Entries Tagged 'Politics' ↓

Behold the bounty of our school supply shopping escapades.

And this doesn’t include the pile of clothes and underpants that we bought either.

It was a tax-free weekend for school supplies here in Florida. And, since school starts in two weeks, we figured we would take advantage.

But even after so very much money spent (tax-free = throngs of shoppers out and about = price inflation, just saying), somehow it doesn’t seem like enough.

It seems so ironic, you know? A tax-free holiday offered to residents to get geared up for a year ahead at public schools that are barely intact after our governor decided to cut more than $2 billion dollars from education. Why? He doesn’t want to — GOD FORBID — raise taxes. Schools in Florida will have $700 less per student than they did before. Because, you know, their cups were just running over with spending surplus in years prior…

Ask a Florida teacher how much he or she made last year. Ask a Florida teacher how much he or she makes this year.

The education cups have never run over here. Never. And the only reason we have teachers still teaching at our schools is, well, because they don’t have much of a choice but to take the cut. Or, they are just awesome men and women who care too much about their kids to bail out and try for something else. Or maybe they aren’t teaching at all anymore, because they were fired due to these “tax-saving” budget cuts.

I’ve heard rumors of 4 day weeks. We got letters home about “many changes” expected in the coming year and to “please be understanding” as they adjust to drastic budget cuts.

So, looking over at this pile of expensive school supplies doesn’t really feel so great. Because I think we should be giving so much more. Something is very wrong with our system when cutting back on education to save a buck in our paychecks is morally acceptable.

My husband and I are hardly rolling in it. We’re upside down on our home thanks to an already shaky Florida economy. We have stacks of bills and 10 year old appliances kicking out on us just like everyone else. But if it would help our schools to buy this stack of school supplies once a month, I would.

But somehow I don’t think a monthly drop-off off clorox wipes and reams of paper will solve our budget problems.

So this tax-free weekend I don’t feel like we saved anything at all, really. I’m just afraid we’ve lost too much already.

There was a time when I was a mom home with babies, and all sorts of ideas and thoughts about the world were rolling around in my head. But I had no where to go with these thoughts. No one to share them with. No community for a thinking mom. Just diapers to change and baby vomit to wipe off the floor. And such is parenting. There would be time for thinking later.

Jump ahead to the year 2008. I was a very new blogger. I had just discovered (and started stalking) all sorts of mom bloggers and political bloggers and – gasp – political mom bloggers. One in particular rose to the top. Her name was Joanne, otherwise known online as Pundit Mom. And when she wrote, I just… got it.

That summer fate stepped in and determined my path as a blogger I very randomly won a contest through BlogHer to go to the BlogHer conference in San Francisco. It was my first overnight away from my children and I arrived there wide-eyed and ready to stalk myself some amazing bloggers. I listened intently to Lesbian Dad on a panel and pushed my way to the front to meet her. I fell off my seat laughing, tackled, and forced an introduction on Deb on the Rocks. I cried listening to and (via a couple glasses of wine) jumped in front of Moosh In Indy to tell her that she was so F-ing brave. And then, it happened. The last morning, at breakfast, Pundit Mom happened to sit down at my table. We introduced ourselves. She gave me a pin with her logo on it. Oh. My hero. That conference had officially been made.

Since then I have come to realize the power of the internet and the many super amazing smart women who live there. Pundit Mom and the Momocrats and various writers at BlogHer gave moms like me at home with their babies access to real politics happening in the moment. Before heading onto CNN to debate some topic or another, Joanne would tweet and ask what questions we had for the panel. The Momocrats would ask their readers what questions we had for Hillary Clinton before heading into a press conference. Moms, just like me with no way to be where they were, had access. And a voice.

And, since that morning over a bagel, my friendship with Joanne has grown. More conferences came. More conversations over meals. More shared ideas and ideals. More smart women, both online and off. She had a book she was writing, she said. I was thrilled for her. Could she use one of my blog posts? Oh my goodness, of course.

Honored is not even enough of a word to describe how I felt.

Joanne’s book has recently been published and in it she describes the extraordinarily influential political space women are carving out for themselves through social media, preconceived notions of women and mothering be damned. And she does it with the help of an incredible network of women she calls “Mothers of Intention”. Mothers, like me, who are not official political experts but actually, whoda thunk it, HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.

This morning I opened up a PDF file from Joanne. It was the final draft of the book. My hard copy was in the mail. And there I was, amoungst these unbelievable women whom I have looked to as my conduit for change and voice and action for years. I am only one voice amongst so so many. But, once again, SHE MADE MY VOICE COUNT.

