Taking the Scenic Route

Too happy for words.

There is a moment, a simple moment, before history gets recorded.

Before it goes in the books.

Before it appears as a question on a game show.

Or, on a midterm exam.

A moment right before the headline is written.

There is a moment when history lives in the present.

When we can watch it unfold in real time, right before our eyes.

And we can all assume our place in it.

Some people live for history

We live for the moment just before.

-Cnn ad in the New York Times

I couldn’t help but feel the electricity in the air today when I went to vote. I usually walk in and just walk right through, but today, there was a line. A rather long line actually. It was amazing and everybody around me was energized and excited and commenting on how many people were coming out for the vote. Such an exciting day.

Today makes history, no matter who wins. You can just feel it. You can feel the power of history being made right now, and not the terrifying feeling of 9-11, or Oklahoma City, or the Shuttle disaster, but a moment when our lives get just a little better.

If you are part of a listserv (or yahoo group, or meetup.com, etc), on subjects like homeschooling and autism and local meet-at-the-park type groups, please leave your nasty, bigoted, racist smear campaigns OFF THE LIST.

Usually this isn’t too much of an issue, but today almost EVERY. SINGLE. ONE of my groups had some sort of propaganda on it. If I want to see a bunch of frenzied, lying spin doctors, I have my own tv and I am pretty sure it has the Fox channel on it already. I also have a computer and can access that kind of information myself if I feel like doing damage to my blood pressure. However, I am really, REALLY trying not to get to wound up in politics this season and it is very hard when I have it blasted in my face on my nice little homeschool and autism groups.

And seriously, if you honestly think your party is being reasonable, don’t you think a reasonable argument or statement is going to go a lot farther than a bunch of screaming dittoheads?

Stop the madness! I prefer that you use some critical thinking skills when you look at the candidates, and I can understand and respect that for some people every election is a one issue election (like serious anti-choice people), but if you are going to criticize a candidate at least do so truthfully and in an appropriate forum.

Having a different opinion is fine. Using hate, xenophobia, racial slurs, and blatent lies because you think the end justifies the means is not okay.

I have really tried not to say too much about the presidential race because the last election left me so enraged and fed up with the whole thing. This election seems to be more surreal. I am just watching on in disbelief at the Republicans. Wonder if they are calling in Jerry Springer to host the upcoming conventions. lol

I don’t want McCain as president, but I don’t have a total hate for him either, certainly not like I had for idiotic embarrasement we have for a president now. I am a little stunned and amused that he picked Sarah Palin. I guess Republicans think that women vote on gonads rather than the issues, because you would have to be a moron to think she is going to lure away disgruntled Hillary voters. She has about the most opposite stance on every issue out there. She would make a horrid VP for anybody who supported Hillary. (or president since the likelyhood of the VP on this ticket being in the Oval Office is pretty high considering the age of McCain)

I also just can’t believe they would pick a woman like this when “family values” and the appearance thereof are so “important” to them. Here is a mom who went back to work 3 DAYS after giving birth to her special needs child. (and there is a HUGE difference between going back because you want to and because you need to if you want to survive…she didn’t need to) Now, it turns out her dh was arrested for drunk driving (of couse the republicans didn’t care that Bush was a coke head, so this probably won’t amount to anything), and her 17 year old daughter is pregnant and about to have a shotgun wedding. She also has a son who is going to be deployed soon and another elementary aged kid. The dad isn’t a SAHD (which would at least mitigate it a bit, although he obviously isn’t lactating and I think it is pretty crappy that she isn’t even attempting to form a breastfeeding relationship with a child that obviously needs it). Isn’t this supposed to be the party that values a stay at home parent to raise the kids?

If she waited a few years, she might actually have some experience and her kids would be in a better place and could tolerate the spotlight a little better. I just can’t believe this is the best they could do. Really? I almost feel bad for the Republicans. What a mind blowing choice.

Lookin’ good for Obama.

ps. I also really enjoy the fact that sexist bigots are between a rock and a hard place this election. Really, REALLY liking that.

The only thing that suprised me was that Kucinich wasn’t higher.  Usually he ends up on top of these things.

89% Chris Dodd
89% Barack Obama
88% John Edwards
85% Mike Gravel
84% Hillary Clinton
83% Dennis Kucinich
82% Joe Biden
75% Bill Richardson
44% Rudy Giuliani
33% John McCain
28% Mike Huckabee
24% Mitt Romney
24% Tom Tancredo
21% Ron Paul
14% Fred Thompson

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

Although it isn’t the only (or even the main) reason I support Obama, I like Obama’s treatment and attitude towards Autistic people a lot better.

Hillary supports “Autism Speaks”, which is an organization of parents who see Autism as a horrific tragedy and has a movie showing the infamous mom who was going to drive off a bridge to kill her daughter and her, but decided not to because she still has a “normal” daughter that needed her. It’s goal is to erradicate autism, not to help autistic people. They see autism as seperate from the individual. The main problem with that is that autism is probably genetic, so you can’t ”cure” autism, you have to eliminate autistic people to erradicate autism.

Obama, on the other hand, supports funding for therapies and education and things that actually HELP Autistics. He has met with adult autistics (something Hill hasn’t done, from my understanding) and talked to them about what is needed and about the discrimination people with disablities/differences have.

Although he uses the language “people with autism” also (person first language, and the “polictically correct” format for most disabilities), he also uses the term “Autistic Americans”, which is straight out of the neurodiversity / Autism acceptance movement, who don’t see autism as something seperate from their persons, but rather a difference in thinking and perception of the world, with it’s own strengths and gifts.  Some of the most influential and creative minds our world has seen were on the spectrum. 

