Rally to Perpetuate Anger

It was not my intention to make this a political blog. My intention was to document my own spiritual journey and communicate with my family and friends during a time when I would often be out of touch. At some point I thought I might start a separate blog of research papers about what is really going on in America today, including the abuses I saw while working in public service in California, but I just do not have time for that now. But I spent yesterday being angry and depressed and I am going to get some of that off my chest, so I can move on.

Yesterday I had an exchange of words on Facebook about the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear hosted by comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. This was following a post of a Youtube cartoon that was supposed to be making fun of the uninformed voter, but the supposed uninformed voter was a Tea Party Patriot, portrayed as a repetitive moron, trying to explain how our freedoms are in jeopardy.

Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnUfPQVOqpw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I have not been paying much attention to the rally. I thought it was a response to Glen Beck's rally, but my brother explained that it was an inside joke and I have to watch The Colbert Report to get it. Oh OK, so it is a rally that is an inside joke making fun of another group's beliefs and accusing them of being angry, fearful, and insane.

Here's the summary about the rally from www.keepfearalive.com,

"America, the Greatest Country God ever gave Man, was built on three bedrock principles: Freedom. Liberty. And Fear — that someone might take our Freedom and Liberty. But now, there are dark, optimistic forces trying to take away our Fear — forces with salt and pepper hair and way more Emmys than they need. They want to replace our Fear with reason. But never forget — “Reason” is just one letter away from “Treason.” Coincidence? Reasonable people would say it is, but America can’t afford to take that chance.

So join The Rev. Sir Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A. on October 30th for the “March to Keep Fear Alive“™ in Washington DC. Pack an overnight bag with five extra sets of underwear — you’re going to need them. Because, to Restore Truthiness we must always… Shh!!! What’s that sound?! I think there’s someone behind you! Run!"

There also seemed to be an element of the rally that participants were against all of the nasty politics shown in this election and just getting together to be happy and laugh and have a good time.

I don't watch Jon Stewart. Maybe he's funny if he's not making fun of what you believe in and maybe if he's not making fun of what you believe in you can perceive him as politically neutral. I did watch some of his show with President Obama, which mostly made me feel like the decay of American society had finally reached its bottom. The President of the United States has now appeared on Jay Leno, The View, and Jon Stewart. He left an expensive fund-raising dinner to scoop dog poop. This shows such a disrespect for the responsibility and significance of being President of the United States that it is shocking to me.

How did soldiers in Afganistan, who might even have the time to watch Obama on Jon Stewart, feel about the Commander in Chief voluntarily appearing as the butt of jokes as they risk their lives? What did terrorists in Yemen think as they watched the leader of the free world, the Nobel-prize-winning champion of peace, so desperate for votes that he allowed himself to look weaker on television than the host of a comedy show?

Stephen Colbert spoke to Congress last September, which I thought was more of the bottom. Is Congress now the place for political farce? Are taxpayers paying Congressional leaders to sit around and listen to someone mock them? Isn't anyone who thought this was a good idea considering the condition of the economy insane or at the very least, out of touch?

The world is in the Next Great Depression. Without unemployment benefits, Food Stamps, and Social Security, this depression would look just like the last one. Real unemployment is 20%. Record numbers of people are taking early Social Security retirement. One out of 7 people receives Food Stamps, so without the existence of Food Stamps, we would see bread lines like we did in the 1930s. These are programs put in place since the last Great Depression, so one could say these are successful programs that are preventing another Great Depression, but how is America paying for these? What happens when America can't pay anymore? Is this somehow funny, a joke?

I changed careers and took another job for 1/3 of my previous salary. I lost my house and gave away or sold half of what I owned. I quit a job partly because it was robbing me of my soul and partly because I could not afford to live where the job was. I have student loan debt I don't know how I will ever pay back. If I do not find some kind of income in the next few months, I can say good-bye to one more dream. I took responsibility for my part, I am self-supporting by my own contributions today, and my experience was really painful. Is this somehow funny, a joke?

My opinions, or ideas, today about how my government can get out of interfering with every tiny piece of my life and making me pay for it are based not only on being informed and educated, but on painful experience. A rally to make fun of those opinions is not funny, although it does appear to have successfully kept me angry for a day.

Today I am going to get out my Best of Johnny Carson DVDs (thanks John and Jen!) and remember when comedy was really funny and not mean. By tomorrow I hope to be back to spirituality or at least get my sense of humor back.