Today is a sad day for America. As millions of other Americans did, I woke up this morning feeling disappointed, depressed, defeated, angry and hopeless. But the majority has spoken. So what do we do now? I have so much hatred for this president and his administration. I feel so much consternation toward the religious right, the "Nascar" nation, the Republican wives and their husbands. Despite the talk that it is time for unity and bringing political parties together, I don't see this happening. Bush's victory will only fuel his agenda: pushing his morals on all Americans while feeding the greed of his cohorts. Keeping Americans under control through desperation and fear.
What can we do to work past this as individuals? What can we do to make our lives better despite what may be coming in the next four years? The only thing I can think of is for each of us to be more mindful of our status as world citizens as well as Americans. It is imperative that we take the time to learn about other cultures and countries -- from Canada to Nepal. Without understanding other cultures, religions and ideologies, how can we ever understand the actions of others against us, or the perception of our country throughout the world? We need to travel and read and communicate. A better understanding of the world will also help us as individuals strengthen our filters when our government and our media tells us what is supposedly going on. How are we supposed to know how Iraqis or Afghans perceive us if we know nothing about them? Rick Steves, one of my favorite travel gurus, has posted some interesting info in a special election newsletter on his site (
http://www.ricksteves.com/news/special.htm). It is also worthwhile to check out his home page if you plan on traveling abroad (
http://www.ricksteves.com).
Another way we can stay strong, motivated and progressive throughout the next four years is by not only educating ourselves about other cultures but also educating ourselves about our own government. Now, many of you reading this may have already given up. God knows I woke up this morning wishing for that childhood bubble -- the one where the only events that affected my life were the ones that happened on my block. The biggest dillemma back then was being the last one picked in a game of kickball. I woke up this morning not wanting to look at the TV or see W's smug face (and I'm still suffering from a GWB hangover -- and will be for the next four years). I didn't want to read the "everyone did a good job" emails from Moore or MoveOn or Kerry's campaign. I really didn't want to care anymore about Supreme Court judges or the Patriot Act.
But then I came to my senses: If I -- and all the others who feel defeated today -- gave up, Bush would not only win the election but we would be handing him our beautiful country over on a silver platter. It is our duty as Americans and world citizens to keep our politicians in check. We need to be making more phone calls and sending more emails to the people that will continue to decide the fate of this country and the fate of our children.
This means that we must keep the media in check as well. I firmly believe the reason Bush won this election is because the Republican spin machine did a fantastic job. And the media let it. At times it seemed they were the second wing to the RNC. When the focus should have been on the lack of WMDs, the lack of progress in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the holes in Bush's record, the media was more concerned with Kerry's snowboarding, Janet's "wardrobe malfunction" and Mary Kate's eating disorder. It is so important that we demand from the media -- the outlet that's helping millions of Americans decide what's "real" in this world -- at least a semblance of what's important and true. If you see or hear inconsistencies or biases, please contact the reporters, news stations, talk show hosts and tell them how you feel. And there are some great groups out there, like the Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting organization (
http://www.fair.org/), that are keeping tabs on the media. I truly believe it is beneficial to familiarize yourself with some of their findings. I know it's helped me become more critical of what I see and read every day.
Lastly, the only way I believe we can make any progress in this country -- despite the current administration -- is by remembering and honoring our core
American values. These values consist of tolerance, understanding and hard work. This means continuing a meaningful dialogue in this country. It also means spreading the ideas of compassion. "Do unto others..." is a philosophy that crosses all religious boundaries. We still have a racism problem in this country. We are on the brink of turning back the time wheel on women's issues. And now, 60 percent of Americans don't believe same-sex marriage is appropriate. People need to realize that discriminating against sexual orientation is just as bad as discriminating against race, religion or sex. We need to embrace the differences in others rather than push people away. It is up to us to talk about these issues to make any sort of progress in this country. Otherwise, we will be going backwards in time; we need to honor the sweat and blood of all those who made the America we're so proud of. A country that the rest of the world looks up to. A friend to the rest of the world's citizens as well as its own. We cannot let Bush, his administration and supporters change the values of the America we are so proud of.
Please post comments, suggestions or resources about how to beat the GWB hangover and survive the next four years. (This post was way too serious for me -- humor would be greatly appreciated.)
