Ok, I've sat through many a State of the Union. I'm sure the whole 'who claps and who doesn't' thing has been talked to death. But watching tonight, in this time of extreme partisanship, I couldn't help but look at this phenomenon once again. It makes me wonder if there's some memo that goes out the night before:
Hey Repubs,
This is your reminder to remain seated at all times. Please also keep your hands from colliding and producing any noise.
Love,
Your Fellow Right-ies
Or maybe they're wearing ear buds like on reality TV, so they can get approval to celebrate certain presidential points. For example, when Obama mentioned appreciating the "men and women in uniform," everyone stood up. Because, you'd be kind of an asshole if you didn't, right?
But the Right Wingers did remain seated for several issues that maaaybe they should have thought more about. I kept a little list tonight, and they stayed seated and pouting regarding:
--equal pay for women
--developing alternative energy
--preventing insider trading
--preventing the importing of dangerous goods to the US
--reducing the outsourcing of could-be American jobs
Do they actually want us to believe they are against the issues they aren't applauding? Because if we hadn't seen this over and over, it would seem to send that message loud and clear...
So, really, every woman in the room? You're against equal pay? I feel like any woman that intentionally didn't applaud for that should be ashamed.
I know, I know... It's politics. It just makes me sick to think people would rather stick to their side than remain on the side of equality and community that this country was built on.
When I went to South Africa in college, we were there on Human Rights Day. (I actually just found out this also exists worldwide.) But S.A. has their own Human Rights Day, and I remember thinking two things:
1) What a wonderful holiday.
2) Shouldn't EVERY day be human rights day?
I watched "The Help" last week, and it made me feel so... small. Moved, but small. It makes me sad that though the movie could be classified as historical, we maybe haven't come so far after all. And then I feel guilty. And then I feel helpless. So, the movie (and life) teaches us we should all do everything we can--like our heroin does (not gonna say more and spoil). But seeing the end of the movie and looking at the current state of the world seems to send the message that trying to take a stand is fruitless. Of course I'm way too much of an optimist to believe that. I just feel so stuck sometimes. I want so much to live in a different kind of world. I want so much to help.
Simultaneously, I feel like I'd need money and power to even make a dent and also like every smile and every meal can change a life.
If admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery, maybe admitting you care is the first step to action? I'm not sure where I'm going here. I just feel like on the subject of partisanship, there's an even bigger divide in our country between people who care and people who don't. People are so quick to use the word socialist as a 'danger' word. But what if, just what if the main priority of everyone on this planet was to make sure that everyone had food, shelter, safety, and freedom.
What if everyone had a fighting chance?
What if everyone gave a damn?
I've had conversations with someone I know about the environment. He likes to interject our conversations on this subject I'm pretty passionate about with things like, "I won't be here a hundred years from now, so it's not my problem."
To each their own passion. Lately, I'm just really sick of apathy. And inaction. So I suppose I've gotta call myself to action here, too. On New Years, Badass asked me if I had any resolutions... I've been working on a separate post on that subject. But I guess I better add a plan for what I'll do to help this year. Because I just have to do something and believe that it has the potential strength of that old butterfly flapping away.
My favorite Barack line tonight was, "Tyranny is no match for liberty." I think he's said this before. Either way, I sure hope we can keep that ringing true, buddy Prez. I sure. hope. so.
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