I don't know what it was about this morning, but I woke up feeling so disgusted I was almost (and still am) nautious, just thinking about our country. Maybe not so much this 'country' as our politics and goverment over the past few years.

I didn't even realize until minutes ago that the 4th of July is tommorrow, and it's supposed to be the time for celebrating our independence et al. But sometimes I just get so bogged down by all the negative, that I feel suffocated, and like I just need to get out..and I'm not even someone who is personally being persecuted, repressed, or discriminated against by our state.

It just blows my mind how America, in 2007, could have a leader who in many ways embodies and encourages the same sort of extreme-ism and control (some religiously based) as King George, the man responsible for driving colonists to this country in the first place, and who's rule we worked so hard to finally free ourselves from in 1776.

I just don't get it. I really don't.

And I'm not even gonna get into any of the hot topics, like Katrina, War, Environmental Crisis, etc. etc. (not that their un-important), but just the way this president has been conducting his office, is increasingly resembling a tyrant in my eyes. Calling himself 'the Decider' and continuously veto-ing any bills that take so much time, effort, and compromise, to even pass Congress so easily or without even reading them if he sees mention of a target withdrawal date for troops from Iraq. It's completely ridiculous. Issuing a “signing statement” with his own interpretation which can make null and void any law he doesn’t care to execute is exactly what Andrew Johnson was impeached for.

The founders did not want one supreme ruler as “the decider” which is why James Madison’s careful system of checks and balances of power was instituted in the Constitution. And the ultimate “deciders” in a democracy, were to be the citizens of the United States. Only in authoritarian and/or fascist governments do you have power invested in one person or small cadres of people. It's becoming evident that this administration considers itself above the law, above criticism, and above any responsibility to govern as the representative of the American people.

When a large majority of the American people decided in the last elections that they oppose the war, he goes on 60 Minutes and says that, well, sometimes he had to be “educator in chief” as well as “commander in chief.” Seriously. Wtf is that about? He leads and we follow. We’re to have no choice? Because it doesn't matter who knows what is best, be it him, or anyone else, he's the boss, and he'll do what he wants regardless.

I'm not hating on our country. There are sooo many things I love about it, that I took for granted, or didn't even know about it, before I lived in another country (and I'm not talking food, or weather). And I'm not just being critical of our government, trust me, I've been plenty critical of myself lately, for not being as aware, or actively involved in what's going on, as I should be. Especially concerning women's issues, foreign policy, and definitley gay rights (which in my opinion should just be an extension of 'Civil Rights').

I've always considered myself a supporter of the gay/lesbian community, but just saying I'm all for it, isn't enough, and after finding out some of injustices they face lately, it just literally make my heart hurt, and I almost feel guilty (if I were a straight, white, man, it would suck even more, haha).

Let's just say, for example, that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have been living together for over 7 years now, and Angelina gets in a horrible accident. When Brad goes to the hospital he would be allowed information on her condition whether she's doing okay or not, what the doctors are doing to her, and he is allowed to see her, based on the fact that even though they're not married, they have kids together and have been living together, so the state recognizes their relationship under common law marrige, so he has the rights to do so.

However, if Angelina had fallen in love with a woman, and they had been living together for 7, 10, even 20 years, under the same circumstances--not married, have children together, in a relationship resembling the practice of marriage, her partner, let's call her Bradi, would have absolutely no rights to anything once she steps foot in the hospital. She's not considered family, even though they have one together, and the law does not recognize their relationship, so the only people who would be able to find out what the hell is going on, would be Angelina's mother (who is dead) and her father (from whom she is estranged). Bradi wouldn't be allowed to know if her children's mother is dead already, dying, or having an operation, and wouldn't be included in any decisions that needed to be made.

How f-ing horrible is that? Who the hell has the right to say their love is any more real or sacred than someone else's? Not me. That's for sure.

For one, if all the hullabaloo is about religion and what God wants, I can't think of God wanting anything more for his creations than to experience love in our short short lifetimes. Secondly, we're not the only creatures on this planet. Do you really think He is going to be as concerned with who it is each of us fall in love with, as the rest of us in our egocentric society?

And if it's about the sex, then for all the scientifically focused minds, consider this. The human race is at a point where procreation via means of woman+man is no longer essential to the survival of our species. Meaning the purpose of sex is now primarily for pleasure. And honestly, who knows better how to understand a woman (and what a woman wants), more than a woman. Or vice versa, with a man. So if you're physically attracted to someone of the same gender, why should it be such a big deal.

Seriously though, isn't this the same shizz we went through with interracial relationships and marriages? Why, when we change the rules to allow for women and men to have the same rights, and all races/ethnicities to have the same rights, do we still find some group of people to exclude from Club Equality.

It just doesn't make sense to me. We're still pretty far from all human beings being equal on any standards, be it class, sex, race, etc. but I just needed to come vent somewhere. And hey, it's my blog, so why not purge it all here. Much easier than writing it all out in a journal. Less hand cramps this way :)

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