Rant: My Fellow (ignorant) Americans

Listening to NPR and reading the papers lately (something I think a large portion of the people I am about to discuss probably don't do), I have been flabbergasted. I feel like someone who's best friend has suddenly turned to me and professed that they are a card-carrying member of the Nazi party who also believes this planet was created by omnipotent insects from another dimension. I am at once and embarrassed and ashamed to have any association to this person. Someone you think you knew, who you trusted and loved turns out to be a completely irrational idiot.

It would be bad enough if this person were indeed my best friend, but even worse when it is my fellow countrymen (and women too). I mean, I know that there are a lot of Americans out there who don't share my beliefs and values, I can live with that. But deep down I want to believe that inside each American is an intelligent person who can think for themselves and look at the information out there in plain sight and make an informed decision. It appears that I am badly mistaken and in reality a large number of Americans can be easily manipulated and swayed.

The recent surge in popularity of the McCain/Palin ticket just stuns me. I cannot understand how a senator who has voted 95% with Bush can suddenly rebrand himself as an agent of change and his running mate can claim in speech after speech that she was against earmarks while supporting, then accepting, the money for the bridge to nowhere and the American people will lap it up and accept these claims while ignoring the irrefutable mountain of evidence against them.

Sadly the only explanation I can see is this: Fear of a Black man. Why else would any former Clinton supporter turn around and support McCain? These women (and men) would quite possibly relinquish their right to choice and put a women, who just months ago quipped she would accept the Vice presidential nomination as soon as someone told her what the VP did, into office because they feel the Democratic party wronged Hillary? If this isn't cutting off your nose to spite your face, I don't know what is.

And it would be one thing if these people would just come out and say "I'm just not ready for a black man as president." Then at least I would respect you for being honest. Racist, but honest. But the lengths that people will go to justify their choice?

"I look at Obama, and I have a question in my mind," she says. "Years ago, was he taken into the Muslim faith? And my concern is the only way you are no longer a Muslim is if you are dead, killed. So in my mind, he's still alive."
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94523754

I mean, this woman is just ignorant. Racist and ignorant.

What about McCain? I mean, he spent five years in a Vietnamese POW camp. a Communist POW camp. How do we know he wasn't brainwashed and is some sleeper cell? I've seen the Manchurian Candidate (the one with Sinatra) so don't tell me this can't happen.

"I look at [McCain], and I have a question in my mind," she says. "Years ago, was he [brainwashed by Communists]? And my concern is the only way you are no longer a [Communist] is if you are dead, killed. So in my mind, he's still alive."

So please, to those Americans (and you probably have no idea who you are), do your country a favor and just don't vote. Or better yet, move to Texas (or Alaska) and cecede from the nation.