23 April 2008

wisdom from Emily Dickinson

A Man may make a Remark

A Man may make a Remark —
In itself — a quiet thing
That may furnish the Fuse unto a Spark
In dormant nature — lain —

Let us deport — with skill —
Let us discourse — with care —
Powder exists in Charcoal —
Before it exists in Fire.



Forgive me, please, if I find political meaning in Emily's
decidedly nonpolitical
poem. I'm afraid that some of the
remarks that have been made in the
Democratic primaries will
smoulder, return as sparks in the fall,
and ignite the political
process into fiery idiocy.


If we the people are content to discuss whether Barak Obama's
patriotism should be measured by whether he wears a
particular piece
of jewelry on his lapel, or if we are content
to vote for a woman
who proposed a constitutional amendment
banning flag burning,
or if we are content to allow reactionaries
to try to indict Barak
Obama as a Muslim (and I use the word
"indict" on purpose, as
yet another instance of mass bigotry and
stupidity) --

well, we may, perhaps, deserve what we get.

I am too depressed about yesterday's primary to embody the
audacity of hope. In fact, hope doesn't seem audacious today -
it seems preposterous.

Please tell me why I'm wrong - or if I'm wrong.

7 comments:

amy said...

I'm just disgusted. I was cursing at the TV. Like a sailor, even. Not ladylike at all (not that I've ever aspired to be a lady or anything). I don't even know what to say.

Donna Lee said...

I am still not on the Obama bandwagon. He has not caught my imagination and made me feel hope. I keep waiting to feel something, anything but so far nada. Don't stop hoping. I have hope that whatever happens in November (and I have no idea who I will vote for at this point) it has to be better than what we have now.

sunt_lacrimae_rerum said...

I wish I could tell you that you are wrong. But I think you are right, oh so dreadfully right. My spirits are leaden today.

Anonymous said...

The Democratic party is tearing itself apart. And it's painful to watch, because if there was ever a year the DFL could pull off a big election win, this would be it--if the party doesn't self-destruct by then.

BettyBoop53 said...

So Hillary has won in Pennsylvania. But she didn't win big. Obama lost in Pennsylvania. But he didn't lose big. Do not kid yourself your single vote does not count. There is a poll out which says if Hillary loses (the Democratic Party) her supporters will vote for McCain. If Obama loses his supporters will vote for McCain. This indicates a very deep divide in the Democratic Party. Vote everyone. Your votes do matter.

Unknown said...

i am a life long democrat--but at this point, i am disgusted!

Obama is going to change things (what by taxing the rich (and by this, he means not taxing families with $200,000 a year incomes? (and YES hilary has the same PLAN)

No one is talking about the real changes needed.

The fact is, if it weren't for immigration, we (the US) would have become Argentina a few years ago,(and we still might be!)

GAS hasn't gone up.
the dollar has gone down.

if the value of the dollar drops, (as it has) every thing priced in dollars becomes more expensive.

(think of this--the price of oil has gone to $116 a barrel--and the price of the dollar has dropped to almost half of the value of the euro.)

so if you buy in euro's, the price of oil has gone down 40% or so!

and McCain doesn't want to mention the economy(why should he, it will only hurt him) and twiddle dee dee,(obama) and twiddle dee dum (hillery)keep calling $200,000 a year incomes (the top 3.4%) 'middle incomes'

and meanwhile, 'middle income' (ie $40,000 to $60,000 a year) people are losing jobs, losing their houses, losing everything.

i remember the 1960--we had a goal as a nation.. (to get into space)

now, our goal is: MORE SERVICES for LESS TAXES, for the VERY RICHEST, and let the middle and poor be dammed.

what is the difference between(among!) them? I don't have any sense that any of them really care (about anything else except getting elected.)

and before the Bush tax cuts, we didn't have enough in the budget to pay for universal free health care, and if we roll back the taxes cuts (not just on the super, super rich, but on the top 10% of incomes(which would include all those $200,000 a year incomes and then some) we still won't have money for universal health care (we'll just be able to begin to balance our budget (and even with tax cut roll backs, that will take 10 years!)

Oh, i am going to stop now.
this is your blog. and i tend to get to riled up..

at times, i am closer to a communist... or at least a lincoln republican (a government of the people (not some, of the people, not corportions) by the people, FOR the people (again, all the people, not just the very rich, and most especially, not for corporations!)

Granny Smith said...

Wasn't that the worst so-called debate ever seen? It tears me apart to see the democratic party self-destucting, although most of blame goes to Curalt and Stephanopolus with their idiotic questions. I hope it will not hurt Obama's chances.