Crapola

Well, friends, I return, emboldened by your many encouragements. Not much happening, life goes on in much the same strain as it has these past few years. Ho, hum and all that. Do you guys remember Denicola, the self-proclaimed "Supreme Puntiff"? Well, he's wanting to get a new apartment or house after the new year and hopes I can join him. I'd like to, but the money has to work out, and it would require moving to Portland, which, although it's only a few miles away, is another state and has different taxes and such. Also it would be nice to have a job there, so I don't have to commute across the river. So, a lot of things would have to work out and it's likely I'll just continue to sit here in my little hole in my parents' basement with an obnoxious sixteen-year-old brother who seems to have forgotten he's not six. And how are you guys?

Today at school I was called into a classroom (I carry a walkie-talkie) to help restrain a wild child. The scary thing was he was very calm. With a steady voice and steeley stare he could look adults in the eye and tell them he'd kill them when he was older, although he'd rather we die before then so he wouldn't go to jail. I guess this is what psychopaths are made of? But the sad thing is I don't think it's a question of insanity for the most part. Perhaps a spiritual insanity, if possible, but putting him on Prozac won't save his soul, will it? I felt bad for his dad (came from work to pick him up) he said straight up he didn't know what to do. Of course the principal reccommended taking him to a doctor for a complete physical (meaning get some prescriptions). But I believe his dad. He doesn't know what to do: never has and never will, because he and his wife both work like dogs all day trying to give their kid the American Dream, all the while unintentionally adding to what is in reality an American Nightmare.

This kid was only seven or eight, I guess, but the public schools are really a microcosm of today's societal values. I've worked at all three pre-college levels (elementary, middle, high) and have seen a lot of crazy things. You know, a lot of people see teens acting immature and obdurate towards adults and one another and they say that "kids will be kids" or "they'll grow out of it". But I know better. They won't. That's what our society has decided. We can be kids forever. We should be! Work your ass off (both of you!) so you can buy that new SUV for fifty grand so you can take your one or two ungrateful, spoiled brates to soccer practice (after you pick them up from daycare) then seize the weekend! Go biking in wedgie-making spandex clown uniforms or go mow the lawn or paint the house. Make sure you keep the kids happy with computer games while you're doing that, then go back to work, rinse and repeat. You've heard of old age being a second childhood: it's no longer separated by a period of mature adulthood. Sure, people get older all the time, but not wiser.

Childhood is for the innocent, people. And, sadly, innocence is being ripped out of kids earlier every day. I don't remember ever thinking I wanted to kill anyone, certainly not adults. But isn't that how adults think now? Well, if you don't do what I want, when I want it, how I want it, I'll divorce/insult/rob/slander/murder you. That's how people act, but at least they never have to grow up. Well, hope this cheered you all up. We may not have a hope for the future of our government, but at least sixty-year-olds still have active sex drives. It's the American Dream taken to the max, baby.

Post

Well, by popular demand I return. Not much has happened in the month since I've returned, but this stupid crock-o-crap presidential race (already?) is getting pretty heated. I try to ignore it, but it's hard. I have some thoughts, so I'll jump right in. Someone who reads this blog invited me in good faith to join a Facebook group called "keep Hilary out" or something to that effect. Now, be it known that I consider the desire to keep Hilary Roddam Clinton out of the White House a noble sentiment. However, I'm getting so freaking sick and tired of this horse crap I hear on the radio echoing that desire and taking it to the extreme. Sean Hannity (aka Sean Vannity and Pawn Hannity) has this little thing he says several times throughout his radio show about keeping Hilary out, "that's all we ask". Therefore, vote Ghouliani (not even gonna try to spell it right).

I remember when I was at T.A.C. both witnessing and participating in some pretty heated discussions about why I or Ken (the old man on campus while I was there?) HAD A DUTY to vote Bush in the election, to keep Kerry out. What is wrong with this picture? Everything we do in elections is now geared toward preventing worst-case scenarios, rather than focusing on achieving the best possible good. Have we all bought into this propoganda from the political machine to "make your vote count!!!"? I was told that to vote for a 100% pro-life guy (well, Bush is mostly pro-life....) who we all know has no chance is to waste my vote and add to the probability that Kerry will get in.

You know what, the machine doesn't want my vote. My duty is not to "make my vote count", as I see it. Aren't we supposed to be the light of the world as Catholics? How can we effect positive change if we're just satisfied with keeping greater evil out from occuring? What if the Church took that approach in mission work? Well, let's let these savages keep head-hunting as long as we can keep them from robbing. Or let's not weed out petafile priests, let's just keep them from murdering their victims, too. Huh? Those are both ridiculous things to say, because they're real life problems! People need to stop treating politics like it's a game! There's this bizarre disconnect when it comes to politics, wherein people's actions can be so contradictory to their beliefs.

And it's idiots like Sean Hannity (the self-proclaimed "great American" and pro-life-in-some-situations Catholic) who want me to disconnect myself in this way. Schizophrenia is in my family, but I'm not ready to have it voluntarily. I won't stop the shop-lifter as long as I'm pretty sure he's not gonna kill anyone. And the most frustrating and insidious thing about all this is that the people who promote this crap won't admit it. I'm not allowed to call it a "lesser of two evils" vote. They find ways to justify it. Well, so-and-so's pretty pro-life. The Catechism doesn't say he has to be 100%. Please. I'll bet 95% of T.A.C. voted for Bush in '04 and my good friend who especially tried to convince me to assured me that he'd do a better job his next time around. He'll be free to be more vehemntly pro-life, blah blah blah. Right, that's exactly what I'm seeing. And I'm sure Ghouliani will be the same.

Well, go vote for whoever the hey you want to. But I'll bet if you were honest you'd never have made Bush your first choice, all else being equal. I'm not going to change your minds. People feel more strongly about politics than I do. I'm pretty apathetic because I despise the system that makes some of my peers think I'm doing wrong to not vote for a guy like Bush. And I'm not mentioning any names, in fact the two people who read this blog have never voiced their political convictions in any detail to me, so don't think I'm berating you. I'm just annoyed. Peace and love to all and I hope you both have Veteran's day off from whatever work you do. Oh, wait, EH doesn't get time off. Pthpthpthpthp!!!!:-P