holier than thou

Dear Super-Christians,

I want to like you.  Really, I do.  I want to believe *you* believe in the teachings of Jesus.  Especially those about loving your neighbor and being kind.  Every time I think I can buy that you guys believe this stuff, you go and act like flaming assholes.

For example today, an UberChristian I know posted a rather hateful thing on Facebook about “illegal immigrants” who get food stamps, health care,  and housing.   Call me crazy, but I happened to think food, health care and adequate housing are HUMAN RIGHTS not AMERICAN CITIZEN rights.

Maybe I am wrong?  Maybe there was a section of the bible where Jesus was saying we should only treat privileged American citizens with compassion?  Was there a parable about leaving non-citizens to die in the streets or to let children go hungry because their parents don’t have the correct paperwork?

I have been in countries where children are allowed to starve to death and no one seems to care.  That is not the country I want to live in.  I want to live in a country where we have compassion for our neighbors, regardless of their immigration status or their misfortune of not being born as citizens of one of the wealthiest countries on earth.  Isn’t compassion and generosity the very heart of what a Christian nation should represent?

If you Christians want to hold me to the standards of a religion I don’t even believe in, well, I am going to turn the tables.  When Christians act hypocritically, I suppose they need to be reminded of the core tenets of their own faith.  And if that reminder has to come from a Heathen like me, so be it.

And NALT  Christians, where the heck are you? I know there are some out there.  I’ve seen pictures and I’ve heard your voices, but you aren’t loud enough.

Sincerely,
AmFam

(A high income bracket tax payer who is more than happy to pay higher taxes so the less fortunate have adequate food, shelter and health care.Blasphemy, I know.)

 

Democracy is hard, people.

Yesterday, I worked for our county board of elections as a roster judge*.  I would say I volunteered, but I get paid about $150 (one square foot of house!) to go to a training and be there election day from 5:30 am to 8:30 pm.

It is a long day, but I decided to do it because our area apparently has a shortage of YOUNG FAST volunteers.  Seriously, every time I vote at the poll, I find myself standing in a long line while some old lady slowly shuffles through papers, finds her glasses, looks for my name, squints at my ID, writes my paper with slow shaky hands and tries to make chit chat when I am in a hurry and trying to get on with my life already.

I am a spry 36 years old with good eyes and the ability to write fast .  And while I don’t like to sustain jobs for long periods of time, I do have a particular talent for figuring out how to do things quickly and efficiently in short bursts.  Left to my own devices, I am a checking-in machine.

I also once worked an election observer for one of the first democratic elections in Cambodia.  I remember how hopeful people stood in long, hot lines for the right to choose their leaders.  I saw first hand the euphoria of a dewey, new democracy forming.  Our democracy is somewhat middle aged. We are old and cranky, but I still like to be a cog in the creaky wheels that make our country what it is.

Yesterday, however, I worked with a woman who was possibly one of the most annoying people in the world.  I could enumerate all the ways she was annoying, but it would be WAYYYYy too long.  We will just summarize it by saying this woman was distracting, inappropriate, unprofessional and really really annoying. Seriously, by the end of the night, I wanted to bop this lady in the head with my L-Z Names sign.  After an entire day with this woman (who would not SHUT UP), I came home and rocked silently in a corner with my hands over my ears.

After yesterday’s experience, I never want to be a poll worker again.  It was like being trapped in a cage for 13 hours with an insane talking doll that would never shut up (and spouted off long spiels of fox news propaganda).  I will still going to work the presidential election because that is when the most need people like me (quick, efficient, knowing the rules well), but now I will walk into my polling station like someone with PTSD.  Will the World’s Most Annoying Woman be there?**

I want you to know, democracy is hard, people.  Your right to vote causes suffering in ways you can not even imagine.  I did it for you.

You’re welcome.

 

 

*The roster judge is the person who checks you in, looks at your ID and gives you a piece of paper (which includes information about the ballot type for your neighborhood and party selection for primaries) and sends you to the computer judge.

**I will request that I not work with that woman again. I also reported her to the BOE for some of the more egregious things she did too.  But there is no guarantee I won’t get assigned to a location with her.  Gah.

The state of the nation

I wish I could write up a long, smart post about how angry recent political attacks on women are making me.  I just can’t get up the mojo to do it though.  In truth, this whole situation makes me incredibly sad.

We live in a country where access to birth control and abortion has liberated women. It has given us the choice to work outside the home.  It has enabled us to control the number and timing of our children so we can optimize their care and education.  It has given women the ability to walk away from bad marriages or bad relationships with a manageable amount of children rather than being trapped because we can’t afford to feed them all on our own.

For now, we live in a  country where the decision about pregnancy and parenthood are in the hands of a woman and her partner.  As the mother of a child who lost her family because the Chinese government intervened in her birth family’s decision-making process, I know first hand the heartbreak the lost of choice and autonomy can cause.  I am livid that there are serious candidates for the presidency of this country who believe they know better than my husband and I how our family should look.

As if taking away access to birth control were not bad enough, now we are attacking young women for being sexually active.  Who is talking about the men who are partnered to these young women?  When these women are being called sluts and whores, who is pointing a finger at these men?

Why are people standing for this?  Nearly 99% of American women will use birth control in their lifetime.  Some of us choose to have sex before marriage. Some of us want to limit the size of our families — not only for our own benefit, but for the benefit of our children.  Even with perfect use, sometimes birth control fails.  In some of those cases, some women will have abortions.  Many more will go on to give birth to children, often as loving single mothers who will then be vilified by conservatives too.

It is obvious to me, these conservatives hate us no matter what we do.  They are afraid of women who are in control of their own bodies and destinies.  They want to return us to a time where we were trapped by the lack of choices.

Are we going to let that happen?

And if they won’t listen to the women whose lives they are fucking with, where the hell are the men who love us?  Where are our husbands, boyfriends, brothers, fathers, and friends?

What the hell, people? What. The. Hell.

 

 

 

What are you voting for?

I ran into this link yesterday and it has stuck in my head ever since.   This year, I wanted to be decidedly anti-political.  I am afraid I am not going to be able to.

M’s best friend has two moms.  I can’t understand how anyone can vote against the existence of their family.  They are one of the nicest families I know.

I don’t understand how people can vote for discrimination.  They know they are going to be on the wrong side of history, right?

So I guess I can’t be apolitical this year.

Travel Decision

I couldn’t say anything before, but in case you didn’t guess: Mr. A’s job is a political appointment.  His boss (like virtually every other Democrat in our state) lost the election tonight.  Mr. A’s job will be over in early January.

Tomorrow morning, I start making travel plans for January and February.

I would love any suggestions for travel agents (or discount travel agents) who specialize in Asia you may have used.    I need them ASAP.  I will be calling Lotus Travel, but any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Damn. I really wanted to travel later in the spring.