How many school shootings in the past couple of weeks? Right. What else? North Korea has tested a nuclear device. Iraq is FUBAR and in the realm of world news - Israel/Palestine is...not really that important right now? I guess President Bush's roadmap to peace was really a guide to how to screw over the rest of the world.
I am really, really amazed at the lack of acknowledgement to the general crisis of the world. 10 years ago, during Columbine, Paducah KY, etc - everyone was ready to blame video games, music, Marilyn Manson, and of course President Clinton for the downfall of society. The Republican Party has been in power for the past 6 years and...things haven't changed? 4 school shootings in a month (not counting the brandishing of weapons and today's/yesterday's incident where no one was shot). The last time there were 4 school shootings in a month? March 2001
(citation).
I know that the elections are an important step in holding the present administration accountable. I know that too often we blast the leaders of our party (the minority in the House and Senate) for not speaking out - which is frustrating because they can only do so much. But how can we hold the journalists' feet to the fire, the Presidents', everyone? When Myspace is a catalyst for raising money for Sudan, I think our priorities (and leadership) are misaligned.
I'm done ranting - but I'm not done being afraid. My fear doesn't come from the terrorists of Al-Qaida but from the terror of a government full of hubris and ineptitude. We need to elect good leaders but it's equally important to express to them, and our current leaders, that there is urgency in the problems facing America and the world. We can't wait, indeed.