Tag Archives: 2012 election

March 21, 2012 · 8:33 pm

FEAR OF DEATH: The Politics of Fear and Loathing

FEAR OF DEATH: the Politics of Fear and Loathing
Louise Annarino
March 21, 2012

Few among us do not fear death. So much so, that most of us refuse to discuss it, nor even think about it. My 2d. grade Catholic catechism instructed me that God made me to show His goodness and to make me happy with Him in heaven. This told me 2 things: life was good, and heaven was good. But, I knew I had to die to get to heaven. I knew I was made to live, then to die, then to live again. Does it make dying any easier to contemplate I shall live again, or still, after I die? Not really. This is merely a theory, a tenet of faith, after all. Who really knows?

One thing I do know; death is not pretty. I have sat near the bedsides of my dying parents and friends. Their physical and emotional suffering, physical deterioration, sense of helplessness, utter dependence on others, and questioning why any of it is necessary is heartbreaking. I struggled to be faithfully present for them, to keep a smile on my face, to offer a gentle touch of personal care, to remain hopeful. I felt terror that I might have to stare death in the face, that my grief might overwhelm the loving relationship we shared, that I could cause physical or emotional pain. And I felt guilt.

I felt guilt that I would continue to live, that I enjoyed my free time, and that I planned for my future. Most of all, I felt guilt because I was relieved I was not the one who was dying. That is the secret we all keep to ourselves. We keep quiet about death because we rationalize that if we avoid thinking or talking about it, it will not happen; not to us. We act as though we are immortal, totally in charge of our world and our lives. We fear death. We have given it a power of its own. In reality, it belongs to us. It became ours the moment we were born. When we run from death we are running from ourselves.

What if an entire culture were facing death? First, we must answer the question, “What is death?” A simple answer might be : the end of life; or, perhaps, a transition from one life or energy form to another. What we really fear is the disintegration of self, the inability to be who we are at our core. The death of our body does not frighten us so much as the death of our soul-personality-inner being. Our essence, the “I” we feel at our deepest level, is immortal, never-ending, never-changing. Truly, we are made in the image of God, for these attributes are those we normally assign to God. We are god-like, on the way to becoming one with God. What we fear is the loss of our personhood, our individuality, the name we call ourselves, our personal power to be us. So even the thought of going to heaven to be one with God is a very scary proposition. We want to maintain our identity, our uniqueness, our control. We don’t even want to give it up to be one with God.

So, if a culture were facing disintegration; if it had to constantly adjust to the attempted merger with identities unlike itself, who might threaten its uniqueness and control…would it be afraid? Would it want to avoid any change to its identity? Would it want to persist in its uniqueness? Would it fear the “other”, no matter how good or god-like the other is? Would it be too afraid to talk about its fear? Would it be angry whenever someone else brought up related subjects. Would it fear a loss of control? Would it fear a disintegration of self ? Can a culture die? What happens when it does?

When I listen to the tea party, Republican leaders, and Republican presidential candidates attack President Obama I hear the fear of death; the death of an ideology, a political party. When I see what appears to be a Sanford,Florida police cover-up of the murder of Travyon Martin; and, when I listen to the phone tapes of his killer, witnesses etc. I hear the fear of death, the death of racial superiority. When I listen to Joe Arpaio, Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona discuss his need to control immigrants, I hear the fear of death; the death of white “good ole’ boy” culture that is “as American as motherhood and apple pie”. When I hear Rick Santorum denounce science and man-made climate change, I hear the fear of death; the death of religious domination of thought. When I tabulate the efforts to deny women access to birth control, reproductive freedom, and abortion rights I see the fear of death; the death of control by men over women. When I hear Governors such as Wisconsin’s Walker and Ohio’s Kasich attack labor unions, regulation of Wall Street and corporations, I hear the fear of death; the death of moneyed interests’ absolute control of wealth. When I hear FOX News and other media sources ignore facts, twist facts, create facts and outright lie I hear the fear of death; the death of media control of information.