Do you see what this must mean to me? She changed my perception of motherhood. I, like a crazy woman, thought parenting meant my ideas and ability should be back-burnered. I thought you can’t parent AND think. She switched that all around and made me realize that, as a parent, I had a unique and important perspective. I had the same concerns as many mothers and we should pick them up and put them out there and get them heard, dammit. We are raising this country and that actually matters. She spelled it out quite clearly to me that mothers are kind of a big deal, even way over on Capitol Hill.

So. The book is in the mail. And I’ll be back here, of course, to freak out about it some more when I have resting here next to my laptop. Until then, check it out on Amazon. And, of course, you know… buy it. And maybe find your inner Mother of Intention. She’s in there. I swear she is.

Written in haste during my lunch break:

“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can drive out hate: only love can do that.”–Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I’ve seen that post up on Facebook a lot recently. And it feels about right. Because I’m not sure what I think about Osama’s death right now.

Yes, of course, I’m glad he can’t carry out any further injustices. What he did to our country isn’t forgivable. And I understand that his death was inevitable.

But I’m not sure where it leaves us.

His death doesn’t bring back the thousands of lives lost. However, his death symbolizes some sort of victory, some sort of exacted revenge that we apparently deserve in exchange for those lives. Whether he’s been an active Al Qaeda leader recently or not. He was the big boss then. So he needed to go.

That said, whether or not he’s been an active Al Qaeda leader recently or not, his death is most likely equally symbolic to that faction. And his death could mean that we deserve some sort of revenge for taking his life too.

This evil man. Who may or may not have had any power over the last few years. Whose been hanging out in some suburb in Pakistan. Who we blew away for committing horrendous acts a decade ago. His death may or may not signal the start of something new and equally horrendous.

Symbolic gesture for symbolic gesture.

So now what.

When Obama announced his death, he looked grave and focused. He wasn’t in the same partying mood those outside the White House gates were.

I get why those people were partying. I do.

But I just don’t feel like partying. I don’t feel much better about 9/11 either. And I don’t feel any real resolution. I just feel kind of grave and focused too.

Because. Now what.

Back to remaining vigilant I guess.

Which, like freedom, is kind of a permanent American state of mind now I suppose.

Geraldine Ferraro ran for Vice President when I was in 6th grade. And I shocked my father by flaunting my sudden budding liberal tendencies by wearing a Mondale-Ferraro button around school that year.

Thanks to Geraldine Ferraro, I was brought up assuming a woman could eventually be president someday. She made that possibility real. She opened my eyes to women vying for positions in male dominated fields. She unveiled inequity while she stepped forward to dismantle it.

She seemed so smart to me, so fearless, so “who cares if no women have done this before, I’ve got some issues that need addressing”.

Thanks Ms. Ferraro for being the example that you were for me at eleven years old. Your candidacy was my first ever feminist agenda. And your example will remain until a woman  is finally sworn into the presidency. Your years of public service have changed the the face of politics. Thank you and rest in peace.

I felt pretty discouraged when I hit “publish” on my post yesterday. To sum it up, I said something to the effect of: We live in a free world full of self-serving politicians and ratings hungry journalists and crazies and egocentric maniacs that want to tear us down and its up to us to be nice to each other and make it right if we want it right. But when I hit publish I wasn’t exactly sure that anyone really wanted to make anything right.

Last night, I was curled up ready to listen to the President’s speech when I got a phone call and missed the whole thing. So a few minutes ago I went back and reread it.

Whoa.

It’s like he read some of my post and spoke directly to my concerns. I suppose that’s his job, to address what people are worried about. But (and check out this new feeling that I haven’t felt recently) I felt encouraged. He said some really, really good things.

Granted, people actually have to take them to heart, of course.

Right.

So anyway, with what few remaining bits of hope I have left hanging in the wind here, I thought I would quote the parts that encouraged me most. Because at least someone gets it. And I’m just glad that person is my President.

But at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized – at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do – it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.

……
But what we can’t do is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on one another. As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let us use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy, and remind ourselves of all the ways our hopes and dreams are bound together.

After all, that’s what most of us do when we lose someone in our family – especially if the loss is unexpected. We’re shaken from our routines, and forced to look inward. We reflect on the past. Did we spend enough time with an aging parent, we wonder. Did we express our gratitude for all the sacrifices they made for us? Did we tell a spouse just how desperately we loved them, not just once in awhile but every single day?

