Squeezin’ the Juice
by SVEA SAUER
Recently I have been forced to stand back from the current political scene and take stock of my ability to absorb any more shrill pronouncements of patriotism from those who are not patriotic. These people seem content to destroy their country in order to gain advantage at the polls. I reached a breaking point when I saw on television the wife of a Supreme Court Justice screaming drivel at a public gathering. (Why do these patriotic women all have shrill voices?)
You can understand my confusion when you consider that I am all for her right to speak and her right to speak nonsense as opposed to my notion that the Supreme Court should stay out of politics. I support the rights of even those who, because of marriage vows, are doomed to repress their private views in public. The Supreme Court must stand aside from public controversy. It is unfortunate that the wife of a Supreme Court Justice cannot make a fool of herself as it is just one more example of how women are viewed as appendages.
You already see that I am in difficulty. As an activist who has always been involved with groups that hold certain beliefs in a number of social movements calling for demonstrations, I find it difficult to criticize the Tea Parties. On the other hand, I cannot make any sense out of them to justify their storm and fury. I cannot figure out if they have co-opted the Republican Party or if the Republican Party is attempting to use them for its own lack of sense, because they are so negative.
There, I have said it. The Republican Party is another patriotic spouting vehicle offering no program of its own to help the country, only denial of everything positive the Democrats are doing or trying to do. Even Republican voters must feel cheated because they have no program to support or reject. The Democrats, unlike the Republicans, are so diverse in their views they may have too many programs, but at least they have something to reject or support.
In the meantime, the media is having a circus portraying our government as stupid or even evil – all based on events and speeches of know-nothings.
I have had just about all I can take of the many ways both political parties can contrive ways to fool the public. The public needs to buckle down and pay attention to solutions to our problems and stop calling names and telling lies. We are the government and need to act like it. Standing out in the street and shouting that the government is bad is self-incrimination.
