Shock and Awe
2004-10-14, 11:48 a.m.

This is my fifth election I'll be voting in (Bush '88--come on, he was running against Dukakis, Clinton '92, Clinton '96, Gore '00) but for the first time in my life, I have become OBSESSED with politics. Previously, I had been willfully ignorant, thinking that nothing was going to change anyway. Not that that's untrue now, but I guess I'm just more afraid now than I ever was in the past, maybe because it's post-9/11? I dunno. Mostly, I've thought politics were a bore, and that all politicians are liars. Which, again, is true. But lately, I've moved from apathetic to somewhat interested to concerned, and I don't really know how that's happened.

Following, another email, sorry, that conveys just how insane I'm getting in my quest to get Bush out of office. Don't hate me because I'm beautiful..

----- Original Message -----
From: Jones
To: Pop
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2004 10:02 AM
Subject: So?

Hola Papa!

You ready to concede? Seriously, Pop, how can you really be thinking of voting for Bush?

You said that it's because you think Republican is the better political philosophy--staying out of our lives, lowering taxes, not contributing to special interests, etc. etc. (You said yourself that you are probably more of a libertine a la Starve the Beast (www.starvethebeast.com) ) While I agree with you about LESS government, Bush has created MORE bureaucracy--federalization of US airport security and creating MORE layers to the intelligence under Homeland Security are just some examples. I know you think these are about security and yes, that's crucially important, but there is an added bureaucracy within those necessary bureaucracies. I'll give you more examples if you want and specific articles if you think I'm making this up.

As for the staying out of people's lives and not telling them how to live it, Bush is just that: he's anti-choice and anti-gay marriages (not to mention the whole Patriot Act, which I disagree with, but I'll concede because you think it makes the US a safer place). Whether you agree with Bush or not on those issues, making AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION to forbid gay marriages (I thought the constitution was about rights we were afforded, not rights we are forbidden) and to overturn Roe vs. Wade? Yes, he may not have that power himself, as we discussed yesterday, but he does have the power to nominate Supreme Court justices over the next four years that will decide these issues. (By the way, Kerry does not support gay marriages either, but thinks that gay couples should be afforded civil liberties like the passage of property and health coverage.) I dunno. I believe the President is a man of faith, and I actually respect him for that, but do we think that religion should play such a huge part in politics? I'm not talking about taking "Under God" out of the Pledge of Allegiance, (that's just the opposite extreme), but should we really be constitutionalizing articles of FAITH? So if we ever have a Muslim president (bahahahahaha) he can make amendments about his faith? Think about it. If that's not some ways of telling us how to live our lives, then what?

You also said you're not voting for Kerry because he voted so many times to raise taxes, like 98 times or something in his 19 year career. But an analysis by www.FactCheck.org (totally non-partisan) found that 43 of the votes cited by the president involved budget measures that merely set targets for taxes without actually legislating changes to the tax code. The list also counted multiple votes on the same bills, including 16 votes on the 1993 Clinton package of tax increases and spending cuts. I got that from Fox News in case you're wondering if that is a fair and balanced opinion of mine. Heee. And also, unless you're making over $200,000 (can you get me a job?), then Bush, not Kerry, is screwing YOU.

We both know ALL politicans are liars, Papa, but if specific issues are preventing you from voting for Kerry and leaning you in favor of Bush, just make sure you have the FACTS on them, not the bullshit that both these guys spew. I'm not saying that Kerry is the Greatest Man Ever to Have Lived on the Face of the Earth. But he IS better than Bush, on so many things, not to mention that he can speak English. No seriously, you want a president that is a dullard representing you to other countries? Really?

I'm on top of you about this because YOUR vote matters so much more than mine. North Carolina is going to vote for Bush, so be it. But you have the power in Florida with your vote (and Mommy's vote because you guys think similarly) to make some serious decisions about this world right now. This is the first election in my five elections that I've actually even tried to be informed. And the reason I've become such a maniac is because I'm SCARED. Really. Like, homegad, is this Armageddon or somesing? War on Iraq! $75 trillion in debt! No flu vaccine! The Sudan! Avian Flu! My brain smells like burning. I'm not asking you to believe that Kerry will even make things better, but Bush certainly hasn't. Yeah, we haven't been attacked, but I consider that lucky right now. I'm sure you read the Times article about all the immigrants coming over the border from Mexico daily? Just another thing to keep me up at night.

Remember how I yell at you and Mommy that you didn't MAKE me learn the piano and didn't MAKE me take college classes in 7th grade after my SAT scores, despite me not wanting to? Well, I just don't want you, ten years from now when you're not getting a Social Security check and living in my basement, to yell at me, saying, "Why didn't you MAKE me vote for Kerry?"

I'm Michele Jones, your loving daughter, and I've approved this message.

Your turn. Take your time.

I love you sososo much, Papa. Even if you are out of your right mind.
Talk to you soon.
xoxoxo
M