Colors

[catelin]

I haven't seen so much stupidity over the colors red and blue since I worked dealing with all the bullshit between Crips and Bloods with the L.A. City Attorney gang unit. I was born and raised in Texas, any of the members of my family for as long as I can remember who chose to align themselves with a party were hardcore yellow dog Democrats. My great uncle was one of the first and best labor organizers in the state. I'm one of literally thousands of others who have similar upbringings and histories.

So for everyone posting the "oh, yeah and all those people used to own niggers" and the "those ignorant dickweed bible thumpers are taking over the world!" maps....can I get a fucking break please??? Can the rest of us poor fucking uneducated racist hicks down here in the south get a respite from everyone wagging fingers and clucking tongues about how stupid and unenlightened we are? THIRTY-EIGHT PERCENT OF TEXAS DID NOT VOTE FOR BUSH. In fact, you can take a look at this map, roll over on any of the states that went to Bush and see that a good number of the people in every one of these states did not vote for Bush and his agenda. In fact, the state that lost the election for Kerry, OHIO, was a free state...so what the fuck is the purpose of these maps??

Why not have a map for states that treated their factory workers like shit, or states where "No Irish" signs used to hang in storefronts, or where people still live in neighborhoods that look like bombed out ghettos? This devisiveness is ridiculous! This stereotyping of everyone who happens to live in a state where Bush (sometimes barely!!) won is only adding insult to injury for many of us down here. Do you think, you who are so much more "enlightened" than the rest of us, that it is easy trying to be the voices of dissent down here? Do you think that none of us worked ourselves ragged in hopes of some sort of positive change here?

Bush only won the popular vote in this country by a very slight margin. It offends me that my so-called comrades in arms are so quick now to start placing blame and redrawing lines that are over a hundred and fifty years old. The south is a beautiful place, and it's full of beautiful people. I know its ugly warts and underbelly better than most. But it's a place I love and it's a place where we cried after a hard-fought struggle with all the rest of you.

It offends me to think that our hard work down here is now so easily discounted just because everyone wants a scapegoat. Those of us who are just as disappointed as anyone at the outcome of this election should not be forced into that position because of our geography.

If it offends you that I have said my piece about it, go read my friend Joi's post (because this is what I've actually seen a lot of people saying SERIOUSLY) then feel free to move right on along and color yourself from head to toe with a big giant blue Sharpie. Me, I'm going to just keep doing what I've always done...yeah, even down here in the land of the bible thumpers and racist, homophobic Jesus freaks.

Comments

[onah.livejournal.com]

here's another good map:
http://www.princeton.edu/~rvdb/JAVA/election2004/purple_america_2004.gif

I wish they'd chose different colors though. This one gets the point across ok but something like bright-yellow and dark blue would have been more informative. (maybe I'll work on it myself.)

I agree with you about the divisive and useless "arguments" are choose to make that really do nothing more than demonize those who voted for Bush. I was pretty angry there for a while and actually said at one point that I'm ashamed to be an American... because I am automatically lumped in with this country that IMO made such a poor choice. ah *heavy sigh*. What helped me overcome that was a little education. The problem was I just could not fathom how in the world anyone could vote for that man. He rubs me in exactly the wrong way in probably every way possible. And on top of that, he seems like such a complete idiot, which ... ah... you know. my immediate thought is, wouldn't you have to be an idiot in order to vote for one?

well, I learned that people didn't vote for Bush so much as they voted for his religious beliefs. That's what really cinched it. As far as I can tell there are two big camps of people who voted for Bush.

1) the camp I already mentioned. people who have strong religious beliefs and for whom the gay-marriage issue was just too much to deal with. I'm told (and believe) that as people grow they're ability to handle complexity in life increases... but when people are confronted by an issue that runs totally counter to their core belief system then they'll rush away from complexity and take the simple, hard-line road in order to fight against what threatens their core.

2) conservatives who didn't hear a positive message about Kerry. There was such a loud/shrill "anybody but Bush" mantra coming from the Democratic party that it's the only message most people ended up hearing. all the more rational discussions were lost or drown out. in the end, people didn't hear a reason to vote for Kerry and voted for Bush simply because change is scary.

what I find more disturbing right now though is how the leadership of the Republican party is more or less ignoring the dissenting opinion. You're absolutely right when you say the margin is really pretty small. A record number of people voted for Bush (I hear from the White House Chief of Staff) but a record number also voted against him (from Howard Dean). Republicans I hear on the news though keep saying over and over again that Bush now has "political capital" (which he says he intends to spend) and something about a "clear mandate", blah blah.... Our own leaders (especially that divider who likes to call himself a uniter) are painting the country simple red and blue, not purple, for political reasons. The rhetoric coming out of the White House drives the anger. He does it in order to increase his power, but it's just so bad for the country. I hear historically speaking there was a time back near the birth of our country, and of course around the time of the Civil War, that our country was more divided than it is now, but this has to be the worst since the late 1800's. it's foolish decision to push your own agenda at the expense of alienating half the country, especially at a time like this. So many people are participating though, and that scares me.

we need a "madness" map. or maybe a dogma map... or people who handle complexity well vs. poorly map. I'm thinking, right now, the "poorly" side would be winning hands down.

[catelin.livejournal.com]

Well said, Ben. And thanks for your insight there.


p.s. Happy Belated Birthday. I'm a jerk for not saying something on your day. Hope it was good.

[onah.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the birthday wish. :) and, no... you're definitely not a jerk. the birthday was a little too close to the election to be good, but I haven't really celebrated yet, so it will get better.