Eric Frances over at Planet Waves has been writing a lot about how the current astrology points again and again to the concept of “The Personal is Political.” Well, of course it is. It always has been; we just haven’t always been awake to it. But I think as houses foreclose, jobs disappear and food on the table becomes scarce for more and more Americans, we’re waking up and we’re waking up in pain!
I’m not an “undecided” voter. My beliefs around things like a woman’s right to choose, the environment, fiscal responsibility and “spreading democracy” make who to vote for this year an easy decision for me. What’s not so easy is dealing with the people in my life, people I love and respect, who feel and think very differently. We really are split right down the middle and it’s not a good place to be. Someone is going to be elected a month from now and everyone else is just going to have to deal with it . . . or move to Canada (something I have actually considered!).
Here’s what you might find surprising. I’m voting for Obama and I think the future will be better if he wins. But I also think that whoever wins this election is being voted into a system that’s broken. We’re finally seeing that capitalism is not the idea that will move us into a sustainable future. We’re seeing that what we’ve done to the environment is quickly approaching catastrophe. And we continually see that even the most principled are easily led astray. The time of pinning our hopes on the one great leader who will make everything right is over. It’s going to be up to us.
My lover and I have come close to splitting up over this election. Much to my extreme chagrin, he believes some of the worst nonsense that’s out there – the most ludicrous lies to come out of the political propoganda machine. Really, thank god he’s not registered to vote. But that’s not what almost closed the door on the relationship; it was that initially he could not discuss it without attacking me personally. I was misinformed, being led astray, gullible, emotional, and quite possibly, not very smart. These are familiar accusations. We had a talk in which I said we would not discuss it further until we could do so without getting personal. So we didn’t discuss it for awhile. And when we did again, we debated like two adults. I stood my ground and he stood his and we did it without making the other person wrong.
When George Bush was re-elected in 2004 it was the first time I remember feeling real despair over politics. I admit that I carried deep resentment for anyone that voted for him and I guess that’s about half the country. I’m letting that go. None of us are misinformed. We’re no longer being led astray, or gullible, or ignorant. We’re very smart and we know what we believe in or we’re straddling the fence. That goes for the people who will vote for Obama as well as those that will choose McCain.
So here’s what I’ve decided: no matter how nasty the campaign gets, and it looks to be one of the worst, I will not get nasty myself. I will debate and argue my position all day long, but I will put it all aside, in my head and in my heart – fully, because I think we’re going to need each other. Whoever is elected in November, I will still be right here on a day-to-day basis with my lover, my employer, my friends and my family. I don’t like to be an alarmist, but I think things are going to get worse before they get better – economically and environmentally – and we’re going to need each other.
I hope you will join me in this commitment to rise above the flack and extend your hand to your fellow villagers no matter on which side of the political debate they stand because I think we’re going to need each other more than ever.
The Church of the Big Sky Jesus with Bear Signs Following 