A Long Sunday Rant

It's a holiday weekend wherein the last gasp of Summer allows Americans to take a few days off from work; have another BBQ or spend another day at the beach or lake before the seasons change; reality returns to everyday life, and another political convention begins on Tuesday for Democrats in Charlotte, North Carolina. I wish I could find the Vacation Spirit within to enjoy the holiday; however, I seem unable to curb the churning acids in my stomach this morning as I glance around the world via The Newz.

Sometimes Ignorance IS Bliss. I could ignore the information about poverty here and everywhere else; wars; Mother Nature's unsettling and tragic eruptions; injustice in so many places; lies from both sides of the political landscape…all of the "Negative" stories fit and unfit to print. I could toss all cares to the proverbial wind and shake off the disturbing images and messages and simply have my morning tea, look out the window at the trees and squirrels that leap from limb-to-limb and rejoice in one more sunny day in what some people call "Paradise" in California. Yep. I could do that. But I have a problem these days with ignoring the larger picture of the world while happily going about my own personal biz.

The thing is, much of what is happening not only in my country but elsewhere in the world does, eventually, impact my life, be it in quality or practicality. I can find humour in some of what takes place when it doesn't involve the deaths of hundreds from wars or natural disasters. Not so today on social/cultural and political issues. The Chair (i.e. 'Invisible Obama') courtesy of an elderly actor who seems to be losing his faculties, was fun to laugh about for a few days. Today it is simply an Empty Chair reflecting the emptiness of almost all political systems and the majority of participants involved.

Why am I bothered so much about all of this today? Because no matter how far humans have evolved, when it gets down to governments/kingdoms and the like, very little has truly changed. Leaders will be greedy, or, if not that, then duplicitous to remain in their jobs. Most Leaders really don't give a flying fuck (there, I said it again) about The Poor. Most Leaders of The White Colour still view Blacks and other minorities as Lazy Welfare Recipients, although, in the U.S. more Whites are on the program than not. However, that is not how the general media portrays the situation. Thus, racial divides continue unabated…which, quite frankly, helps no one except Entitled White People who, like Mitt Romney, will tell a newly homeless person in Louisiana whose home was underwater to "Go home and call 211" when that person addressed a presidential nominee for guidance who is so out of touch he cannot see beyond the shiny silver spoon which remains stuck in his mouth.

And then there is Obama, who has allowed too many of his predecessors' unconstitutional machinations to remain in place (such as Gitmo). Who has flat-footed on Privacy concerns under the justification of tamping-down on potential Terrorism Threats when, in his own Military, several soldiers had been planning to assassinate him.

Oh it goes on…the disappointing and often shocking decisions made in Washington. I wish I could return to earlier days in my life when politics was a mere sideshow in my focus, going about each day basically oblivious to what was happening here (beyond the basics) and in The Middle East. But not now. Something happened to me ten years ago during a bout of Legal Blindness from an odd condition. Not able to work, I began to spend time listening to political pundits on TV and radio. It was A New Phase in my life and I learned a great deal. I was entertained, informed, fired-up, motivated and completely happy to spend my days with intense pontificator's who were thoroughly against the Bush administration. Now all I hear are a group of people (beyond a Brilliant Few) expressing what they "think" will happen if blah-blah-blah happens and a bunch of speculation with no substance.

I so loathed what Bush Jr., Cheney And Fiends were doing to our country that I had to tune in because I was passionate about ensuring we would no longer have such a Dufus in office surrounded by scary Neocon's who sent soldiers to unnecessary deaths in Iraq. There was a purpose in my heart. Throw the bums out! Instead, a kinder, socially responsible man was voted into office, heralding a New Time with regard to race as we did bridge a gap in the true representation of our country by no longer sending a White Man of Dubious Military designs into power in the midst of a chaotic situation not on American soil.

Not naïve enough to think the Racists in America would tolerate seeing a Family Of Colour move into an aptly named The White House, I did think tolerance might eventually prevail. Not so. It has only grown worse. The KKK is very busy in secret – making plans to stir up race debates just as they were 50 or so years ago. The only difference now is that they don't burn crosses on the lawns of The Blacks, they just burn bridges to peace between all races behind-the-scenes with money sent to them by a surprising number of Intolerant People With Money.

Beyond the breathtaking vapidity of the RNC Convention's "party" where speakers pretended to care for the The Poors in lie-after-lie, and the all-too-familiar Hurricane/Tropical Storm Isaac scare on the anniversary of the nation's most appalling disaster, Katrina, once again the triggers have been pushed on the scar of how those who have lost homes are sobbing in the streets and a Rich Fat Cat tells them to "go home." At least Romney didn't do a "Flyover" though he may as well have done so with yet another example of how unprepared our so-called Leaders can be to offer any kind of solace to those in need.

I hear that Obama will be visiting Louisiana tomorrow. What's he going to do and say that will soothe the heartache of those who lost to Mother Nature again and the difficulty New Orleans has in keeping the levees from over-topping and a few of the dams locking-up which will create approx. 11 feet of rushing water into an outlying section of New Orleans to attempt to control an overabundance of water once more.

Okay. I've probably depressed you enough for one day if you agree with my rather down-toned post. You get it, I hope. The disappointment. The almost resignation. The narrow focus on what is Wrong rather than What Is Right about the U.S. and the nod toward other country's ills.

But, I needed to express my own heartache and anger over what is going on. I have no answers. The task seems so large when it involves Politics And Racial Insensitivity, as well as misleading perceptions of people in poverty.

If you would like to hear and see what is going down in our national conversation on Poverty And Class Warfare, you may find the following discussion enlightening as well as educationally disturbing. I highly recommend taking a few minutes to watch someone Tell It Like It Is RIGHT HERE.

Thanks for your time. Now I'll dash off and down a few anti-acids to clear the roiling fire in my belly so that my day isn't completely ruined.

Happy Labor Day Weekend to those who still have a home - and electricity.

Image via: audreysowell.com