Need cheering up

[Saltdog]

I made the mistake of reading the letters to the editor in our local "newspaper" this morning. It was just one right wing diatribe after another.

They criticized the paper for using the term occupation when referring to Iraq, because, as we all know, we've given the Iraqis liberation and have transferred authority to them!

They criticized our two Senators who plan to vote against the FMA in direct contradiction to the "values" of Nebraskans who have already passed a statewide version of the same nonsense and thereby, "trampling upon the votes of thousands of Nebraskans and allowing judicial tyranny to rule in its place! God help us!"


The criticized people who got upset about Cheney using the f-word by saying, "imagine the orgiastic vexation of those pestiferous secularists if Dick Cheney had said, "Our Father, who art -"" And, by the way, it is pathetic when people purposely use the biggest words they can think of to try to sound intelligent, especially when their point is disgustingly stupid.

I'm just so overwhelmed by being surrounded by hate-filled 'merican red-neck savages who think that if a newspaper doesn't report everything exactly the way Fox "News" reports things, that they must be lying to serve some leftist conspiratorial agenda. I'm tired of having to stand up at the beginning of baseball games when they play the star spangled banner for fear of being attacked, even though I disagree with virtually everything our government has done to the world. I'm sick of being afraid of my government.

When my wife and I go out to eat, we overhear conversations that make me want to run screaming from the restaurant. We've heard conversations that start, "When I was talking to Jesus this morning...".

I cannot believe that Bush is even remotely close to Kerry. How is it this evil and insane man has anything above a 2% approval rating? Are Americans that stupid, corrupt, or insane themselves?

Back in college, when I would make radical arguments about increasing social insurance programs, reducing military spending, or if I would complain that, yes there are Americans who die of starvation and exposure every year, I would get the typical idiotic response of "love it or leave it". Well, I would love to leave it. The problem is that it isn't as though every other country on earth welcomes Americans just because they are Americans. Has anyone else tried to get a working visa for another country? Has anybody else looked into what it takes to move overseas?

I cannot help but feel like a Jew in 1930s Germany. Why didn't they leave, I used to think. Now I know that it isn't easy to do, even when you cannot stand what your government is doing and the thoughts of your fellow countrymen make you sick. I suppose it doesn't help much that I just finished Noam Chomsky's Hegemony or Survival. Definitely recommended, though incredibly depressing.

I know there are good people in the US, I just feel so outnumbered by flat-earthers.

[Prodemsouth]

1. I live in Georgia, Cheer up, No Neb sucks too- just realize where you

live and move on. everywhere is not like that.

[Ruffhowse]

2. Move out here with us on the left coast...

...and get away from the riff raff. It's so nice to be surrounded by enlightened and progressive people.

[Saltdog]

7. Where on the left coast?

We'd consider moving if we could find the right place!

[Ruffhowse]

11. I live in Portland, OR....a very mellow nice place, not as much rain...

...as you would think. I rarely run into hard core right wing types around here, they are definitely in the minority.

[Saltdog]

20. We lived in Seattle for 3 years

and I would consider Seattle to be centrist, at best. Lots of SUV drivers who are proud to be liberals because they "have several friends who are gay", but then want to make certain that their taxes are low and who have flags plastered everywhere.

I also remember that some of the local patriots in Seattle beat a Egyptian man to death after 9-11 because he looked like an arab.

Portland seemed better than Seattle when I visited it, especially in regard to urban planning. Too rainy though. I just couldn't take another PNW winter.

[progressivebydesign]

33. To each his own... I left a redneck Calif. town for the Seattle area..

.. and never looked back! I love the rain and the winters up here in the Seattle area. I thought it was funny to see how incredibly exaggerated the weather was up here... It's spectacular, rain, a little snow, and the bluest skies anywhere. Greenery for miles, and beautiful lakes. When people from other places say they don't know how I can stand the weather.. I say it's worth it for what you get. But.. for some people, some rain is just too much. It's personal preference, I'm sure. I lived in California for decades, and DREADED another sunny day! 80 degrees for Christmas is a bad thing, in my book. When people whine up here about the weather (it appears to be a hobby), I wonder if they've ever lived in the Midwest, or perhaps Minnesota, or the deep South, or maybe the desert.. because if they had, they'd never complain about the lovely moderate weather here.

