Well darnit.  I don't usually write political things in my journal because... well, because I just don't.  I was taught that religion and politics are not things discussed in proper company (so I usually talk about homosexuality and drinking here, see?)

But I have been deep in my head all day about many things political, just sort of trying to make sense of it all (BTW: IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE)and I had decided to write about it, because I need to.

And then I got home, and Pineapple had beat me to it.  It's not the first time she's ever copied my thoughts before I expressed them.  Great minds and all that stuff (except with me in the equation, my mind is far less great than hers, but that's a topic for another day).  Allow me, please to excerpt something from her journal:

For the first time in my life, I feel oppressed. I am an American citizen, and I actually feel oppressed here – the leaders in power aren't the ones I wanted, and they are doing things I don't like and never asked for. But this isn't just sour grapes because my party lost: these people are ignoring what's good for the state and the country and doing instead that which serves their own ends. They are slaughtering our civil rights.

My GOD Pineapple!  This is freaky.  I thought the SAME EXACT oppression thing today, pretty much verbatim to what you wrote. (Also?  You now know someone else who knows the Texas Anthem... Texas, Our Texas/All hail the mighty state... we'll sing it sometime.  It'll be so wonderful, so great)

It's cold comfort now, but I do believe that this sham of leadership we have before us will kill the Republican party as we know it.  I just hope we are not destroyed in the process, and can enjoy the downfall.

I don't think it's long in coming.  Wait until the body bags start coming home.  Wait until the solders, with some weird, mysterious ailment that is never defined or admitted to, are unable to find jobs when they hobble home, shattered at the age of 24, seeing more than they ever should have, never able to recover from the horrors they had to witness at too young of an age.

One of the most touching things I saw after September 11th was a webpage that showed photos of shrines from all over the world.  People weeping and praying, all because we were in pain.  Because we had been struck.

All of that goodwill is rapidly fading.  Only one other country in the world agrees that a war in Iraq is a good idea, and they, too, lost their minds and elected a rich white guy to run their country who gives not one fuck what the people he works for think.

Lets look at the well-documented facts, shall we?  At this particular time, the Muslim world hates us.  It would be silly to attack a Muslim country unprovoked, right?    When stability should be the order of the day in the middle east, even if we don't like who's in office, we should, you know... avoid all conflict in that region and strive for the stability they so desperately need.

I am NOT saying that Saddam is a great guy.  I don't like him.  I really don't.  But just because we have fought him before, and know we can overwhelm him with our bullets, planes, smart bombs and missiles, that's no reason to attack.  I'm pretty darn sure he has tortured and killed people who didn't deserve it, and the concept of Human Rights in Iraq is about as foreign to them as bikinis and gay bars.

And I don't think we should ignore these things.  But we do.  We ignore the pain of the people in South Korea.  And in a great deal of Africa.  And in 152 countries and territories in the world.  It's all well documented and proven.

But we choose ONE oil-rich, resource poor country and are going to carpet bomb them and ruin their cities again?  WHY?

It ain't human rights. It ain't terrorism. And no matter what they tell you, it also ain't about weapons of mass destruction.

It's about Daddy's unfinished business.  It's about oil.  And it's about looking like a hero to your fat, lazy, countrymen who "elected" you..

At least we know all those Iraqis and American soldiers won't have died in vain.

Hey, I grew up in Texas and it astounds me how *not* proud other people are of their own states. I knew the state song, buird, tree, history etc, etc all before 2nd grade. When I moved to Cali in high school, the small section of Texas history was dreadfully easy to breeze thorugh. Now that in itself isn't noteworthy, but the awestruck looks of those around me was amusing.
And I'm now ashamed to be a Texan because of the shrub and his daddy.
sigh.

I agree with you all the way. The latest I heard is that the FBI will be investigating all people of Iraqi origin. Discrimination much? It's such a throwback to the WWII Japanese internment camps that I can't even believe that it isn't some Onion parody, but apparently, it isn't. I have a sneaking suspicion that Dubya picked the dead of winter to start all this shit because Texans wouldn't know how to survive in the snow if they fled to Canada.

I'm thinking I may try anyway.

(P.S. I know the state song, too!)

here is the solution to the "bush problem":

www.dean2004.blogspot.com and deanforamerica.com

go there, and go there now. then give money, even ten bucks will help make howard the nominee. do it for the good of the country. howard can beat bush, but he needs us to help him do it.

Oppressed?

Oppression is being unable to find a job because of your beliefs. Oppression is when you have to watch your children's hands being cut off in front of your face. Oppression is when you are raped, tortured and murdered for your beliefs.

Oppressions is NOT disagreeing with the government and then being able to wine about it to the whole freaking world.

Sorry, I enjoy your site Tim, but I think saying you feel oppressed because you disagree with Bush is just plain silly.

Um, Amy, just because some people are horrifyingly oppressed in some countries doesn't mean that everyone else in the world should regard their own situation as wonderful and keep their opinions to themselves.

And this idea that if you're free to protest against a system then (a) the system is obviously above criticism and (b) you're just a whining ninny who oughta be more grateful is begining to get on my nerves....

Ahhh, how I wish I was 22 again... oh, wait. Hello, topic. I meant to say:

Tim, you are so silly! Just crazy nelly willy-nilly silly! And so is Nigel! but I adore you both...

And even sillier than you, Tim, is the person that would come to your very own personal website, the one that you pay for with your very own American green dollar bills, and get self-righteous and derogatory on you. Sit in judgment on your feelings, even.

Even sillier than that? Someone who has forgotten (maybe by virtue of youth or a provincial world view?) that people are raped and tortured right here in America, that people are murdered for their beliefs right here in America...

that right here in America, people can't get jobs -- and not even because of their beliefs! But because there ARE NONE.

I do miss it so -- that feeling that it's okay to throw scandalous amounts of borrowed money at other people's problems before addressing one's own. It makes me nostalgic for the Glory Days.

Actually, it's a bit analogous to the dysfunctional parent who hurries his silent child into expensive psychotherapy, n'est-ce pas?

I wasn't aware that people were not allowed to post differing opinions in these comments. Obviously I was mislead. I will not bother you again.

I must admit, it is so much easier to cling to your own beliefs when you refuse to listen to others'.

amy, you know i love you, but you've gotta admit that you are pretty clingy about your beliefs as well. i've tried, many times, to explain to you why supporting the republican party isn't the right thing for you to do. i think i know you well enough to know that you diverge from them on many issues, but the core issues which make you continue to support them don't follow any realistic logic. if tim doesn't like them or their policies, of course he's free to say it. and if you don't agree you're free to tell him. but to say that he shouldn't express his opinions about politics, then claim that you're being victimised for the same behavior.... it's out of character for you. i know you're better than that.

all, i've known amy for quite some time. she's more open minded than you may think, but again, something like war or taxes... you're just never going to agree with her. she tows that part of the party line (notice amy that i didn't say you tow the whole agenda). it's worthless trying to convince her otherwise (trust me, hehe). but like i said, she really is more open minded than she appears in this post.

the way i see it, amy is really good at being wrong, she's just not very good at being IN the wrong. ;) but i love her anyway (and believe me she tolerates a ton of my crap) and she really is a good person, so try to bear with her..... =)