First of all, I live in a relatively small town - a suburb of a city that is still pretty small in itself. I mean, we have an NFL team and a NHL team and all that, but still, we are small time. My high school wasn't huge - I graduated with close to 300 in my class. Nothing to sneeze at, for sure.
Here's the thing. The number of people that went to my high school, and ended up married to people from school ... well, it's freaky. Most of these people didn't even hang out when they were in school. They've connected later in life. It's just strange. Maybe that happens at lots of schools. But it kinda freaks me out. Of course, that could also be because I live just a couple of miles from said school and pass it every day. And see people from school all the damn time - at Walmart, at the grocery store, at the vet, in line at the damn DMV. Weird.
Second thing is the number of people who are just God crazy. Now, don't get me wrong. I have my beliefs and all that. I go to church. But to me, my relationship with God is kinda personal. I have no problem saying that I am thankful or blessed or any of that. And I don't have a problem with the occasional "please say a prayer" deal. But I don't exactly feel the need to quote Bible verses, or post daily about how wonderful God is, blah blah blah.
I know that there are some people out there that really have a passion for their religion. And in a positive way, not in a stockpiling a militia's worth of guns in the basement way. And that's cool. But to me, a lot of the God crazy FaceBook posting seems a little bit too much. A little fake. Cause if there were really that many people out there just totally consumed with Jesus, well, this world wouldn't be such a crappy place. And that pisses me off.
And it gives the people that truly do have a passion a bad rap. For example, my pastor is amazing. His sermons are just so motivating and insightful and fun. He has Passion. And he does some really great stuff in the community, with outreach all over the world. But when you run across enough of the overzealous, trying to make myself look better Jesus lovers, it puts people like my pastor in a bad light. Cause if you don't really know him, you start to question his sincerity. Or the sincerity of anyone like him.
Are they really that into God? Do they really believe that He will take care of all their needs? Or are they just totally blowing smoke up my ass so I don't see what a self-serving, shallow jackass they really are? Smarmy politicians wrap all their little agendas in God fever. If they were really such good Christians, they wouldn't be suggesting half the bullshit they put forth in the first place.
Everyone knows I lean to the left, but I see it on both sides. We need to make cuts, I get that. But what goes first? Funding for education. Funding for social programs. Funding for the elderly and the poor. Really? REALLY? What kind of people does that make us? We want to cut off all avenues of help for the ones that raised us and cared for us as children, and the ones that will someday grow up to lead our country. How is THAT being a good Christian?
But yet, every election year, we get the same speech. Most important things to work for, to support, to see increased ... Education. Social Programs. And we fall for it every time. A slick smile and a good suit and we believe it. Then, elections are over and cuts have to be made. And here we go again. No arts programs for schools - no money. No Head Start programs for at risk neighborhoods - no money. No coverage from Medicare for that life saving medication - no money.
I know abortion is a hot button issue. And I'm not even gonna get into that itself. But the fact is, the government wants to cut abortion funding for the poorest segment of society. In essence, insist that the very people that can least afford to have more children do just that. Then, when they have those children, they have no help because the government has also cut the programs to provide them assistance for food, childcare, health care, etc. It's like here's a punch in the face, with a side of kick to the crotch. Have a nice day.
Not to mention the totally disgusting tactic of threatening to stop military pay if we don't get the budget worked out. These people are doing their jobs. Jobs that put them in danger of DEATH every single damn day in horrible places that none of us would ever want to go to. And you are going to say that they are the first ones that don't get a check?! We have an amendment that protects the paychecks of Congress and the President, but there's no protection for the people that risking their lives to protect that amendment? It just disgusts me. And what about the veterans and the families of the active soldiers? This is their paycheck, their pension. It pays their rent, buys their food, keeps their electricity on. What are they supposed to do?
Okay, fine. It all worked out. Things were resolved and there was no shutdown and people got paid, so drop it. Well, no. For days, a giant segment of this population was in limbo, wondering what they were going to do for days, possibly weeks, without any money. And it was all basically a ploy to get things passed that the politicians wanted passed. How do more people not see how wrong that is?
But wrap it all up in an American flag with a Bible verse over it and America will just eat it up. People are ignorant. They get their information from sound bites on TV and have no idea what the real issues are or what the real fight is about. They get thrown a bunch of religious rhetoric and half-facts and don't bother to find out the truth. It's sad. It's shameful. This is supposed to be the Greatest Country in the World. It's not.
I remember in my high school Latin class, our teacher gave us this handout once that had this description of a country. And as you read it, you thought that it had to be America - first in technology, education, military power, etc. And then as you read further, you realize that it's describing Rome. Before it fell. Before the government collapsed and the country imploded. We are headed for that same fate.
It's not about The People. It's about Money and Big Business. It's backroom deals and hidden agendas. It's scary. And it's frustrating. And I feel helpless to stop it. And that too pisses me off.
(steps off soap box) I need a nap.