[Saltdog]

39. Actually

I grew up in Michigan (metro-Detroit), lived in Indiana during college, then lived in Seattle for three years before returning to the midwest to live in Lincoln Nebraska (where I've been for more than 2 years now).

I hated the weather in (and most everything else about) Seattle: mold everywhere, algae and moss growing on everything that is outside for more than a few hours, terrible allergy problems, horrible drivers, what have to be the lowest sanitary standards in the food service industry, and ridiculously high prices for poorly built real estate.

So, here is somebody who has been plenty of other places (I lived in Paris for a few months too, my wife lived in Germany for a year and india for several months) and who has been to Seattle and did not like it.

If you like it, that's great for you, but I'd never go back.

[Spinzonner]

12. Well, here in California there's

the Peoples Republics of Santa Monica and Berkeley :-)

San Diego is still a Conservative bastion and Orange COunty is something of a mixed bag these days despite it s conservative reputation and history.

The middle is pretty much Republican but the big cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco are Democratic anough to make the state largely a Democratic lock.

Not-with-standing Ahnold of course. But he's a celebrity and not all that conservative and Publicans go. People had Gray Davis fatigue and were looking for anyone who promised to clean up the budget mess though Arnie is finding that it aint so easy and is resorting to the same smoke and mirrors that Davis was proposing.

But we have two female, Democratic US Senators: Boxer and Feinstein.

[Saltdog]

21. North coast

We travelled along the north coast and loved it, particularly the redwoods. Ukiah was such a nice town.

Actually, we might consider moving to Davis so my wife can go to law school there.

We have cats though and earthquakes aren't exactly a fun time for us or our cats.

I remember when we arrived in Ukiah. It was way before the Iraq war started (like October of 2001) and they were already protesting the W admin. It was the first place I ever saw protesters and people were honking their horns (appreciatively) at the protesters.

We aren't sure where to go. Ideally, we like to go to Belgium. Failing that, Canada, but to go to either, you really have to have a job lined up.

[bryant69]

3. Look on the Sunny side of Life

Get that new Armend Van Helding CD (New York City - A Mix Odessey). That cd is pretty good.

Or else go the park and push people in the lake. You'd be amazed at how much better that will make you feel.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Saltdog]

6. Always look on the bright side of life...

Maybe I'll watch the Life of Brian today.

[Spinzonner]

4. Try the Serentity Prayer

and edit out the religious element if you need to.

Its not productive to get upset - as opposed to motivated - by these things.

Your feelings of being outnumbered are a localized statistical anomoly probably heightened by your sensitivity to contrary views. Have you listened closely to detect ones that you are not outraged by ?

Perhaps you hear these people speaking like this so much because they constantly need to reaffirm these attitudes externally and group-wise because they lack some internal confidence in them.

[kikiek]

5. I feel exactly the way you do. Even checked into moving to

Canada but I'm not sure if I could work there. My husband works for a company that is based out of Toronto. I hear they're becoming like us though. Everything is so fear driven, and it works. I think the government is trying to supress free thought by imposing standards in schools and trying to force religion into society. People who don't think make the best base for the Republicans. Keep people so busy working they don't have time to pay attention also works well.

[Hoping4Change]

16. Becoming more like Americans? Absolutely the opposite.

Michael Adams head of Environics one of Canada's largest polling companies has studied and written extensively about the belief that Canadians were slowly morphing into Americans. His latest book Fire and Ice puts a dagger in that notions. Socially the two are diverging at a phenomenal rate.

"In fact, it has become apparent to me that Canadians are at the forefront of a fascinating and important social experiment. We Canadians are coming to define a new sociological “post-modernity,” characterized by multiple, flexible roles and identities.

In many ways, it is Canadians who have become the true revolutionaries, at least when it comes to social life.

In contrast, Americans — weaned for generations on ideals of freedom and independence — have in general not found adequate security and stability in their social environment. That makes them hesitant when it comes to asserting the personal autonomy needed to enact the kind of individual explorations — spiritual, familial, sexual — that are taking place north of the border."

The following article is a terrific summary of Adams findings. If you want change "Come On Up!!!!! :hi:

http://www.theglobalist.com/DBWeb/StoryId.aspx?StoryId=3501

[Saltdog]

23. We'd love to

And we even started putting our information together to apply under the skilled immigrant program. The problem is that we don't have any job contacts in Canada and we don't have a fortune to fall back on. We'd have to go and get jobs right away and I'm not sure that is possible.

