Yesterday our children got a beautiful pep talk from an articulate, successful man who overcame an under privileged childhood to become the first black President of the United States. A kind human being that knows about hard work and the need for confidence and education took the time to tell my kids, who are also being raised by a struggling single mother, that they must take responsibility for their own lives and education, that where they are right now doesn't have to determine where they'll end up, that no one's written their destiny for them and that they make their own future. He challenged them to set goals for themselves, to never give up on themselves, and to not let their failures define them. He inspired them by asking them what their contribution is going to be. What problems are they going to solve? What discoveries will they make?Right before this man spoke to my daughter, a girl in her class got up and started gathering her books. My daughter asked her where she was going. Her response: "My mom doesn't want me to listen to Satan."
Let me clarify one thing - I have actually heard Satan's pep talk to kids and it talks a lot about doing drugs to make life better, having lots of sex with kids from detention centers with condoms made of rice paper, burning crosses on the lawns of people you don't like, hating yourself, hating your parents, dropping out of school to become rodeo clowns, posing naked for magazines that don't airbrush and sticking your head up the butts of large zoo animals.
Satan my ass.
Thank you, Mr. President, for giving a shit about my kids.
4 comments:
Don't you realize, dear Emily, that here in Utah it doesn't matter what President Obama says or does. His messages are irrelevant here in Zion- and where ever its like-minded adherants are found. It's not about the message. Not the positive message of hope or responsibility. Not the message of pledging to better ones self. Not the message that health care for all Americans is a moral issue. No.
It's about the messenger.
Modern America is no longer about the "what." It is about the "who". Who said the words. America has become a place where personal politics is the most important thing. It is now more important to be right-- to win-- to discredit the other side and see them fail, rather than work together for the common good. The era of the "civil servant" is dead. Civility in our public discourse is now considered a weakness. To be respectful of another point of view other than our own is to somehow show timidity or is percieved as not "defending the right".
Sadly, religion feeds this cycle. It entrenches this attitude even deeper by claiming that God justifies their position and allows them to falsely claim the moral high ground in all discussions.
They reduce everthing down to good vs. evil. God and Satan. This simplistic, magical-world thinking diminishes our rational thinking abilities. It demonizes and polarizes.
No one is free of bias. Yet, with such forces warping the field of public discourse, the divide between left and right will only widen. This is why we so desparately need logical, compassionate, tolerant voices grounded in reason- like yours, Emily.
That is why you must keep this important blog going. It, and all voices like it here in Utah are like clean, cool water in the desert.
I Love You
AW
Oh gosh, I just discovered you. I am sick in bed today with serious congestion and have almost died several times due to laughing hysterically and then choking on my own phlegm. Thank you, thank you. I'm kind of hoping my sickness will last longer so I can continue to lie here and read all your back posts. wonderful. wish you lived in ca. wanna be BFF?
Large zoo animals.....dying.
I wish I lived in CA too!!! BFFs? Why the hell not? :-)
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