When Cindy and I were out out on our walk yesterday, a man rode by on his bike. He was adorned with buttons – the kind that say things, for example “Viva Bush”, or “Don’t blame me I voted for Kerry” (would that even fit on a button?). I think he also wore a silly hat, too. However all of this was overshadowed by what he said when he rode by us:
Freaking awesome.
I took this on my walk today around campus. There are hundreds of roses planted on campus, I think they are all different varieties. This time of year it’s hard to find one that has a bloom on it.
Council finalizes library closures – Local News – thecalifornian.com
After emotional pleas from Salinas schoolchildren not to close the city’s public libraries, the City Council on Tuesday finalized its decision to do just that.
This disturbs me, and not just because I am a librarian. In fact, the more I think about it the more disturbed I get. The institution of the public libary is important in our society. Hugely important. Especially in places like Salinas where literacy and esl programs are utilized. Is this where our society is going? We are forced to permanantly close our public libraries? I have this weird feeling inside me that the closing of our public libraries begins the downfall of our civilation. I know that sounds dramatic, and I suppose it is. But there ought to be a public outcry when hospitals and libraries close down. Hel-lo? Is anybody there? Does anybody care? The complacency of our society is really starting to freak me out!
Here is a snip from something the Moore quoted that I think is totally right-on:
Watch Dan Rather apologize for not getting his facts straight, humiliated before the eyes of America, voluntarily undermining his credibility and career of over thirty years. Observe Donna Brazille squirm as she is ridiculed by Bay Buchanan, and pronounced irrelevant and nearly non-existent. Listen as Donna and Nancy Pelosi and Senator Charles Schumer take to the airwaves saying that they have to go back to the drawing board and learn from their mistakes and try to be better, more likable, more appealing, have a stronger message, speak to morality. Watch them awkwardly quote the bible, trying to speak the ‘new’ language of America. Surf the blogs, and read the comments of dismayed, discombobulated, confused individuals trying to figure out what they did wrong. Hear the cacophony of voices, crying out, “Why did they beat me?”
And then ask anyone who has ever worked in a domestic violence shelter if they have heard this before.
They will tell you: Every single day.
The answer is quite simple. They beat us because they are abusers. We can call it hate. We can call it fear. We can say it is unfair. But we are looped into the cycle of violence, and we need to start calling the dominating side what they are: abusive. And we need to recognize that we are the victims of verbal, mental, and even, in the case of Iraq, physical violence.
As victims we can’t stop asking ourselves what we did wrong. We can’t seem to grasp that they will keep hitting us and beating us as long as we keep sticking around and asking ourselves what we are doing to deserve the beating.
From my own personal experience with neo-conservatives, I find this assessment boiled down very well. These people are abusers.
I realized months ago that you walk away. You can’t reason with these people. They don’t care about you. They don’t care about what you think . They don’t respect your beliefs. They will walk all over you, harrass you every chance they can. They will not reason with you. So you walk away, and become a force to be reckoned with.
Read all about it here.
