10:54 AM Politics that make me angry

I don't like to include politics on this blog.  I usually reserve that for my Facebook or my personal journal.  But I heard something disturbing on the Diane Rehm show this morning that made me a little sick and as I was posting to Facebook, my thoughts just ran too long, so I'm posting it here.  I do not intend on making this blog political.  I just can't Not say something about it.

Diane Rehm quoted portions of  this statement by David Frum this morning.  I hope you will all read it.  It is not very long.  I have never followed Frum's career, so I don't know if he is speaking truthfully, or if he's looking to lay unwarranted blame, but his statement makes me Very angry.  I don't care what party you belong to, when you are making decisions about MY LIFE (as healthcare is about my life) You'd Better Be Voting With Your Consciense and NOT a Talking Head!  If this statement has any truth to it, those who voted because of "the marbles" need to be made to answer to  every person in America who would have lost healthcare this year due to pre-existing conditions, or lifetime limits, or whatever the Insurance companies would have come up with next if the bill hadn't been passed.  I can't fault a person voting with their conscience.  If a person truly believed that the healthcare bill is horrible and they couldn't vote for it, then that's how they have to vote, and I have to respect that.  But let's be clear, Talk Radio is not the lawmaking representative of Any Single American.  The body of elected officials are.  If an elected official can allow Talk Radio to bully them, then they do not deserve to represent America.  Or at least that's not the kind of Democracy I want to be a part of.  I want my elected officials to listen to what I have to say, not some entertainer, and let's be clear, Talk Radio hosts are in fact entertainers.  There are very few "just the facts" radio hosts left anymore.

What's really sad is that Fromm lost his job today because of his statement.  Seems his conservative employer doesn't like it when he steps outside the ranks to share his opinion.  I thought it was the Democratic party who was supposed to be slaying people for dissent.  News flash:  It's all over, people.  It doesn't matter what party you belong to, politics is so polarized everyone is behaving badly.  And since we've not been keeping each other in check, we've allowed the pot to simmer over into real violence.  What the hell are these people thinking sending death threats to Congress?  When these people are caught, they should be tried as terrorists.  Because that is exactly what they are.

We've been fighting terrorism across the world and have increased security to keep it from coming here to destroy us, but we've neglected to notice that we're raising up our very own terrorists right her on our own soil.  Freedom of Speech and Freedom to Demonstrate are wonderful things that come along with living in this great country.  But violent and threatening acts are not part and parcel of either of those rights.  Violent and threatening acts are punishable by law.  I hope these terrorists are caught soon and are treated as an example.  This kind of behavior is not acceptable.  In this country, we have means to work our our differences.  We do not lower ourselves to civil war.  On Facebook recently Pugs of the radio show Pugs and Company said, "The right really needs to control their fringe elements..."  I agree, except I'd extend that to say that we all really need to control our fringe elements.  The way I see it, we all have our crazy extremists who could blow up at any time.  Just because the liberal fringe element is not active right now does not mean they have hung up their hats.  

Now that the healthcare debate is over and the bill is signed, I urge all of America to stop reacting, start thinking logically,  and try working together.  We have a lot of things we need to work on in order to come out of this economy ok.  I hear the Mortgage and Immigration issues are next on the table.  None of us will serve the country well if we take an entire year to disagree on either of those issues only to just vote party lines because we feel like voting party lines.  There is real work to do, let's please be diplomatic.

11:25 PM Hello Spring Showers!

A funny thing happens when people are caught inside a grocery store as the bottom falls out of the sky.  Some people hover around the doorway thinking, "this is Texas, it'll slow in a minute or two."  Others will make the mad dash to their cars, scurrying like mice caught in the kitchen when the light comes on.  And then there's the folks who came prepared.  They saunter out of the store with their jackets and umbrellas... and all the time in the world.

I happened to be one of the ones unprepared.  The rain bega almost exactly as I was checking out at the register.  The moment I heard the downpour a little voice inside my head said, "oh Fuck!"  I couldn't even remember which aisle I parked on!  So I sat outside the door under the awning with a few others who couldn't make up their minds whether to wait or make the dash-and one lady whose lovely husband went to get the car for her.  Eventually, I decided I couldn't wait any longer.

It's been a while since I've been caught in a cold Spring rain without at least a rain jacket.  This time I was also in sandals.  I ran as hard as I could with my little cart and I still ended up soaked.  I even slipped out of my sandals a couple of times on the way.  Soaked and dishevelled the groceries were placed in the car.  And then I sat myself in my seat and watched the others making the same decision I did. 

One by one they flew by trying to reach their vehicles.  Each with their own style.  There were those making the frantic dash the same as I did, zig-zagging through puddles with their eyes only on the prize-shelter.  There were also those who had resigned themselves to being soaked, so what was the hurry?  But my favorite of the evening was the balding older man who had wrapped a plastic grocery bag around his head.  He was one of the ones taking his time.  Because as long as his head wasn't getting wet, the world was going to be ok.

You wanna know what the really funny thing is?  I had Both a rain jacket and a giant umbrella in my car.  I just got cocky about what the clouds would do.  Lesson learned.  In a state famous for the statement, "if you don't like the weather, just wait a few minutes," meteorological arrogance will get you kicked in the ass.  Thanks, Texas.  I'll likely not forget that for a long while.