Foot In Mouth Disease

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Tags: John Kerry, cartoons, Bob Englehart

John Kerry Needs His Mouth Sewn Shut

No, seriously. I’ve been mulling it over since last Thursday when the Patriot Act got renewed.

Mostly I’ve been quietly seething as that’s just another nail in the coffin of our dying civil liberties and freedoms and my first impulse was to write a post about how every single one of those Senators who voted to renew the Patriot Act should be voted out of office when their seat came up — which is saying a lot since I actually like Snowe, Collins, Baucus, Vitter, and up until very recently McCain. However, I decided to sit on it and think on it.

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Tags: John Kerry, Democrats, Patriot Act, Senate, loss of Freedoms

Why Is Flip-flopping a Sin?

Some of the blog’s posting about Cindy Sheehan have got me thinking about something that bugged the shit out of me last year (about this time too): When did it become a sin to change your mind?

I mean, the Republicans spent a lot of time calling John Kerry a “flip-flopper” and having little rallies outside Kerry’s campaign stops where they all held up actual flip-flops and waved them in the air like good little bots. There was a lot of talk about how John Kerry supported the war in Iraq and had “flip-flopped” and how we can’t trust a man who doesn’t stick with his convictions.

There’s talk now about how Cindy Sheehan said or thought one thing when she and her husband met with President Bush last year and that it was completely different from what she’s saying now. The Republicans and their followers seem to think this is a horrendous crime.

In both of those examples, what the Republicans don’t want the public to realize is that both people made up their minds originally with one set of data at their disposal and as time past, new data was uncovered and this caused them to rethink their stands on things.

I certainly don’t see anything wrong with changing your mind in light of new information and facts. I don’t think we should stubbornly stick to our original belief until our dying day despite any conflicting evidence.

If I’d done that I’d still believe in the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, aliens, the Boogeyman and other make-believe creatures from my childhood. I’d probably still believe that Capital Punishment is wrong (now I’m undecided). I’d believe that aliens crashed at Roswell. I’d believe that as a woman, it’s my duty to get married and reproduce. I’d believe that role-playing games were the tools of Satan. I would never have been friends with PW again. I would never have dated BJ. I would never have dated JB the second time around or broken up with him again. I wouldn’t have changed my major from Mechanical Engineering to Computer Science. I would never have learned from my college experiences to open my mind and be more accepting and less judgemental (if you think I’m judgemental now… :p). Certainly I never would have believed that I could be an independent, single woman living alone and like it.

That’s a lot of mind changing, a lot of growing up, and a lot of discovery.

I imagine that Cindy Sheehan has gone through a lot of discovery this last year. I imagine that while grieving for her son, she began to question why he had to die. Bush led this country to believe that we would make the world a better place by invading Iraq and putting a stop to Sadaam’s giant hoard of weapon’s of mass destruction. The Bush Administration stirred this country up into a wild patriotic huricane and sent out sons, brothers, daughter, sisters, fathers, mothers, and friends off to war believing we were doing the right and noble thing.

But in the last year or so, even Bush and his Administration have been doing some flip-flopping. When no WMD were found, the reason we went to war changed in the rhetoric as if we were not supposed to noticed. We now are fighting for Iraq’s freedom from a tyrrant…and then little hints of things many of us long suspected began to trickle into the media — the Downing Street Memos among others.

I imagine that Cindy began to feel very angry considering her son had gone off to war thinking he was doing a noble and just thing and now the reasons were a little more hazy and tainted. I imagine that I’d change my mind too.

I imagine that’s why John Kerry changed his mind about the war. I imagine Congressmen change their minds a lot as bills and admendments come and go and change within hours.

I like to think it’s an admirable trait to change your mind when faced with new information and life’s experiences. Otherwise, what a boring carboard world we’d live in.

So, why do the Republicans think it’s such a sin? I don’t understand. I’d be happy to explore the philosophy behind it, if someone wants to explain.

