Election 2000

Part 2: In which the author offers a solution.

So, what the hell do we do?

Right now, there's nothing we can do. We're stuck with the two party, money ruled system with which we've been governed for the last 200 years. Rich white people formed our government and rich white people continue to run our government.

And, really, what other choice is there? Ralph Nader? Come on, people. He wants to tax meat and anything we "don't like" (translation: anything he don't like). Pat B, the Nazi? Yeah, right. If you plan on voting for him, get the hell away from me.

Face it, we, I have no one in whole of Washington who cares about my ideals, about my believes, about my standards of right and wrong. Us TV children have no voice in the seat of power, and we're do goddamn lazy to do it ourselves.

But we're going to have to do it. The Old White Men in power will just keep getting older and Whiter. Unless someone stands up and faces up to these old bastards, our voice will not be heard. And the government will continue to censor our

that's our!

entertainment. It will continue to police our thoughts.

Think about it this way:  The government will give Big Business, under the guise of the Religious Right (and I'm including Joe Liberman in that statement) free reign to turn This Great Web of ours into a one-way toll road. And the Big Business will come, tearing down everything that they perceive "violates" their "rights". Then it'll expand to any Web Site that doesn't agree with them, or criticizes their Agenda. And so on, and so forth, until the "Independent Content Producer" (to violate Jeff Zeldman's rights) is forced to either become a slave to the Toll Both of the Web, or leave this medium entirely.

Think about it this way: The government, under the guise of a Moral Crusade, will continue to censor the arts until every single artistic thought and vision ever conceived by anyone has to be cataloged, studied, group tested, and pasteurized before it can see the light of day. And it won't stop with movies. It won't stop with TV. Because once they get boring, we'll go back to reading books for our daily doses of sex and violence. Gotta censor them, too, right? Ray Bradbury, after he's executed for "corrupting America's children" will surely roll over in his grave.

It will come to pass. You may not believe me. "He's crazy," you say. "He's seen too many bad movies," you say. It's really comfortable to say things like that from your comfy chair, with that bag of Doritos in your lap. When your children are shot for not thinking of Big Brother, again, don't come bitching to me.

By then, I'll be in Canada, if we haven't invaded them by then. If we have, look for me in France. I liked France. France had it's sex and violence right on the public beaches.

So, you see, it really doesn't matter what we do in this or any other election. The government will become the dicatorian monster so many sci-fi authors have had nightmares about. We can't stop it. Might as well stay at home and watch an R rated movie. No matter how you vote, you won't be able to watch it for long.

Unless . . .

Unless you put down that bag of Doritos, put on a clean shirt and do something about this shit. I don't care what. Start your own political party. One decimated to freedom of speech. To freedom of expression. And to a universe where all beings can live in harmony without being put down because of their race, creed, color, social class, or sexual orientations.

That's my America. An American were people take responsibility for their own actions. An America were people stop shouting at each other about crap that doesn't really matter. An America were people are free to live by their own, personal, moral convictions. Jesus, as long as you aren't killing anyone I don't care what you do in the house. Read a book or bang pencil sharpeners, big damn deal.

Hell, I should run for president. You'd all vote for me right?

Right?

Nah. It wouldn't work. Not unless someone with the clout and the balls stands up and tries to change the system. And that ain't gonna happen.

Not unless Bulworth runs for president.

***

Speaking of which, were still left with the dilemma: on November 7, do you vote or watch a movie?

Hell, vote. Vote your ass off, I say. Because if you don't, you've got no right to complain. We get the government we deserve.

Vote for a man who wants to put guns in every household in American, and open oil fields in our national parks, or vote for a man who lies about lullabies and wants to ban R rated movies.

This really is a pretty shitty choice of evils.

At least Al Gore hasn't said anything about paving the internet. He hasn't said anything, actually.

But, then, that's the problem: nobody is saying anything at all.