A Pressing issue

I felt the need to share a podcast that I just listened to to bring up an important discussion around the presidential election coming up next tuesday. So here's the link to the podcast.
This American Life Ground Game

You can also download it via itunes. I realize its hard to sit through an hour radio show, but I highly recommend it. It goes in depth with some volunteers on both sides of the campaign specifically in the supposed battleground state of Pennsylvania.

I have to say, as I was listening to it this morning I became slightly frusterated. One of the main issues with a lot of folks who normally vote democrat, but arent sure this time is race. Its not even a little voice in the back of their mind either. There are a significant number of voters who actually will not vote for Obama because he is black. (along with the other absurd accuasations of terrorism and a muslim background)

It really bothered me to hear how ok it was for people to say that they are openly racist, or at least prejudiced. I come from a surface-level liberal state where most people would never admit to being racist--I say surface level because I see racism every day, it is ingrained in all of us, even Californians--what really bothers me is the sheer momentum that racism is mounting against our canidate.

If anything it reenforces my belief that the election of Obama will take forward in great strides as a country. But it really makes me think--damn--we need to really evaluate the paradigm that we live in. We need to attack racism head on, not just turn our heads and pretend we didnt hear that comment made in the office or the classroom. There needs to be a powerful assault from all people to change the way so many people think in this country.

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Now playing: The Weepies - Stars
via FoxyTunes

Proposition 8 and equal rights

I was just visiting my mother in Danville, and I saw an unfortunate number of signs pushing for a Yes vote on proposition 8. This deeply disturbs me, even more than the McCain Palin signs I saw all over Tahoe this weekend. What gets me the most is the yes on prop 8 sign works a propaganda approach saying that it is protecting our families.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's the downlow:
Proposition 8 was introduced to the ballot for the november 4 election to eliminate the law that says marriage, in California, is legal between a man and man or a woman and woman. This law was established by the CA supreme courts this last winter. And I thought it was long overdue, but now some special interest groups are trying to change it. According to some of their commercial they are saying that teachers (that's me) will brainwash their children to believe that homosexuality is ok. The unfortunate addendum that they are missing is that they will be the ones who have brainwashed their own children to believe that love can only occur between a man and woman.

There was an interesting letter to the editor in Saturday's SF Chronicle that was from a mother explaining what a difficult thing it would be to tell her daughter that not all people are allowed to love each other, only men and women.

I believe this to be a civil rights issue that should not be ignored, if you live in California and you vote for prop 8, I believe that you are voting to take away human dignity and rights that all people deserve.

Vote no on prop 8!

Politics and Rhetoric

Just listening to the vice presidential debate and I'm of course interested, but I'm also a little bit frustrated. When I hear these debates, especially this one, I find, as an audience member awash in rhetoric.

It seems that these debated aren't so much about the issues as they are about how best to spin their issues. It may seem strange coming from me that I am disillusioned by politics after all of my pro Obama statements. I haven't changed my opinion, but this vice-presidential debate has shown me that debate--even on a presidential level-- is a game of wordsmiths, not policy.

After hearing Biden and Palin arguing over a vote that McCain made about protection of troops I realize that the game has begun.

I do have to say though. I think Biden kind of kicked butt against the middle-class hockey mom BS coming from Palin.

Did I just contradict myself?