Republican Insurgency
Someone, please tell me we are in the last throes of this Republican Insurgency! I'm getting so damn tired of being misrepresented by this group of zealots! Let me straighten out a few things about me and mine. Then I'll issue a few directives so that you can help me stop this damn thing before we start trying to punish Gallileo posthumously!
The Republican Machine (note I do not imply all Republicans because I do believe there are sensible centrists in their midst) would have you believe the following about me. Yes, me personally, as I am a typical, North Eastern Blue Stater who lives in an urban area. I'm a Red State Bogeyman! Boo! (Did I scare you?)
MISCONCEPTION #1. I drink lattes because I am rich (HA!) and extravagent and give no thought to throwing away my money on frivolities. My expensive tastes prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that I think I am better than you.
TRUTH: I drink lattes and cappucinos because they are so tasty. If you think my little addiction is a whimsical one, you are wrong. The $3 plus that I spend for a coffee pains me greatly, but since my day is so jam packed it is often the only break I get all day. If I have to shell out a little money every day (or every other day) for the priveledge of a little time and treat for myself, I'm going to do it. It certainly does not make me any better than anyone else. I know plenty of Red Staters who have a hell of a lot more money than me, who have travelled more than me, and who have had better educations than me. (I- see what I mean? My grammar sucks!)
MISCONCEPTION #2: I do not do anything for myself because I have blue blood and have grown up with a silver spoon in my mouth. I'm a rebellious and ungrateful brat who delights in torturing good, stout, hardy, relgious Americans by supporting art that offends the basic American sensibility (Piss Christ, Mapplethorpes famous bullwhip picture...) and I have never done an honest day's work in my life. I smoke pot, have multiple sex partners, and don't give a damn about anyone in the flyover states.
TRUTH: My parents were well off by the time I was born, but they weren't always that way. You can't get any more salt of the earth than my mother who grew up in a farming family and used an outhouse (IN MINNESOTA- BRRR!) during her formative years. I know how to do basic home repairs, I can make my own clothes, I enjoy cooking- and not just stuffy French cooking, but serious down home fare! I am raising my own kid (no nannies, governesses, nurses, or activity directors in the O'Connor household- those jobs are all held by me) and I am BROKE BROKE BROKE! I have spent my entire adult life trying to eek out a living in a competitive and laregely low-paying field that is forsaking true creativity for plots pre-packaged like polyester kids Halloween costumes at Wal-Mart. I have scrubbed toilets, waited tables, tended bar, taught preschool, and been a nanny myself. I am an artist, but that does not mean I LIKE everything that comes out of the art world. However, I do support the artist's right to make the art they want to make, even if it is not to my particular taste. Actually, I find the "shock" art obnoxious and infantile becuase it does nothing but create a larger rift instead of actually delivering a compelling message in language that might actually change someone's perception. I don't like preaching to the choir. But I support their right to do it, because if I don't, my right will be taken away. I don't smoke pot (but I won't say that I've never tried it) and my sex life is no one's business. But, if you look at my dance card you'll see it has had only one name on it for the past twelve years. As for the flyovers, I'm from a flyover. I am dedicated to creating work that once again takes the focus off the New York/ LA mentality and focuses on stories that take place in the America I grew up in.
MISCONCEPTION #3: As an artist I am a bleeding heart liberal who does not understand how the real world works. I do not know the dangers that lurk out in the big scary world. I am blind to the threats of terrorism. I live in happy slappy la la land and therefore my opinion has no value.
TRUTH: I live in New York, fucker! This one makes me angry. Every single day these thoughts cross my mind: Will I get stuck in the subway tunnel today? Is my son safe at school? Can I get to him if something happens? How will I get in touch with my husband if things fall apart? I don't think we'll ever get another pet because if we need to flee the city and they won't let us take a pet it would break my heart and I might be tempted to stay. I'm not living a cushy life of luxury here where I can afford to be as deluded as they might think I am. I live one ring out from the bullseye, but I am not leaving. I understand there is a threat, but I don't buy the idea of "fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them here". Especially since recent events have shown that Homeland Security is an absolute joke and if they come up with a plan, they'll do it again regardless of what is happening in Iraq.
