REALIZATIONS

I was really happy to see that I actually had 2 new readers to my blog. I have had to distance myself from my computer off an on for the past few weeks. For many reasons - I was spending more time on the computer than making anything, my back limits the time I can sit upright doing anything, and quite frankly I was depressed and not functioning so well.

I almost wish this was a "clinical depression" because then I could just take a pill and it would all be better. Except that there aren't any pills I can take to make it all better. I've taken everything out there - and either they don't work, or have such horrendous side effects that are worse than the depression that I can't handle it. So, in a sense, it is a good thing it's not a "clinical depression.

It all kind of started when a "friend" of mine told me some things - that I'm not going to repeat - some things that he believes are going on in this country. Lets just say that they sort of fall into the category of "conspiracy theory" I don't believe what he told me is really going on. Heck we don't need foreign terrorists with people spreading things like what he told me. We'll bring ourselves down without any outside help.

My home page on my computer has links to news articles. I was really dismayed to read one that was about threats to President Elect Obama, and his family. I think I was even more dismayed to read that there have been other people that have been threatened, that there have been effigies hung, vandalism, and graffiti against African Americans.

WHAT?

I'm old hippie at heart. I protested the Viet Nam War, I took part in a rally against George Wallace. At least one of those rallies was organized by the Weather Underground and or the SDS - keeping things peaceful, following protocol, not being lured into jeering matches was really important and stressed.
I cannot physically go out and protest anything at this point in my life. I even had the opportunity to see McCain and Obama - I would have loved to see either of these gentlemen speak - but decided to opt out of going. Besides knowing that I would pay for it for several days afterwards, I knew that if anything were to get even a little out of hand, I would have a hard time dealing with large crowds.
But, I can write.

I have had a lot of thoughts floating around in my head. Where to start? I realize that part of political campaigns is putting your opponent down. Some of it went too far this time. President Elect Obama is NOT a terrorist, he's not Muslim, he is intelligent, he is a human being.
And, you know, what if he is Muslim? Not all Muslims are out to get "us" - Sort of like not all Christians were "Crusaders" and went out to conquer and kill all the infidels. Not all Germans were Nazi's. And, I sort of thought that the United States was (is) about freedom of religion. Doesn't that mean that we have the right to believe/practice whatever religion feels right to us?

I spent some time in Florida in the early 80's. A person I met there and I wandered around downtown Clearwater one afternoon. As we did so, he pointed out to me where there used to be signs that said "White's Only". I remember the riots in the south in the early 60's, I remember watching Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's speeches, I remember the day he was killed.
I remember thinking, this is really stupid when I saw people being beaten because they thought they ought to be able to sit anywhere on the bus that they wanted to. I remember seeing a few young women being escorted into school, because there were people standing out there trying to bar their way - only because of the color of their skin.

I was watching ET (Entertainment Tonight) - was it last night? and gee Will - what's his last name - the guy (yeah, that tall skinny guy that also happens to be African American) that was on that funny sit-com "______from Belair" was voted as the favorite actor of the year by Parade - is that just by Parade - or by people sending in their votes to Parade? not sure. Oprah Winfrey is highest paid talk show host. She also carries a lot of clout.
We have a rather high ranking General that served in President Bush's cabinet, - or at least as advisor, we have numerous athletes that have set world records and won gold medals for the them and the US. There are a number of African Americans in other political offices - so why should people become so damned upset that we finally have a man that is half African American as president?

Why is it even important that he is African American? He's a human being. And a pretty intelligent one.
Why is it important what ethnicity anyone is?????????????????????????????????????????

And why is all this important to me?
Because I was brought up to believe that we are all created equal, that we all have the same rights, that we all should have access to good schools, good health care, the right and the responsibility to learn about the candidates running for office and to vote for the one that we think can do a good job.
It's important to me because I have a grandson that is half Native American. He's only 8, almost 9 - I wonder if by the time he's in his 40's if this country will be ready to accept a man that is half Native American as president?
Will it even matter by the time he's in his 40's that he is Native American?

Will it matter that someone is African American, or Asian, or Latino, or whatever!*

I hope not.

We all bleed red blood. We all cry salty tears. We all laugh, we all hurt, we all mourn the loss of a love one, we all rejoice when something good happens. Even our DNA has more commonalities than differences.

There was a young man on Oprah today that really made me cry. Young - like 7 maybe 9 at the most - I didn't catch how old he is - but what an incredible speaker - I can't quote exactly what he said - but a lot of it was about believing in the young people of today - It has been proven that when teachers expect little out of a child - that is usually what they get - when good things are expected out of a child, they usually produce good things.

We need to expect good things out of President Elect Obama, and "we" need people to STOP spreading lies, malicious lies, threatening people, and causing more problems than we already have going on. But, how in the world is he supposed to accomplish anything good when we have people doing such horrendous things to other people, when it seems like there are people out there almost trying to bring down our country even more, and yet they call themselves Americans.
It's no wonder our country is in such a bad state of affairs.

I admit that sometimes my brain draws a blank when it comes to names and even what the best word to use is.

* I think what does matter, is that these people have a connection to their heritage, a connection to each other, to traditions, but first of all, they are people. In some ways, I'm jealous of these connections - but that's the subject of another blog.