Democrats rule! Democrats rule! YES, YES, YES! Democrats rule! Wooooooooo!
I am so very pleased. Although also so very scared. As I lay in bed this morning listening to NPR, I thought "Oh shit. Now we actually have to do something. What the hell is it going to be?"
I hope, no, I trust, though, that whatever we – the democrats; the moderate middle; people who want a re-evaluation of current policies – whatever we come up with, I will like it better than the policies of the last few years.
I’m also disappointed that Virginia has voted to prohibit by constitutional amendment marriages not between "one man and one woman," as well as constitutionally prohibiting the granting of equal rights to any stable couple, regardless of gender, who wishes to claim the benefits of married status without a marriage license, but I guess I'm not surprised. I can say "I hate that we've actually voted to take people's rights away," and I can act like that's all shocking to me and stuff, but really? Really people want to take other people's rights away all the time. And I know it.
I still have hope, though. It simply makes sense to me that eventually – within my lifetime, though possibly not within my youth – same-sex marriage and partner-without-marriage rights will be universal policy in the United States. It's reasonable. And no, we're not necessarily always a reasonable country, but we are a country that has, from its inception, valued reason above almost everything else, and eventually, I think, we do tend to yield to those ideas that seem to carry the greatest weight of reason. At least, I like to think so. Perhaps largely because this idea is moderately reassuring. Which is in itself possibly an unreasonable reason to believe in things, but one which has for quite some time served me well, psychologically speaking.
Enough with the politics. It embarrasses me to talk about it. Why is that? Maybe I feel unqualified because I’m not revolutionary enough, or because I’m not learned enough. But that's what representative democracy is about, I suppose. It doesn't matter if I'm learned, revolutionary, reactionary, or whatever, I still get at least a tiny bit of say. That's also, in some sense, what the internet is about – my opinions here aren't any better than anyone else's, and they're inferior in phrasing or argument to many people's, but the internet gives me a voice anyway. And I'm quite glad it does.
(I also feel embarrassed because I think I sound trite, but that's a constant problem with me. And has very little to do with any political system, though it may have to do with current cultural systems that value irony to the point of nearly fetishizing it.)
I am so very pleased. Although also so very scared. As I lay in bed this morning listening to NPR, I thought "Oh shit. Now we actually have to do something. What the hell is it going to be?"
I hope, no, I trust, though, that whatever we – the democrats; the moderate middle; people who want a re-evaluation of current policies – whatever we come up with, I will like it better than the policies of the last few years.
I’m also disappointed that Virginia has voted to prohibit by constitutional amendment marriages not between "one man and one woman," as well as constitutionally prohibiting the granting of equal rights to any stable couple, regardless of gender, who wishes to claim the benefits of married status without a marriage license, but I guess I'm not surprised. I can say "I hate that we've actually voted to take people's rights away," and I can act like that's all shocking to me and stuff, but really? Really people want to take other people's rights away all the time. And I know it.
I still have hope, though. It simply makes sense to me that eventually – within my lifetime, though possibly not within my youth – same-sex marriage and partner-without-marriage rights will be universal policy in the United States. It's reasonable. And no, we're not necessarily always a reasonable country, but we are a country that has, from its inception, valued reason above almost everything else, and eventually, I think, we do tend to yield to those ideas that seem to carry the greatest weight of reason. At least, I like to think so. Perhaps largely because this idea is moderately reassuring. Which is in itself possibly an unreasonable reason to believe in things, but one which has for quite some time served me well, psychologically speaking.
Enough with the politics. It embarrasses me to talk about it. Why is that? Maybe I feel unqualified because I’m not revolutionary enough, or because I’m not learned enough. But that's what representative democracy is about, I suppose. It doesn't matter if I'm learned, revolutionary, reactionary, or whatever, I still get at least a tiny bit of say. That's also, in some sense, what the internet is about – my opinions here aren't any better than anyone else's, and they're inferior in phrasing or argument to many people's, but the internet gives me a voice anyway. And I'm quite glad it does.
(I also feel embarrassed because I think I sound trite, but that's a constant problem with me. And has very little to do with any political system, though it may have to do with current cultural systems that value irony to the point of nearly fetishizing it.)
Labels: politics, representation
i feel like the country just took a deep breath... refreshing... and now we're waiting to hear what it's going to say.