I recognize that I can probably talk until I am blue in the face but it won't matter because I am a liberal, female, artist residing in New York. I knew Kerry did not have a chance in 2004 when I saw someone holding up a sign on TV reading "ARTISTS FOR KERRY". Nothing could discredit a national campaign more. Sadly, I cannot reach America from where I sit. So YOU have to do it. Yes. YOU.
You need to talk to those around you. You need to reach out and talk to those around you about how the market is failing us! The New Economy is not working! Separation of church and state is vital for our survival as a nation. We need a spokesperson who is not from Massachuesettes, Vermont, Maine, New York or New Hampshire. Someone who can soothe the fears of Red Staters by being one of them. Someone who can convince Americans that the corporatization of American society is NOT in the best interests of the average American. Wal Mart is killing our towns. Corporate farms are driving American farmers off their land and killing the tradition of family farming. The Republican New Economy is actually destroying the life they claim to celebrate and protect! Deregulation and de-unionization is lowering the cost of labor which means that Americans who break their backs to feed their families make less and less every year. To add insult to injury, there is even cheaper labor available overseas and the Republicans want to make it easier for businesses to handle their labor issues exactly as they please without the protections that farmers and other laborers of other generations worked so hard to procure.
The time for a blue collar revolution is NOW. The time for women to stand up for their homes, their livelihood, their wages, and childcare is NOW. The time for working families to demand that No Child Left Behind actually means what it says is NOW. The time for cronyism is over. We need to sensibly fix the mess we have gotten ourselves into, stop being afraid of the fire and brimstone damnation of the Republican machine and call them on their misdeeds! I cannot even begin to list them all. NOW, we must take action. NOW we must fight for ourselves, our national dignity, and for the freedoms we were BORN to. Don't just watch the news and shake your head anymore. GO TALK. TALK LOUD. TALK OFTEN. TALK POLITELY AND SENSIBLY, BUT TALK!
Save my America. We don't have to agree on everything. We don't even have to like each other. That is the joy of being FREE. There is a little envelope icon at the bottom of this post. Send it to someone. Get them to stand up, get them to argue with you and wonder why you sent them such rhetoric. But do it NOW.
The Republican Machine (note I do not imply all Republicans because I do believe there are sensible centrists in their midst) would have you believe the following about me. Yes, me personally, as I am a typical, North Eastern Blue Stater who lives in an urban area. I'm a Red State Bogeyman! Boo! (Did I scare you?)
MISCONCEPTION #1. I drink lattes because I am rich (HA!) and extravagent and give no thought to throwing away my money on frivolities. My expensive tastes prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that I think I am better than you.
TRUTH: I drink lattes and cappucinos because they are so tasty. If you think my little addiction is a whimsical one, you are wrong. The $3 plus that I spend for a coffee pains me greatly, but since my day is so jam packed it is often the only break I get all day. If I have to shell out a little money every day (or every other day) for the priveledge of a little time and treat for myself, I'm going to do it. It certainly does not make me any better than anyone else. I know plenty of Red Staters who have a hell of a lot more money than me, who have travelled more than me, and who have had better educations than me. (I- see what I mean? My grammar sucks!)
MISCONCEPTION #2: I do not do anything for myself because I have blue blood and have grown up with a silver spoon in my mouth. I'm a rebellious and ungrateful brat who delights in torturing good, stout, hardy, relgious Americans by supporting art that offends the basic American sensibility (Piss Christ, Mapplethorpes famous bullwhip picture...) and I have never done an honest day's work in my life. I smoke pot, have multiple sex partners, and don't give a damn about anyone in the flyover states.
