The Veil Has Been Lifted From My Eyes

If you are a frequent reader, you know by now that I love me some politics. Always have and I thought I always would. Not so much anymore.

I am becoming increasingly disappointed and disillusioned with this presidential primary, the media, and the lack of vision and willingness to understand that I have recently seen in the American people.

I started out this primary season full of excitement and hope. It appeared that the Democratic party had not one, but several well-qualified, sharp, and capable contestants. I have always liked Barack Obama, but a year ago, I could also see myself voting for Hillary, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, or John Edwards. In fact, I waffled between Edwards and Obama for a couple of weeks. While I made the decision to support and in fact campaign for Obama, I was satisfied that no matter who was nominated, the Democrats would surely win the election in November.


This excitement and hope has turned somewhat sour as I have watched the Democratic party disintegrate into warring factions and have seen race and gender bias rear its head. I am disgusted with several things.

First of all, I am disgusted with Hillary Clinton. A year ago, I would have voted for her if she won the nomination. Now, I don't think I will. I am disgusted with her tactics and her willingness to do anything, even circumvent the rules, to win. I am disgusted that she agreed to a set of rules regarding Michigan and Florida, but now wants to throw them out the window for her benefit. I am disgusted that she has been so ugly and vehement in her attacks on another Democratic, aligning herself with John McCain against a member of her own party. I am disgusted with the fact that she would over-rule the popular vote to see herself elected. I am disgusted that she would alienate an entire generation of young voters and African Americans to steal an election. I am disgusted with her subtle insinuations about race and religion and Obama. I pretty much am disgusted with her.



Secondly, I am increasingly disgusted with the national media. I am disappointed with the lack of real, substantive examination of issues in favor of sensationalist sound bites and endless pundit spin. I am disgusted that a radio host apparently has the power to sway an election, as Rush Limbaugh has been able to do according to exit polls in Texas.

I am beginning, in fact, to think that it may be impossible for the nation to elect a worthwhile candidate in a constant 24 hour news cycle. Who among us would ever stand up to the constant scrutiny and digging in our past? Who among us has no outspoken or opinionated friends with whom we disagree?

Who can live up to the standards that our media sets? A candidate now must look and sound good on TV, have no disagreeable persons in his or her sphere, have no skeletons in the closet, no matter how minor, never misspeak or inadvertently use an incorrect term or name, must have a spouse who never says anything of substance or too revealing of personality, must make sure to not have an ethnic sounding name, must be affiliated with a religion or religious organization that is acceptable to every voter, must wear one's patriotism on one's chest, literally, must employ no one who speaks his or her own mind, and must be neither too white, too black, too masculine, or too feminine.

Does such a candidate exist? I think not. And how many brilliant people do we never even get a chance to see because they would not subject themselves to such scrutiny?

Finally, I am deeply saddened by the lack of vision and understanding that we the people have shown in the past couple of months. I am disappointed that people will circulate hateful and false emails about a person's religion. I am disappointed that you can hear the sexism leaking from some news commentators' mouths when discussing Hillary Clinton. I am disappointed that this race has turned into a race about race. I am sad that one in five Ohio Clinton voters said race was a factor in their decision to vote for Clinton. I am sad that we have not come as far as we thought we had.

I am sad, also, that people and the media are not taking time to understand Jeremiah Wright and his comments. Wright's comments do no bother me in the least because I know that some African Americans harbor feelings of anger and resentment. And because I believe they are entitled to harbor that anger because they live in a society in which racism exists, no matter how well concealed. I don't believe that I, a white woman, can tell an African American that he or she should not be angry.

I also know that Wright is a theologian in the Black Liberation theology and that his words and work are aimed at helping African Americans reclaim their self-worth and dignity and rebuild an urban community that is disintegrating. This theology is meant to empower African Americans so that they can lift themselves up, out of the impoverished neighborhoods, out of gangs, out of drug and alcohol addition. This is a good and worthwhile thing.

I also am not bothered by Wright's comments because I happen to agree with the thoughts behind some of them. For instance, I agree that 9/11 was in part a result of American foreign policy.

I think that the white reaction to Wright is based on fear and an unwillingness to acknowledge and face reality. No one wants to hear that another person dislikes them or is questioning them. Whites do not want to hear that African Americans are angry. It scares them and threatens them. They also don't want to acknowledge a racist society because that would mean shouldering some of the blame.

I wish that we could have an open dialogue about race. I wish that the media was capable of conducting such a dialogue in an honest and thoughtful way. I wish that people would take the time to listen to one another and really hear what people are saying. I wish that we could open our hearts to one another.

