Coming to Terms with Four More Years

The Toxic Texan is back with a vengeance. It's like a bad sequel to a B movie. I think I speak for many of us in saying that we were not prepared for defeat this time around. We poured our hearts and souls into this race. Considering the all-or-nothing, life-or-death mind-set we have carried up to this point, it might seem that all hope is lost.

Feelings of disappointment, helplessness, even dread of the future follow for some. After all, it was not really John Kerry that was defeated; it was the interests, beliefs, and needs of an entire nation. It seemed all so preposterous to us as the powers that be focused completely on their own agenda, ignoring the American people. How could this course of action possibly succeed? Faith in justice and in the democratic process led us to suppose an inevitable victory over this blatantly self-serving administration. Nonetheless, they sold partisanship and fear, mobilized a religious base, and it worked.

Do Americans as a majority really have no regard for the environment? Does the majority really embrace the unbridled use of war? Of course not. You wouldn't believe that any more than you'd believe that half the nation approves of late term abortion or that the exact same half is against the right to bear arms. There are two platforms to choose from, and one side is now able to market itself to be the moral and Christian choice. Never mind the fact that many of the policies of the Bush administration directly defy the teachings of Jesus.

Partisanship robs all of us of justice, all of us of our voice, no matter who we are. There could not and will not ever be a candidate that represents the will of the people for as long as partisanship identifies us. Perhaps Mr. Nader has the right conviction in this regard, although his efforts seem to empower those that separate us. But, we willingly allow ourselves as a nation to be divided. We are conditioned to identify ourselves as part of one group or the other, and then obliged to follow the leaders of that group, wherever they take us. Unfortunately, "divide and conquer" works, and that is exactly what just happened to us, again.

What really just happened is "more of the same", not just in the sense that John Kerry used that phrase in his campaign. It is more of the same failure that results from a divided people. It's more of the same "us verses them" mentality that is hurting this country.

In the coming years, bad things are going to happen to us as a result of this election. A hard lesson is ahead for Americans. We can persevere and grow through love, unity, understanding, and respect. As far as I know, no party has a monopoly on these things. And, I believe that those of us who are the most devastated today by all of this will be the peacemakers and uniters of tomorrow.

Peace,
Jim

P.S. Sorry to get so sappy about this. Some people are saying they need some closure on this, mostly, I do. :)