This rant has been brewing for weeks--months.
I remember clearly Election Night, 2008-I heard Barack Obama had been elected president. After 8 long years, I suddenly had hope for this country. Then I heard Prop 8 (you know, the one that kept "Separate and not Equal" a law in California) had passed. My hope was a little diminished. President Obama was sworn in not a moment too soon, as the economy got worse and worse, and Bush seemed unable (or cynically on my part, unwilling) to do anything about it. But President Obama had plans--big plans! He got right to work; did what he could to stimulate the economy, put people to work, pulled us back from the brink of a major Depression. Spent money, but any real economist would tell you that was the right thing to do.
The real powers-that-be in this country were not deterred by Obama's victory. Oh no, they were, in January 2009, planning for the midterm elections of 2010. First, they put their money to work--they already knew who to target in this country, who to get riled up--those folks who didn't like "change". Of any kind. The type of people who could be easily frightened. They talked to these folks about the evils of Healthcare Reform--scared them with lies that sounded like truth. Threw around words like "Socialist" and "Communist" for good measure. Started "grassroots" organizations, led by regular guys like Dick Armey. Thus the Tea Party movement was born, and the real powers sat back and smiled. It was all going according to plan.
Things got ugly when Healthcare Reform was voted on--members of Congress were spat on, bricks were thrown through the windows of their offices in their home states. The Tea Party was energized, and political civility was gone (you remember the "You Lie!" guy? How shameful was that?).
The Faux News Network became a full-fledged Republican/Tea Party propaganda machine, and their commentators were thrilled by the money that was pouring in to their bank accounts (Glenn Beck made over $27 million in one year). Never mind that their "news" wasn't always accurate or truthful. They knew exactly how to scare their viewers, and they did it well. The underlying message was liberal=bad=socialist=country going down the tubes. And their viewers BELIEVED!
The real powers-that-be knew the next step would be to control as many state governments as possible. With their followers frightened and riled up, getting candidates to run was no problem. Getting money to flow into Republican races was no problem. While their candidates ran on the "Jobs, jobs, no taxes, jobs" platform, behind the scenes the real powers were working with Republican candidates on the real platform for 2010.
Most voters slept through the 2010 elections, because, after all, the presidential election year is the important one right?
And Republicans swept into office--taking control as governor, and many, many state offices. And the real powers were happy. For they knew what was coming next.
Which brings me to my rant--why is my state, and many like it, turning into such a hate-filled, backward place? Every time I think about what the governor and state legislature in the state of Indiana did in just 4 short months, I want to vomit.
I had such hope for my generation.
We were going to be the ones to take care of the poor, the sick. We were going to raise our kids to be color-blind, non-sexist, with a healthy attitude about sex, and a respect for differences.
Here we are as adults, and we are allowing people in power to:
- Prevent women from getting reproductive health care, especially if they're poor.
- Tell women they can't control their own bodies, like that would all of a sudden mean there would never be another abortion, ever.
- Kill labor unions.
- Allow the rich to keep getting richer, and the middle class to die a hideous death.
- Tell people who are LGB or T that they are, and will always be, 2nd class citizens. That they don't deserve the same rights to happiness as the "normal" people.
- Play endless political games while our country is failing fast. The real powers that be seem to be happy with this, for it gives them time to achieve their goals.
- AND, most of all, we are allowing our country to be controlled by a fundamentalist religious sect.
Why are we not hopping mad? Why are we not rioting in the streets? In Indiana, our legislators have de-funded Planned Parenthood, effectively killed the labor union, and are now allowing vouchers for private (ie religious) schools, at the same time public schools are barely getting by. And, in one more legislative session, we will have heterosexual marriage only in the state CONSTITUTION.
It's all so fucking depressing. I thought things were going to be different, would be better. But the longer I'm adult, the more I realize how very little power I have. Everything is decided for me. And most of the decisions, right now, seem very evil and backward to me.
But here's the thing--I am in a dark hole, but there are thousands of little lights, all around me. They are my family, my friends, my community, my job, my health--my life is good. Everyday life goes on, and for the most part, I feel untouched by the real powers. I know they're out there though, and I hope we all wake up, before it's too late.
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