history

[greygirlbeast]

What gets me is that I absolutely refused to allow myself to believe that John Kerry had any chance of winning this election, and yet, this morning, I still feel like someone has sucker punched me in the gut. It seems no matter how little faith I grant the human race, it's will always be capable of astounding and disappointing me. There seems to be no self-defence against hope. MSNBC just posted the news that Kerry has conceded, so it's over, kiddos, and we have four more years of G. W. in the White House and four more years of whatever hell that includes. But beyond the fact of Bush as President I think there are more disturbing messages to be learned from this election. I'm not yet entirely certain how to formulate or express most of them, but I can see that they're there. Is it the end of the world, Bush winning this election? No, but it is definitely another step in the right direction — if world ending is what this species is destined for, and I can see no substantial evidence to the contrary.

Isn't there something ironic in the fact that the vast majority of the cities most in danger of future terrorist attacks — New York, D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Boston, etc. — went to Kerry, while all the South and all those "heartland" states went to Bush, who claims to be our best defence against terrorism? Clearly, he hasn't made those most at risk feel any safer.

Meanwhile, eleven states have voted to amend their constitutions to forbid same-sex marriage, and all these amendments passed by double-digit margins. The bigots carry the day.

I can't think about this too much today. Maybe tomorrow. Today I have to think about work and moving and being in Minneapolis in eight days. I have to speak with my agent in NYC and with Subterranean Press and with an editor at Marvel. I have work to do, and everything I see and hear is making me sicker to my stomach, sicker to my soul. Time to stop looking and listening for a little while.

Comments

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

It appears that Religious Right voters galvanized by this issue provided Bush's margin of victory, including in Ohio.

I honestly hope that you're not meaning to suggest that gays, lesbians, and transsexuals are responsible for Bush's victory, that we're to blame and are to be blamed for trying to gain access to what we deserve and everyone else already has?

[mb2u]

I think it's more likely that the Religious Right used the perceived threat of "those people" (aka, us) being treated as equals to motivate their people to show up at the polls in force. But if it hadn't been the gay marriage issue, it would have been some other "morally correct" motivating issue that they'd have used. The Religious Right knew it had to turn out the votes this year, and they delivered.

[wishlish.livejournal.com]

aqctually, Caitlin, as a supporter of gay rights and gay marriage, that appears to be exactly what happened. Terrified by the prospect of two people that aren't a genetic man and woman getting married, the Religious Right swamped the polls.

Are GLBTs to blame? Hell no. If it wasn't this, it would have been something else. But for this year, it's true: a lot of Americans damned the country to hell because they were afraid of gay marriage.

I just can't figure out why Kerry conceded so quickly. We backed the wrong guy. I wanted a guy who would fight to the death. I didn't get that.

I saw this comment on Boing Boing:

"People say there are two Americas. I think there are at least three.

One is Bush's America: an amalgam of the extreme Christian "conservatives," corporate interests and the builders of the burgeoning national-security state.

Another is the Democratic "left": wedded to the old, discredited politics in a time that demands creative thinking.

I suspect there's a third America: members of an increasingly radical middle that will become more obvious in the next few years, tolerant of those who are different and aware that the big problems of our times are being ignored -- or made worse -- by those in power today.

That third America needs a candidate. Or, maybe, a new party."

If we're going to fight for the right things for this country- competent leadership, diplomacy as a tool to avoid terrorism, human rights (including marriage for all), responsible spending- the left and the middle are going to have to come together to swamp the right. It didn't happen this year.

And what the hell is up with that bigot senator South Carolina elected?

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

And what the hell is up with that bigot senator South Carolina elected?

I think the answer is implicit in the question.

Are GLBTs to blame? Hell no. If it wasn't this, it would have been something else. But for this year, it's true: a lot of Americans damned the country to hell because they were afraid of gay marriage.

Thank you for clarifying. I'm a little hair trigger just now.

[wishlish.livejournal.com]

I think we're all on the trigger. It's a bad day for all of us.