[From Rick Marken (2004.11.20.2240)]
If you don't like political posts -- and, in particular, if you don't
like my politics -- then you should delete this post immediately. It
will just get you upset.
For those of you who share my political perspective -- which means you
share a lot of my higher level goals regarding the kind of person you
want to be and the kind of world you want to live in -- then you might
enjoy this letter that my darling sister-in-law sent me. My
sister-in-law happens to be a lesbian, but I think of her as just a
very intelligent, attractive and funny person. I don't know if the
letter was written by one of her fellow homos. I don't think my
sister-in-law knows who wrote it. But whoever wrote it could have been
channeling me (I always suspected that I was a latent lesbian, being,
as I am, inordinately attracted to women).
I found it a nice way to get over the tragic events of Nov. 2, 2004.
Best regards
Rick
<author unknown>
Friends,
It would be difficult to fully communicate my disappointment in a
simple
email. On the other hand, slipping out and drowning myself
in the bay would mean that someone else would have to feed the dog.As Kerry has conceded defeat, I have too. Even if someone finds that
crate full of votes for Kerry bobbing down the Cuyahoga River,
the American people have spoken, and they have sent the world a
message:
"We're barely bright enough to chew our own food."Incompetence, incoherence, inarticulateness, pettiness and random
savagery apparently do not deter the majority of Americans. The
thing that really, REALLY matters to Americans? Homos. And foreigners.
Both must be stopped at any cost.Americans voted overwhelmingly in favor of bigotry, amending state
constitutions around the country to prevent same-sex couples from
having any rights beyond the right to live on the margins of society.
We
clearly have far more to fear from The International
Homosexual Conspiracy(tm) than we do from North Korea and the collapse
of the American health care system.Apparently, we are truly a nation of slack jawed yokels, awed only by
grotesque displays of wealth and violence, reverent only of
the boss man and beholden not even to our children, since we seem
content to mortgage their future in favor of a $300 tax refund
that we have traded for decent jobs, healthcare, and a just society.We make pious noises about worshipping a Just and Merciful God, while
doling out destruction and horror upon the innocent, pausing
only to pat ourselves on the back for waging a "just" war to rid the
world of tyrants that audaciously aspire to exist after they
lose their utility to us in endless low-level conflicts to control the
world's oil supply. We seem to have become cheap, venal,
vulgar and petty while we apparently don't have the ability to reason
our way out of the dilemma of taking care of the sick,
watching out for the elderly, and teaching our children not to be
credulous, callow dupes.To my friends from the UK, France and anyone to whom they choose to
forward this, I feel that I owe you an apology. It is as if I
have brought an orangutan to high tea. While he flings shit at you and
tries to snatch pastries from your plate, I am left wondering
how I might make it up to you.The world's richest and most powerful nation seems to have lost its
moral compass. We have lost interest in leading by example in
favor of taking by force. I would like to say that I believe that one
day in the future America might regain its senses.
Unfortunately, I am not terribly optimistic. The best I can offer you
is
to remind you that Nixon also won a second term before he had to
resign.
Richard S. Marken
marken@mindreadings.com
Home 310 474-0313
Cell 310 729-1400