For those who are unable to function without support, and there are many that fall into that category, we need education, and a much better system for supporting developmentally disabled adults in this world.  The  ADA needs to be expanded and enforced, there needs to be funding for training support personnel, and it needs to happen soon.  The laws should protect DD people instead of being used by schools and other agencies when the “support people” and “teachers” are too lazy to do their jobs, too selfish to make any effort towards learning and training, and too intolerant to see people with differences as people with feelings.

We went to the caucus tonight.  At our polling station they were expecting 100-120 people.  They GROSSLY underestimated the turnout.  The line outside the door was about 5 or 6 blocks long, out in the sleet.  HUNDREDs of people, winding around, in freezing sleet (that turned to snow).  We waited about 20-30 minutes in line before Zora just couldn’t take it any more.  She was too cold.  She was bundled up good, but the wind was biting and she didn’t want to be held any more.  We contemplated Zach taking the kids and coming back to pick me up and another person in line told us to go to the front.   We did.  When we got to the front, we asked if it was ok if we cut in line because our kids were getting too cold, and not only was it ok, the crowd turned around and helped us make it through the glut to get to the actual inside.  Inside, there was another 3 or 4 blocks worth of lines zig-zagging through the hallways. 

While waiting, we found out that the main gymnasium had already filled up and they were sending the Obama supporters still in line to the other gym for overflow.  The main gym was a combination of Obama and Clinton.  The gym we ended up in had 1120 people (plus kids) in it.  It was the smaller gym.  Literally, standing room only.  Packed, wall to wall.

It was supposed to take “maybe an hour”.  It took more than three hours.  When we left there was several inches of snow to trod through, and a lot still falling.  Our car was about 5 blocks away, the closest spot we could find (and only as close as it was because our car is small).  We had to uncover our car to get in and leave.  We got home about 10pm, four hours after we left.  We were TIRED.  (the adults at least.  Zach held Zora almost the whole time, except for a while when we were outside). 

It was inspiring.  It was amazing.  I kept having to choke back tears seeing the passion of the people I stood with.  I have never seen anything like it in my life.

The thing I found particularly amazing is that they asked the crowd how many people had changed parties to vote in the caucus and a couple hundred hands went up.  There is hope.

Obama won Kansas by 80% (not all the numbers are in yet, so it might be a few points off).  Can you believe it?

eta:  an article in the local paper.  It doesn’t mention our caucus site, but I think it is largely because they just weren’t expecting many people to show up and didn’t have any reporters on hand.  lol  http://www.kansas.com/news/story/303360.html

I can not believe I am actually typing this, but after the umpty million email forward, apparently people are not getting it.

OBAMA IS A CHRISTIAN. 

He is NOT a Muslim.  The email that has been going around is a very effective LIE. 

I think it is a pretty sad world where people grab onto prejudices like that in the first place, but even sadder that it seems to be working.  Ugh.

Obama and his family attend a mainline Christian church.  As a Christian, he will use a BIBLE to swear in. (a practice I disagree with by the way… I think it is blashphemous to swear on the word of God, and your word should be sufficient, but that is a point for another day)

Although I know this from having research him over the years, it is also on the snopes.com site, a site that takes various urban legends and emails and researches them to find out if they are true or not. 

The link to snopes on Barrack Obama: 

the summary (click on the underlined links for more info) 

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/obama.asp

the big email, followed by a breakdown of why it is so patently false: 

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.asp

eta:  for those who have sent it to me and just wanted my opinion on it, or were suprised and wanted to know if it was true, I have no issues with that.  In fact I welcome questions when things like this come up.  It is the people who are sending it to me thinking, somehow, I would be horrified and suddenly “see the light”.  Well, I am horrified, but it isn’t how you intended. 

91% Dennis Kucinich
90% Mike Gravel
78% John Edwards
76% Barack Obama
73% Chris Dodd
72% Joe Biden
70% Hillary Clinton
69% Bill Richardson
37% Rudy Giuliani
32% Ron Paul
28% John McCain
25% Mitt Romney
24% Mike Huckabee
20% Tom Tancredo
13% Fred Thompson

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

No big surprises here for me.  I have always matched up with Kucinich and was rooting for him over Kerry last go around.  I won’t vote for him simply because I don’t think he has a chance in the big election.  I knew I liked Edwards a lot.  My ideal ticket would be an Obama/Edwards or Edwards/Obama.  Obama inspires me, which is the only reason I would vote for him over Edwards.  I really like both of them a lot and haven’t heard anything that puts a damper on my enthusiasm for either of them.  I just find Obama a bit more likeable.  

I am so disappointed in the Clintons.  She seems to be turning to “good ‘ole boys” politics, seems really mean spirited and divisive, and I can’t believe how whiny Bill has become.  What the heck is up with that?!?  I don’t think she would make a bad president because she is a woman, I think she would make a bad president because she is corrupted, has too many special interest groups, and doesn’t seem to want to play fair.  She is more interested in her own political career than the people she will be serving.  The crying just infuriated me.  Why would she fall into the stereotype so easily.  Plus, they really seemed to be crocodile tears.  Ugh.

Huckabee…hate him with a white hot passion.  John McCain, not bad.  Don’t agree with a lot of his stances, but I do respect him and he is one of the least partisan players out there.  Paul I agree with some of his stances, but he seems a bit nutty and a lot racist.  Guiliani I just can’t take seriously.  Romney, don’t really know much about him, but I haven’t really seen anything that just throws up major red flags, unless he is heterosexist or anti-choice, and both of those might be why he came out so low on my list.   I really like Fred Thompson on Law and Order, but obviously, his real person isn’t nearly as compelling as the characters he plays.  lol.