I am so disappointed because I really think that this election is a unique opportunity, and it is being squandered. I hope that we can find a way to rise above all of this and to see the commonality in us all and to join together to work for a common and higher purpose. I fear though, that there may be too much hurt and anger now on all sides for that to be possible.

I am worried that the longer the fighting goes on, the more and more people will become disillusioned and opt out of the whole process. I am worried that if Clinton gets the nomination, an entire subset of Democrats will leave the party. I am worried that such a nomination will cause us to lose a generation of voters. Can we afford this?

Oh No, Honey, I Have No Idea Who Ate All Your Cookies

It is never a good sign when your husband asks, "What's with all the binge eating?"

Here is a list of all the delicious and not-so-delicious sweets I have consumed in the past 48 hours.

Three bowls of Cinnamon Life cereal--I had forgotten how yummy it is
75% of a box of Tagalongs (damn those girl scouts)
50% of a box of Samoas (damn them to hell)
20-odd Coconut Cream Hershey Kisses and a Vanilla Cream Russel Stover egg (damn the Easter Bunny too)
5-6 handfuls of apple-flavored fruit loop type cereal that I bought my self son as a special treat
1 apple fritter from the donut bar at Kroger
2 rock hard mini Babe Ruth bars that were totally not worth the calories
1 bowl of Pumpkin Spice pudding I found in the depths of my pantry, apparently leftover from Thanksgiving
Half a pan of homemade date bars--must save that recipe

The dimple factories in my thighs are working on overdrive. You would think that with all the medical know-how we have today, they could invent a pill that would miraculously eradicate those premenstrual cravings.

Happy Anniversary?

Today is the 5th anniversary of the war in Iraq and to commemorate the occasion, I am participating in Blogswarm, joining with bloggers all over the world in voicing my opposition to the war.

I am opposed to the war for many reasons.

I am opposed to the war because it was waged unjustly.

I am opposed to the war because it was entered recklessly and unnecessarily.

I am opposed the war because I suspect it was premeditate long before George W. ever sat in the Oval Office.

I am opposed to the war because it has diverted our attention from real terror threats.

I am opposed to the war because it hijacked trillions of dollars that could have been spent here at home, rebuilding New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, shoring up our infrastructure, educating our children, providing health care for millions of uninsured, funding scientific and medical research, funding alternative fuels, alleviating poverty, building low-income housing, funding job-training programs, the list could go on and on.

I am opposed to the war because the US only seems to intervene in foreign affairs when it benefits our pocketbook. Why no war in Darfur? Why no action against Saudi Arabia?

I am opposed to the war because it has sucked our military families dry and yet our government will not adequately support the soldiers when they return home broken and in need of long-term medical and psychiatric care.

I am opposed to the war because thousands of American children are growing up without a parent at home and thousands more will never know that parent because he or she died in Iraq.

I am opposed to the war because it has only encouraged and emboldened our enemies. It has served as fuel for radical factions to spread their message of hate against the US. We are now more hated than ever.

I am opposed to the war because the US never does what it promises in these countries. We never fulfilled our promises of civilian aid and reconstruction in Afghanistan, in part because we were diverted by this war.

I am opposed the war because it's constant coverage has made us and our children immune to horrific violence.

I am opposed to the war because it has weakened our image abroad.

I am opposed to the war because it has killed countless innocent women and children.

I am opposed to the war because it has destroyed hundreds of archaeological sites and treasures.

I am opposed to the war because it lines the pocketbooks of defense contractors who are arm in arm in with the administration.

I am opposed to the war because it is increasing evident that a military solution is not the answer. We need to intervene with aid and education, not bombs.

I am opposed to the war for all these reasons and more. How about you?

Go Read This Book!

If you are looking for a good read, go buy Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson. I just finished it last night and it is such an amazing story.

Greg Mortenson is an American mountain climber who spent time in a remote village Pakistan after an attempt to climb K2. He befriended the people there and wanted to do something to return their hospitality to him. Mortenson noticed that they had no school building. The students met outside, shared a teacher with other villages, and attempted to learn arithmetic and writing by scratching numbers and letters in the dirt with sticks. He resolved to find a way to build them a school. He returned home to the US, raised money, and launched what soon became a career of philanthropic work building and staffing schools, especially schools for girls, in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The story is incredibly inspirational because of the extraordinary obstacles that Mortenson has overcome and because of the unwavering dedication he has to his work. He lived out of his car for months, just to save money to get him back to Pakistan to build that first school. In that first village, he first had to figure out how to build a bridge to the village to even get the supplies to them to build the school. He has had to coordinate building efforts in places that have no phones or electricity and whose roads are out for months due to weather. He has had to win over hostile forces and religious groups and learn to function in a culture that is so very different from his own. He now is a loved and revered man, in a part of the world where few Americans can feel safe.

