Day After --
Return to the Road of Perdition
She asked, if I would be upset if we talked about a controversial subject, I said no, go ahead. I wondered where this was going. She said she was part of the right to life movement. I think she was Catholic. She talked about how intolerable a Gore victory and all Democrats in general were, because of abortion. She was most incensed over partial birth abortion, a hot button at the time. I said the partial birth bill would have passed Congress and been signed by the President, if they would have allowed an exception for the life and health of the mother. She breezed on with less wind in her sails, the life and health of the mother was simply a legal gimmick to make the law ineffective. I didn't assert my wife was not a legal gimmick; I said OK let's say we just passed an outright ban on partial birth. Could we then end the divisive debate over abortion, she quickly said oh no. It would only be the first step, her movement would continue to push step by step to make all abortions illegal. Apparently divisiveness would be the eternal goal of her movement.
She left after that, then the young bartender came over. He said I seemed well versed in politics, I said yes it was one of my interests. He then had questions about the election, the policies of the candidates, the electoral college, the recount, the whole margaritaville of 2000, on the day after. He said he and his roommates hadn't paid attention before the election, the drama of the night had captured their interest. They had stayed up all night watching the returns. They all wished they had voted. Hoped the Wonk would pull it out. I went back to the hardware training, even though I am more a software type of geek. In a small business you cover more bases.
We all know how it went. Watch the HBO movie Recount, if you need a refresher. Watching Recount is always an excuse to have another drink. After the Immaculate Selection by the Supremes Compassionate Conservative became the President. I was grousing about how awful this was, my wife ever the conciliator said we should all come together and support the new President. OK nice thought, but so namby pamby. I spoke in a serious soft voice, this is what is going to happen. I said they would end the good fiscal policy, go off like a binge drinker destroying the economy and the environment. The GOP would be free to blindly pursue their conservative holy grails. The selection of Compassionate Conservative would ruin the economy and make it hard for our two sons to find jobs when they graduated from college. I said it depresses me.
Without Bubba and his veto pen we went off on a wild, Neo-Con, Delay, rightwing think tank fantasy, chase to perdition. Many other events I didn't for see, like the thousands of casualties and wasted trillions in Iraq because people from Afghanistan attacked us. My sons graduated from college in 2008 and 2011. Even though, the economy was not like it was in 2000. They do have jobs. Not highly paid 1% jobs. They both are using their degrees by working hard in a rural school system. Doing outstanding work and building a better society.
So the day after 2012, don't be the young bartender and his friends. Even if you are not young and will vote, why not get in touch with someone you know and encourage them to vote. Find out about their early vote options. I am voting on Oct 31st. Leave no excuses, because if the old coalition of Neo-con, Randian-Hayek, Plutocrats gain power again it will get worse. Do not allow short sighted greed to buy this election, you will be doing yourself a favor and helping the Neo-con, Randian-Hayek, Plutocrats in spite of themselves.
