(no subject)

[jadegirl]

Most of what I'm feeling now is a sense of lethargy, and a quiet amazement at my own naivete - I live in NYC, all of my friends are some flavor of progressive/liberal/pickyourownlabel - hell, my own mother puts in 50-hour weeks volunteering for Action AIDS in Philadelphia (they tried to give her a paying job, she wouldn't take it). It managed to totally miss me, the fact that I live in a bubble. Even in the NY Times there are articles about people feeling a similar sense, an "Are we really that out of step with the rest of the nation?" I wouldn't have credited it, myself, but the evidence is all right here, right now.

I don't want to give up on the Democratic party, deeply flawed though it is. I want to see it frame the debate better, more forcefully (by foreful I mean in clear, precise language, vitriol gets us nowhere, and as Al Franken has said - "I'm sick and tired of apologizing for being reasonable." i.e. being able to engage in consideration of opposing viewpoints without resorting to violent speech.), I want it to be unashamed about progressive ideals and social justice - the real moral issues of our time, our responsibilities to our environment, our fellow humans, and our future.

Am I dreaming? Possibly. Probably, even. Will I stop? Hell, no. I've got a lot of research ahead of me, to see if there's a position open in my local branch of the party, and to see if I qualify. I'm also solidifying the rest of what I can do in my mind. A lot of it is the same path I've been walking - being very careful as to how I spend my money of food, clothing, and other needed things, staying informed through several progressive action groups, etc., etc. I'm also planning on researching which of the Supreme Court justices are the most likely to retire in the next four years, and plan on possibly trying to organize a letter writing campaign asking them to hold off, just yet. (I feel kind of bad about that - say what you will about the positions, these people have given an awful lot of their lives and time to the job.)

As usual, it is solved by walking.

"Oh, the water's rising,
how will we get to the other shore?
Many hearts are troubled,
but we ain't got so far to go."

Comments

[silme.livejournal.com]

I hadn't realised I lived in a bubble until I left Boulder and understood that whilst there are other pockets like it in the US, most of the country isn't as left-wing. :( Heck, I was raised in Philly also, which is more to the left than a lot other places. :)

[mellowdramamama.livejournal.com]

I love this~ thank you for writing it ^^

[holzman.livejournal.com]

I'd point out that in an election where 100,000,000 people voted, less than 5,000,000 more voted for Bush than against. It's not that we're out of step with the mainstream America, today there is no mainstream America. Where the bubble effect comes in is that we miss how closely divided the country is.

Of course, we are out of step even with lots of the folks who voted against Bush, but that's a different matter. :)

[firinel.livejournal.com]

As someone I respect recently told me "You're atypical, yes. You wouldn't want to be typical, you wouldn't like yourself very much."

[surrenderedsoul.livejournal.com]

S and I were discussing this very thing and have decided we can live with being out of step. If being in step means having to follow the path those others choose... well i rather be out of step any day.

[danaewhispering.livejournal.com]

Yes that is how I feel too! I would rather be out of step any day.

I Like Writing Letters

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

The idea of a letter-writing campaign intrigues me. Please keep me posted. I just may join you.

[luminatte.livejournal.com]

is walking the same as breathing? you know, being mindful of breath.. i relate when you say walking to breathing.. but i know what you mean.

[jadegirl.livejournal.com]

Precisely, on one level. On the other level, it's 'active' meditation - right speech, right action, etc., vs. the more internalized 'passive' (wrong word to use, but you know what I mean) meditations, like a sitting practice.

[silme.livejournal.com]

Oh, for the letters. Ruth Bader Ginsberg. We need her, but she's been unhealthy. If there's any way she can stay, we truly need her.