Command+D: Hope
posted in Doin' Our Thang |Better late than never!
Okay y’all, I started doing Command+D in part to try to distract myself from politics and political blogs, to which I am addicted, but I have to devote this one to our next President, because it’s all I’ve been able to think about for the past week and a half. Okay it’s all I’ve been able to think about since about July, but hey, who’s counting?
Anyway, I promise all of the links below are still as awesome as the other links you’ve seen here and are all certified Command-D-worthy. Some are a little bit wordy, but they’re still awesome. Barack the house y’all!
1. Relive the moment as if you were right there with him. He’s still cool as a cucumber? I don’t understand how he wasn’t running around shirtless like Brandi Chastain.
2. And remember the campaign in images. These are all sweet, and I don’t use the adjective “sweet” casually, so you know I mean it. Srsly though, this is I think the “restoration of the American Dream,” Tim talked about.
3. You may have heard a lot of false accusations about Obama, but did you know that he’s a geek? I particularly wish that I could have seen the Vulcan salute. How could you not love that?
4. He’s also Irish.
5. Enough funny stuff, I really hope everyone takes a look at THIS LINK and realize that we actually have a voice in this process. For example, how’d you like to have this guy as the man in charge of the Bailout money? Sign the petition here!
6. Of course, not everyone is as confident that they’ll have a say in the government. I’d say there are definitely some skeptics out there. You don’t have to be conservative to be moon-bat crazy.
7. Just to get it out of my system, I’ll give you a taste of what could have been… GWB, eat your heart out. This is just wrong, but so, so funny.
9. Lets not forget the tongue jutting. Not for a long, long time.
10. Okay, one last link that has nothing to do with politics (but it still instills a sense of hope)!
On a somewhat related note, I wanted to ask you all a question that’s been plaguing me for the past week. As you may have seen, we made a little video about McCain supporters and a subsequent one about Obama supporters. At the end of each video is a plea to make calls on behalf of the Obama campaign. That’s what the videos were supposed to do, show how whacky the McCain camp had gotten and fuel a fear of his victory so as to rouse people to the task of calling people to pester them about politics. Well, it certainly got popular, but I don’t know if it acheived the desired effect. In fact I was overwhelmed with the venomous comments that were left calling for the hapless McCain supporters to be deported, silenced, arrested and even killed. George Lakoff’s “nurturant parent” worldview emphasizes empathy; how we’re all one and we therefore must care for one another as we would ourselves. In contrast “strict father” mentality emphasizes the “otherness;” how there is good and evil in the world and you must defeat your enemies. If I claim to be a progressive, how can I push a video like this which clearly pits one group against another? The same goes for the Obama supporter video, although it seems to show how Obama himself embodies the nurturant parent model.
Yet at the same time, it is something I don’t neccesarily want people to forget. The video is my own document of the thoughts and emotions that were prevelant at that place and time. Plus, it is currently the most popular video I’ve ever made.
In light of the historic election we’ve just experienced, I’ve considered removing the video from YouTube, and I’d like your advice. What do you think you’d do if you were me? Am I just being proud to leave it up there, or am I being overly sensitive and egotistical to think it’s been influencing anyone’s train of thought? Comments away! I’ll see you next week.
