Ding Dong, the Wicked Witch is Dead...now what?

President Obama did it.  Or, should I say the Navy Seals did it?  In any event; the one task that needed doing was accomplished last night, the death of Osama Bin Laden.  While revenge is sweet for Americans, it causes me to wonder when the next shoe will drop.

If you think the score has been settled, think again.  This will be an ongoing chess match of intelligence and human lives.  We have the #1 man that was in charge of the horrendous 9/11 catastrophes and it validates my hunch all along; IF President George W. Bush wanted to kill Bin Laden, he could have.  Did he REALLY think he was in Iraq?  C'mon.  All intelligence pointed to Pakistan.  So, after 8 years of "Dub'ya" we were about as close to nabbing Bin Laden as the proverbial man on the moon.  Instead, we went against the United Nations, Intelligence reports and set our sights on Saddam Hussein.  Can we say, O-I-L?  Sure, I knew you could.

Now we have a President in office that has been working his tail off even before he was sworn into office.  All because Dubya had his Iraq war and Saddam's death to boast about in his memoirs of accomplishments so he was done.  President Obama is in office for about 2 years and manages to kill the most wanted man in America (and beyond really) precisely where we thought he was all these years:  Pakistan, not Iraq.  Meanwhile, we invite the leader of Iran to speak at Columbia University in New York City.  Am I the only one that thinks this is downright weird???

One thing is for sure; there are ALOT of people that were snowed by the Bushes and Cheney.  In fact, I was blown away to see a bumper sticker on the car ahead of me at a traffic light which had a picture of Dubya with the caption:  "Miss Me Yet?"

I shook my head in disbelief and pulled into a gas station to fill up.

More Musings Later-

Watching Until My Eyes Were Filled with Tears

I've written about growing up in the South many times before this post. But as faithful readers will know, some things about growing up in the South were painful.

I grew up in southeast Texas where the weather was so hot, that it took considerable effort to move about. The humidity was so heavy that it was like breathing water. The only thanks for enduring the weather and conditions was the fact that living in such a tropical climate insured everyone a youthful appearance. Although I wasn't concerned with issues such as these.

My days were spent playing outside, throwing a ball around with a friend, or riding a bike up and down my street. That was my youth, carefree and void of the harsher things in life.

The first time I remember becoming an adult, I was by myself and bouncing a ball on the driveway. The sun was almost ready to set and cicadas were just starting their screeching for the evening. I stopped bouncing the ball and listened to them. In the distance, I could hear what appeared to be an old, rattled truck coming down the road. I didn't know if the City was spraying for mosquitoes are not. The act that I believe brought on my Parkinson's disease. As the noise got closer, I decided it couldn't be a government truck. It had to be a flatbed truck.

Finally, the truck slowly came down my street and on back of this truck were huge pieces of lumber and several men standing up, holding on to the cab for stability. 2 of the men saw me and began shouting propaganda that was overwhelmingly filled with hate. It burned my ears as they continued shouting. I noticed all my neighbors quickly went inside their homes. They were such a sight. Their white robes billowing in the wind and their masks carefully hiding their faces. Either from shame or blame. I knew they would be building crosses and burning them in a black family's yard. Later that evening, I watched the news and saw the crosses burning against the sienna sky. The glowing images danced across my face as I sat in the dark.

I continued watching until my eyes were filled with tears.

~~~~

Quite a few years later, I visited Memphis, TN. I stood on Beale Street around twilight and noticed that tv stations were gathered and crowds of people were in the streets. I checked the date for a holiday. It was April 4th. The day Martin Luther King was assassinated.

I watched the crowd of mostly black people fill the streets with heavy hearts. The images I saw on tv years ago were again in front of me. The young man was now an old man carrying the same sign hung from his shoulders. "I Am A Man." I watched him walk Beale Street with eyes so sad that when he saw me staring he looked at me and tried to muster a respectful nod. I nodded back wondering how he had the determination to keep walking. Surely he must be tired, I thought. I watched him continue to shuffle down Beale against the sienna sky.

I watched until my eyes were filled with tears.

