My American Dream

I have a dream...it is not complicated. It is really quite simple.  I want my Independence Day on July 4 to be 45 free.  Obviously that is not going to happen so I am revising my dream a bit.

I am still so very angry with all of those folks that voted against their best interest.  I am angry with my friends and neighbors that shattered my belief in their personal integrity.  I am pissed that they advertised their lack of integrity and blind faith for the world to see with signs on their vehicles and fences.   I am still pissed that my friends and neighbors threw away all of their morality, their common sense and potentially planetary future when they proudly voted for that misogynistic, narcissistic, racist, greedy & treasonous bastard that is currently inhabiting the white house that belongs to the people of my country.

These friends and neighbors are good people with beautiful children and  grand daughters and lovely farms steeped in history & nature,  and I want to ask them; "Why would you vote for some one so sleazy that you would not even be comfortable leaving your grand daughters alone with him?  Why would you vote for some one that clearly would act (& has) shamefully  in the eyes of our allies? Why would you think that this narcissistic idiot would ever do anything in your interest? Why would you vote for someone that would destroy the very natural world that I know you love because you have expressed  joy of living in our wild and wonderful world?"

I really thought all of these friends and neighbors were smarter than that. I thought their common sense and the fact that they are grounded in nature - so to speak - would make them immune to the propaganda and rhetoric that the "45" espoused.  I want to ask but now I fear the response will be something as un-intelligible & baffling as their voting choice to begin with.

So, here I am...it has been 8 months since the election and nearly 6 months that I have had to hear that horrible bastard's name every day that I turn on a television.  I am ready to swear off TV for the next 3.5 years except that now I worry that this may not be the worst case scenario.  I cannot even imagine what could be worse...perhaps Kanye West or Alex Jones or shit, who knows!  Nothing is off the table now.

I hope I can find a way to get past my issues with what feels like a true betrayal by my own friends and neighbors.  It sucks on every level.  I write this because I am concerned for the world that my grandchildren will inherit...

I have never had much faith in anything but now I have lost faith in my democracy and that leaves me in such a disillusioned state that I approach apathy.  And yet, only about 50% of folks actually voted.  I am compelled to reject apathy.  Too many women died, were beaten, were raped and more to secure my right to vote.  It is a moral imperative that I vote.  Apathy is not an option for me.

I want to believe that my American Dream is not dead. So my moral imperative extends to all those apathetic folks that are bitching about how things are.  Pay attention and run for office.  Quit bitching & vote. Stop voting for incumbents.  Google the meaning of incumbent! Find out the truth!!! Stop listening to ONE media outlet.  Listen to several on different channels and make an informed logical decision that is going to best benefit YOU - not the wealthy.  The wealthy do NOT care about you.

Stop being distracted by abstract concepts like abortion, immigration, terrorism.  These are NOT immediate threats to YOUR life or democracy.  The loss of your rights to your privacy, your education, your health, your future, and your world are imperative and immediate threats to everyone regardless of their politics.

People have died to give YOU the right to vote.  Don't disrespect them and their life gift to you by not voting.  Your fathers, mothers and even your children fight for this country.  It is time for you to fight too.  It is time to rise up out of your apathy and walk into a polling station and mark your ballots.  It's not that fucking hard to do.  It is not like dying for your country the way our wonderful military folks do, but voting could save your life and theirs too.