It is a dream, one that we hope to fulfill one day, but a dream still for today.

[faithnotgreed]

24. hey hoping4change - several years ago i looked into moving

to canada. each province had their own requirements for entry depending largely on if they had certain skills that werent readily available in the local population. and of course forget living in british columbia

i imagine its quite the same now, if not more so

i looked a little into intentional (quaker) communities etc

happen to know what its like now to "come on up"? i agree with the poster, no country really wants anyone from the outside, and especially americans.

thanks - wish i lived in a country that allowed and encouraged hemp as an alternative source of so many things...

[playahata1]

30. I have just read the Adams excerpt, and he is absolutely right.

The main reason for Americans' being so damned rigid about politics, ideology, nationalism, religion, morality, sexuality, gender roles, etc., is that THEY ARE SO DAMNED INSECURE.

The more they scream about how proud they are to be Americans (Christians, heterosexuals, take your pick), that only goes to show that they don't really know who or what the hell they are. My feeling is: there is no need for you to shout your identity from the mountaintop if you are secure in that identity.

[Saltdog]

34. I think the same thing

every time I see some guy driving a big SUV or pick-up truck with Harley Davidson bumper stickers on it. It's like, "look at me, I'm a guy!" Uh huh, makes you think he wants to be on a guy instead of a motorcycle.

That was not meant as a slight to the homosexual community. I support and appreciate you, but when you have people who obviously have sexual identity issues doing things that are harmful (hunting, driving polluting vehicles, having lots of kids) just to prove they are manly, then somebody's got to point it out.

[kikiek]

45. I would in a nanosecond. Just have to convince the hubby. I am

an RN, but from what I've read I won't be able to practice there.

[Hoping4Change]

46. Perhaps you 'll find the following info interesting.

http://www.newsolutionscanada.com/canada/req.html

[kikiek]

48. Thank you very much that is very helpful. It gives me a Wonderful

starting point.

[AnnInLa]

8. Me too

I too am surrounded by the same people, but I'm not leaving. I will stay and remain a thorn in their sides. When it becomes too much for you, just tune in to AAR and come to the DU, read and post. Just think what it would be like if AAR and DU didn't exist!?

[UnityDem]

9. Advice for those in RED states

Have visited Nebraska. Talk about a RED state. With the cornhusker worship, Tom Osborne going from sports to politics as a God, etc. I know you have it tough. However, I do suggest that you go to (or form if there isn't one) a Kerry meetup. You can go to www.johnkerry.com or meetup.com and find your local meetings. Even though your state is "safe" for Bush, you can go to other nearby swing states (maybe Iowa, for you) to help out.
I live in Georgia (considered safe for Bush). However, we have very active Kerry groups here in Atlanta and we plan to help in swing states and who knows (maybe even turn Georgia back to Blue). Hang in there and Kerry ON!

[Ilsa]

10. You are not alone.

South Texas might as well be in Nebraska. Our most recent L'sTTE complain that the paper has gone "leftist" because we have a new editor that presents both sides of an issue instead of preaching the same hateful, bigoted garbage all of the time.

These are people that are voting on their perceived values based on soundbites, not looking at Scripture to determine whether Jesus would actually approve of what DimSon is doing.

Maybe Jesus is their accountant? ;)

[LittleApple81]

13. Flat earthers is the correct perspective. My town has a Board of Education

Election: two republican candidates, one wants to teach evolution in schools the other one wants to replace it with creationism or AT THE VERY LIST teach them side by side as BOTH being valid scientific principles.
YOU SHOULD SEE THE LETTERS... I am glad my kid just finished high-school.

[neebob]

14. I need cheering up, too,

and I don't even live in Nebraska. I'm surrounded by people with views similar to mine. But lately I find myself sinking into a bit of a depression, a lot of which has to do with the state of the world.

Last night, I turned the TV off as Paula Zahn said, "Coming up next ... the push to make gay marriage unconstitutional." I hadn't thought of it that way, but that's what they're doing. It's really quite shocking, and yet look how many people think it's OK. Look what else is going on and how wrong it all is, but instead of fixing it they want to protect some intangible thing by denying rights to others. It makes me sick.