Interestingly, a lot of Americans are exercising their right to change their minds. I remember when being against the war in Iraq meant being in a small minority but now polls show more than 50% of Americans think we never should have gone.

Hmmmm…some other big flip-flops:

• After years of isolationism, America decided to enter WWII.
• President Wilson originally didn’t want to give women the right to vote.

You know, I’ve always disliked those tacky little shoes, but I might go out tonight and buy a pair of flip-flops…just on principle.

Tags: flip-flopping, John Kerry, Cindy Sheehan, George W. Bush, Republicans, politics

Your Guy Won — Get Over It!

Yesterday on a message board, someone who is a blind follower of the Bush administration was spouting about how Kerry’s grades wern’t any better than Bush’s in college. My favorite response was from someone who said, “You’re guy won. Get over it already!”

This is particularly funny to me because whenever anyone criticizes Bush and his administration on this message board, the Bushbots start spouting, “You’re guy lost! Get over it already!”

Really it has nothing to do with John Kerry anymore. The election is way over. We’re more concerned with what’s going on in the here and now and what things Bush and his administration are doing to help or hinder the country. Not all of us who voted for John Kerry are still clinging to sore feelings from the loss of the election. Most of us are focused on the now and the future. The past is the past.

Who cares if John Kerry was a “C” student?

As Bush himself said in 2001 while accepting an honorary doctorate from Yale:

“To those of you who received honors, awards and distinctions, I say, well done,” Bush declared. “And to the ‘C’ students, I say: you too can be president!”

I’m much more concerned with what Presidential candidates have done in the last 5-10 years than whether or not they could derive the cosine of something way back in college.

Though I do have to admit, I wonder why John Kerry is just getting around to signing the release of his files from the military now and why anyone really cares now.

Tags: John Kerry, George W. Bush, childish

Reflections On Last Night’s Debate & Related Things

• Why do Congressmen get $7700 per family health insurance packages? Obviously these people have far more money than the people they represent so why are the taxpayers forced to pay this enormous amount to ensure these people when something like 5 Million or is it more are unable to afford health insurance. John Kerry mentioned this number in his promise to give everyone this option. He said that obviously those who could afford health insurance would have to pay for their own, but that those those that didn’t would get the same deal Congressmen do. I think that Congressmen are obviously wealthy enough to afford their own health insurance, why are the taxpayers are not burdoned with it.
• In response to a question regarding job loss in the United States, President Bush said that it was important to re-educate people for jobs of the 21rst century. He suggested that there would be programs at community colleges for this to happen. Fifteen years ago, careers in computers were going to be the jobs of the 21rst century. Now, IT is one of the top industries hit with unemployment in the U.S. As we watch our 21 century jobs being shipped overseas, what jobs does President Bush suggest we re-educate ourselves to do and why is it that my 4-year Bachelor of Science degree is now worthless and needs to be replaced by a community college education?
• President Bush indicated that one of the ways to cut Healthcare costs is to bring the medical sector into the 21rst century with technology. I agree with this. However, as one of my IT co-workers at the hospital pointed out, most hospitals cannot afford to go all the way to electronic medical records. In fact, the very conversion would be a complete nightmare. It would take a decade per hospital probably. And I suppose that the best way to cut costs on this is to ship the IT conversion part overseas. Though likely the consultants would be astonished at the snail’s pace and red tape dealing with a hospital requires.
• Bush refused to answer the question on whether or not he supports overturning Roe V. Wade. He even accused Kerry of wanting to purposely appoint people who he knew would not do this rather than choosing the best person for the job. However, looking at the people Bush has chosen to nominate to key positions where Pro-choice and the option for birth control could be decided and/or taken away, I think that President Bush does in fact have a lithmus test for his appointees, despite his smoke and mirrors claim.
• Kerry correctly pointed out that while “No Child Left Behind” is a good program, it is severly underfunded and this is Bush’s fault. Bush’s reply was to claim that only a liberal would say that increasing education funding by 49% is not enough. The fact is that it wasn’t enough to fund the “No Child Left Behind” Act.
• Why, oh, why, can’t people laugh with their candidate’s opponents when they make a joke? At least recognize that not everything that comes out of Bush, Chenney, Edwards, and Kerry’s mouths are to be interpreted seriously. One of my co-workers was all pissed off at her literal interpretation of something Bush joked about. I didn’t like the joke myself when I heard it last night, but I at least recognized it was a joke not to be analyzed with the regular propoganda and rhetoric.
• Neither candidate is pefect and neither is the devil. While I don’t agree with either candidate 100%, I do agree more with Kerry. I’m tired of people suggesting that a vote for Kerry is just a vote against Bush. It’s not all about Bush, you know. Some of us actually do care about the environment, pro-choice, a better world reputation, a better funded border patrol, better healthcare, better benefits for those in poverty, better paying jobs, less tax breaks for the wealthy and companies sending jobs overseas, and a balanced budget. Yes, I am pissed off at Bush too. I don’t like that he’s taken us into a war that was unnecessary at the time and that he’s not caught Osama yet. I don’t like that N. Korea and Iran actually have moved forward with their nuclear progams and that the number of terrorists is on the rise. I really don’t care for the deficit. Everyone says that Clinton didn’t do anything he promised either but truth be told, one of the things I liked about him when he first ran was that he had a plan to balance the budget and get us out of debt and then once elected, he did it. We had a surplus when he left which was earmarked to help us with the social security issue but that money is gone and now we are in the largest debt ever.I fear for this country. I really do. I am terrified that no matter who wins we will remain divided and that some sort of rioting will occur. I imagine the worst. Obviously something isn’t working with our two party system. I don’t know how to fix it though.