So sudden loss causes us to look backward – but it also forces us to look forward, to reflect on the present and the future, on the manner in which we live our lives and nurture our relationships with those who are still with us. We may ask ourselves if we’ve shown enough kindness and generosity and compassion to the people in our lives. Perhaps we question whether we are doing right by our children, or our community, and whether our priorities are in order. We recognize our own mortality, and are reminded that in the fleeting time we have on this earth, what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame – but rather, how well we have loved, and what small part we have played in bettering the lives of others.

…..
If this tragedy prompts reflection and debate, as it should, let’s make sure it’s worthy of those we have lost. Let’s make sure it’s not on the usual plane of politics and point scoring and pettiness that drifts away with the next news cycle.

…..
I believe we can be better. Those who died here, those who saved lives here – they help me believe. We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us. I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us.

- President Obama, Tucson, January 12, 2011

Since the shooting this past Saturday, my page has sat blank. Something needs to be said here of course, but what sense could I possibly make of it? However the longer I think about it, the more resigned I feel that no sense can be made, unless you blame each of us and all that we stand for – our freedom.

While her speech made my skin crawl in its attempt to stir and shock, Sarah Palin’s reaction to the shooting was right in one regard. We are too quick to blame. Of course, it’s in our nature to demand a reason. A why. Something to shake our finger at. Something that we can fix quickly (like having Sarah Palin take down her cross-hairs) so it never happens again. Something to change.

We could change. We need to change. But I am afraid we are the victim of our own doing. While cross-hairs implies violence, no doubt, we can’t blame one tasteless political image for Saturday’s horror. There is a whole lot more involved here, in my humble opinion. In fact, I suppose I am not even surprised this happened. And my resignation and expectation scares me a great deal right now.

My father and I talk politics a lot. Having been a government employee for his entire professional life and a D.C. resident since the very early years of my life, his insight is usually very good insight, even if it sways Republican a bit too much for my liking.

During this past year’s Mosque issues in NYC and the potential threats of Koran burnings, I vented to him. I was outraged. And angry and frustrated. So we talked about 9/11 and the havoc it has wrecked on our country. He said something to me that stuck. He reminded me that we live in a free society. FREE. While wonderful, a true blessing and something to take pride in, we are also open for attack. Our freedom, our rights and our open society means we can’t clamp off or stifle every single threat to our nation. It just can’t and won’t happen.

Last week a man with a slew of unchecked mental health issues and a pocket full of Walmart ammo cut down innocent lives, including a 9 year old girl ironically born on 9/11/01. His mug shot reveals his glee, his pride in his work. It’s disgusting.

So who do we blame? Yes, Arizona was in Sarah Palin’s cross-hairs. Yes, journalists and politicians (don’t sneak out of this so fast, Sarah) continue to fan the flames of our differences, widening a very deep chasm already established. Yes, we throw around language to stun and incite (like “blood libel”, Sarah) and create news headlines and rile up the crowds and get everyone on OUR side because WE know best. And oh yes, we are a bunch of self-righteous know it alls who must get our way no matter the toll it takes. Win. Votes. Shake things up. Push the limit. Be outrageous. We do that because we can. We get what we want.

But now we do all of this in a time when information is immediate and available. Get on Facebook, get on Twitter, turn on the news, check your blackberry, all of your news feeds – and you know where everyone is. In days before, when a leader could spout off irresponsibly and offensively about some other politician or another – it wasn’t caught on some one’s iphone and posted to youtube the next day. Everyone has access.

Another part of our freedom is our right to bear arms. Sure, ask me how much I hate guns, the automatic variety in particular. Ask me how much I hate weapons or anything used to harm another person. Ask me how much I hate how my boys pick up their baseball bats and shoot them at each other. Go ahead. But my opinion does not matter. It is written in our constitution that we can carry a gun. So if that’s your thing, it’s your right to do it. And you can march up to Walmart and pick one up along with some milk, bread and maybe the new Toy Story 3 DVD. It’s your right.

So we have self-righteous rhetoric. We have access to every kind of information. We have the right to bear arms. We have freedom. And? We have a small minority of mentally ill people who share all of this too.

So if it wasn’t this particular imbalanced man who was going to find out where a politician he didn’t agree with was going to be and gleefully gun men, women and children down with a sparkle in his eye… it was going to be someone else.

This is what happens. This is what we can expect to happen.

