New political blog: Progressive Rants

I started a new blog called Progressive Rant. This space can go back to being reserved for thoughts about writing and life and all that is good and hopeful.

www.progressiverant.wordpress.com

I haven’t been feeling well, so I’m laying low…getting plenty of rest.

Why is the news silent on sexism?

Today, Obama said the democratic primary in FL amounted to nothing more than a beauty contest. I imagine democratic Floridians feel differently. More importantly, though, statements like this should sound a loud alarm in the ears of all women who believe women can be strong, independent, capable and beautiful. Sexist comments like this have been continuous from Obama, Edwards and the news media (from men and women both.) In a news cycle when Clinton was accused of racism for saying Martin Luther King relied on LBJ, my suspicion is that sexism embodied in government and politics and society and the media runs so deep that only some of us can see it, and feel it.

Obama is not a uniter — no more than Bush was a uniter not a divider. I’m afraid his appeal to young people is because young women voters are deaf to his sexist rhetoric because they haven’t (and I’m glad about this) experienced the painful denigration of sexism in their lives, their workplaces, their homes.

When words lose their meaning

A few years ago I joined a wonderful congregation of Lutherans at an equally warm, and welcoming church, St. John United. This church is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America organization. Part of the reason I decided to become a member, beyond the presence of warmth and grace in the hearts of the many people I met there, was a desire to reclaim and redefine the word evangelical.

The Christ I love, he loves all people — rich and poor, black and white, gay and straight. Yes, gay and straight. We’ve become inured to the meaning of the word evangelical. It now means far right, homophobic, intolerant, republican and, honestly, mean. When and how did a group of small-minded and intolerant individuals becoming the stone-throwing, screeching townspeople who are determined to tear women and gays and lesbians to shreds, as they wanted to do to Mary M. so long ago.

I’ve just been seeing too many angry faces these days while watching the Obama rallies. I’m troubled that such negativity is being justified in the name of unity and hope. It reminds me of the evangelical argument — we have to tear you down because you aren’t hearing us spread the word and love of God. Obamites yell and scream at those who aren’t united with them. It makes me want to reclaim the word unity in the same way I want to reclaim evangelical.

I’ve got to get off politics

Really, it’s like a bad addiction, and I want to have a clean break. I’m a writer, let me write about writing. But, it’s Saturday January 26th, the South Carolina Democratic primary was today, and I’m stuck.

As expected, Obama won. It’s wonderful how many young people and new voters came out to say their piece. I’m happy about that, but not happy that Obama won.

He says he’s a uniter not a divider (we’ve heard that before. I’ll believe it when I see action that tells me it is more than soaring rhetoric.) The South Carolina primary felt ugly and divisive and even though everyone wants to blame that on Hillary, it’s simply not her fault, alone. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — if Obama can bring the nation together why didn’t he bring the Senate together to override Bush’s veto of SCHIP, the Iraq War Funding Bill with timetables for withdrawal, or any other of the disastrous vetoes Bush has gleefully signed? I’d love to vote for Obama if he can do what he says he can, and unite this country.

He can’t even unite the Democratic party and we are more torn apart right now than ever. He’s creating this division with vicious attacks disguised in soaring rhetoric. And, he’s not showing himself to have the one talent that he’s basing his campaign on.

The space between stories

I’m in a writing lull. After finishing my second book, I’m taking a breath before diving into my third. It isn’t that I want to, it just seems to be the way my body and writing mind works.

For a few days now, I’ve been sitting at my desk “trying” to work. The one thing about trying to work — it doesn’t work. I’ve cleared up a lot of paper, and tomorrow I’ll tackle paying taxes, but I’m not going to try and write until I’m ready. At first I thought the problem was the negative campaigning in South Carolina — coming from Obama and Clinton — but, that’s too easy an answer, and thankfully Clinton has pulled back from the negative language. Hopefully, Obama will, too.

I will try to blog each day — because writing is, after all, what I do.

It is distasteful

I’m the first to admit I’m a political hack, and can tolerate listening to a great number of talking heads. But, I also must confess I don’t like fighting. The republican debate, which took place in South Carolina, was equally nasty and bitter in tone. What is it about South Carolina debates?

I only hope the next debate is far more civil and calm in tone.  I was surprised that when given the opening question about his economic plan, Obama chose to go after Hillary. I’m equally confused as to why Hillary fought back.

I’m still hoping that Hillary will be the nominee with Obama as the VP…so I don’t want them to become so antagonistic with each other. Presidents and VPs don’t have to like each other, but we’ve seen they make a more effective team when they do.

I’m back

It’s back to the “normalcy” again — the retreat is over, my teen writing class at the Lutheran Youth Organization has begun, my second novel revisions are done and I’m ready to begin book number 3. In my new life as a writer that’s as normal as it gets.

Carmen Bernier Grand won a Pure Belpre Honor while we were at the Whidbey Writers Workshop retreat — and, boy, did she deserve it. Frida is an amazing book. Everyone should read it — Carmen’s words are bold strokes of color on papaya as amazing as the paintings of Frida, herself.

Congratulations to Hillary for her New Hampshire and Nevada victories. I’ve allowed myself to dream that a Clinton/Obama ticket may be the most amazing team ever. Sure there will be minority demographic who will be apoplectic at the thought — but, they don’t represent the highest best nature of Americans and, as such, we shouldn’t bring the nation down to appease them. We’ve done that for far too long.

I’m convinced Hillary will do more for women, children, the elderly and the poor and middle class than any president in the past 70 years. If we can rise above our sexist natures she will restore the notion of care and compassion, the life force viciously snuffed out by the Bush administration, of the American people.

Thank you for your patience while I took my writing break.

Writing retreat

This was supposed to have been a writing blog. I apologize for my digressions into politics, disability, how horrible CIGNA is, and other less writerly concerns. I’m leaving today for a 10 day writing retreat with the Whidbey Island Writers Workshop MFA folks. If I haven’t mentioned it enough before — this is an excellent MFA program. It’s the first degree program to be offered by a collective of writers outside of a university. And, boy, do they attract the best and the brightest of writers, editors, agents, publicists, etc. to teach.

If I’m silent it’s just because I’m working hard on my third book — a graphic novel, no less. (And, because internet access may be spotty or non-existent.)

May you have a great couple of weeks of writing, and politics and good health.

Obama wins

Obama gave a great closing speech, I’ll give him that. I sure wish he’d used his power to reach across the divide and to work with Republicans to get one of the many Iraq Funding bills that included a timetable for withdrawal passed through Congress and signed by the President. I shouldn’t say much more, because as a tried and true Democrat I worry that Obama will win the nomination and cost us the presidency in November. Remember how Kerry won in Iowa and left the rest with the impression he was the electable one. I cannot bear another election night like the one suffered in 2004. It didn’t help that I had a fractured tooth and was depressed by narcotics at the time. As if I needed anything else to get me down.

I can only hope NH reacts with a quick move to balance out the race to allow experience to be heard over the chants of change.

Happy new year!

I admit it — I’ve been waiting, hungering, longing for the arrival of 2008. Normally, I don’t aspire for time to pass any faster than it passes, and look for the brilliance within each and every moment. However, 7 years of Bush/Cheney can make even the most patient of persons itchy for a new beginning.

Welcome 2008 — may we all be rejuvenated and inspired and renewed by the change that is coming — by the restoration of compassion, equality, freedom and morality to the United States of America. God, bless us all.