Shipwrecked

I’ve sat back and watched the most unbelievable scenarios unfold post our presidential election. The ones who voted Republican seem to think their victory gives them free rein to chastise, condescend, and laugh in the face of any who voted differently. This is our president’s version of uniting our country, eh? Go ugly week, you ask me.
I am sick to my stomach over the tension I feel from all this imbroglio. I can only guess this is how our Civil War got started. On this side, rage, frustration, and on the other side, a smug superiority coupled with over the top vindication; all at direct odds with one another.
Luckily for me, I’ve only been witness to these clashes. An observer, one could say. But, unfortunately for me, all that swirls about came to a head last night and took a steaming shit on my doorstep.
I’d called my mother and father earlier in the day as I’d not heard from them in some time. Politics aside, I’ve not had very many quarrels with my parents. They’ve always been cooler than school, and we’ve always managed to work through any differences we’ve shared. But during this election it was obvious that we were on two different sides of the fence. We had some lively conversations over our differences, but we always managed to put a big grin on it. Until last night, that is...
I picked up the ringing phone only to be greeted by uproarious laughter. I wanted to be in on the joke too so I asked, “Gosh, what’s so funny, ma? Let me in on it, I want to laugh that good too.”
When she could finally compose herself, she said, “Well, I guess it looks like your people lost the election in a big way, huh son?” Then she doubled over in laughter again.
Her laughter hit me like a Tyson overhand right. She was laughing at me, the loser.
Our conversation never got any better unfortunately, doing my best to let her know that contrary to her rather narrow confines of beliefs, mine were scattered all over the place, neither Republican or Democrat, but my own view of policy based upon, what I consider, the right things for both humanity and the world in which we dwell. Well, I might as well have been talking to a rock because not only did she barely listen, she couldn’t help telling me how wrong and basically stupid I was. When I told her that I read many things from many sides from all over the world on a daily basis to become well informed, she then chided, “Son, do you believe everything you read? And that Internet thing is so liberal, they’ve got you believing everything they print and say.”
I was floored as my mother has never been on the Internet, thinking it is some foul beast waiting to eat everyone’s brain away. but now she was an in house expert.
So, I tried to balance the conversation and said, “Well, Mom, I will say this, the Republicans had an incredibly organized campaign and they won based on that organization. Karl Rove, as much as I dislike him, did a helluva job.”
“Who’s Karl Rove?” she asked.
I was dumbfounded.
Here was my mother preaching to me what a doofus I was for reading and searching for truth, when all she did was cast aspersion over things she knows diddly about.
The conversation never got any better, the condescension only getting worse and finally tiring of verbally flogging her son, my Mom, the Christian, tried to end the conversation, laughing all the while, “Well, we love you son, despite what you think.”
My only reply was “Nice talking with you”, then I hung up the phone without a good-bye.
If I disliked the man before, now I hated him, and hate isn’t a word to be tossed around lightly. But because of George Bush and his staff and their calculated brainwash of most of America, especially the religious right, we now have a divide in our country that I’ve not felt since the rancor over the Vietnam War.
In short, I don’t know when I will speak to my parents again, if ever.
For now, enjoy the victory folks!
Meanwhile I wait for the bottom to drop out, because I know it will. You cannot keep fucking people over and lying and mangling and distorting without it finally catching up with you, and Dubya will have his day of reckoning, I’m sorry to say.
I used to be proud to be an American. Now my head hangs in shame and brother is pitted against brother, while George gloats and says, “I earned my capital, and by God, I’m gonna spend it.”
I’ll leave you with this...
“When I despair...I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been murderers and tyrants, and for a time they can seem invincible. But in the end they always fall. Think of it ... always.” - Gandhi