This is the first of what will probably be many rants during the next few weeks...

**Disclaimer: For those of you that are tired of hearing me bitch about politics (specifically about Republicans), please do yourself a favor, and don't read this. I don't really care if you read it anyway, but I just need to blow off some steam. This way is better than telling the first person that I see at work, or school, or whatever, and risking offending someone.**

I have seen several things in the past few days that have really pissed me off. Here they are.

1.) Blatant Racism Directed Towards Barack Obama

The late Barbara Jordan once said, "One thing is clear to me: We, as human beings, must be willing to accept people who are different from ourselves." That was 1994.

Fast forward to 2008. A man holds a monkey doll with an Obama sticker at a McCain rally. Another man screams "kill him" when Obama's name is mentioned. At another rally, a woman insists that Obama is an "Arab," despite McCain's half-hearted attempts to convince her otherwise. At Sarah Palin's speaking events, things are getting even nastier and, apparently, speaking out against racism is not something that she has rehearsed.

I am not suggesting that McCain himself is a racist, but by taking his campaign negative, abandoning the issues, and questioning not only Obama's character, but seemingly his very essence, McCain has basically invited the crazies and the racists to come out of the woodwork. It is probably for the best that the congresswoman is no longer around to see how little progress we have made.

2.) Sarah Palin Shutting Down a Protester

At one of Palin's rallies the other day, some guy yelled out something, probably about the war in Iraq. She responded by saying something like, "Bless your heart, my son is fighting in Iraq for your right to protest."

Okay, let me first say that I support our troops 100%. That is precisely the reason that I would like to see them out of Iraq. We are not fighting for our saftey, or for our rights; we are fighting because Bush wanted to fight.

I hear people say that our soldiers are dying in Iraq so we can have free speech, or so that we can listen to dirty music, or whatever conservatives are complaining about at the moment, and this is a great soundbite in support of the war. But think about it critically for a moment. Iraq did not attack us on 9/11. Plus, and this is what gets me the most, our right to free speech was granted in 1791 when the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution. Freedom of speech is not something that we are fighting to obtain; we already have it, and it has been around a long time.* Has Sarah Palin never heard of the 1960s? Or the 1970s?

While I admire her son (and Joe Biden's son) and every other person who has chosen to serve in the armed forces, I would rather see them home. They are fighting because people who have had everything handed to them their entire lives decided that they would fight. It's not about free speech or any other American ideal.

*Proof: an anti-war poem written in 1933, "The Unknown Soldier" by Billy Rose. Part of it goes: "I wonder if the kings, who planned it all/ Are really satisfied?/ They played their game of checkers/ And eleven million died."
I guess history really does repeat itself.

3.) Shut Up and Sing

I watched "Shut Up and Sing," a documentary about the aftermath of Natalie Maines's (of the Dixie Chicks) comment that she was ashamed that President Bush was from Texas. First off, this happened in 2003, when his approval ratings were sky high. People went crazy. They burned Dixie Chicks CDs, held protests, and made death threats. One old hillbilly made a remark to the effect of "Free speech is great as long as you don't criticize the government." That's what the Nazis said.

Anyway, Bush is doing so great in the public opinion arena lately, so the Dixie Chicks have mostly been forgiven. But I am still appalled that people freaked out so much. I hate to say this, but their fans (probably about the same demographic as NASCAR fans) are ignorant. I am from the South, but many Southerners make my skin crawl. True, I have a bit of an accent, but I don't think like a Texan at all. I have to question the intelligence and overall competence of a person who, in 2008, is still afraid of those who are different from themselves. Speaking of that...keep reading.

4.) Rebel Flags...Everywhere

If I never see a confederate flag again, I would be just fine. People who wear them, have them over the gun rack in their truck, or have tattoos of them say that it's not a racist thing, it's a historical reminder of the South. Ok, you ignorant hick, what was the Civil War about? Southerners thought they had the right to own people and use them as workhorses. Oh, that is something to be proud of. I want someone to explain to me exactly what Southern pride is, and why it has nothing to do with racism because I don't buy it. So you like country music, ride horses, and have a Texas drawl? Okay, but why must you revive a symbol that should have died a long time ago?

Oh, and by the way, the South probably isn't gonna rise again...Someone told me that the other day, and I wondered what that meant. I hear it all the time, and I know where it comes from, but really, the only literal meaning that I can take from that is that Southerners want to own slaves again. That's really the only thing that they lost in the Civil War and haven't gotten back...
Ignorant, inbred rednecks...

5.) Sarah Palin...In General

Okay, she's pretty. She's a hockey mom, with 75 children, that can see Russia from her house. Good for her. She is also barely literate and completely incompetent. You people are afraid of Obama? Imagine life with Sarah Palin in the White House. Imagine Dick Cheney, only not as smart, and continually winking at you as she screws you over. If anything were to happen, and McCain was unable to lead, this woman would be our PRESIDENT. I don't think that people realize that. Most people think that the VP is unimportant...until they have to step up and lead. Sarah Palin's looks or parental status do not qualify her to be the leader of the free world.
We can't take another four years of this...we would have the same president with a different accent.

Ok, I'm done and I feel much better, until I have to watch Fox "news" at the gym, or read an editorial that pisses me off. In that case, as Sarah Palin would say with a wink, I'll get back to ya!