Tags: politics, 2004 election, health insurance, Congress, jobs of the 21rst century, George W. Bush, John Kerry, Women's Rights, outsourcing

A Nation Divided

I have for some time been searching for a way to express how I feel about the war in Iraq. I’m tired of being told I’m unpatriotic and Unamerican if I disagree with the war itself. I’m tired of being insulted and being accused of not supporting the troops because I vocally believe exactly what Kerry has said — “Wrong war, wrong time.”

Someone finally put into words what I’ve been trying to convey. It is possible to support our troops while disagreeing with the commander-in-cheif. I think the men and women who choose to serve in the military are very special, brave people who deserve respect. I am aware that many of them believe in the “cause” they are fighting for in Iraq, though I suspect that number is higher than it probably would be if many didn’t feel the need to believe it’s righteous to make themselves feel better about it all.

D was supposed to ship out to Iraq last month. His orders changed at the last minute to my relief. Apparently to his as well. He told me how important it is to vote in this election and vote for someone who’ll put an end to the madness.

My neighbor, a man who has served in the Navy in several wars including Vietnam, doesn’t like what Kerry did immediately after coming home from Vietnam (something he and I disagree on), but he’s voting for Kerry. He doesn’t seem to think that Bush is doing a very good job making decisions for this country, particularly where our military is concerned.

My father who was Army, who I thought was a Republican growing up, is probably the most liberal person I know now. He’s voting for Kerry. Like me, he never believed in the WMD claims by this administration.

I feel so sad because at one time I did respect President Bush. I thought that while he didn’t appear to be a very smart man, he had been smart enough to surround himself with smart people. Now I think that has turned around and bit him in the ass. I think he sees the world through rose-colored glasses provided to him by the likes of Dick Chenney and the other Bush minions. I think that Bush can stand up there and tell lies and mislead the country because he’s been misled by his own people, the people he trusts. I’m not saying his completely innocent. I also think he wanted to get Sadaam and he challenged his people to find a way.

It’s all such a disappointment.

