's not. To be completely honest, we've never really had this kind of conversation, except the whole Britney Spears thing, and I sound like frigging Eleanor Roosevelt (I'm not even close). I guess my point with all of this is how powerful this event is, the beauty of it's potential, and the seriousness of the consequences have affected even the most apathetic. I'm a changed woman.
Please, please, please, if you care at all, vote tomorrow. It's worth it.
