News flash: I’m not voting Democratic.
Today while I was writing an article (about Ashland’s beloved Lithia Park) I got a phone call from a nervous campaigner for the Democratic party.
“Jennifer,” he began, and kept inserting my name into the speech he was obviously reading from. “We elected Barack Obama, Jennifer…”
He was asking for campaign contributions to the Democratic Party.
“And as you may know, Jennifer, campaign contributions of up to $50 are tax deductible in Oregon, Jennifer.”
I didn’t interrupt him because I could hear that he was anxious. Besides, he sounded old enough to be my father so I let him finish his Jennifer-ing me and reading from his script.
Then I told him that I didn’t vote for Barack Obama.
I do not support the Democratic party. I voted for Cynthia McKinney, an incredible African-American woman who was my congresswoman when I lived in Atlanta, and who ran on the Green Party ticket. If you haven’t heard of her, I’m not surprised.
I don’t like the Democrats. I don’t like Limousine liberals. I especially don’t like people spouting off about the threat of global warming as they drive their enormous gas guzzling SUVs. Or overuse their expensive Prius’s while feeling holier-than-thou. In the meantime, my children and I, on our bicycles, have to breathe in the carbon monoxide being spewed in our faces.
Real visionaries live their lives by their values, instead of just talking about it to get votes
I admire real visionaries, like Becky Brown, who has three children and no car and who started the Ashland Car Share and Tracy Harding, who’s been bringing farm-fresh organic food to the Ashland public schools and who manages the Saturday Farmer’s Market (which she herself began). I’d vote them into office in a minute. Only, they’re too busy making a real difference in hundreds of people’s lives and living their lives by their values to run for political office.
I’m disappointed that already Barack Obama has reneged on his campaign promise not to discriminate against gays in the military. I find his overt showy religiousness offensive. And I see that as Commander in Chief of our nation’s forces he is continuing the violent murder of hundreds of young American men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan. His administration has been unwelcoming to immigrants. And I’m especially disappointed in the way he has been censoring freedom of the press.
Not voting Democratic, voting for revolution
I saw Cindy Sheehan speak at Bloomsbury Books last week and was inspired to hear her say we need nothing short of a revolution in this country.
Not a violent revolution but a massive and complete change in our political system which, in Sheehan’s words, is divided into two sets of people: the robber class and those who are robbed.
I would kill a cow to celebrate (as they say in Niger) if every car company in America went out of business.
And if the conglomerate money grubbing banks that have been raping this country collapsed.
I hope every CEO making gobs of money by encouraging overconsuming and overspending loses his job. And that every big box business that perpetuates poverty while pretending to cater to poor people who can’t afford to shop at local businesses is turned into a community garden.
But I thanked the caller politely. I told him I was glad he was putting himself out there by doing political volunteer work.
No, I’m not voting Democratic and I can’t contribute money to the party that is oppressing gay people, keeping our young men and women in wars we should not be fighting, and doing next to nothing to stem the imminent environmental disaster.
As homo sapiens we may very well pollute ourselves out of existence, like the anaerobic bacteria who produced so much oxygen they nearly went extinct.
That’s the last thing I want to happen. But I can only imagine that, if we do, the next “intelligent” life form that evolves will be more just, compassionate, sustainable, and generous than we have proved ourselves to be.
Published: May 27, 2009
Last update: January 25, 2020
Cindy La Ferle says
Well put, Jennifer. I don’t agree on all points, as I supported and campaigned for Obama, but I respect your reasoning here. Great post.
Mark says
I’ve certainly been in those shoes, Jennifer. Cast a number of Green protest votes myself over the years. But like Cindy above, I, too, supported and volunteered for the Obama campaign — and would do it again in a heartbeat. I should add, though, that the political media are exceptionally good at painting very skewed portraits of what’s going on in Washington — concentrating on inconsequential catfights and missing out on a lot of good stuff. In this case, Energy secretary Steven Chu is, to me, one of the more interesting under-the-radar stories they’ve missed. He’s not making lots of noise, but he is making history. To me, climate change was a critical issue in this past election, and I’ve been impressed by what I’ve seen so far from Chu’s Energy dept and from the administration as a whole. Obviously, more is needed. Then again, we’re just… what… 150 days in?
Anyway, it’s politics. We vote for heroes and we get politicians. And it always comes as a surprise. Funny, that.
Zach says
But, Jennifer, I looooove Obama, Jennifer!!! And he’s president, Jennifer!! I have both his books on my nighttable mostly unread…does this mean I overconsume???