Yes, we can work to individually assist any person with mental health issues or anyone we might suspect of having mental health issues.

Yes, we MUST check ourselves and the language we throw around. We have to think ahead about our shock-worthy, exaggerated, attention grabbing one-liners that guarantee a spot in morning headlines. What do they mean, really? What are you saying? What can those words actually do?

Yes, we need to keep discussing gun control and stop normalizing violence in video games, on television and the rest.

Yes, we have to take responsibility for the kind of access we have and the kind of access to ourselves that we give others, strangers included.

Yes, we need to stop helicopter parenting our children, telling them they do no wrong, and allow them to be held accountable for their actions. That way, maybe we can grow up to be a society of thoughtful people who think about the needs of others BESIDES our own.

But we can’t take away our freedom. Or our freedom to choose to do any of the above. Its our right to make choices, one way or the other. And no amount of policy or government will stop hate unless individuals take a stand to do so one person at a time.

Our country is not well right now. I am reminded of the shooting deaths of RFK and MLK Jr. during difficult times. I hope we can find our way back to some kind of national confidence and security. And peace.

But until then, we can’t take back the violence on Saturday or all of the parts and pieces it took for those lives to be taken in the first place with one quick fix.

We can breath in our own space, however. And decide. Is THIS how we want to communicate our thoughts and ideas? Is this the best way to share information? Is this how we want to use our right to bear arms? Is this how we treat others with opposing political views? Are we better than this?

And while we do what we do during our everyday goings on, we must ask ourselves: Are we doing any good?

Because, thankfully, individual choice is part of our freedom and we have the ability to make this better. If we want to be better.

So you decide. It’s your choice after all.

Elizabeth Edwards died today.

And I’ve been caught off guard by how deeply her death has moved me.

Maybe it’s because she was a mother. And after being diagnosed with breast cancer so many years ago, she had to face the knowledge that she could be leaving her children motherless. Which, of course, is every mother’s nightmare. She must have lain awake nights wondering if anyone would know her children the same way, understand them, help them, and love them quite as much.

Maybe it’s because my heart is breaking for her children. I don’t care how “prepared” they were for this, they are without their mother now, days before the holidays. They will be affected by her death forever. They will be rocked to their core. Their loss is immeasurable.

But I also think it is because the world lost a really good one. A woman who genuinely seemed to affect those around her in a positive, constructive, selfless way. She was scary smart and politically savvy. She stood as an example, spoke from her heart and, through all of her trials, remained strong, honest and resilient.

She should not have been so graceful. Not when she lost her son. Not when the cancer returned. Not when her husband left her side.

Still. She would regroup and stand back up again.

Over her 61 years, she took what was handed to her and she DID something. Her voice was important. Her example changed lives. Her work made a difference. Her mind reworked policy but her heart made people listen and put it all into motion.

She was a mother who affected real change in this country.

She was the kind of woman I could only hope to be.

My heart is heavy this evening. Peace, healing and love to those mourning her life tonight and in the years ahead.

Ever heard of the saying “be careful what you wish for and you just might get it”? I’m wondering who might be muttering those sentiments a few months from now. This damn election could actually force some folks down a road they weren’t exactly prepared for. Because moving forward requires pulling down some carefully constructed barriers. After all, isn’t tacking up a collection of fancy signs with fancy slogans demanding folks not to go that way a whole lot easier than actually making the road itself?

Let me back up a bit.

After unloading the kids from the car after baseball, after feeding them quick “before bed” bowls of cereal, stripping their muddy clothes off, and bathing them and after eventually shooing them to bed, I finally turned my attention to the election coverage.

My husband, who had spent his evening waiting in line at the polls to vote, was already watching the coverage. Things didn’t look good.

I’m not sure I feel like hashing out how badly Florida just screwed up. It makes me feel ill. And in this current state of mind, I have nothing very constructive to say about it all. So I will leave it to Deb on the Rocks, who said it clearly enough last night on Twitter.

And it certainly was not just Florida who lost its ever loving mind. The House lost it’s democratic majority and the Senate barely, baaarely, held on to theirs. Seats were filled with Tea Party newcomers and, I’m sorry but let’s get real, some shady cats.

And John Boehner wept with majority leader anticipation.

My husband fixed himself a stiff drink. I lept at the Halloween candy bowl. And then made myself a stiff drink. Sorrows were drowned if only momentarily.

