Hoooooo Boy.

A topic that I am always willing to avoid in conversation is Politics. I avoid it not only because it can be divisive, but because it is boring. There is nothing more irritating and annoying than being stuck at a dinner table with two people debating their political philosophy with only one goal in mind: Being Right. It's enough to drive a person to glass chewing, while simultaneously juggling fire and sticking rusty nails in your eyes.

Political discussions are the suck.

However, I am going to go there today. I am not a Republican. I am pretty liberal, okay, extremely liberal. If you called me a communist, I would correct you, but I wouldn't be offended. However, I have many people in my life who I love and respect, that are Republicans. I understand the importance of having diverse and differing beliefs, even if I vehemently disagree with said beliefs.

However, I am really sick of Republicans, who I know are moderate, sensible, good people, not standing up to a party that is being dominated by a bunch of racists kooks. Seriously, I have no earthly idea why anyone would associate themselves with a group like this, unless they agreed with them deep down.... and for the Republicans whom I know and love, I know better.

You may be wondering what I am yammering about, and why I am so off put with the Grand Old Party this week.....

Behold:

In response to a news story about an escaped gorilla from the Columbia South Carolina Zoo, Rusty DePass, a long-time GOP activist in South Carolina and candidate for various state/local offices throughout the years, responded with the decisively clever and appropriate, “I’m sure it’s just one of Michelle’s ancestors - probably harmless.”

Yes, he is referring to Michelle Obama, First Lady and African American. Because monkey jokes are never old and never offensive.... He's just kidding! He's a kidder.

Keeping it classy in South Carolina, a low-level functionary in the GOP made the wise choice to Tweet the following:

How cute is that?

BTW, this rocket surgeon feels he is qualified to be a future Governor of South Carolina, a state in the United States of America, where most citizens feel that racist jokes at the expense of our people and President are in bad taste. Who knew?

Traveling north (where one might think these kind of attitudes would be less visible) to Tennessee, Sherri Goforth, a legislative aid to a Tennessee senator, emailed this little gem out to people on her email list, FROM HER WORK EMAIL ACCOUNT:




In case you are having trouble seeing the picture, it is a picture of every President of the United States of America, including what dumb, inbred, racist Republicans think depicts our current President, Barack Obama. Because he is black. Because if your parents are related you cannot see anyone without pasty, anemic, doughboy skin in the dark.

After being reprimanded for being a racist, idiot, Ms. Goforth issued the following apology:
"I went on the wrong email and I inadvertently hit the wrong button. I’m very sick about it, and it’s one of those things I can’t change or take back."


What a relief. For a second we may have thought you were stupid, or something, Ms. Goforth.

Let's top this hot fudge sunday of antiquated racial stereotypes with this cherry, brought to us by the mephistophelian, King of the Dipshits: Pat Buchanan:

"Thus, Sotomayor got into Princeton, got her No. 1 ranking, was whisked into Yale Law School and made editor of the Yale Law Review — all because she was a Hispanic woman... One prefers the old bigotry. At least it was honest, and not, as Abraham Lincoln observed, adulterated “with the base alloy of hypocrisy." - Pat Buchanan, on MSNBC

Yes, you read that correctly. This rhetorical wizard is using Lincoln as his defense for being a bigot. Yes Mr. Buchanan, we prefer the bigotry of the Days of Yore..... the bigotry that conjures up Norman Rockwell-like picturesque settings depicting blue eyed children lynching, separating and oppressing minorities, all in the name of "apple pie".

All of this is just baffling to me when I think of the non-racist, passionate, intelligent people I know that are Republicans. Why? Why would you associate yourself with people like this? I know that they are not the defining word of the party, but they sure are vocal? Is it more important to keep a unified front in the party, than it is to openly SHAME your constituents who believe such actions, jokes and rhetoric are acceptable?

Because it is not acceptable.

It is time for the Republicans with a clue to stand up to the assholes in their party and CENSURE them. This behavior and other behaviors put forth by GOP constituents are not acceptable and only hurts the Grand Old Party.

I doubt anyone really reads this blog,but if there are any Republicans who do and agree, or even disagree with me, I would love to hear from you.

Self Importance..........i.e..................... Suck it, David Crosby

If I have to suffer through another "flower child's" self important diatribe one more time, I may become Amish just to avoid popular media. Seriously, there is no generation more stuck on themselves than the Baby Boomers. We get, you had sex before marriage and smoked a ton of weed, good for you, now SHUT IT.

I understand that the sixties were groundbreaking in knocking down rigid social structures, facing the evils of inequality head on, and realizing that there are choices in life. As a woman and a daughter of that generation, I DIG IT. However, in looking back at history long past and recent, there is no other generation so stuck on pontificating about their extreme awesomeness more than the children of the sixties.

God bless Tom Brokaw for taking the zeal out of their swagger and focusing for a time on our grandparents. There is a lot to be said about the children of the Great Depression and WWII. Then was a time that all the United States possessed was a dream and the follow through to obtain that dream. We were not a super power, but by inspiration, collaboration, and a common philosophy, our grandparents worked together to dig this country out of the worst rut it had ever faced. All the while still nursing those wounds, we banded together with the rest of the world to fight and defeat one of the greatest evils this world had ever seen.

Not only did they accomplish this, they steered clear of Time Life specials reminiscing about how AWESOME they were. They just wanted to dance during those informercials, and I can totally get behind that.

I do have to admit, I can kind of see where this need to express to the world how your generations part in history, was by far, the most profound time to exist. I know that I look at people who are younger than I am, and I shake my head while muttering "back in my day"while completely discounting their experiences for five minutes, until I finally get a grip back. I grew up in the eighties and the nineties, too young for Gen X, but too old for Gen Y. I remember Adam Walsh, and the hysteria that ensued from that awful tragedy.... Getting finger-printed, making an ID card in kindergarten, and working with my parents to come up with a "fool proof", safe word.

I remember when my parent's good friend died suddenly from a very severe and unmanageable pneumonia, later finding out that this was a disease that was going to and continue to kill many of the world's population. Because of AIDS, I knew what a condom was by second grade, which may or may not be appropriate. We chanted "Just Say No!" while marching behind Nancy Reagan and a stoned Drew Barrymore. We challenged authority after being inspired by Henry Rollins and "fought the power" while being directed by Chuck D .

It was a groundbreaking time, in a long line of groundbreaking times throughout human history. That's the crux of this post; humans are amazing... amazingly inventive, destructive, strong, cruel and kind... Human history is ever-changing and to single out one generation as being more important than another is purely self serving..... So, all of you people who burned out on the Haight-Ashbury, just SHUT IT.

That means you too, Peter Fonda.

For Jay

A gift in light of the fact the band is NOT getting back together.