What if we admit we will die? What if we admit our “culture” will die? I submit that once we accept death we can get on with living. But so long as we continue to live in denial we must live in fear. I am not afraid of dying. Either I will transition, or I won’t; but, I can do nothing to stop the system. It is an evolutionary scheme I am part of by reason of my birth. And, I am just ornery enough to believe my personality is immortal. I will go on and on and on. I have just as much confidence in my country, my nation, my American culture. It is a culture prepared for change, ready to evolve, eager to accept the “Other”. America is a country which transforms itself into something ever-new. It is this alchemy of spirit which makes us a strong nation. We take the base metal of so many different ethnicities, religions, and ideologies and turn them into gold. This does not make me afraid; it makes me hopeful. It makes me proud. President Obama, despite what the fearful “birthers” would have us believe, is the quintessential American.

Christian liberals marvel at the fear expressed by fundamentalist Christians, fundamentalist Muslims, and fundamentalist Jews. One thing all religions have in common is a story to resolve our fear of death. Perhaps, resolving the fear of death will allow us to enjoy an America where a civil conversation is possible, and we don’t need to lie to one another or ourselves. Now that would be heaven on earth.

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March 13, 2012 · 12:41 am

WALKING WITH ANGELA: DAY 2

WALKING WITH ANGELA: DAY 2

Louise Annarino

March 12, 2012

We were walking home from the library; a visit to the library a daily event. My mother Angela would allow me to roam the library for books to read to myself, as she read to my younger brother. We bundled into our heavy sweaters and stuffed our check-out books into the pouch on the back of the stroller,tucked a blanket around my brother Michael and headed home. I had been disappointed that my 6 year old older brother Angelo was able to go to school, but I would have to wait until I was older. The library visit was one way to appease my hunger for knowledge.

The library was a magnificent and, to me, magical building of brick and granite, with Doric columns and huge multi-paned windows. The architecture became less impressive as we walked to the South-End, under the railroad trestle, to the house my Great-Grandfather had built from used materials. The wood was so old and dense that it was nearly impossible to hammer a nail in the wall. Holding onto the handle of the stroller, chatting with Mom, noting the changing demographic markers from rich to poor as we walked home, I asked Mom, “Are we poor?”

“No”, she said, “I have been poor and we are not poor. We have plenty of food to eat. You have your own bed with blankets to warm you. You have dolls to play with and books to read. There will always be someone with less than you, and others with more. Never compare yourself to anyone else.”

“Well, I don’t see why we don’t put all the money in the world into one big pile and just let everyone take their share. Then, no one would be poor,” I offered.

“Oh yes, they would,” Mom replied. “Some people would grab more than they should. Others would not be fast enough to pull out their share. Some would spend their money foolishly and end up with nothing. Others would steal from people or trick them into giving up their money. And, we would end up right back where we started.”

Well, that was an education in economics I was not happy to learn. But, Mom was right, as usual. She told me to work hard, study hard, and not waste my money on cheap clothes, nor useless items. And to “NEVER follow a fad.” She said that fads made people spend money on things that were poorly made, not meant to last, and easily discarded. In other words, a total waste.

Politics, as well as other arenas of American cultural activity, has become a fad for too many Americans. They are “dittoe-heads” who watch hate mongers for entertainment. They don’t take the time to search for lasting solutions, for policies which are “well made” and fit the needs of the country’s long-term economic growth. Unexciting but sound ideas make poor “sound bites”. They look for cheap fixes such as denying women contraceptive health care.They would end the Affordable Care Act, instead of improving it as single-payer health care, which is the most cost-effective health care delivery system. They deny LGBT community its civil rights. They tell immigrants to “self-deport”. They love the latest fad constructed by Karl Rove or the Tea Party.

The voters follow the fads of wall street and hedge fund investors, and commodities and oil traders; instead of regulating their activities, and despite the fact their un-regulated trades and investments brought this country to near-bankruptcy.

