“Little Boxes”
6 November 2007
Breaking down barricades and conventions. Expanding tolerance, good will, and a broader community responsibility. Being a “liberal” is about helping people get along and making sure everyone plays fair. I’m so fucking tired of the word “liberal.” In fact, ironically enough, I get pretty fucking tired of words—but what else do I have. Thoughts going right into pleasing action is bliss, but I often miss the mark. Thoughts multiply at such an alarming rate that writing and talking seem to be the medium for my usual state.I guess being fond of writing and reading words—especially stuff that’s “edgy” and attempts to shake up status quos—makes me “liberal.” I am part of a “liberal agenda.” First of all, liberals are terrible at making agendas. Liberals, or those prescribing to “liberalism,” are by definition free and open. Perhaps even more forgiving and flexible. How can we have a doctrine? Our “agenda”—if there is one—might reflect a greater desire for peace and cross-cultural understanding. Maybe we believe that people are inherently good, and deserve compassion and respect—even when they smoke crack and shoplift.I don’t know… should I be so forgiving? I mean, when that guy got splattered all over the news for stroking the base of the bathroom stall like the erect penis he so desired, and then had to lie about it because he’s not publicly liberal, I felt really bad for him. I wanted to give him a hug and say, “Hey man, being liberal isn’t so bad.”We live in such a weird time. That word “doctrine” seems like a good one. I guess we’ve got a doctrine of war going on, and the war is over doctrine. On the surface—or in the mainstream—we’ve apparently got terror coming from people calling other people “infidels.” Wow. There’s a word. An ex once called me an asshole and I thought that was bad. Imagine being called, “Infidel!” The word has a real sting to it, and I think the terrorists are using the term in the heaviest sense possible. We’re not just cheating on our spouses all the time; we’re on the naughty list of the holy of all holies, and the punishment for such status is a slow and painful death.Beneath the surface of these terror plots coming from the land of algebra, there are those who claim our USA doctrine is entwined with these same plots in order to feed the “war machine.” To quote the words of an extra-liberal bumper sticker, “BUSH KNEW.” When I first saw this, my immediate thought-to-word translation was, “FUCK…” This is the best word out there to express frustration, surprise, confusion, anger, awe, etc. My reaction when I saw that bumper sticker accusing our allegedly fearless and wise leader of treason and mass murder was certainly not shock… Unfortunately.My “FUCK” reaction was more like… “Well… Am I still gonna get up and be nice to my neighbors?… Does believing that people are conspiring against the common good serve me?” I don’t know. I don’t want to be an ostrich, and I don’t want to just shout out against “The Man” in a way that looks like I’m masturbating on a soapbox wearing a rainbow-colored clown wig… Hmmm… Or do I?Yes. That may be what I’m going for. What kind of responsible, “liberal agenda”-minded person writes a sentence about clowns jerking off? I guess that would be me. Be nice everyone. And if you’re not liberal, and you find yourself involved in Idaho politics while liking erect penises, it’s never too late to change teams.
