Divine Irony
Hypocrisy, especially coming from politicians, is so delicious. Because it makes things so ironic and easy to pick at. And the best part is, they all do it. Being almostly completely against both American political parties makes it easy to be a part of almost any social gathering. Surrounded by Republicans? Yeah - Democrats suck. Surrounded by Democrats? Yeah - Republicans suck.

SPF had a thread about "Unpopular Opinions You Have", and mine was that both Bush and Kerry are misguided fools and if you think electing one or the other is going to save the country from its crash course with disaster and fascism, you're kidding yourself. With each day that goes by, Bush and Kerry seem more and more alike to me. The only thing I can see being better with Kerry is that he's surrounded by people that aren't as, well, fucking insane as Ashcroft, Wolfowitz (that name just sounds evil!) and Rumsfield. But so what? Can I really use my vote to support someone that supports sending 40,000 more troops to Iraq which would guarantee a draft? Kerry may not support the bizzaro Constitutional ban on gay marriage - but he still doesn't support gay marriage itself (apparently as a Catholic he can support abortion, but not gay marriage? That seems like a strange contradiction...)

Or how about how fascist both parties are while proclaiming to either be trying to save civil liberties (Democrats), or protect the American way of life from "evil doers" (Republicans). For example - the DNC in Boston this past week. Protesting parties were religated to a special "Free Speech Zone" 6 blocks away from the convention - safely away from the eyes of anyone who should have been noticing them. But like all politicians, and perhaps most Americans, the whole idea of Free Speech only applies when "I agree with you". Because if there's one thing that Politicians can't deal with, like all people, it's criticism. Ignorance is bliss.

And it'll be the same in the Republican convention next month. The protesters will be conveniently guarded away from anyone who might be offended by their presence. They'll be free to express themselves - where government and state officials tell them they can. I thought this was the United States? You know.. where freedom is, well, everywhere? Not in a square box surrounded by wire fence, barbed wire, and police in riot gear.

I think I'm going to use my vote to write in Oprah.

- posted by Brendan @ 1:11 PM 0 comments

 
Standing at the end of a world
It's amazing. How one minute can make so much difference in so many lives.

How life can change in a literal blink of an eye. How close people come to losing, or giving up, everything. Happiness - then emptiness. Loss.

To go from not caring, to never caring as much ever before. That was me, Monday night. Was the intention totally sincere? Final? Or was it a last, desperate, scream for someone? It doesn't matter. The point remains the same. It's all scar tissue.

And I have the scars now too. The blisters on my feet. Sand in the folds of my dry eyes. Once again, the guilt on my shoulders. And that's just something I'll have to live with. Because no matter what anyone says, how the blame is diverted, divided and shared, it still comes down to me. I was the the tie that broke, and left all the others fall with me. The second shoe dropped, and I wouldn't catch it. Instead, I'm desperately trying to slip it back on the foot. I suppose that's my penance. Picking up the pieces. I'm honoured to do that.


I was afraid to hear her voice that night. I thought it wouldn't be the same.

It was the same.

143

- posted by Brendan @ 2:18 PM 1 comments