What's Really Good?

I don't know how to begin talking about the election because I have so much that I want to say about it...but I will address one thing. I watched the entire Democratic National Convention, and since you can intelligently support something only when you know the other side of it, I've also been watching the RNC. I tried to look at it without giving in to my preconceived notions about the people on that hall floor, but it's impossible. Watching it was infuriatating.

Last night, it occurred to me that the RNC differs from the DNC in one striking way, and that's its nastiness. There's really no other word for it, and if you watched Rudy's speech, you know exactly what I mean. And when people cheered, and he laughed this scary, gleeful laugh in response, it reminded me of that scene in Borat when he's talking at the rodeo -- telling people he's against gay marriage and in support of bombing the shit out of other countries, basically -- and the crowd is hooting and hollering in delight. You know there's something wrong with your party when you use 'intellectual' as an insult, i.e. "the Obama-Biden ticket is for the intellectuals and has nothing to do with us." A hard-working farmer or factory worker can be smart, you know. He can be aware of the world and recognize the capacity for us to be better and want to be a part of that process.

Yes, it was frustrating to watch the convention of people that don't agree with me. But last night bothered me on a different level, too. It really spelled out to me what the Republican party is all about. I almost felt sick, for example, when Ms. Sarah Palin mocked Barack by saying, "Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America; [Obama's] worried that someone won't read them their rights?" This, to me, confirms the fact that Repubs believe that all people who look a certain way have a certain agenda. That we as a country have a right to detain people who fit a profile that we've created, torture them without having any real information on them, and ignore any notion of human rights. That we can scare and psychologically bully people into voting for military strength alone.

I'm already on Bush's list, so I'll put myself on another one by saying this: America creates terrorists. Let's say your city was being bombed constantly by another country. You couldn't go to school or work or on a date without worrying that you might get blown up or killed by foreign soldiers who treat you like you're subhuman. You move to that country to get work or live some semblance of a life, and get randomly searched and eventually arrested for traveling or walking down the street. You get thrown in a cell, no one asks you anything apart from shit you know nothing about, no one knows where you are, and you get tortured severely by people who think it's not torture. Would you not leave that cell with some kind of hate or disdain for that country and its government? Maybe it's unsafe to say something like that in such a public space and my Dad is always telling me to watch what I say around people, but I don't believe in censoring myself to make other people comfortable. I don't believe in not saying what I think, even if I live in a country that stifles honest and informed opinions.

Anyway. Here's a video and transcript of Palin's speech if you missed it. What strikes me the most is how nasty they're being, how derisive and belittling. And, in contrast, how gracious and graceful the DNC was, both in comparison and on its own. Well the pundits and reporters are saying what a hit the speech was, and I'd love to hear your thoughts. I don't plan on blogging after the McCain speech. I think I've been pretty controversial lately and I hope I'm not scaring anyone off. Hope you don't get arrested for reading this.