The approval rating of  President Obama rises and falls with gas prices, despite the fact he has increased US oil production to an all-time high, his policies have reduced the demand for oil, and he has expanded the development and use of alternative energy sources. Oh, and while he was doing all this, he saved the entire world from a second “great depression”. His administration is not a fad.

Thanks to Angela, I never follow fads. I look for sound economic policies with lasting impact. I am voting for President Obama.

Those who refuse any support for President Obama’s economic policies should have taken a walk with Angela.

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March 8, 2012 · 12:11 pm

RICH OR POOR, WE EACH WANT MORE

RICH OR POOR, WE EACH WANT MORE

Louise Annarino

March 8, 2012

 

When I attended the University of Cincinnati College of Law 1st year law students were not permitted to work; they had to devote full time to their studies. The Assoc. Dean granted me “special permission” to work. It was the only way I could afford to pay tuition,rent etc. Books were not a problem. I simply bought them as soon as they appeared on the shelves, read them within the 1st ten days of classes and returned them for full refund, after outlining each chapter. One does what one must. Most students had parental or spousal help. Those whose parents were poor, who were unmarried and in debt from undergraduate school were on our own, accumulating even more debt, but rich in dreams.

 

I first worked for the university in a federally subsidized job until funds were cut off. Next I worked for the I.R.S., driving to its Kentucky warehouse, 30 minutes south of Cincinnati off I-75, for a 3p.m. to 1a.m. shift. When the shift was extended to 3 a.m. it became even more difficult to tay awake through my 8 a.m.- 1p.m. classes. One morning, as I was leaving for my Saturday 9 a.m- 3 p.m. shift, my back went into spasms after bending over to pick up a carton of yogurt for my lunch. I could not stand upright. The pain was too severe.

 

After examining me my doctor asked with whom I was so angry that I wanted to hit him. The muscles one would use to strike out at someone or something were clenched tight. I explained my landlord had warned me that he would evict me should I entertain my African-American boyfriend in the future. Since he lived in Columbus and we both worked so many hours we rarely saw one another. During his recent and first visit, I was in Kentucky working most of the time. Since my landlord lived above me (I rented the lower level of his home), he knew who my few guests were. I wanted to hit my landlord, but knew I could not. Cheap apartments within walking distance of school were nearly impossible to find, especially after the semester started. I walked upright and pain free out of the doctor’s office after, protecting himself with a large pillow, he encouraged me to hit him as hard as I could, imaging he was my landlord. Not speaking out, not striking out, against injustice and racism is harmful. It is too high a price to pay.

 

But this was not the most significant discussion I had with the doctor. When he listened to my frustrations, he asked what I thought was a strange question, “Why do you hate money?” I assured him I did not. He assured me that anyone who worked so hard as I did, with the level of education and intelligence I had, should not be poor. Therefore he explained I was avoiding becoming rich. The proverbial light bulb opened my vision into my motives and I realized he was right. Growing up, I saw how disinterested persons of wealth were in my family and my neighbors in the south side of town near the railroad tracks. I saw how the wealthiest people in town disdained my neighbors and my neighborhood. I knew first hand how difficult it was to escape poverty, as rich people grasped all they could to keep it from my grasp, doling out pennies they earned off my labor and keeping rolls of dollars for themselves. I did not want to be like them. The doctor offered a simple solution. Don’t. Get rich and give it all away. From that moment on it became a goal to give away all I could earn.

 

I no longer dislike rich people. I put aside my prejudice that day in the doctor’s office, and opened my heart to many wonderful rich people. Not all rich people are greedy. Most are kind-hearted. Most are generous with their time and money. Our cities would not be able to survive without their generosity. But the rift between rich and poor is widening and the fear each group has of the other is less easy to control. This is a situation ripe for political manipulation. We see it every day.

