Wake Up

I had this whole rant thought out about how the religious right are using our sheep politicians to further their goals to subjugate women through restriction of medical treatments (i.e. birth control, abortion, etc.) and the flaunting of patriarchal misogynistic practices by denying women a voice in physical and sexual assault situations.

But, I am seriously burnt out on this whole Kavanaugh thing.  I so want the GOP to move on to a better candidate, but I'm terrified that this rich, Roe v. Wade-hating, beer-swilling entitled fraternity douche-bag is going to get his vote and be 100 times more politically charged than Gorsuch whilst attempting to legislate us back into the dark ages.

And while he believes himself to be a child of Jesus, and a righteous Catholic, I think, even the Pope would have issue on this man's past actions, legal decisions, core beliefs and severe lack of a dedication to his fellow man, except for Judge and Squee.  Frankly, the Pope would make a far better justice.

But that all being said, I have found myself turning to my music for both confirmation of my feelings and fears as well as a refuge so as to tune the world out.

For fears, I think it's easy.  I've recently re-found Rage Against the Machine (as I've mentioned before) and the lyrics to "Wake Up" are so adaptable to today.  Admittedly, I'm cherry picking them for my argument, but the song references:

Fist in the air in the land of hypocrisy;
Still knee deep in the system's shit;
Departments of police, (what!) the judges (what!), the feds;
Networks at work, keeping people calm

It speaks, literally to the assassination of Martin Luther King, a Federal cover-up because he returned the power to the people.  I think a lot of it resonates with me because the problem never went away...certainly it never left the black communities, and now there are echoes of similar themes with white nationalist politicians, namely Trump and the Republican right.  As an avid student of music from the 60s, these themes are hardly new, but due to the grandstanding and extreme political actions by those who would put business before the needs of the people, a new protest, using old themes, is in order.

What's more, it's so hard to believe that informed citizens voted "these people" in.  There are so many extremes I see on the right, from fraternizing with a new Nazi regime, to claims of being devout without following a word of the bible when it comes to treating others as you would treat yourself.  Granted, the Democrats are hardly innocent.  I believe Menendez dodged a political bullet based on procedure and lack of evidence.  I think he's guilty.  I think he's not the only one who swings his political might in this manner, and that both sides of the aisle are guilty, but he got caught.  I'm not happy that I have to vote for him, but the alternative is another right-wing religious zealot, with views similar to Trump's, that would be deciding Federal law in my name.  No way.

November is coming.  Historically, Americans are horrific at getting to the polls.  I hope you're not.  Something has to change.  And, I don't believe that a xenophobic, nation-first, blinders version of United States policy is good for our own citizenry or that of the world.  Which movie will you feel better coming out of: the one where the underdog, with nothing, is able to finally make his/her life better against all odds...or the one where the oppression of the people rewards only the task masters at the top pulling all the strings to keep them fat while the rest of the world burns around them?  We have one month to talk to people about our right to choose who leads this nation.  It's time to wake up.