There are quite a few primaries around the country today. You can talk about them if you want to. Does anybody else hate the set on Rachel Maddow’s new show?
About The Author
BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
Yes I do, and what are you doing looking at it?!? I thought it makes you an idiot!
it does.
Meh. It kind of looks like a comic book.
I was going to vote. But then I looked at the sample ballot and it seemed like there was only one race that was contested on the Democratic side, and it was for City Clerk. It’s a much coveted office, with four candidates, but I really didn’t care.
What truly surprised me was this: Not only were there no contested races on the Republican ballot — there weren’t even any uncontested ones. No Republicans are running for anything in my district. It’s a Democratic area of Milwaukee, but still, you’d expect the Republicans would put up a candidate or two just for show. This is embarrassing. I actually toyed with the idea of voting Republican (Wisconsin has open primaries) and writing myself in for state assembly or something, but thought better of it.
It’s not the set, it’s the format. It lacks edge and seems like a less organized continuation of Countdown.
Don’t get me wrong, I love her, and it’s watchable, but I’m skeptical it will last if it doesn’t do something new.
That was my only concern–she got her own show so quickly–no time to really plan and get ducks in a row. It’s not quite there, but I heart Rachel so much until I’m willing to wait for them to get the kinks out.
Problem is, I don’t know if other people are willing to wait it out.
Maybe this should be a diary, I dunno. There’s not much to say, for the story is short.
I was talking to Mom today, and she was telling me about the conversation she was having with some people about the changes they’ve seen since they were kids, how bad segregation was, etc.
I told her that people in this country don’t realize how bad things are until it happens to them or until they witness things themselves. I then told her the story of Mr. AP and a white conservative friend who were pulled over by the cops and illegally searched before they were let go, and how his friend was just furious about it. How it was illegal. They couldn’t do that to them. It was unfair!
Then Mom hits me with this story. My Dad, who was in the army at the time, had just finished visiting her and he was driving at home at night. Alone. He was wearing his uniform. A cop pulled him over, forced him out of his car, and starts questioning him. You in the military, boy? What are you doing out here, boy?
“Boy” this. “Boy” that. On and on it went. Mom said, “They could have killed you!”
My Dad said, “I know.” But he was let go.
What’s so bad about this story? My Dad just told my Mom about the incident THIS YEAR. He has swallowed that story for the better part of 40 years.
When I had my first incident of racist cops–a much milder version since it was directed at my date, who that rat treated as a criminal, but at least wasn’t bold enough to order him out the car or call him the N word (progress?!)–I called my Dad the next day, in tears. (Yeah, I’m a real Daddy’s girl, even now.) He made me feel better, but I wonder if I made him feel worse.
So what’s my point? I don’t have one, really. Only that life is so precious and that people can be so fucked up. Sometimes, I feel the fear of Barack Obama stems from the knowledge that some folks have A WHOLE LOT to answer for, and they know it.
But hey. I have my Daddy. But he was literally staring at his death. He could have been “disappeared” that night, and no one would have given a damn but his family and my Mom. And I don’t quite know how to process that; how some asshole cop had the power of life and death over him, and how people can have the temerity to think folks should just “get over” these things, pretend it didn’t happen and let bygones be bygones.
OK, that’s all I can write about this. Thanks for letting me share.
During the West Virginia primary white people actually said, on video, that very same thing. They were afraid that there would be retribution for past sins if a black man got to be president. That is unspeakably sad to me.
♥
We can only bottle grief and shame and anger for so long… then we need to share. {hug}
I get outraged when I hear how Ms Palin is taking the lipstick-on-a-pig line and saying that since she is the only one wearing lipstick, they must be calling her a pig… ooooh, how sexist and mean and unfair.
Bullshit.
At least a third of the women in America have been assaulted sexually, and all of have have suffered financially. Real victims. We aren’t persuaded by a lip-sticking waving liar that the predator is the prey. The media might, but we won’t. My kid sister was murdered for being female, and I’m supposed to feel sorry for the lipstick-wearing Ms Palin? Not. Gonna. Buy. It.
Man, I don’t know what to say. When I read things like this I really tend to despair greatly. So many things about this country are so paradoxical. I shouldn’t let things like this eat at me so much, but they do. In my world I sometimes feel like I’m on an island. But people like you make me realize there is a community out there who find this condition in our country as unacceptable as I do.
That gives me a reason to hope.
Thank you. And thank your father for me, too.
Thank you. I kinda feel like I brought everybody down (sorry!) but I’m just trying to work out how I feel about that. Strange that I’d post this on a blog, but I’d rather hash out my feelings about it then see my Dad and start blubbering. :<) That would make him feel worse!
I love my Dad and my respect and admiration of him only increased yesterday–and I didn’t even think I could love, respect and admire him more. Actually, I feel that way about both of my parents. More and more, it seems like a miracle that they’re here at all and as I get older, I only stand in greater awe. (And here I thought you were supposed to get over that after you turn two.)
I’d only ask that you not despair. There are some really good people, too–even back then. It’s just that those voices get drowned out by the assholes.
My parents were very open about the Birmingham of their youth. But that story–oh my God. It chilled me to the bone. And actually, my Dad locked this away for about 47 years, which in some ways, is worse. I don’t even know if my parents had gotten married yet, and I wouldn’t be born until several years later. (I’m in my 30s)
That’s why these patriotism questions make me so angry. There are many Black men who wore the uniform and were harassed and lynched. No one questioned the patriotism of the harassers and murderers…not even now.
Anyway, I am just that much more determined to kick ass. Because one positive step in the right direction–no matter how many more we may need on the journey to improve this country–is the best revenge.