The truth is that I like Kerry. I even like most of the things that the Republicans accuse him of. When I have gone to investigate the accusations and claims, I’ve found that in the correct context, mis-quoted things make sense and show him to be an intelligent man who looks at the changing world and changes with it as needed. I look at his record in Congress and I am not at all upset by most of his choices. I don’t know how he’d be as president. Obviously I hadn’t known how Bush would be. You take that risk when you vote. I know how Bush has been the last two years. I see how his administration has misled this country, sent our men and women to die, left Osama Bin Laden running free despite claims to get him no matter what, and destroyed most of the environmental protection legislation in favor of unregulating corporations who are out to help themselves despite the effects on the less-than-priviliged and the next generations who inherit the world.

But still mostly, I’m tired of the division in this country. Bush was supposed to be a uniter but from Nov. 2, 2000, he has been everything but with the exception of the few months following September 11, 2001 — which was more a coming together of patriotism and pride and mourning by the American people. Al-Queida united us far better than Bush has.

Tags: Iraq, patriotism, John Kerry, George W. Bush, Support the Troops, mud-slinging

John Kerry is Guy Smiley

OMG! John Kerry has been reminding me of someone for months and I just couldn’t place who he looked like. Someone on the Weight Watcher boards pointed out that he looks like Guy Smiley from the Muppets…and now it’s all so clear to me. He is Guy Smiley with John Kennedy’s voice…

I am so going to giggle every time I see him now.

But damned if I don’t love to hear him speak.

***On a related note, I missed The Daily Show last night with Kerry and I won’t be home to see the replay of it today at 7pm, but I did hear some sound bites on NPR this morning. I thought Stewart commenting to Kerry that he’d been watching some cable news channels and he had learned that apparently Kerry never was in Vietnam. Kerry said he’d heard that too. Funny dig at those right-wing spin-mongers.

I am a little concerned though that with all those people out there taking blurbs of everything Kerry says and misquoting him out of context and twisting what he says some of those hateful people will take some of the things Kerry said in jest on The Daily Show and use it to convince the hateful ignorant mindless bushbots of more heinous mis-truths and lies about Kerry.

A co-worker told me the other day that Kerry will probably lose simply because Americans love negativity and a Bush is running a dirty, mudslinging campaign. He is the hero of people who love to hate everywhere. It’s an interesting theory and certainly worth considering.

Tags: John Kerry, humor

Gotta Love The Onion

Kerry Unveils One-Point Plan For Better America

WICHITA, KS?Delivering the central speech of his 10-day “Solution For America” bus campaign tour Monday, Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry outlined his one-point plan for a better America: the removal of George W. Bush from the White House.

“If I am elected in November, no inner-city child will have to live in an America where George Bush is president,” Kerry said, addressing a packed Maize High School auditorium. “No senior citizen will lie awake at night, worrying about whether George Bush is still the chief executive of this country. And no American?regardless of gender, regardless of class, regardless of race?will be represented by George Bush in the world community.”

Tags: John Kerry, humor, politics, George W. Bush, The Onion

I Wish It Were Over Already!

I kind of wish the whole election thing was over already so we could go on with our lives. However, my experience with the last election tells me that it won’t be over on Nov. 3rd, but will drag on and on and on.

I saw a statistic in Newsweek last week, I think, about how in the 1992 election at this time 66% of people were still undecided, but polsters working for Bush (probably from India) say that this year only 17% are undecided. I wonder if they’re counting all the Amish people Republicans have been registering to vote lately — apparently the Amish traditionally vote Republican and the Republicans have been out in the fields signing them up to vote this year.

Still, I’m tired of all the debating going on between people who appear to be brainwashed on either side — though mostly it does seem to be the right-wing conservative Republicans that are acting like parrots, but I could be biased. I don’t really know anymore if I’m capable of not being biased.

I’ve heard complaints that some people are upset that Bush might not win because people are voting for Kerry because they don’t like Bush. To me that’s completely reasonable and logical. Why would they vote for Bush if they don’t like him?

