eructo polīticus vulgaris- '07 edition

I’m not quite sure where to start...Happy new year, maybe? Yeah, sure, Happy new year.

(BTW, for this round, I might curse a little more than I usually do.... I have a lot on my mind. .. sorry if I offend.....). I’m not doing any links either.... If you have questions, just ask (or Wiki it yourself, man... It’s late!... I‘m tired!).

For reasons I can’t really explain, this holiday season was a little more difficult for me. On the surface, it was fine... no big tragedies or crisis... Just a normal, uneventful Christmas, but for some reason, I just didn’t want to play ball this year. I did the shopping, went to the parties, but my heart really wasn't so much into it. I hope everyone else’s was okay, though.

My latest quest (these last two weeks) was to take part in a yahoo group/community to save our local progressive radio station. About early-mid December, my station started playing cryptic messages saying

“You’ve talked... we’ve listened. Changes are coming... stay tuned for more details.”

I kinda’ figured that they were shuffling things around, adding a new show or something like that; no biggie. Right after Christmas, though, one of the fill in hosts on one of the shows (all the regulars were on break) mentioned my station as one of many Clear Channel owned stations that were switching formats to conservative talk. Immediately, the hackles on my neck stood up.

I did some quick searching, and discovered that the announcement was made in a small story in our local paper. I found and joined a Yahoo group and signed a petition right then & there. All last week, the moderators of my group organized, wrote letters, made phone calls (I even got a letter to the editor published!)... all the activist type of stuff, but to no avail... As of yesterday morning, the change was complete.

Now a couple of things really pissed me off about this... First and foremost, that station was how I stayed awake/focused at my job (it‘s a selfish reason, I know). Not only that, everything was just so damned entertaining. Second of all, the Clear Channel execs were being complete bastards about the whole thing. At first, they just sent back form-letter email responses, then (after it was clear that people WERE actually listening to the station), they responded to inquiries with ever increasing snarky-ness and condescension. The most insulting thing though, is the actual programming that replaced it. (Rose & Quinn War Room, Laura Ingrahm, and Michael Savage... Michael fucking Savage!!!). Talk about a 180 degree turnaround!

I had never listened to him before tonight. It took all of thirty seconds for him to start talking about “ragheads” and terrorism and domestic jihadists (I can only assume he meant liberals) and such. I swear to god, I could only listen for about two minutes before I wanted to scrub my ears out with my power drill. Jezus Christ... people actually call this shit entertainment (Goebels is smiling in hell right now). Even Laura Ingrahm’s show this morning led off with a story about bombing people, complete with sound effects. I’m sorry, I guess I just don’t get the humour of bombing campaigns/killing people... Hell, most BOMBER PILOTS don’t take joy in it... (and yes, I have actually known bomber pilots. )

Based on what I’ve seen over the last half-decade or so, I don’t think I know who the United States is anymore. I pretty well know our laws... our constitution... faces... names... places... battles.... leaders.... politics..... I even know (for the most part) many social trends and attitudes that have come and gone in our national psyche.

Right now though, I have no fucking idea what’s going on, or who’s even in charge anymore, or who speaks for us, the people, the huddled masses. Looking at our editorial page in our paper, at the news, on the radio, I can’t help but think that even though the neo-conservative movement was pretty clearly routed by the suffrage in November, their voice and policies seem louder than ever, and at least in Columbus, their clarion is yet again drowning out all opposition. Is it just Columbus? PLEASE!!!!! SOMEBODY TELL ME!!!!!

I hear phrases like;

-“the Christians are taking this country back,”

-“if you don’t love America (agree with us) then get the hell out,”

-“...those pro-abortionists and radical feminists don’t care about ‘personal freedoms’ like they say they do. They just want to spread their message of infant murder in the name of convenience,”


-“it’s time we locked/sent all of these no-good Marxist/socialist liberals away for good”


(I’ve actually heard/read all of the above [para] phrases in our local media outlets).


Am I honestly to believe that this is a popular stance in this country? Has debate died? I have always believed that the U.S. from it’s earliest days is a great model of progress of the human condition, and I count many of the founding fathers (and subsequent leaders) among my heroes. Is it different now? Has it always been like this and I’m now just seeing it? Am I wrong about what this country is? Is there any room for two truly opposing sides anymore (as it had been for the first 200 years)? Or more than one religion (or lack thereof)?

I can’t help to think from time to time that I am wrong about my country. Perhaps I should just leave. I really don’t want to, but if I’m not welcome, than for the good of my home country, maybe I should. (I wonder, though... If I were to actually sit down with Ann Coulter/Limbaugh/etc. if they would really tell me to do so). I’m a Christian and a liberal. These are not opposing viewpoints (in most ways, Jesus was a liberal), but you know what; I could be wrong.
I swear, when I do pray(and I do often), that’s the topic I wrestle with the most. I ask, ”Am I on the wrong side here? Do all of these ‘moral majority’ people have it right? Am I just fooling myself?”
So far, I don't think God has steered me away from what I believe, but is just praying enough? Am I on the wrong path? Am I blaspheming? I guess most of all, in a nutshell, I pray for an open mind and for the humility to accept truths as they come to me.

sorry... Didn’t mean to get all religious and stuff...

Or maybe I should just stop caring, tell the homeless to get jobs, worship the rich, get a mental nose job, buy a goddamned monstro-Dodge truk with a gun rack, talk shit about spics, ragheads, neegrows, jeeews, and four-iiin-eeeeers, listen ta’ cuntry (s‘long s‘ iss’ not th‘ Dixie Biches), beet me up sum faggots ‘n jus frrrgin’ GIT-R-DONE.

....FUCK that!!!..... I’m so fed up with this good ole’ boy bullshit.... I mean, being able to actually communicate effectively, to actually know something and to have some compassion/sensitivity has somehow become a friggin’ liability in our society! I swear to god, if I hear the term “All’ ss I know is...“ used as a modifying subject clause to a sentence ONE MORE GODDAMNED TIME, I'm gonna loose my friggin' mind!.....

.. err.... I digress..... sorry.... Just venting. I would, however pay very good money to see “Larry the cable guy” weep like the pathetic little bitch that he is.

God, I gotta' stop with the politics.........

Again, I know I got a little foul mouthed this time. I just had to get a few things off my chest. Also, if you own an über-truck and speak w/ a southern accent, I don’t mean to offend you either (some of the most spectacularly intelligent people I've known have been from the south/small towns)... Or if you like country (I like some country... Chet Atkins was a God!)... I seriously wasn't talking about anyone I know. It's just anyone who would use the term "college boy" as an insult and who would take pride in their ignorance... I hope everyone catches my drift.
Well, till next time,
-M