Venting

It’s summertime, and the livin’ ain’t easy for too many of us. With Barack Obama off, showing the world what a U.S. president could and should be, my urge to vent has become too strong to resist. Some thoughts have reached the festering point in my cortex, and require airing.

Let me start out with Olympian madness: the best boom to the pharmaceutical industry and rampant, insistent nationalism. I cannot stand the Olympics, and although I live in Virginia – where to precede anything objectionable with a “Bless her/his/their heart/hearts” is an all-purpose form of redemption – I do not bless anything about this regularly scheduled orgy of nationalistic chest-beating.

Which reminds me of a recent statement made by our current semi-literate president. While opining on the wonders of the event, his trip to China for said event, he confided his pride in “ath-a-letes.” It would appear that no one in his star-studded administration slipped him the news that the word is a two-syllable one, not three.

Something else that has been troubling me are the constant echoes of something H. L. Mencken said. This master of satire mused that “No one should underestimate the ignorance of the average American.” (Please give me a little slack; I may be paraphrasing…).

I firmly believe that guilt is the most useless of emotions, and therefore, feel none at all when I state that I will never, ever again buy or read The New Yorker magazine. A publication I long admired. Yes, I know the cover – the despicable cover – of the Obamas has been defended on the basis of “satire,” but as one who has long labored in the fields of same, heaping her sentences with this spicy, savory condiment, there is nothing but ugliness in a cover depicting a presidential nominee’s family as terrorists. The cover confirms every psychotic suspicion of those individuals and organizations who worship at the shrine of right-wing family. Who sponsor, put forth and support organizations with “Family” in their names, and who revel in the depiction The New Yorker presented of the Obamas.

Whew! Hey, I feel better, and welcome comments, opposing and concurring views. As a forever Luddite, my view of this means of communication is not to air one’s personal ego, but to inspire a forum-like environment, where give and take reign.

Rumors

Now that Barack Obama is the Democratic candidate for president, the Republicans’ crusade to smear him is in full gear. Rumors – hearty rumors – are going around like a virulent virus that he is, in truth and in fact, not a Christian, but – ooh! – a Muslim. And that he may well be in sympathy with our enemies – the very ones given life via the Bush administration’s criminal behavior.

And what about Michelle? A successful attorney and advocate, like her husband, for the poor and disenfranchised? A loving wife and mother? A bright, beautiful woman, whose husband admires and loves her, and whose daughters are so lucky to have her as an example? Oh no, according to the opposing party; Michelle is not a real, true, proud American. Not like, say, John McCain, who is – again in truth and in fact – prone to changing positions on rock-bound issues and principles as quickly as global warming is melting ice caps.

Be frightened; be very frightened. The next four months have the capacity to distort and defame the very essence of an outstanding candidate for the highest office in our country. Barack Obama is not only inspirational and intelligent – capable of forming a complete sentence that resonates with meaning and veracity – he is eminently qualified to carry out his mission of leading a badly-damaged country back to its rightful place in the world.

Be frightened, yes, but be aware and vigilant. Lies flow so easily from the lips of those who led the way to the continuing tragedy of Iraq, and now seem determined to do an encore in Iran.

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