[Rainbowreflect]

15. Another Lincoln, NE liberal here.

The front page of this same paper is an article about the 2 local Guard members who died yesterday in Iraq. But to many on the right the FMA is the more important issue.

[Saltdog]

17. Always nice to see another liberal

We have been to some of the moveon stuff and saw F9/11 at the Ross. Maybe we should plan a get together?

[Rainbowreflect]

18. Sounds good! I was at the Ross on June 26.

Are you planning on attending either of these?

From 4 - 6 p.m. on July 22nd, the Nebraska Bookstore at 1300 Q Street will sponsor a short program and book signing by Raneta Lawson Mack and Michael Kelly. These two Creighton University law professors are the authors of "Equal Justice in the Balance”. This book is a powerful critique of the impact the conduct of the war on terrorism has had on civil liberties in the U.S.

Later on July 22nd, at 7 p.m. at the Malone Center at 2032 U Street, there will be a public rally to support passage by the Lincoln City Council of the Defense of Liberty resolution. With this resolution Lincoln will join over 330 other U.S. communities calling for changes to those parts of the Act that undermine a free and open society. More than 2300 members of the Lincoln community have signed the Lincoln Bill of Rights Defense Coalition’s petition supporting this effort.

On edit - Are you a Salt Dogs fan per chance? I went to my first game this summer & have now seen a total of 3 games & have had a blast at all of them. We went on the 3rd of July & it was an exciting game & great fireworks after.

[Saltdog]

19. Why yes...

I am a saltdogs fan, how did you guess?

We regularly go to Saltdogs games. Usually more so in the first half of the season than in the second because of the heat. We are not fireworks fans though. They scare our little cats, aside from causing a great number of injuries every year.

We might be able to go to one of the July 22nd meetings. My wife is planning on going back to school to get a law degree, so she would probably be interested in one or both of the events.

Maybe we'll see you there?

[Saltdog]

36. Hey, now that I think about it

We were there on the 26th of June! We went to the first show at 12:40, I think it was. When did you go?

[Rainbowreflect]

43. We went to the 7:20 show.

I was thrilled with all the showings being sold out that weekend.
My mom finally got to see it this last Saturday.

[Saltdog]

44. Send me a note

if you want to meet up for one of the events you suggested. We are usually more available after 6, so probably the later one would be better.

I'm glad your mom got to see it. My parents are tinhat wearing wingnuts out in Idaho. Scary! They wouldn't be interested.

[LeftHander]

22. Find a Unitarian Universalist church and visit....

There you will find people of similar minds.

If you don't know where to look find one here:


http://www.uua.org/CONG/results.php?s_method=state&state=NE&submit3=GO%21

You don't have to prescribe to any particular belief system or creed. Just a good amount of compassion, respect and desire for truth and to be a better world citizen.

Peace

[Saltdog]

27. We've looked at UU before

as a potential source of finding decent like minded people, but my wife is atheist and I am a liberal catholic (there are plenty of us out there).

We might still give them a try, at least for a book club or something.

Unfortunately, most religiously active people (I'm inactive) are kooky spiritualists (worshipping crystals and channeling and what not) or are evangelical (yuck). Generally not people one wants to spend a lot of time around.

[GreenPartyVoter]

29. Definitely consider UU. The pastor at the church in our town is a secular

humanist. Your wife should feel quite ok there.

But she probably would feel all right in other more open-minded Christian churches too. They tend to believe Jesus is A way to heaven, not THE way: http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/liberalchristians.htm#denom

[Cats Against Frist]

25. These Fucking Assholes

Just called my son "illegitimate" on national television, becaue I'm not married. In Two-Thousand-Fucking-Four.

I took that personally.

I need some cheering up, too.

Here's your cheer: we're ahead in the polls. Don't let them believe that they have all the power. Don't fall for it.

[Saltdog]

32. So sorry

I'm quite radical in my acceptance of alternatives to traditional living. You have my sympathies.

As a retort, until the 20th century, most people were born out of wedlock. Tying the knot among the common people of society was often a simple matter of making a public pledge (none of this church and state crap). I remember reading about a ceremony where the bride and groom would jump over a broom as their first act together as a married couple. Interesting stuff, though to listen to conservatives, everything was absolutely perfect in the world until FDR ruined everything and then the perverse 60s created all the rest of the world's problems. They need to read their history. "Traditional" married life was only the norm in the US for a very brief period in the middle of the 20th century.