 

Some Democrats mistrust President Obama because he works so closely with bankers, brokers, and business leaders. Some Republicans mistrust President Obama because he works so closely with Acorn, Planned Parenthood, and the NAACP. Palestinian supporters mistrust him when he has discussions with AIPAC; and Israel’s supporters mistrust him when he holds discussions with Arab leaders. It goes on and on. The truth is, he works with everyone who offers ideas to build an America of future promise. How can any problem be solved without talking to all parties to a solution? Must we continually let our fears and prejudices impede pragmatic and lasting outcomes? Are we so blind to the interest of others that we can no longer see our own interest? That is where I once was, and it nearly brought me to my knees. The doctor was right. I needed to  speak out and fight for my interest, but without disparaging those who had already figured that out. Rich people. So, stop blaming President Obama for opening our eyes to uncomfortable truths. Poor people need rich people. Rich people need poor people. America needs each of us, working together.President Obama represents all Americans, rich and poor. He should work closely with both. Thank you Mr. President. Do not bow before the weight of our prejudice. We cannot pile that on your shoulders. We need to carry it ourselves , or discard it and stand tall, ready to solve this nation’s problems alongside you.

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January 23, 2012 · 11:46 pm

LETTERS FROM HOME: POLITICAL E-MAILS

LETTERS FROM HOME: Political E-Mails

Louise Annarino,

January 23, 2012

Political e-mails, I call them “letters from home”, from friends and family tend to fall into one of several categories:

  1. Ad hominem attacks on President Obama using “facts” proven untrue: e.g. refuses to show his birth certificate, apologist for America as evildoer, spending country into ruin, raised taxes etc.
  2. References to an un-cited article published by well-known news source as basis for  “facts” proven untrue.
  3. Religious pieces with art depicting Christ on the cross, candles with moving flames across the flag and cross; citing scripture etc. before attacking Obama for stopping Americans from praying, reading scripture or forcing them to pay for abortions.
  4. Letters from unknown  or anonymous (they would be destroyed if they disclosed their identity)persons, veterans, military personnel, or secret agents describing some horrendous anti-American act/ statement by President Obama which Politifact and other neutral fact checkers indicate are lies.
  5. Racist rants.

The one thing each of these has in common is that they intertwine reality with lies, their source cannot be found, there is no factual basis for the allegations contained within, they claim liberal-elitist media is keeping the story under wraps…AND…we are warned that if we do not forward this information something terrible will happen.

I used to go line-by-line refuting each allegation with facts which were properly cited to original source material, and hit “reply all” asking each person to forward my response to others whom they had sent the e-mail. I received 3 types of response:

  1. a personal attack on my character, intelligence and morality ( I am being prayed for all over America!);
  2. personal threats to maim or kill me;
  3. warnings to never send such Obama garbage to them again (of course they persist in continuing to send me attack Obama e-mails);
  4. no response at all.

Now, I just hit “delete”. Because such emails are not a true effort to communicate. The people who send them are not inherently stupid, nor deranged. They are not un-educated, nor unread. They are not mean, nor uncaring. They simply hate having an African-American president more they than hate sounding stupid. Yes, they also hate having a Democratic president. But what frightens them most is that the era of  heterosexual,white male dominance is over. They sense the game can’t be rigged in their favor much longer. African-Americans, Latinos, East Asians, West Africans and other new immigrant groups are gaining demographic majority far faster than anticipated. Women and the LGBT community are gaining professional and economic clout at an increasing pace. President and Michelle Obama are a daily “in-your-face” reminder that the power of privileged white men is on shaky ground. They need to dominate our political bodies: legislative, executive and judicial to maintain their presumed superiority. President Obama’s success are an affront to their control. They do not fear he is failing the country; they fear his success. What else can they do but lie … to themselves, to one another, and to us – their family and friends? And, when we do not buy the lie, they attack us personally.  I cannot lie to myself or to them, merely to hold the sense of family and friendship. I welcome the wonders a diverse leadership of this country can bring. As a woman, I resent their insistence I must accept their white, male dominance as a sacred reality. I am saddened by this loss of communion. I had enjoyed communicating with them. I no longer do. Is this how the Civil War became possible?