What is also so compelling about the story is that it is stunningly clear in reading this account that the only real way that the US can fight terror and Islamic fundamentalism is through education and economic aid. I learned something I had never read before about the state of education in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Back in 90's, Saudi Arabian fundamentalist groups sent money and men to Pakistan and Afghanistan to set up madrassas. Madrassas are the fundamentalist Islamic schools that train terrorists. The Saudis choose Pakistan and Afghanistan to do this in, in part because they knew that both these countries have no real national school system. Their governments are so poor that they can not afford to build schools everywhere they are needed. Furthermore, the majority of the populations can not afford to send their children to distant private schools and they are desperate that their children recieve some type of formal education. So, the Saudis swept in, established these cheap madrassa schools and people flocked to them because it was the only way their children could go to school. The teachers at the madrassas are often barely literate themselves. The schools are simply a front for fundamentalist training.

To make all this even worse, the schools chose the best and brightest of their pupils and send them back to Saudi Arabi or on for further "training", indoctrinating them in hate even further and then order them to return to their homeland and marry four wives and have as many children as possible to carry on the teachings. It is terrifying. This would have never been possible if these countries had vigorous educational systems in place.

And the people do truely want education. The men of the first village where he built the school actually carried roof beams and building supplies on their backs for 18 miles because a road was out. They walked 18 miles overnight just to get to the supplies, strapped them to their backs, and then walked 18 miles back home, carrying the supplies, a lucky few in tennis shoes, but many barefoot or with shoes made from animal hides. They weren't paid for this. They did it because it was the only way to get a school building for their children. These people want the schools.

One of Mortenson's agency's programs is Pennies for Peace and is suitable for schools to use to help raise money for his work. American children like it because they know they are helping raise money to help other children, just like them. I think I may start it up in my classroom next year.

Dear God, There Has Been A Mistake

To cap of the oh-so-delightful weekend, last night I found my first gray hair. Followed by ten, count'em ten, of its siblings.

I'm only 35!

And, I'm a redhead! We're not supposed to really go gray. We just kind of fade into a yucky color.

This should not be happening to me!

Needless to say, this morning I bought a box of haircolor and plan a dye job later today. Good thing I am going back to work in the fall. We'll need the extra money to pay for my salon visits from now on!

Yucky Weekend

I do not have much to say and here's why.

Friday: Spend exhausted and nursing a sinus infection, stressing over big Middle School Praxis Test on Saturday morning.

Saturday: Drive across town in the rain to spend 3 hours taking a standardized test in a room full of coughing, sneezing equally-sick people. Test went well. Time spent studying math definitely helped. Did better on Math than Social Studies--a first and probable last. Now kicking self for not brushing up on Math before the GRE. Could have done so much better if I had studied and not gone out drinking the night before.

Come home, brain-fried, hope to take Sweet Pea to see Horton Hears a Who, but Sweet Pea does not want to go. What??? Bummer.

Spent rest of day putting Ladybug in and out of timeout for pinching and hitting. Sweet Pea goes to bed with no stories after rudueness, defiance and refusal to pick up his toys. He screams for 20 minutes. Head hurts.

Sunday: Go to a new church. Liked it. Bright spot of day.

Get home, recieve a phone call to let me know that an immediate family member with a history of heart disease has experienced serious chest pains and dizziness over the weekend. Can't say more at this time. Don't want to face it.

Perhaps tomorrow I'll feel like a real post.

You're Going to Eat That???

Just the other day, the lovely Rima wrote a post wherein she mentioned her unabashed love for radish sandwichs. Radish sandwiches?? What is that, I asked myself? Ever considerate of her reader, Rima described the delicacy: Wonder bread, butter, sliced radishes.

No offense, Rima, but that sounds kind of yucky. However, who am I to judge? After all, my favorite sandwich is a tid unusual too.

For years I have been teased about my adoration of peanut butter and tomato sandwiches. They are scrumtious. My entire family eats them. We also have been known to enjoy pb and apple, pb and banana, pb and raisin, & pb and honey. You could probably put peanut butter on anything and we'd eat it with relish (not pickle relish, happy relish, though pickles and peanut butter is said to be quite tasty too).

I wonder what other wierdo sandwich recipes are out there? What's your favorite sounds-disgusting-but-is-delicious sandwich? Come on, play along.