I really need to stay away from the news. My older brother recently decided he was going to stay oblivious, because it doesn't matter anyway. I wish I could have his conviction. I'm serious. I wish I could just go from 0 to not care in 60.
I wish I could just step back and instead of reading anything and everything I can get my hands on about health care reform or clean energy, I pick up that People magazine to find out which celeb is boinking who. What's the latest on the Twilight crew? Will RPatz and Kirstin Stewart get back together? Oh, they are back together. Oh wait...no they aren't. (Okay, I wish that's all I cared about)
Because you see, my blood really gets to boiling when I read the news. Since I posted yesterday about Glenn Beck's ridiculous comment and I also posted James Rucker's (of colorofchange.org) piece on the very subject on my facebook, I have managed to grab my dad's attention. My dad, who supported Bush for 8 long years. My dad, a recovering hippie, who loves to call me a communist and tell me I want the government to pay for my house. You see, my dad just loves that right wing political propaganda. I still love him. I still respect him. And I'd never call him a Fascist. To his face, anyway. After my dad commented to me, in which he talked to me as a child who still believes in the boogeyman, a friend of mine decided she was gonna talk about how much she liked my dad. Because my article was about racism. And my dad wanted to tell me how someday I'll see what this government is doing and how he "implores" me to turn him into the White House. Whatever that means.
It drives me bonkers that instead of actually reading the piece, people chose to just jump straight to that right wing nutjobbery that is our current political climate.
And so I say unto you, again. I wish I had my older brother's conviction. His "I'm tired of caring, so I'm just not gonna" attitude would do me a lot of good. Because I understand why he's saying it. Even if he's not saying it about politics or health care or clean energy. Even if he's not talking about Glenn Beck's deciding that the only way sea turtles or otters matter is if they carry guns.
I want to stop caring and stop talking about why we need health care reform and why America needs to lead the world in clean energy. I want to stop being informed. I'm accused of not being informed anyway. So I should just nod and smile and quit fighting the fight. But then they win. And do I have the heart to just let that happen?
My head hurts a lot these days. And I really hate people.
I wish I cared as much as you do. I mean, I do care. But I am admittedly so wrapped up in what's going on in my life, and we don't have TV, and I never think to go to news websites to catch up on what's going on in the world.
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that you care and that you actively try to spread the word about what's important. I'd like to be more like that.
That's interesting, my friend because I'd like to be oblivious to everything. This was me a few months ago. I was so exhausted from last year's election, I just took a break.
ReplyDeleteNow, I can't start a conversation that isn't even politically motivated without being attacked.
I'm tired. Health care won't pass because Republicans won't let it. Forget clean energy in this country. I know me giving up the fight is just helping them win. But I'll be honest, they aren't listening to logic and reason anyway, so what is the point? It's like Bill Mahr said: "Smart president ≠ smart country."