But I kept thinking about John Stewart this weekend at the Rally for Sanity. (Because, shocker, I was grasping for a little sanity while those results ticked across the TV screen.) I kept thinking about his tunnel traffic analogy. How all of us with different ideals and hopes and religions and political persuasions manage to make our way through traffic jams every day.

“And yet these millions of cars must somehow find a way to squeeze one by one into a mile long 30 foot wide tunnel carved underneath a mighty river.  Carved, by the way, by people who I’m sure had their differences.  And they do it.  Concession by concession.  You go.  Then I’ll go.  You go. Then I’ll go.  You go then I’ll go. Oh my God, is that an NRA sticker on your car?  Is that an Obama sticker on your car? Well, that’s okay—you go and then I’ll go.

And sure, at some point there will be a selfish jerk who zips up the shoulder and cuts in at the last minute, but that individual is rare and he is scorned and not hired as an analyst.

Because we know instinctively as a people that if we are to get through the darkness and back into the light we have to work together. And the truth is, there will always be darkness.  And sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t the promised land. Sometimes it’s just New Jersey.  But we do it anyway, together.”

Yes this country has decided they want change again. Sure, I could go on here about our impatient, disposable, drive-through society with no apparent attention span and a love for all things bright and shiny. And how if we don’t get what we want right NOW, we give up and move on to the next one.

I gather there is no convincing folks that after 8 years of outrageous screw-ups, 2 years of scrambling won’t make it all right again.

Anyway, so we want change again. Fine.

But sticking with Jon’s traffic analogy, there is no doubt that Obama has been up against one frustrating Republican road block after another. No, no, no. You will not make change happen. We will stop you. You are wrong. Always wrong. No we won’t compromise. Nothing constructive will happen under your watch. Never never never.

But now everything has changed. And those roadblocks? Those bright orange cones in the road and reflective signs and Jersey barriers demanding that this administration STOP!!! … Yeah, those? They have now been elected AS the road. Now, they have been elected to figure out which way we are going. They actually have to buck up and help find the path of least resistance WITH Obama. They need to push aside those Jersey barriers and flags and such so this nation might have some damn hope of inching forward. They have to learn to make room for YES, and OK, and LET’S COMPROMISE so that something, anything can progress. This is, in fact, where the rubber meets the road.

Strap on your seat belts, my friends. I’m afraid its going to be a very bumpy ride.

Apparently women are too tired and fed up to vote. No really, that’s what they are saying. We are so sad about how badly things are going that we have shrugged our shoulders and given up on tomorrow’s election. Our expected apathy has GOP and Tea Party goers giddy and relaxed. If we don’t show, if we don’t rally like we did in the Presidential election, they have this election in the bag.

Now here is where I am going to talk about how a vomiting little boy has inspired this post.

The night before Halloween, my seven year old stumbled out of his room in a cold sweat, climbed into my lap on the couch and proceeded to upchuck his entire ravioli dinner all over my t-shirt. And it didn’t end there. He spent the rest of the night heaving into a bowl while curled next to me on my towel draped bed. The following morning, Halloween morning, he managed to power down some ice chips. But then his ashen face faded from gray to blazing pink. He had spiked a 103 degree fever. And trick or treating would begin in less than 6 hours.

So what happened? My son dug deep. He had faith that his parents had the answers. He believed with all his might that if he pushed himself to hydrate and took that nasty ibuprofen Mommy had hovering in front of him he would somehow get better.

Clearly, a surge of adrenaline and his crazed little boy drive to run door to door for candy in his X-ray Skeleton costume had lit a fire within. By the time the sun had set, he was fever free, jumping gleefully around the house and ready to give it all he had.

Predictably, after an incredible night of house to house antics, my son collapsed into bed at 9pm. His fever had returned but, with a plastic pumpkin overflowing with Skittle and Smarties and his costume crumpled in the bedroom corner, he was victorious.

We need a little of what my son had yesterday.

According to all kinds of polls rating how depressed and apathetic women are regarding this election, we are supposed to be staying home tomorrow. No election trick or treating for us. No sir. We will accept our pathetic, fevered, rather ill situation. We give up.

Studies are showing that when men get angry, they go do something. But when women get angry, they get super sad. And turn inward. And do… nothing.

Nothing?!

One woman was quoted in the Huff Post as saying she doesn’t know where to turn now. There aren’t any real answers to our problems. And the financial issues are just… beyond us.

Um, ok. So let’s just stay home and do NOTHING.