Even right-wing, Tea Party, Christian fundamentalist Michele Bachman is an unacceptable threat to the male dominance espoused by  today’s political conservatives: “Rival presidential candidate Rick Santorum’s Iowa coalitions director, Jamie Johnson, sent out an email saying that children’s lives would be harmed if the nation had a female president. He wrote it in June, but it surfaced on the campaign trail in the fall.

“The question then comes, ‘Is it God’s highest desire, that is, his biblically expressed will, … to have a woman rule the institutions of the family, the church, and the state?’ ” Johnson’s email said.”

– DesMoines Register ,January 12, 2012 , Jennifer Jacobs;

Candidate Santorum offered no response; and Johnson, in an NBC interview stated his position is rooted in “classical Christian doctrine.”

That explains why so many people are praying for me! Please comment explaining how you handle such e-mails.

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January 22, 2012 · 3:34 pm

ENTHUSIASM GAP

Enthusiasm Gap

Louise Annarino

January 22, 2012

A pragmatist seeking to change direction finds a way, despite the obstacles put in his path.Rep. Boehner refusing to bring a vote to the floor, continual Republican filibusters in the House and Senate, Reps. Mitchell, Cantor et. al. affirming they will do everything possible to create a failed presidency, PACS distorting and lying about President Obama’s successes. The brick walls are numerous, tall and wide.

Republicans should do this.This is what the Republican Party must do to win elections. Their policies message do nothing to produce jobs, decrease the deficit over the long term, curb excesses and corruption among the moneyed class which controls banking, investment, insurance and health industries (these used to be considered services, not industries), or create a more secure world. Thus, they must attack Democratic incumbents. This is the game of politics. If you have no message, use ad hominem attacks and distort the opponent’s message. Of course they should do this. And Obama supporters should understand this; but, too many of us seem to fall for it.

We human beings are ego-driven. If someone does not pull the car in the driveway the right way, or adds sugar to their sauce, or snorts when they laugh instead of chuckling, we roll our eyes! At any gathering one will find secret glances stolen when someone in the group doesn’t measure up to scrutiny. Sometimes it is better to withhold judgement and simply support one another; not in blind acceptance, but in shared consideration of the difficulties of life, and our common humanity. Sometimes, subliminal racial bias distorts our sense of common humanity.

President Obama told us over and over “We are the change”; we, not just him. A lesser man would have crumbled under the racist onslaught he, Michelle and their children face ever day. I heard recently that Michelle gets more death threats than the president. Do those who feel less enthusiastic about this president have any idea what such attacks do to a person? Could you handle it so well as the Obama family handles it? Recall the racist images on signs at Tea Party rallies. Listen to the Republican debates as presidential contenders talk code, and define American values as those of a white racist past, rather than the enlightened American values the Democratic Party and President Obama stand for. Newt Gingrich won a primary with a high turnout from the old order of South Carolina. But most of America lives in a new day. If we can get people registered and to the polls; and, if the 2012 polls are run fairly, Democrats will see that the  majority of Americans support an enlightened America and President Obama.

When a pragmatist hits a brick wall (in today’s political environment this has become the norm) he climbs over it, digs under it, or goes around it. This takes more time, more effort, and can look foolish. But, in the long run, it works. Instead of catcalls from those disappointed he did not tear down the wall (and satisfy their egos) they could help him. Put out your hands to boost him over the wall. Pick up a shovel and dig under the wall. Or, chart a course he can use to circumvent the wall. And cheer him on as he struggles on our behalf. President Obama is a pragmatist. He is a man of vision who takes the long view. He is like us, hopes that getting to the goal can be done easily; and, when it cannot, changes his strategy. He never gives up. Neither should we.

Enthusiasm is overrated. Hard work, willingness to take the hard knocks and get back up, persistence, and willingness to appear foolish at times are underrated. When we put the two styles together we are invincible. We must, take the time to review President Obama’s many accomplishments during his first term. Has he made mistakes? Who hasn’t? Has he course-corrected when he did? Yes, he has. He does not make excuses, nor cover them up. He owns them and corrects them. That is a president I can be enthusiastic about!

 

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