Terrapin Tables

It would seem that I am out of touch with the consensus of the American people. However narrow the gap between the majority and the minority, it seems as though I do not share the majorities views. Generally I take solace in that fact. I talk, I listen, and I see that I do not agree with people, nor do I have any desire to. Being in the minority may somehow be chic, vogue or trendy. However, on a national scale, all it amounts to is being on the short end of the stick. I believe people are voting out of fear instead of hope. Afraid of terror, of homosexuality, of somehow losing their pickets fences and their SUVs. It is a siege mentality and inherently selfish. Instead of progress, people seek to maintain the status quo. Problems are being solved from the top down instead of the bottom up. Give the wealthy more money back and pretend that their social conscience will compel them to invest it in a burgeoning company or a social program, or to make a donation. To paraphrase what was said better by another, "we are giving the haves all the money, and whatever they drop, well that is for the have nots. They are metaphorically pissing on you. And the liberals say: 'They are pissing on you, here's an umbrella.'" Instead of believing things could be better, people are afraid things will get worse. So I guess I am left to rationalize that it doesn't really matter, that it doesn't make any difference, that I will be fine. And I become one of the selfish people. The past four years haven't been particularly bad for me, but there are many people between me and the bottom of the barrel, and I am disappointed for them. The bad news is there are four more years. The good news is it is only four more years.

after my parents and i voted we had a long discussion regarding our votes. my parents, long-standing Democrats, were persuaded by Bush that things would be better off were they to vote Republican. my parents called me idealistic. i said i'd rather be called altruistic. take care of people who may not have as much luck/good fortune/good parents as i did. my parents are afraid of losing money. they are sick and tired of paying taxes which help people who aren't doing anything. my dad, a sales rep, is making good money. he doesn't want to stop. my dad handed me an ad that he received about abortion. stated that bush is pro-life, etc. of course. but he has very little overall respect for life. you all know i'm pro-life. that i wouldn't think of having an abortion nor providing one for someone. but i also would never want someone killed at the hands of our legal system. that i am opposed to the war. that i hate what he's doing to our environment. i can certainly see how things change as we age. but i hope and pray i never lose the ideals that made me vote for Kerry this time. he wasn't necessarily the greatest guy but i'm sure there are things that he could have helped.

Michelle's thoughts sound a lot like mine. Murdering unborn babies is a big issue to me, but there are so many other areas where I just completely can't stand Bush (the war, the environment, science, etc.), that I voted for Kerry. On a selfish level, though, Bush will keep my taxes down and keep my industry funded, so I guess I make out okay...

I think it's kind of interesting looking at the map to see who won which states. The states that I had always considered more educated, the northeast and the west coast, mostly voted for Kerry. The states that I alwasy considered backwards and full of hicks, the south and a lot of the midwest, voted mostly for Bush. Go figure.

I too am disappointed by the election results. I try to think of what the Bush voters were thinking of when they cast their vote. I think that a Bush supporter is someone that isn't very concerned about issues that effect other people. Whether it be protecting our civil liberties, securing the rights and welfare of the minority populations, keeping the environment from turning to shit... etc. Not that Bush supporters are evil, but perhaps just apathetic. If you live in a rural area and your friends and family are getting by, voting for Bush means you will be doing okay for another four years. You might even get a rebate check like you did in 2001. The fact that couples are being denied the right to get married for the simple reason that it makes other people uncomfortable doesn't bother some people. Neither does the fact that the government can now monitor many of our habits such as the books we rent from a library with little or no oversight. Or that for every American killed in the 9/11 attacks, the US has killed over 20 Iraqi civilians in its own attacks (not soldiers - but mothers, fathers, and children). If these things don't bother you, then congratulations - for the next four years, we will be lead by a man who thinks likewise.

There is so much I don't understand. Trying to foist your own beliefs on someone else, trying to legislate morality is high on this list. The ten states with the lowest percentage of bachelor's degree amongst the population all voted for Bush. Of the top 10 states, 8 voted for Kerry. The 15 states with the lowest per capita income voted for Bush. Republicans have successfully convinced people that tax breaks are helping low to middle class people more than they are, if at all. Kudos.

Well Rick, to answer your question from the point of view of someone living in Texas surrounded by a bunch of Bible thumpers, it wasn't apathy. People really wanted Bush to win, a lot of it on the issue of gay marriage. I guess that's where they decided to aim their Bible thumping, as opposed to all of the people that Bush is killing. I suppose a lot of it was for taxes, too.

According to exit polls, which floundered hopelessly this time around, "morality" was given third, behind only "the economy" and "security," as reasons why people voted the way they did. So, big thumbs up to the Bush campaign for somehow convincing the South and Midwest that refusing to assist the poor, lying, killing, and forbidding another's pursuit of hapiness are all solid Christian ideals. Somehow, I think Jesus would disagree.

I find it ironic that economy and security were the biggest reasons, especially since our economy is in the shitter and we had the first attack happen on American soil since Pearl Harbor while this clown was in office. What scares me the most is that it was actually so close. I was hoping against hope that all the pre-election "polls" were so close just because people voting for Kerry didn't participate in them, or were avoided.

Everything I wish to say in one nice, tidy T-shirt:

Tips on expatriating. I am relatively sure I can't afford an island, though building one might be fun. It'd be like Waterworld. Hopefully without having to drink my own urine.

hopefully