Proud To Be An American

A friend recently commented on my Facebook status message in which I said that I was "proud to be an American on this day." My friend's comment was: Weren't you proud before???

I'll answer that question this way: Sometimes.

Am I proud that America gives tens of billions of dollars a year to help fight the spread of AIDS, end world hunger and promote democracy around the world? Yes. Am I proud that America champions human rights and the rights of women around the world? Yes. Am I proud that this is a land of opportunity and promise? Yes. Am I proud of the freedoms granted our citizens that are the envy of many in the world? Yes.

However, America tends to ignore the plight of peoples in which it has no military, political or business interest in. Genocide in Darfur? Send in the UN! Genocide in Rwanda? Send in a token force, get our butts kicked, and then never show up again. Government sponsored murder in Haiti? Nada. Taliban oppressing people in Afghanistan BEFORE the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001? Diddly squat. Tens of thousands of homeless people in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina? No help there. On those counts, I am NOT proud to be an American.

And then there's the giant pink elephant in the room that no one dares talk about: race. There's a difference between SAYING that anyone can be President and actually DOING it. One of the basic founding principles of this country is that ANY American citizen can be President. Yet 43 out of 44 times, we elected a caucasian to the office.

This election changes EVERYTHING. Why? Because the majority of peoples around the world are what? Not white.

Seeing a young* non-white person as the President is inspiring to tens of millions of Americans and billions of people around the world. It means that America not only talks the talk, she walks the walk. It is vindication for every single non-white American that has ever been slighted, insulted, stereotyped, left behind, ignored, attacked, jailed or enslaved by whites in this country. It means that leaders of nations around the world see someone that is NOT the "establishment." They see someone who looks like them. They see someone who they may share a history or common ancestry with. They see someone who may understand them. Young minority children in America can look at the president and realize that all the rhetoric is REAL. That YES, they CAN achieve anything they put their minds to. Nothing inspires like a hero, but he's not a hero if you can't relate to him.

Now as great as all of this is, we are still leaving out a HUGE portion of the population. Who? Women. Hillary Clinton came closest to breaking that glass ceiling. Geraldine Ferraro merely touched it.

America has been SLOW to elect people to office that are anything other than white men. Indira Ghandi was Prime Minister of India in 1966. Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1979. Benazir Bhutto was Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1988 (and she was a MUSLIM). ALL were successful leaders. The same "good 'ol boy" propaganda that's been holding back minorities for all these years also applies to women, and we are a lesser nation because of it.

So, on this day, I am proud - especially proud - to be an American. This day signifies part of America's promise made manifest. This day marks America's first steps into the 21st century. From before the day the Constitution was signed, America has been a nation of change. The need for change brought the Puritans to this continent. The need for change brought America's manifest destiny. The need for change brought and end to slavery. The need for change brought civil rights, the right to vote and freedom from discrimination. And the need for change has brought women and minorities into positions of leadership and power.

Go America.




Post script:

My friend also mentioned that she is "afraid Obama will be assassinated and this country will erupt in civil war." I understand that fear is a powerful motivator. Fear can even be good when you use it to focus your mind - ask any soldier. But allowing fear to make your decisions for you is a guarantee for failure - again, ask any soldier. Imagine all of the missed opportunities this country would have had if we had NOT done something out of fear of what may have happened as a result. Fear is the true enemy of success, and fear is part of what holds this country back from being all it can be. If an attempt is made on Barack Obama, it doesn't mean that we were "wrong" to elect him or that the country wasn't "ready." It means that we need work HARDER to stamp out intolerance and racism in this country. There is NO going back.



*Young: Only 9 Presidents ever elected before Barack Obama were under 50.

When did "elite" become a bad word?

Americans are a funny bunch. We like to claim that we are the best, richest and most powerful country in the world. We say that our form of government is the best and that our way of life is second to none.

That is the textbook definition of the word "elite." Don't believe me? Here you go:

From the American Heritage Dictionary:

elite (ĭ-lēt', ā-lēt')
n. pl. elite or elites

1. a. A group or class of persons or a member of such a group or class, enjoying superior intellectual, social, or economic status.

b. The best or most skilled members of a group.

A US Army Ranger is an elite soldier. Special Forces units are considered elite.

So, we Americans seem to like the term "elite" . . . as long as it doesn't apply to our President. For our President, we seem to want the "average Joe," or the guy we can "have a beer with."

