Adventures in voting~

I voted the day before election day- last minute really because I run an election precinct for the City on election day and the rules do not allow us to vote where we work--but rather at the assigned precinct-an interference with voting. I went to a local community college and could not park anywhere i could see, I parked near a loading dock under a no parking upon threat of

peril sign--another interference with voting. When I got inside i explained I was an election official and they said-- "take a number" i plead my case to a beautiful Black woman who was running things and she said- "take a number" and batted her lovely eyes--a delightful interference with voting.
So i went to the back of the line where maybe 200 people were in line---waiting for a number--ahhhmeii!!! it was 4 pm and the place was to close at 4 pm so i could not leave-- so I went back to the beautiful Black Lady-- batted my eyes-- " get in line..." Pretty smile too :) So i thought about my car as a woman came to me-- why they always come to me i dont know-- to say she got $500 in parking tickets-- fire lane-- i went to a police woman and explained she said-- "take a number...your car is ok for now"...PHEEEWWW.

 

 OK so i stand there between the nice cop and the Beauty in charge for 45 minutes until they say 0k we gonna give you a number-- i got a number J-21 the next number to be called was B- 1 -50--- so b- c d e f oh crap an ALLNIGHTER!!!!! i was scheduled to be at work at 5:00 am.

 

 So i found a chair opened my tablet played some Brazil music--Milton Nascimento, Daniela Mercury, Elis Regina...I have good tastes in music. Noww two hours have passed and i start talking to a young beauty- she is from Martinique and we talk about Bahia and Black culture here, Brazil, the Caribbean-- she gets emotional when i say no cultures survived outside of Bahia-- dark eyes well up--- she has been waiting since 11:00am--it is now 7:00pm. I gave her a hug as she tells me about Black cultures from Africa here and there--was wonderful--so much passion--it is 8 pm now they call the Martinique Beauty's number-- she says how wonderful to have met me-- i feel a little lonely. 

 

Then the heavens open-- the Beauty who is running the place comes and says you-- come with me-- I cant stop grinning-- she has decided to let the workers go in a few at a time with the people whose numbers are up-- this has a feeling like the Green Mile ya know-- Early Voter Walking-- I am OVERJOYED i get into the voting area and there is the Martinique Beauty- she grins at me-- i get into the voting area and am given a seat in front of a election official-- they make up my ballot but as she does--"we can't let any more workers come in early-- you are the last( and first/only) ones to get in early...IIIII   VVOOOTTTEEE   AM STILL TOO OVERJOYED TO WORRY ALTHOUGH 5 AM COMES EARLY WHEN YOU GO TO BED AT 2 AM WHICH IS WHEN THE OTHERS WOULD VOTE.

 

 I got out at 8:30 in my car speeding the wrong direction on interstate 94,  i turn around at the next overpass and am home listening to Latin Cha-cha- cha all the way-- wondering if there is any Salsa dancing after the election on Tuesday--4 hours to vote-- i voted-- even voted for marijuana--well I think I was wishing i could have had some while waiting for 4 hours ;)-- we all could have used some - imagine what the purchase of munchies could have done for the local economy-- Bored Voters Spend Billions on Cheetos...hdm

— at Wayne County Community College, Eastern Campus.

Conserve this!

Satire- well my way of saying it is humor but is all true and sooo very wise ;0

I saw an advert for a Conservative group vowing to fight on after the elections, fighting to put business leaders in charge of guiding our nation…they were quite serious…

Leave our future to Entrepreneurs...are you out of your F***ing mind!

I watch so many apparently bright people join libertarian and conservative movements with the idea that government is a Great Satan and we must purify our society by abandoning public policy and turning over our nation to the private sector-- hmmm

Lets see  Private Sector,  I think these were the same guys who invented chattel slavery as a fast way to billions( aka kidnap, rape and murder, and working humans like an animal into an early grave). They even imprisoned their own children in slavery--some were our Founding Fathers. James Madison, once murdered 30 men who tried to escape from captivity, was later elected President-- well, as my non slave descendant friends often remind me-- it was legal to rape,  kidnap, and murder  then, ahhhhmeeiii--

I can find no evidence anywhere that the marketplace governs with wisdom, if an idiot has billions-- judging by the last elections there are a lot of them here-- and if there is a little profit in it- game on! For example: burning oil, then we will burn a lot of it, heat the globe to the point that only the billionaires will be able to afford clean air, water, and a reasonable life expectancy.  The social side of things I guess would be left alone, unless there were a profit in it-- brides for sale, young boys...ummm.   You see, every evil we can imagine has been connected with uncontrolled greed.  So what is it that draws these apparently bright minds to the conclusion that government and taxation are the path to destruction--  well, what is being Conserved here?.  I mean this brand of freedom is like 4th Century Athens-- a man on a hill speaking  nobly of freedom and sacrifice-- while a slave stands next to him holding a goblet of wine. It was a Golden Age of Freedom indeed where Six of Ten were slaves.

In the election cycle just past we saw the effects of warm air around the globe- and even in the face of a 500 mile windstorm people said--it could have been caused by something other than climate change.  Well, it is no longer rational to say that-- we have changed the air-- warmed it. We will do even more so now because so much ice has been lost that the sun will warm much more of our ocean surface-- and the sun btw has awakened from a long period of low energy emission.  Sooo are we ready for constant war, for policies that make enemies of every darker skinned nation or group, are we really ready to kill people who want a different form of government than our DOLLAROCRACY, and what of the nearly criminal activity that many rich people have engaged in to get those billions-- friendly bankers, derivatives trades, influenced bond and securities ratings-- and the same people who rated junk bonds and liar loans as AAA rated paper  have down rated the US government?  I mean -- dont they get it-- we can raise trillions any year we choose just by getting them and their Corporation Peeps to pay their fair share of taxes!!

Anyway, as flawed as the judgments of political leaders, as deep and deadly their mistakes have been, as corrupt and partner-friendly their use of our military and assets-- they are but fleas on the ass of a running dog compared to the devastation an uncontrolled private sector can bring. By this  I mean: do you really want to see the USA taken over by vulture capitalists, ripped apart and sold to high bidders? I'm sure there would be a lot of profit in it(--) I mean the nuclear arsenal and drones alone must be worth a few bucks(--)just sayin'...hdm

Election post-script

There is an end to a long campaignand while the Candidate of my choice prevailed in the contest of votes;it is only a step- vital one- towards an unfinished agenda, and a process
of national growth. The energy that was invested in the campaign, thelong hard look we have taken about progress and lack thereof-- of thevast opportunity and the seemingly meager steps we have taken. My conclusion is simple- we owe to ourselves, our children, to the sacrifices so many have made- to do better- to rise above the flood of dismal pettiness that has replaced our true purpose- toward a more perfect union- an opportunity based society.

We will not likely  succeed should bitterness become our objectives, rivalry in politics our goal-- we are a great part of a greater world, and by the blessing we have been given of wealth and strength - we have a great obligation to rise to the level of  an un-matched potential for good in the world.
We can put ourselves back to work - jobs for those who want them- opportunities for those with talent and ambition to seize them-- by the lessons we have learned as we have had to face our faults-our bigotry, our ignorance, our small mindedness- we can be so much more, if we allow ourselves to be the Big and Inclusive America, we can fall into our shadow should we remain the small and petty America- divided by conflicts over ideas that are insignificant to the great common interests in growth, opportunity, justice, clean air and water, sustainable food and energy.  I have seen in many ways a deep and abiding love of country,  concern for the disadvantaged;  a unity of purpose to make a better place for our children.