Wednesday, October 04, 2006

A Ray of Hope

I was in Sitka for a training on alcoholism last week, totally cut off from computers. I flew out of Juneau on Sunday and returned Thursday night. The training was eight hours a day, with homework. I read no newspapers, watched no news shows, and since the hotel didn't get Comedy Central, didn't even have the news to be gleaned from The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.

Got up Friday morning and read the paper. My Gawd! I leave town for a few days, and the world falls apart! School killings (and one since I returned), Congress passed a bill making torture something the president can authorize, Mark Foley has been preying on Congressional pages and the GOP leadership has covered it up for five years, the Religious Right has pulled off the gloves and admitted that they want to outlaw contraception, the deficit isn't as bad as it was predicted to be due to the fact that the government is using less than honest accounting methods, Republican candidate (Illinois) Peter Roskam accused his Democratic opponent Tammy Duckworth, who lost her legs in Iraq, of wanting to "cut and run" . . . The list is seemingly endless. It is a list calculated to make almost anyone cringe.

And then, on Saturday, I went to breakfast with The Saturday Morning Breakfast Club. We have four members at the moment: three progressives, one died-in-the-wool Republican who supported George W. Bush in all he said and did. Since we long ago decided that our friendship was worth maintaining, we just don't talk about politics. But this week, the Republican brought it up. Stated that she was changing parties because she can no longer vote for the GOP. Expressed her disgust with the way "Bush has betrayed the American people" listed the WMD that weren't there, the connection of Hussein to 9/11 that was a lie, the outing of Valerie Plame and on and on and on.

So, I say, if my friend can see these things so clearly, there is hope that others are seeing these things so clearly. I left the table on Saturday with a great weight lifted off my shoulders.

13 comments:

J said...

Oh, God, I sure hope so. I've had my hopes lifted before, but maybe now it's been going on long enough to make people REALLY pay attention.

Anvilcloud said...

We can all hope.

Betty said...

Maybe you'd better just stay at home for a while. lol. There's still time for an 'October Surprise'. I can't imagine what could possibly save the Republicans at this point, unless, of course we invade Iran or nuke North Korea. But, I'm pretty sure they'll find something sleazy or some dirty trick to pull. Maybe nobody will be taken in, this time.

kenju said...

I love it that she said that! It gives me hope for the future (now if the Dems would just find a really good, viable candidate!!)

Maya's Granny said...

We can hope that people will recognize an October surprise for what it is. The big worry is the Dems. Can they figure out that we don't want GOP-lite? That they need to stand up to the GOP if they want us to believe they can stand up to terrorists? That the folks in D.C. are not in touch with the rest of the world?

goldenlucyd said...

I've been offline for what seems like eons. I just finished catching up on posts I'd missed here. What a treasure. I can't even come up with a favorite---they were all so wonderful...though I laughed and laughed at Thor! The kids have a great dane/st bernard cross that sounds an awful lot like him!
Typing is tough for me right now so I'll just say "Well done as usual" and look forward to your next post.

Anonymous said...

Hope is the light at the end of the dark tunnel. Here is hoping we can all try to sort out truth and not be compomised by wishful thinking or delusion of others. Stand up for what is right and have out representative learn to do the same.

gawilli said...

It was a very eventful couple of days. There are a few of my friends who find themselves in the same boat as your friend. It is hard not to chide them for leaving us with this awful mess to clean up. I am hopeful also, but I can't help but be bitter for the lives lost. What in the world were they thinking?

Gina said...

My husband is a registered Republican, although even before the Prez and Co. were elected, he said that they were all evil. He likes to make me angry and play devil's advocate with me, but I know he detests this administration, who in all honesty, does not really represent the historical values of the Repub party. Doesn't mean I like 'em any better, though.

Maya's Granny said...

Gina,
You are very right -- the current branch of the GOP that is in power does not represent the historical values of the party at all.

Susan B said...

My dad, who's a dyed-in-the-wool, old-school Republican (voted for both Goldwater and Nixon), is disgusted with what his party has turned into. Hopefully there are many, many more like him.

Anonymous said...

As The Right Wing Machine starts break down, the right wingers in power are going to drive that thing until it falls apart -- which, hopefully, won't be long!

Rain Trueax said...

Wow, you uplifted my spirit too :)