Am I the only one here who seems to have a problem with this? Our president is the Commander In Chief of our armed forces, speaks for our interests around the world, meets and negotiates with foreign leaders, leads our country in times of war and conflict, directs economic and social policies, influences world affairs, and is the embodiment of America as seen by nations around the world.

For this we want "Joe President?" We want an "average" guy? What happened to the best of the best? Why does the "best" apply to our soldiers, athletes and businesspeople but not our President?

The American Heritage Dictionary defines "elitism" as: "The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources."

So, when Barack Obama says something that speaks to his education and experience, people will say that he's being "elitist." And your problem with this is. . .what exactly? Do we NOT want our President to be the MOST educated, have the BEST judgment, have the SMARTEST ideas, be the MOST brilliant and creative, and have the SHARPEST mind? And isn't this person, this "elite" the BEST choice to lead the nation?

Does Donald Trump pick the most modest, the most humble, the most self deprecating person to be his "Apprentice?" HELL NO, he doesn't! He picks the sharpest, strongest, smartest, most driven, most resourceful person of the group.

Oh, so your problem is that he actually DEMONSTRATES how smart he is? You're all afraid that his head will get too big? That by educating himself he is somehow "out of touch" with the needs of "real" Americans? So the schools, colleges and universities in America, some of which are considered the best in the world, somehow brainwash their students to forget their humble beginnings, forget where they came from and take on a new "elitist" persona, right? All that book learnin' done gone and made him one of them thar ee-lee-tists.

I blame all of this on this recent fad of what I call "new averageism." It started in the schools when we celebrated EVERYONE for being "special." Everyone gets a gold star! We don't keep score in our games anymore - we do it for fun! There are no "losers" and "winners" because EVERYONE is special in their own way! No goals to reach, no people to look up to, no competition.

Whoever came up with this dreck needs to be shot through the head. Shot through the head by one of our elite military sharp shooters.

I want the best of the best - the elite - to be the president. "Next Door Joe" can fix my car.

Barack Obama For President

I used to like John McCain. I used to like him a lot. In fact, if John McCain were the Republican nominee back in 2000, there was a very good chance I would have voted for him.

Unfortunately, he didn't become the nominee. George W. Bush did. Republicans decided that it was more important to have a president that they could "have a beer with" than a straight talking no-nonsense "maverick."

John McCain called it like he saw it, whether it was popular or not, whether it was in the interest of the party or not. He was an independent conservative who wasn't afraid to vote with the Democrats when the need arose. He was a man that I could have easily supported.

Eight years later, John McCain is again running for president, only this time, he's not the same John McCain. The independent conservative? Gone. The "maverick?" Gone. The man I used to support? Gone.

John McCain took one giant step to the right and lost my support. Instead of calling it like he sees it, he started speaking the party line. Instead of telling the truth, he started telling falsehoods and outright lies. John McCain became the very politician that he used to speak out against. "Straight talk" morphed into Republican Party propaganda - the same old fear-based politics that Republicans turn to when things get tough. They've got nothing else, so they try to scare people into voting for them.

You hear it every four years: Democrats will raise your taxes, wimp out on defense, inflate government, spend money on pork, un-balance the budget, steal your babies, destroy the moral fabric of society and basically bring the world to an end. This fear is so pervasive that I've actually witnessed Republicans openly weeping when Bill Clinton was elected - terrified that their way of life was about to become Hell on earth. It's a mindset that doesn't allow for in-between, shades of grey, or "maybe." It's "yes or no," "black or white," " good or evil," "us or them," etc. And while there ARE certain things in life that follow that pattern, MOST things do not.

The nail in the coffin for my support for John McCain was his pick for VP. It was a blatant grab for the base of ultra-conservative voters who really don't care who is running for president, as long as they're Republican. Issues? They don't care. Who tells the truth? They don't care. As long a she's "one of us," they'll support her.

I'm registered as "Independent," and I honestly try to look at both points of view when it comes election time. I also believe that this country would completely fall apart if it were run by just Democrats or just Republicans. Each party needs the other. America needs to be able to stand firm and unwavering when necessary, and America also needs to bend and be flexible and understanding when necessary.

I used to see both of those qualities in John McCain. At times steadfast, at times flexible. Now I've seen him throw his hat in the ring with the completely inflexible, unwavering, unchanging and unapologetic crowd. I've seen him tell outright lies. I've seen him come out against legislation THAT HE WROTE. I've seen him do a complete 180 on his own positions on everything from the war in Iraq to offshore drilling.

