And Now Election Day Again

I voted. Again. I hope that the candidate for whom I voted will win, but I do not have a great track record in elections. My eighteen-year old daughter votes today for the first time. Alas, I do believe she may continue in the tradition. And it is her life for which I am so concerned. Regardless of what they say, Republicans and Tea Party members (I do distinguish between the two perspectives) do not display any concern whatsoever for any but their own selfish welfare. On the radio this morning I hear that the Republican members of Congress oppose a bill to ensure that women earn equal pay for the same work; the Republicans claim that this will place too much burden on the business community! If I were a logician I would wonder at the logic of this argument.

I think we live in very difficult and very cruel times. Lies and deception rule the airways and news media. There was once a time when I believed that there was some moral grounding out there in the public world, but I have lost such faith. Both of my children express the desire to enter public service, but I am so concerned about their futures: how can they realize much satisfaction when the whole focus of the country seems to deprecate such work. One daughter works in the schools: who would have much passion for being a teacher these days. The younger one means to study social work: though there the society has great need for this work, the society has no respect for what the social worker must do and certainly has little interest in sufficiently funding the effort. And how will they afford adequate health care? In my almost-dotage I recognize the need for such benefit, but I despair that it will not be available to them.

            Worry about their freedoms. The men seem more than willing to assert their control over my children’s body; to demand they adhere to the misogynist’s immoral idea of morality; to keep the children (be they male or female) in servitude to some pseudo-lord’s leisure.

Another angry screed that really doesn’t satisfy my fears but rather arises up out of it. What about the children?? Isn’t anybody asking that question?

The last posting celebrated graduation, and I knew from out of what she graduated. And now I despair that I think I know into what she graduates. I think often of Julian of Norwich who wrote that “all shall be well again I know.” I wish I could believe that now.