I am finding it slightly unnerving being inundated with election coverage all atwitter about the approaching conventions, while simultaneously hearing news of suicide bombings and violence in Iraq and Afghanistan every day.
Sometimes the discussions seem disjointed - as if the priority or emphasis of focus has been misplaced. CNN pundits blather on with sound checks in the background while the only discussion of 24 dead and over 29 wounded occurs in a brief snippet on NPR before heading into Irish music for the nighttime playlist.
Perhaps I'm just grumpy. Or maybe I'm not making use of the best news sources. Or maybe things really are out of sync... distorted by distance and demoted in importance because it's easier than feeling truly afraid.
Showing posts with label presidential election. Show all posts
Showing posts with label presidential election. Show all posts
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Historical
We just heard Obama clinched the nomination for the Democratic Party. Despite the craziness of the primary cycle this year and the increasingly stubborn attitude of Hillary Clinton... he has definitively won, and now we'll just watch and see what Hillary does next. (Andy's and my guess: trying to force herself onto the ticket as the VP.)
It's very exciting though, and quite thrilling to look at Obama and think, "This man could be my next president."
I would hope it would move our country forward, would help Americans feel like they took back some control in their government... that they had someone more in tune with their concerns and goals. I would hope it would help us move toward greater equality and less discrimination - to heal and constructively address some of our mistakes and divisions based on race and ethnicity.
And I really hope I am right in thinking it might mean having a president who is not ridiculously corrupted or embroiled in things that lead to poor decisions because of a need to self-serve, self-protect, or self-promote.
History has been made tonight and will hopefully be made again in November. I would love Ari to grow up during a Barack Obama presidency.
It's very exciting though, and quite thrilling to look at Obama and think, "This man could be my next president."
I would hope it would move our country forward, would help Americans feel like they took back some control in their government... that they had someone more in tune with their concerns and goals. I would hope it would help us move toward greater equality and less discrimination - to heal and constructively address some of our mistakes and divisions based on race and ethnicity.
And I really hope I am right in thinking it might mean having a president who is not ridiculously corrupted or embroiled in things that lead to poor decisions because of a need to self-serve, self-protect, or self-promote.
History has been made tonight and will hopefully be made again in November. I would love Ari to grow up during a Barack Obama presidency.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Happy Presidents' Day
My day began with a story about a Pakistani man whose counsin had been shot and killed the night before the elections held today. Several other men running under the same party were murdered as well.
This man, whose counsin had been shot, still went out to vote today. His mother begged him to stay home... but he felt the best way to honor his cousin was to make his voice heard. He chose to vote, even though violence leading up to the elections had escalated tremendously and many polling stations were hit by suicide bombers.
I thought about that story, and the many others we did not hear, all day - which is ending as I half-watch/half-listen to CNN (my husband's most favorite station during the presidential election cycle). All the political pundits are garrulously and disputatiously discussing the incredible circumstances surrounding the Democratic primary. The race is very close; a black man and a woman are running; mud has been slung, race has been an issue, gender has been an issue; and - because of the current state of the country - people in America feel very passionately about the election and what is needed to move us forward in a positive way.
And although security has been important for each of the candidates and there are concerns that some people have been disenfranchised with regard to casting their votes... I don't think there is anyone in this country who fears they will be wounded or killed in the process of doing their civic duty and exercising their rights as citizens. Over fifty primaries and caucuses leading to what may be a brokered convention... and at some point, we will have a new president and we'll do it all again four years later.
It's an incredible privilege and hopefully something those in the U.S. appreciate when looking at the struggle for democracy, safety, and justice which occurs in other countries around the world. Although we may still fight for freedom, for justice and equity, for greater safety and cooperation... the ideals upon which this nation was predicated are embraced and celebrated in our democratic process and the vision of our forefathers continues to unfold and evolve so that every voice may be heard, every vote may count.
This man, whose counsin had been shot, still went out to vote today. His mother begged him to stay home... but he felt the best way to honor his cousin was to make his voice heard. He chose to vote, even though violence leading up to the elections had escalated tremendously and many polling stations were hit by suicide bombers.
I thought about that story, and the many others we did not hear, all day - which is ending as I half-watch/half-listen to CNN (my husband's most favorite station during the presidential election cycle). All the political pundits are garrulously and disputatiously discussing the incredible circumstances surrounding the Democratic primary. The race is very close; a black man and a woman are running; mud has been slung, race has been an issue, gender has been an issue; and - because of the current state of the country - people in America feel very passionately about the election and what is needed to move us forward in a positive way.
And although security has been important for each of the candidates and there are concerns that some people have been disenfranchised with regard to casting their votes... I don't think there is anyone in this country who fears they will be wounded or killed in the process of doing their civic duty and exercising their rights as citizens. Over fifty primaries and caucuses leading to what may be a brokered convention... and at some point, we will have a new president and we'll do it all again four years later.
It's an incredible privilege and hopefully something those in the U.S. appreciate when looking at the struggle for democracy, safety, and justice which occurs in other countries around the world. Although we may still fight for freedom, for justice and equity, for greater safety and cooperation... the ideals upon which this nation was predicated are embraced and celebrated in our democratic process and the vision of our forefathers continues to unfold and evolve so that every voice may be heard, every vote may count.
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