I've seen the hypocritical nature of his party and the dirty underhanded tactics they will use to get their nominee elected. They view it as nothing less than a war for the future of the country. I've seen preachers broadcasting their sermons on the Internet saying that Barack Obama is the Anti Christ and will bring about the destruction of the world. Seriously.

I'm sorry, Mr. McCain, but you are not a man that I can support, and frankly, your party frightens me.

Instead of fear from John McCain and the Republicans, I hear a message of hope, peace and prosperity from Barack Obama. I hear of energy independence, clean air and water, economic prosperity, affordable healthcare for everyone and world leadership through cooperation and trust instead of intimidation. After 8 years of trying to either intimidate or just plain ignore hostile governments, the Bush administration is doing exactly what Barack Obama said we should be doing: talking to them. Funny how Barack Obama was viewed as a traitor for even suggesting the very thing that George Bush is now doing.

Instead of outright lies, I hear reasoned debate. Instead of pandering, I see a reasoned and thoughtful choice for running mate. Instead of the same old dreck, I see a real chance for progress in America.

Go Barack.

When "all natural" isn't.

While I was in my bathroom the other day, I spied a new bottle of shower gel sitting on the rim of the tub. As I was otherwise occupied, I grabbed the bottle and read the label:

"BODYNATURe" HONEY ALMOND SHOWER GEL

"Nourish and enrich your body, with honey almond to soothe and moisturize your skin."

Turning the bottle over to read the back (I was occupied, remember?) I started reading the ingredients:

Water, soap, foam enhancers, preservatives, thickeners, stabilizers, antimicrobials, fragrance, coloring.

Huh?

I read the bottle again.

Nope. Not one drop of either "HONEY" or "ALMOND."

What I DID find was stuff like methylchloroisothiazolinone, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, methylisothiazolinone, Polyquaternium-7, and cocamidopropyl betaine.

Can't pronounce any of that stuff? Neither can I. Know what any of it is? Me neither.

What I DO know is that this stuff ends up in our drinking water. Yes, our DRINKING WATER. Remember that news story a few months ago about Viagra showing up in drinking water because people were flushing expired tablets down the toilet? Well, we use MILLIONS OF GALLONS of this stuff every day, and it all goes down the drain to the local water treatment plant where we assume that it's all removed.

Not.

If they can't get Viagra out, how can they possibly get methylchloroisothiazolinone out? Anyone care to guess what this stuff is doing to our bodies and brains?

Oh, not all at once. Slowly. Just a few parts per billion every single day. Couldn't hurt, could it?

In ancient Rome, the wealthy used to drink LEAD on a daily basis. They used it as a preservative and sweetener. Nobody knew what it was doing to them at the time.

Just a little food for thought.

11 Million Dollar Babies

NBC News is reporting that Angelina Jolie has given birth to her twins, fathered by Brad Pitt. They are also reporting that People Magazine has a deal with the happy parents to get exclusive photographs of the infants for a cool 11 million, which the Joliepitts say they'll give to charity.

11 million dollars. ELEVEN MILLION DOLLARS! For pictures. Of babies. They could grab ANY two caucasian infants from the nursery and pose with them and people would be none the wiser.

Since when did we start paying people to be. . . human? Are we paying Brad Pitt because his dick works? Or are we paying Angelina for doing what billions of other mothers around the world do for free?

They're ACTORS. They're "good" actors. Not "amazing," not "incredible," not even "great." They're "good."

Yes, they're attractive. But the dude holding the leaf blower outside my office looks JUST like Brad Pitt - well, he does to me, anyway. And as gorgeous as Angelina is, I've seen women that will put even her to shame.

This stinks, people. It stinks like baby shit. Are we so obsessed with other people's lives? Are we collectively that miserable that we need to have a legion of photographers staked outside the hospital in Nice, France to effectively MOB them as they leave the hospital? Are we really as "hungry" as the tabloids say we are for photos of famous people doing ordinary things?

In the words of William Shatner: "GET A LIFE, will you people? I mean, for crying out loud, it's just a TV show! . . . You've turned an enjoyable little job, that I did as a lark for a few years, into a COLOSSAL WASTE OF TIME! I mean, how old are you people? What have you done with yourselves? . . .There's a whole world out there! When I was your age, I didn't watch television! I LIVED! . . .YOU GUYS ARE... THE LAMEST BUNCH... I'VE NEVER SEEN... [ walks away from podium ] I can't believe these people... "