My problem with marriage actually stems from the coordination of church and state authority. Yes, you can get married by a judge and then it doesn't involve the church. Can you get married by a priest and have it not count by the state? No. Why have churches invested themselves in the legal process of marriage licenses and property rights when we are supposed to be a secular state? Once the two started working together, stuff really started heading downhill. Really, this coordination of what constitutes a marriage has far too many implications for blurring the line between legal rights and religious interpretations of moral behavior.

Your child is your child. Any other label that somebody wants to place on it makes them a bigot.

[Bettie]

26. I'm in Iowa

and its a little better here. At least one letter per day is not a RW diatribe against sanity.

Sigh. I suspect that the wing nuts are just more vocal than the rest of us.

Chin up, could be worse, we could live in Texas! ;p

[Cats Against Frist]

38. I'm in Iowa, too

Iowa City, to be exact, and it's the only place I could probably live in the Midwest without mentally snapping. There are still Dennis Kucinich signs up in many people's yards. I'm originally from Seattle, though. :)

[calico1]

47. I think you hit the nail right on the head

I live in CT--and to listen to some people you'd think this was a red State, when in fact its solid blue. I think the RW just have bigger mouths, and since they are so nasty they like to shoot off their big mouths every chance they get. I overheard one guy at work today lamenting how our State is so "slanted." And going on and on about how Edwards is so inexperienced and "the Democrats would just pick anyone as VP candidate." Of course he didn't mention Bush's credentials. This guy is a manager and very well educated. Yet you hear him rant and you wonder where he is getting information because he makes no sense. This is the thing about most of these people. They rant and yet they are not well informed and rarely can back anything up. I think we just have to try and keep in mind that the other side is just louder and nastier.

[GreenPartyVoter]

28. Welcome to DU. You will feel TONS better for the time you spend

hanging out with us. *hugs*

[Saltdog]

37. Thanks

And maybe we'll check out the UUs. Just being able to connect with people so the whole country doesn't seem filled with lunatics is a nice feeling.

[tnlefty]

31. I wish I could help to cheer you up, but I am in a similar situation.....

My spouse informed me yesterday that he heard on the radio that TN is now considered a "safe" Bush* state and I lost it. We were sitting on the porch and I was talking in a louder tone than normal and said - you mean that there are enough dumbf*^ks in this state for that to happen again? Then he proceeded to tell me that our county is 51% Bush*, and I repeated the same thing over a few more times. I didn't care if the neighbors heard me or not.

On the brighter side, I did hear about a fundraiser held last night that the boss's boss attended (I think in Nashville) that netted roughly a half million for Kerry/Edwards and I had a good laugh that it coincided with Dimson*'s visit to Oak Ridge yesterday.

I'll be attending my county democratic women's club meeting this evening and that'll be great as a respite.

[Saltdog]

35. I was surprised

TN went to Bush last time considering it was Gore's home state. I've only been to TN once. I went with a friend of mine to Nashville. Nice town!

To bad about the politics there though. I imagine it is similar to NE. Lincoln is a really nice town to live in, as long as you don't try to have a meaningful political discussion with people.

Have fun tonight@

[tnlefty]

40. Ooops...welcome to DU, by the way

Sorry I missed that the first time. I'll try to have fun tonight, thanks. :hi:

[MsUSA]

41. I know the feeling......I'm living in redneck country myself.

Rural Minnesota......I remember the feeling when the war was just around the corner, I drove to Madison, Wisconsin to see my mom. (Born and raised in Madison) When I got to the UW-Madison campus area and the western part of Madison I never felt so at home in a place in my life. There were NO WAR signs all over the place.....I breathed it all in, I refreshed my spirit and I felt a whole lot better. When I'm feeling like my rednecked neighborhood is all wrong, and the neocon's are winning, I just get that Madison feeling back and I really do feel better, or I get to my computer and read Buzzflash, or sign in here at DU and I get over that sinking feeling. *hugs too*

[Saltdog]

42. My wife

grew up in rural Wisconsin and her sister lives in Mnneapolis.

There is no way on earth she would ever go back to her tiny rural Wisconsin hometown. At least you get to get out of the redneck woods and into Madison once in a while.