RANT WARNING: Did you ever feel so angry

that you just had to shut up 'cause you couldn't say anything coherent?

Yeah. Me too.

I'm sure part of that is my thrifty approach to taking Zoloft... that shit is expensive, man, I'm not taking it every day. But quite a lot of it is spurred on by Recent Events.

Like... U.S. soldiers at Abu Ghraib videotaping the rape of young boys in front of their families, done in an attempt to get them to 'fess up to something.

Or... Paul Cameron, this fuckin' stain who published the most spurious collection of bullshit "statistics" ever trying to prove that gays are subhuman monsters who love nothing more than corrupting children with their nefarious "agenda."

Or, hell... just watch this version of John Lennon's "Imagine" starring GWB. If that doesn't give you a sore heart, I don't know what will.

So I spend my evenings in this poisoned funk, unable to believe how sick and wrong things are in the world, snarling needlessly at my husband and children.

And when I do that, the terrorists win.

So I was watching "The Daily Show" last night, thoroughly enjoying the interview with Jon Meacham, author of American Gospel: God, The Founding Fathers and the Making of a Nation. And it hit me:

This is what THEY want me to do. THEY want me to be so pissed off that I'm just plain ineffectual. THEY want to be able to do whatever they like to this country and the world with impunity, able to point to the opposition as a bunch of shrill, fuzzy-thinking Chicken Littles. And THEY want to turn this country into their own private Christofascist hypercapitalist playground.

Know what? I'm not going to roll over and let 'em.

The U.S. was founded as an admittedly imperfect system by admittedly imperfect men. But the kernel of an idea was there: an idea of equality which has grown and flourished at times, withered and become endangered at others. Yet the ideal of a polyethnic, polyreligious, polyopinionated, and hell, polysexual society still remains... and it's up to people who don't think like THEY do to preserve and nurture that idea.

So sure, I'm still pissed. And I'll probably stay pissed. But I can redirect that energy into positive channels. I can work to build bridges, to start dialogues, to spread the word that not only are THEY betraying us with our evil and self-centered rhetoric, but that WE have ideas to make the world a safer, happier, healthier, more equal, better place for everyone.

Reading List for Liberal Patriots:
American Gospel (see above)
The American Soul: Rediscovering the Wisdom of the Founders
Crashing the Gate

Please let me know what else I should add here...

Now off to beat our local anti-gay bigots with an American flag!

Comments

[Angi]

Molly, I adore your politics. And I, too, am guilty of getting so, so angry I can't see straight about these things but not putting that energy anywhere useful. I'll definitely check out those books.

[Mimi]

Off to read those as well, thank you!

[Jen G]

whew! lots of anger in there, girl! I am with you, though -- tough to understand the why, tough to want to do something about it. Thanks for the good hard think!

[compass]

Wow. You're such a happy person. I'm SO surprised!!

and just because I wanted to make sure you saw it, I came over here

"Hey, maybe you were born without a sex drive. That's cool... I do feel sorry for you, though... but the very notion that sex is not a natural, instinctive, inescapable drive is, well, just about the stupidest fucking thing I've ever heard. They don't even tell you that at fundie-church... the party line these days is that sex is a wonderful, natural Gift as long as it happens in the Marriage Bed with one's Lawfully/Sacramentally Approved Partner."

. . .honey, I waited 2.5 years to have sex with my wife, and it was mind-blowing. Still is, even after 17 years. Sex is indeed wonderful. When enjoyed in full humanity.

Instead as animals, as posited on Pahryngula.

Have a nice day!!!

[RedMolly]

Awww, gee, "compass," thanks for following me over here. Gosh, what would I have done if you had responded to me in the forum (Pharyngula, not "Pahryngula") where this conversation originally started? Somehow overlooked your twittish comments? I don't think so.

And don't call me "honey," you agrammatical monkey-snuffling good-for-nothing troll.

Have a nice day!!!

[anonymous]

American Theocracy
is a new one.

Chomsky---anything

[Terry]

Hi, Molly. I think I included this in the email I sent to your website email link, but "Assassination Vacation" by Sarah Vowell is an extremely enjoyable read about how one liberal dealt with the 2000 "election." Keep up the great work!

[compass]

"Awww, gee, "compass," thanks for following me over here. Gosh, what would I have done if you had responded to me in the forum (Pharyngula, not "Pahryngula")" Spell correction, the last refuge of the argumentative.

See, I was just so EXCITED to comment here that I forgot myeslf.

"where this conversation originally started? Somehow overlooked your twittish comments? I don't think so." Hmm. Interesting that you spend so much time on what you label "contentless."

"And don't call me "honey," you agrammatical monkey-snuffling good-for-nothing troll."

OK, you persnickety, chronically-angry-not-to-mention-self-deceiving-wonderful-dear-of-a-person-you.

[michele]

amen. to you, not to compass. the answer's in the question there.

[Jill S]

You might want to check out Democracy for America's "Night School" (democracyforamerica.com). It's the grass-roots progressive organization that started with Howard Dean's campaign for President. They are all about channelling your emotions into a coherent progressive message that can be shared on a one-on-one basis. With the mid-term elections on the horizon they're really looking to Paul and Peggy Progressive to make the case for an inclusive agenda in this country.

You might also want to check out http://www.ourtenwords.com/. The Governor of Iowas started this site in hopes of coming up with an easy to understand 10 word statement on progressive values.