I’ve heard outright lies and rumors, some of which have been perpetuated by the Republican Party and by popular right-wing talk show hosts (even the ones who claim to be fair and balanced). I’ve heard silliness even from the Democrats. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out who to believe. There are Vets for John Kerry and Vets against John Kerry. I tend to believe the ones who served under and with him more than those who didn’t even know him then — and those apparently are the ones for him. In fact, one of the really big mouthed ones against him has even recanted his claims, though I understand it’ll still be in the Kerry-bashing commercial.

Bush is crowing about Kerry saying that despite what he knows now he would have still voted to give Bush authorization to go to war. Bush seems to think that this proves Kerry is flip-flopping. However, Kerry did give authorization to Bush and he never denied it. What Kerry has stood by is that he would have done things differently than Bush, would have made sure of the intelligence being used (which has been proven faulty) and would have ensured that we didn’t go it alone but had the support of the world, or at least the allies we usually depend on. The Republicans keep touting about how Kerry voted against the $87 billion needed to continue the war in Iraq, but what they don’t tell you is that Kerry did support it as long as it had an amendment to increas taxes on the wealthy so that the money would be coming from somewhere. It bothers me that Bush seems to be spending a lot of money we don’t have. It makes sense to me that the money has to come from somewhere. If I were charging up that much debt, the creditors would be constantly calling my house.

People are also talking about Kerry’s money and they can’t seem to separate his finances from Teresa’s, but Teresa did make him sign a pre-nup which keeps him from all that wealth and last December he had to mortgage his Boston home to pay for the campaign. Teresa can only give him $2000 for his campaign because of campaign-finance laws. (He has repayed the debt, which is good, because I was actually worried for him.)

I’m tired of people complaining that Kerry will raise taxes. I don’t want to pay higher taxes either, but I do understand that our country is in debt; we are closing schools and cutting back on fire and police services nationwide, but we are financing a war and supposedly rebuilding two war-torn Middle Eastern countries, including providing new schools and fire houses. Where are we going to get that money? Kerry says he is only going to roll back Bush’s tax break on the very wealthy (those that make $200,000 per year). I don’t know anyone personally in that tax bracket, but since I’m living on less than $70K a year, I can imagine that they will survive.

Mostly I’m tired of the rhetoric and propoganda. I’m tired of the games and the debates. My mind is made up. Most people’s minds are made up. There’s little that can be said or done now that will change anyone’s minds. For the most part, either people love Bush, people love Kerry, or they hate Bush enough to vote for Kerry. I suppose there are other options, but on election day, those are the three that are going to matter.

I think the closer it gets to election day, the more outbreaks of bar room-like brawls will occur. And honestly, I’m very afraid for this country. I think no matter who wins, somewhere, some unhappy people are going to make a violent scene. I remember the L.A. riot. I’m afraid that could happen again.

Tags: 2004 election, politics, John Kerry, George W. Bush, mud-slinging, propaganda

The 411 On My Reflective Silence

I really wanted to sit down and write out my feelings yesterday, because Thursday night I went to see Farenheit 9/11 and then came home and listened to John Kerry’s acceptance speech. I was impressed and touched by both in different ways. However, neither relieved that strange feeling of unease that I’d been feeling on Thursday during the day. If anything, that feeling was more intense as I lay in my bed that night thinking of everything from the Bin Laden’s doing business with the Bushes to the promise of a better tomorrow to the seemingly inevitable draft.

The truth is that there is so much I want to say about all of those things, but when I think of them, when I want to articulate my thoughts, my feelings are so passionate that I’m not certain how clear they would be hear and I’d rather be clear than end up hypocritically sounding as silly as those foolish people basing their all-important presidential vote on the candidate’s appearance, choice of spouse, or religious background. Ironically, the last has actually become an issue thanks to a president who cannot separate his religious beliefs from his state responsibilities.

