01.30.01

I'm getting more and more frustrated and scared by the looming political and financial situation of this country.

Layoffs are happening on a large scale, reproductive rights are eroding, the seperation between church and state is fading, it looks like we're heading into a recession, and some sort of war (either cold or friggn' bloody) is looming.

The layoffs don't scare me as much as they probably ought to. There will always be a need for good technical writers, so Mike is safe. There will always be a need for someone to do grunt work, which means I'm safe. If all else fails, I can use up my fabric stash and sell clothing to the few people who still have jobs. So I'm not worried. Much.

Reproductive rights? THAT scares me silly. Yes, I sort-of take it for granted that if I were to become pregant, and didn't want to be/wasn't in a good position in my life to be, I could terminate it. It's not something I exactly want to do or look forward to, and I hope that I never will be forced to make that decision, but I need that choice. Reenstating the 'gag-order' is an incredibly stupid thing to do. It interferes with the physicans' ability to provide the best care possible. Perhaps a woman in the clinic has a serious health problem; should she risk death because some pro-life doofus thinks that she shouldn't be given all of the available options? Or what of the woman who isn't fit to be a parent; should she be led to believe that there is no option other than adoption? I will only accept limits on my right (or anyone else's) to control my own body when *every* child is wanted. These pro-life people should put their money where their mouths are and take in these poor children. Care for the AIDs babies, the crack babies. The sad ones with genetic defects. The children of incest and rape. The world has too many people in it already; lets not make more than we actually want.

Church and state.. oh, that's a doozy. First, W doesn't seem to recognize anything beyond the Judeo-Christan religions as a valid thing. (I'm not sure how he is on Islam, Buddhism, or Hindu [what IS the proper term for that; I forget], but I know he doesn't accept Wicca, or any of the other pagan blends. And what of the homegrown ecclectic types? Hah!) Giving money to church-run, faith based charitable orginizations is basically just the government saying, "here, have money to spread your word!" Some of these groups are wonderfully worthy, but if they're religious, they should NOT be funded by the government. At all. Tax breaks are fine, but let the people involved in those religions be the ones to pay for the 'good works.' And instituting a National Prayer Day makes the assumption that everyone prays. I don't. (When I'm feeling a little flakey, and in awe of nature, I might offer up some sort of thanks to 'whatever,' but that hardly counts.) And frankly, I'm vaugely offended by the notion that some yahoo wants me to. It's no skin off his back if I pray or not. I believe that one can be a good and moral person without believing in a higher power.

Every major culture that's gone down the tubes in a violent and bloody way has done so with the assistance of a state religion and political priests. History appears to have taught us nothing.

With W's desire to start up Star Wars again, we're got Russia and China grumping at us. And now the edict making political assasination not-so-illegal anymore, well, they always say that a war is good for the economy. Perhaps this is Bush's way of fixing ours? He'll get us all killed, but hey, all of his buddies are raking it in hand over fist, so who cares?

What pisses me off the most about this is that these are all things I've voted against, worked against, hoped against, and what has that gotten me? A big fat nothing, and a stress headache. I'm incredibly angry that someone I didn't vote for and don't agree with has my future and the future of my country in his hands. I'm dissapointed that anyone even considered him a viable option. We need to get someone new in charge; no more rich old men.