Y'all know me. Smartass, with equal emphasis on each component. Champion of civility, unless the alternative's really funny. Not a "bot," but not bitterly disappointed in a president who's governed exactly as the cautious, centrist consensus-seeker he advertised himself to be.
I don't rant a whole lot, except about language. And hunger. Hungry people bum me out, and hungry people in a land overflowing with chow just plain get me pissed.
I'd say half the stuff I write here isn't even political, strictly speaking.
So why does every diary I post lately seem to attract fights about the president? I mean, really. In no way was yesterday's piece about Chinese knockoffs of entire Apple Stores an invitation to tell me, in bitter, caustic terms, about how the president is a sniveling, cowardly sellout. Nor was it presented as an open forum to discuss his virtues.
It was a diary about product knockoffs, with a little editorial about fakery in general.
Another diary, about a chihuahua attacking would-be robbers in California, became a veritable shouting match between Obamaccusers and Obamapologists.
In fact, about the only thing I've posted lately that hasn't been interpreted as a new room to fight in was a diary with no words, no pictures, no title and no tags. Guess it was too hard to find a stick to beat people with there, though I'm surprised nobody said, "Perfect summation of the president's record."
I get it, folks. He's not the president you'd prefer. And Rick Perry'd be no improvement. And you have a lot of feeling about that.
But why must everything here be taken as a soapbox for your disappointments and defenses? Why must every recipe become a reference to "recipes for failure" and every cat picture a reminder of what a great guy we have in the White House?
If you really feel that your message is important, and must be heard, I have a few suggestions as to where to write:
Your congressman. He or she represents a much smaller constituency than the president or your senator (and a much bigger one than I do) and has to get re-elected every two years. You might get a listen there.
Your senator. Despite larger constituencies and longer turnaround times, they, too, have to pretend to listen to their constituents every now and then, just for form's sake.
Your president. He reads a surprising amount of mail, particularly about hot-button issues. His staff reads even more. Give it a try.
Your state reps and sens. They're making a lot of decisions that affect your life and likely never hear from you about them.
Your local paper. Tired of all the tea party yammerheads getting all the ink in the letters section, despite totally fact-free, emotional content? Me, too. That's why I write a lot of letters, as chock full of facts as I can make them. A surprising amount get published.
Your friends and neighbors. If you really have a hankering to write, consider offering your skills to people you know who feel the same way you do, but haven't the time or the skills to put their feelings into words as well and often as do you. Lots of people might want to send a message to their representatives, their paper, even their president, but haven't got the chops. Listen to their stories and help them craft cogent, hard-hitting letters of their own.
There are a lot of places where your concerns may strike nerves, find kindred souls, maybe even change minds.
But a diary about chihuahuas probably isn't one of them.
Hope your day is reasonably great,
CV