The truth is that during Farenheit 9/11, I travelled the gambit of emotions from shock to amusement to dispair and sadness to anger to dismay. I left the theater feeling a bit depressed and without hope for a country that could foolishly re-elect a president who has done so many questionable things in and out of office, particularly in office.

I would like to state for the record that I did not agree with everything that Michael Moore dragged through the mud. For example, I wish everyone would stop whining about the 2000 election and the whole Florida issue. The fact is that it happened. Bush became president as a result. We can’t take back the last few years. I’m tired of the whining. I’m tired of everyone bringing it up, usually as a snide remark. I am not a republican but I do wish people would just let go. (That said, I do find all the little nitpicky things that Michael Moore pointed out about it — Bush’s cousin working for Fox, the first network to announce Bush the winner of Florida despite the other news media’s declarations that Gore won, and making that call for the anchor people, just sets my conspiracy-theorist senses all a-tingle.)

Also, I was offended for Bush at Michael Moore’s criticism of Bush’s intial reaction (the first 7-10 minutes) to the second plane crashing into the WTC. He even criticized Bush’s reaction to the first plane crash — but at the first plane crash no one knew what was going on; no one knew it was terrorists. For all he knew, it was an accident, not something a President need get involved in right away. The second plane crashed while he was in an elementary school class room being read to a story by little children when someone came and whispered in his ear. For the next 7-10 minutes, he sat and continued to listen to the children. However, even I could seen the stunned shock on his face as he obviously struggled to accept that this impossible event had occurred. I remember very vividly how I felt on 9/11. I remember how stunned and numb and disbelieving I was. I remember feeling shock and feeling sick to my stomach. I kept thinking that it was all impossible. While, yes, it would have been nice to know that our President had immediately jumped up and started giving orders, I at least accept and recognize that he maybe needed a few minutes to pull himself together as a human being. Imagine the pressure.

However, during the movie I think my sense of loyalty to President Bush and his administration was stretched even thinner than it has been over the last few years. It’s no secret that I don’t care for the way he’s been running this country. I felt he did a good job dealing with 9/11 but that after that we all went to hell in a handbasket. So much of the things he’s done has been an attempt to take away civil liberties that I as an American have a right to, that many people died in the past to give me.

I am deeply disturbed by the financial connections of the Saudis, particularly the Saudi Bin Ladens, and the Bush family. It bothers me that they were investors in all of President Bush Jr.’s businesses and that after his Presidency, Bush Sr. was on the board of their over-seas business. It disturbs me that the Patriot Act was passed without anyone in Congress reading the details. It disturbs me that when F-9/11 was made only one Congressman had a child serving in Iraq. It disturbs me that an ambassador of the Taliban was a vistor to D.C. and given a tour and met with US officials just months before the attacks. It disturbs me that rather than hold Bin Laden’s family that were in the states at the time of the attacks for questioning (which would be a normal mode of operandi in any investigation), the US flew around picking them up in various cities as well as important Saudi “visitors” and flew them home ourselves. I’m angry that from 9/11 Bush was telling his “intelligence” people to prove Iraq was involved. I am in awe that prior to 9/11, Bush spent 42% of his first 8 months in office on vacation. If I did that, I’d be fired. No wonder he didn’t have a clue that 9/11 was going to happen. I somehow doubt he read the reports with the warnings at all. There’s just so many little things…including statements early in his term by high level officials on his staff that Iraq did not have WMD and couldn’t possibly have them, only to turn around a year later and insist we go to war to stop Sadaam from using this massive supply of WMD — which we have never found.