Look, I get it. Do I have any flipping clue about how to fix our economy? Not so much. Am I feeling a little disillusioned by politics after seeing a democratic majority do so very little with what they had? Hell yeah. And does it make me ill to watch political commercial after commercial use the term “Obama liberal” like a four letter word? *shudder* YES.

So fine. Sometimes I just want to pretend our economy hasn’t gone to hell. Sometimes I want to completely ignore that more focus is being put on stopping our administration than working with it towards a constructive compromise. Sometimes I’d rather just tell cute stories about my kids, bake and be a mom.

Sometimes.

But it’s not time to do nothing. Not now. Because I can bake and read Harry Potter to my kids AND vote AND care about my country all at the same time. Because women are multi-taskers. And we are smart. And we make a difference.

And women will not just stay home and pout about the state of our union. We won’t say we don’t feel so good about what’s going on. We won’t just – oh fiddle sticks, this politics thing is a pain in the ass, I’m going to go clip coupons – give up.

Like my son had faith in hydration and Motrin, we need to have faith that our vote will count. And our vote can make change happen, I swear to you. It takes time but WE CAN AFFECT CHANGE.

Don’t believe me?

“Women make up 51 percent of the population and 54 percent of voters—closer to 60 percent if measuring Democratic voters alone.”

Want to know more about this? Take a dose of “reality check” and read here about Why Women are Fed Up.

We need to show them.

We need to show them that we are mad. We have HAD IT. And we aren’t going to stay home and fold socks and internalize our worries because we don’t want to cause any trouble.

We need to show them we have power and we can stand up for what we deserve.

Don’t make these polls right. Don’t ignore and be passive and not care.

Vote. VOTE DAMMIT.

DO SOMETHING.

And watch this. Get inspired. Get mad as hell. You don’t have to take it anymore.

(Goosebumps, people.)

Over the past few weeks, hate has revealed itself in our country once again.  Thanks to prospective plans to build a new mosque near Ground Zero, a surprisingly large number of Americans have lashed out against this mosque and faith.

Regardless of how many years have passed since 9/11, the pain of such a shocking attack has yet to dissipate, as expected. That anger is absolutely understood and something most Americans are still working through.

However, for some, so much of that anger has justified itself as misdirected hate. With clear minds and steadfast allegiance, many have gathered their hate and directed it point blank at the Islamic faith.

(Picture posted via @marksborden. )

Over this morning’s breakfast, I watched CNN report about a church in Gainsville, right in this sunny little state of mine not too far from here. In response to recent events, it seems their congregation has plans to burn copies of the Quran on the anniversary of 9/11.

My cereal spoon paused in mid-bite.

…..!!!

…What?!?!!!!!

It all feels so outlandish, so something out of some insane movie, some “The Day After” , “1984″, “Lord of the Flies” film that shows what happens to humans when we don’t keep ourselves in check. Something that should scare some sense into us but nothing that is actually happening. Because, wow, it would be pretty out of hand if our rational, sane, educated, equality-loving country ever got to the point where they would aim a missile at a mosque.

We’re at that point.

And during their news story this morning, CNN shared a quick clip from this recently created PSA to encourage awareness about the Islamic faith. It’s good. You should watch it here.

But I will tell you right now that it breaks my heart that we even have to have something like this. That a group of people paid to make a commercial to say “We are like you. We don’t want to hurt you. We are ok. No really, we are.”

I’m out of my mind about this.

(And here’s where I take a quick left turn and go on a little sidebar rant… Come along and listen, why don’t you.)

Apart from the outrageous, somehow accepted, hateful behavior being promoted and encouraged by various politicians, churches and everyday Americans, do you know who I blame this on?

I blame whoever the hell can’t get their act together to build the United States a place to mourn 9/11. I wonder how out of hand this ever would have gotten if Ground Zero was no longer just a hole – but an appropriate memorial where we could go, pay our respects and glean some small ounce of closure, peace or healing. But there is nothing there. Just an angry, raw construction site too massive to fill. An empty, unproductive space with memories so horrendous, no one knows what we could put in in its place to do all of it any justice.

Angry side bar done. Filling the hole clearly isn’t happening anytime soon, that’s clear. But a missile is currently being pointed at a small building where a mosque might be built. THAT is something that we can fix.

Missiles, leers, burning Qurans, bigotry, hateful protests. We are as a nation, as human beings, better than this.

So back to that church in Gainsville. My friend Maria wrote an important post about that church and its plans to burn the Quran in a few days. If you are wondering what you can do to promote peace right now, read her post. And join her initiative aptly named #loveburnsbrighter.

Because it does.