~~~~

Last night, I silently mused about how warm it was for November in Tennessee. The heat isn't as bad here as it was in Texas, so I was thankful for that. The humidity just wasn't as intense as I remembered it in Groves, Texas. I sat in my easy chair and watched the news. It was another election year where I told others that I "held my nose" and voted Democrat as I always do. I just didn't know much about this man and I really wanted a woman to win the presidency. She had more of a chance than him. She was white, experienced and well....white. Sad to say, that is what it comes down to these days. I continued watching tv that night in the dark waiting for election results. I expected it to be the next day before we knew the winner. I was wrong.

The newsman began to tear up a bit and announced, "Ladies and Gentleman, we have just elected the first African American as president of the United States." I never thought he had a real chance. I voted for him, but I never thought it would actually happen. The camera moved away from the newsman and began to show people gathering at a park in Chicago, Illinois waiting for this man to speak.

The sky was clear and the wind was cool. The evening sky was bathed in silky soothing colors. Far removed from sienna which reminded me of dirt which sometimes soils our hands from the journey we have taken. But not tonight. The images of the news danced across my face in the darkness of my living room and the people I saw were wondrous to me. They showed New York, Ohio, Chicago, Indonesia, Kenya and other countries across the world. People of all colors, creed, and religions hugged one another. Because they had hope.

I thought back to when I saw those men of the KKK in my hometown.