TRUTH: My parents were well off by the time I was born, but they weren't always that way. You can't get any more salt of the earth than my mother who grew up in a farming family and used an outhouse (IN MINNESOTA- BRRR!) during her formative years. I know how to do basic home repairs, I can make my own clothes, I enjoy cooking- and not just stuffy French cooking, but serious down home fare! I am raising my own kid (no nannies, governesses, nurses, or activity directors in the O'Connor household- those jobs are all held by me) and I am BROKE BROKE BROKE! I have spent my entire adult life trying to eek out a living in a competitive and laregely low-paying field that is forsaking true creativity for plots pre-packaged like polyester kids Halloween costumes at Wal-Mart. I have scrubbed toilets, waited tables, tended bar, taught preschool, and been a nanny myself. I am an artist, but that does not mean I LIKE everything that comes out of the art world. However, I do support the artist's right to make the art they want to make, even if it is not to my particular taste. Actually, I find the "shock" art obnoxious and infantile becuase it does nothing but create a larger rift instead of actually delivering a compelling message in language that might actually change someone's perception. I don't like preaching to the choir. But I support their right to do it, because if I don't, my right will be taken away. I don't smoke pot (but I won't say that I've never tried it) and my sex life is no one's business. But, if you look at my dance card you'll see it has had only one name on it for the past twelve years. As for the flyovers, I'm from a flyover. I am dedicated to creating work that once again takes the focus off the New York/ LA mentality and focuses on stories that take place in the America I grew up in.
MISCONCEPTION #3: As an artist I am a bleeding heart liberal who does not understand how the real world works. I do not know the dangers that lurk out in the big scary world. I am blind to the threats of terrorism. I live in happy slappy la la land and therefore my opinion has no value.
TRUTH: I live in New York, fucker! This one makes me angry. Every single day these thoughts cross my mind: Will I get stuck in the subway tunnel today? Is my son safe at school? Can I get to him if something happens? How will I get in touch with my husband if things fall apart? I don't think we'll ever get another pet because if we need to flee the city and they won't let us take a pet it would break my heart and I might be tempted to stay. I'm not living a cushy life of luxury here where I can afford to be as deluded as they might think I am. I live one ring out from the bullseye, but I am not leaving. I understand there is a threat, but I don't buy the idea of "fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them here". Especially since recent events have shown that Homeland Security is an absolute joke and if they come up with a plan, they'll do it again regardless of what is happening in Iraq.
I recognize that I can probably talk until I am blue in the face but it won't matter because I am a liberal, female, artist residing in New York. I knew Kerry did not have a chance in 2004 when I saw someone holding up a sign on TV reading "ARTISTS FOR KERRY". Nothing could discredit a national campaign more. Sadly, I cannot reach America from where I sit. So YOU have to do it. Yes. YOU.
You need to talk to those around you. You need to reach out and talk to those around you about how the market is failing us! The New Economy is not working! Separation of church and state is vital for our survival as a nation. We need a spokesperson who is not from Massachuesettes, Vermont, Maine, New York or New Hampshire. Someone who can soothe the fears of Red Staters by being one of them. Someone who can convince Americans that the corporatization of American society is NOT in the best interests of the average American. Wal Mart is killing our towns. Corporate farms are driving American farmers off their land and killing the tradition of family farming. The Republican New Economy is actually destroying the life they claim to celebrate and protect! Deregulation and de-unionization is lowering the cost of labor which means that Americans who break their backs to feed their families make less and less every year. To add insult to injury, there is even cheaper labor available overseas and the Republicans want to make it easier for businesses to handle their labor issues exactly as they please without the protections that farmers and other laborers of other generations worked so hard to procure.
The time for a blue collar revolution is NOW. The time for women to stand up for their homes, their livelihood, their wages, and childcare is NOW. The time for working families to demand that No Child Left Behind actually means what it says is NOW. The time for cronyism is over. We need to sensibly fix the mess we have gotten ourselves into, stop being afraid of the fire and brimstone damnation of the Republican machine and call them on their misdeeds! I cannot even begin to list them all. NOW, we must take action. NOW we must fight for ourselves, our national dignity, and for the freedoms we were BORN to. Don't just watch the news and shake your head anymore. GO TALK. TALK LOUD. TALK OFTEN. TALK POLITELY AND SENSIBLY, BUT TALK!
Save my America. We don't have to agree on everything. We don't even have to like each other. That is the joy of being FREE. There is a little envelope icon at the bottom of this post. Send it to someone. Get them to stand up, get them to argue with you and wonder why you sent them such rhetoric. But do it NOW.
posted by Bree O'Connor at 1:14 PM
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