So, I left the theater depressed. As scenes from Iraq had appeared on the giant screen, I was horrified, being the pacifist that I am. I also came to a sudden realization. A co-worker had mentioned that he had read that Bush’s administration were planning on pushing through the “bill” for a new draft the day after “he’s re-elected”. This new draft will include men and women aged 18-34. As I watched the bloody, gory war scenes, I realized that I fit into that category. While I know in my heart of hearts that medically I would never pass any physical and probably wouldn’t ever be forced to go, I was suddenly aware of a renewed respect for those people who can go to war and come home not completely destroyed inside. I have tremendous respect for those people who serve in the military and remain human. I know if it were me, I would completely be destroyed…and somewhere in the back of my head, I understood my late cousin a little more, perhaps a better understanding of why he killed himself after Desert Storm. But the thought that I could be drafted, that my friends could be drafted, just eats at me. It’s bad enough that D has told me that he’s being sent to Iraq in September. My mom thinks he’s just going in a JAG capacity, but I have a suspicion that the military is spread so thin, that he’s going in a different capacity.

And, while I felt very good about the promises John Kerry made in his acceptance speech, he mentioned increasing the numbers in the military so that we could close the backdoor draft of National Guard and retired/reservists. I can’t see the recruitment numbers being that high now in a time when you are guaranteed to go to war and possibly die — not when the local news is always talking about this or that young man who would have graduated this past May who was killed, leaving wife and kids and girlfriends and all manner of a promising life. The only thing I can think is that a draft is the only way and it scares me. I hope I’m wrong.

I thought that John Kerry’s speech was good. I thought it was inspiring and I thought it was definitely aimed at the undecided and the unhappy Republicans just as much as it was an explanation to the dedicated Democrats and the Independents determined to avoid another four years of Bush’s bullshit and warmongering and destruction of civil liberties and freedoms. If he can accomplish half of the things he wants to do, I’d call his presidency a success.

What amazes me are the Republicans criticizing him the next day who didn’t bother to listen to or read the speech. They were just repeating rhetoric and mis-information perpetuated by angry right-wing media reporters and talk show hosts. The one that gets me is their claim that he will raise taxes and how they don’t want their taxes raised. I’m am just dying to know how many of them are making more than $200K a year since those are the only people who are getting their tax break rolled back.

It also killed me that President Bush didn’t bother to hear or read John Kerry’s speech either and admitted it to the press. He then proceeded to make a snide remark “attacking” John Kerry’s wife, implying that Laura Bush is a better First Lady and that’s what you get when you vote for him. I’ve been curious how long it was going to take people to start attacking Teressa Heinz Kerry because she wasn’t born an American and while not “black,” is technically an African-American. I think that Teressa is a strong, intelligent woman who is a contributer to social and community services. I know that Laura Bush is involved in the education cause (which is interesting since Bush refused to fund the “No Child Left Behind” Act after pushing it through) but you rarely hear anything about her and what she’s doing. I think we need a strong first lady like Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, or Hilary Clinton in the White House. I think it’s great that Teressa comes with John, but really who should be making their decision on who to vote for based on their wife?

I have to thank President Bush though. For 29 years, I had barely a passing interest in politics but thanks to him, his administration, his policies, and his mixing his religious convictions with my civil liberties, I have taken quite the interest in politics and the world in general. After Kerry’s speech, I ordered a book to help me become more informed on the government and politics. I plan to start really working on becoming even more informed. I never want to be caught off-guard on any of this. I want to be sure of my convictions because I understand it all, not because I’ve been told to by my parents, the media, or friends. I don’t want to ever be surprised again that something like the Patriot Act has passed and been signed and because I was uniformed, I couldn’t have done everything in my power to protest it and it’s abuse of power and lack of respect for my freedoms as a loyal American citizen.

I’m not sure how clear all of that was. I feel better now that I’ve let it out. I still feel uneasy and I don’t know exactly why. Maybe I’ll feel better on November 3rd…then again, maybe I’ll feel hopeless. Right now, I feel like Kerry and Edwards are speaking to me when they say “Hope is on the way!”

Tags: politics, Farenheit 9/11, John Kerry, Democrats, George W. Bush, Conspiracy Theories, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, hopeless, DNC, Osama bin Laden