I kept watching until my eyes were filled with tears.

~~~~

If I know one thing; it is this: YES WE CAN.

More Musings Later-

Politics and Other Ugly Business

Can we all say loud and proud, WE ARE FREAKING SICK OF POLITICS!!!

God, I know I am. The catch phrases, the whir of photo ops, shaking of hands, pointing fingers, mud slinging, slogans and such are just flooding my head. It seems everyone thinks YES WE CAN when others feel they want a straight talker. I'm going to throw my 2 cents in on this race and I'm sure no one will think it is profound but me....but enough already.

Barack Obama: I think of his entire family, I like his wife, Michelle the best. She seems to be a straightforward, thoughtful person. Barack? He's a passionate speaker and I don't doubt that he is very sincere. But, he's a politician. He's got questionable associations (in my humble opinion) professionally and personally. I feel like the teacher in Charlie Brown's clas room, (Wah Wah Waaaaahhhh). Nonetheless, it concerns me.

Is he a Jimmy Carter that was truly a decent man and just surrounded himself with bad people? Who knows? We won't know until he becomes president and see what the other side reveals when they start digging for dirt. I'll be voting for Obama with my nose held. I'm a Democrat and always will be. I might add that it truly pisses me off that he is the first black man to run for president and I hoped I would feel...well, better about it than I do. I don't get warm fuzzy feelings from him. I may be totally wrong, but I don't think so. YES WE CAN! So Barack, Can you?

The other side of the ticket is John McCain: Everybody says this, but ya have to take your hat off to the man. He has been through hell and back as a POW. I didn't realize to what extent of torture he went through and all I can say is, God Bless you, man. Two long years of solitary confinement, maming his shoulders and I'm sure alot more. You can't tell me that when these men went to war and especially endured this type of treatment, that they are mentally sound. They're human...they've given too much already. That's one reason I feel he shouldn't be president. After going through all of that trauma, pain and mental/physical abuse...why put yourself through a very stressful job such as president when you are in your 70's?

You're probably thinking, "Well, Ronald Reagan did it." Yeah....my point exactly. He was a flipping actor...and, he played his part beautifully.

Also, McCain is scary...he wants to invade any country he can think of...see? I think the abuse he suffered as a POW is at work here. He's also has bad judgement. Be serious...Palin? She is a joke, and she gets the most laughs every Saturday night on NBC. I guess she has taken over as "Republican Babe" from Ann Coulter.

What I would have given to ask a very blunt and pointed question to both of the candidates when they were in Nashville.

Here's what my question would be: "WithOUT all of the bullshit spin...what is on your agenda for the first 100 days? It better be the economy, send our troops home from Iraq and healthcare." And, the minute Obama or McCain start with the "My Friends" or "Thank you, Taryn for asking this question," I would grab Tom Brokaw's buzzer and remind them. "NO Bullshit! Answer the question! And don't give me crap about healthcare is too expensive...Other countries manage to do it, we can too."

I'm Taryn and I approve this message.

More Musings Later-

With 1 Motion, HISTORY was made.

Ask anyone, I'm not an Obama fan. I have to say, I really really wanted Hillary Clinton to be the nominee. But, it wasn't meant to be. I have been grumbling about it for days and watched the Democratic Convention each night nonetheless.

I was impressed by Michelle Obama and she held my attention throughout her speech. Pretty good speaker since I'm not keen on the subject of her speech - her husband.

The next night I watched Hillary Clinton. She was convincing, inspiring, and convinced me to vote for Obama. Why? No vote = McCain vote. I continued watching her speak, feeling so proud that she was one of the first women to run for the presidency. Her speech turned my stubborness around...pretty powerful if you know how stubborn I am.

Then, the next night: Bill Clinton. As he was introduced, his list of accomplishments were announced: The lowest unemployment in 20 years, a bull market for 8 years, job growth, hell, let's just say unprecedented prosperity. Easily, the finest American president in my lifetime. Whether you love him or hate him, he is brilliant. I listened with interest as he reminded us of the parallels between Governor Clinton of 1992 and Senator Obama of 2008. It was familiar rhetoric.

As I watched Sen. Hillary Clinton interrupt roll call. I was spellbound. This was a moment they would be writing in the history books and I am watching it unfold.

One of the first women to run for president is asking to forego the delegate count in order to nominate the first African American for the Democratic nominee. The first female Speaker of the House, accepted the motion and so it was done. I watched as the cameras panned to audience members as black women and men shed tears of excitement and remembered the long hard road that was navigated initially by Dr. Martin Luther King and a host of others.

Now that a black man is in a position of power, I worry that those who are ignorant and those who are affiliated with hate groups will cause this historical event to run a short course.

Just as Hillary quoted Harriet Tubman in her quest to have women be able to vote, "Keep Going", I'm reminded of Alice Walker's "The Color Purple" when Celie recounts her hardships as a poor, black woman in the South and voices concern regarding her sister-in-law's lofty attitude of herself.
Sure enough, her sister-in-law is labled as "trouble" because of her inner strength and power and she is publicly beaten to the ground both physically and emotionally.

Celie merely offers this simple phrase as the cause of her beating. ..."People don't like it when you're too free..."

Keep your head low and "Keep Going," Sen. Obama.

Democrats are faced with a very important decision

Hillary or Obama?

What's your take? We are faced in this country with 2 "firsts" in this election. The first woman president and the first black president possibility. And, it appears that the country is really wrestling with these two choices.

Personally, I'm backing Hillary. Not just because she is a woman. Here are my reasons:

She is smart. Dare I say, smarter than Bill Clinton and that is really something.

She has been investigated almost the entire 8 years that she was first lady. There are no more surprises. She's been though it, and we all know her skeletons.

She has a passion to straighten out health care. She tried to overhaul the healthcare industry in 93, but the Washington cronies weren't about to have a first lady tackle such a "Presidential" task.

She comes with a built in advisor, former president Bill Clinton. Our country is in such disarray, she is going to need all the resources available to her.

She has pledged to take away corporate america's tax incentives if they ship jobs overseas.

It took a Clinton to clean up Bush Sr's mess and it will take a Clinton to clean up after Jr's mess.

During the Clinton years, we had a paid off debt with a surplus of funds to boot. People were employed, the stock market was booming and people weren't worried about losing their home.

Hillary and Barack

I'm not sure about Obama. The press is reluctant to expose his skeletons. I'm not sure why...the probing questions just aren't there like they were for Hillary. He's a talented orator to be sure, but I just have a nagging feeling there is more to the story than he lets on. Yet, he is doing the traditional politics crap that they all do. Yet, he isn't called on it. Why?
Either way....do the right thing and vote for your choice.

More Musings Later-