I'm disappointed

I voted against Bush for two major reasons:

1) The Iraq War (poor timing, dishonest reasons for entering, plus poor post-war handling all add up to one big awful screwup, IMHO)
2) The national debt (sort-of related to #1...)

There were other things I wasn't crazy about with him, but they didn't really worry me so much as these two.

So I was disappointed that he won. In general, I don't like the idea of the Right having such a monopoly of power, as currently seems the case. It doesn't appeal much to my "radical moderate" sensibilities. And I'll say this: there are some *way* better Republicans out there than Bush.

I was also disappointed about the 11 states approving bans on same-sex marriages. I suppose I wouldn't have minded so much if I'd actually heard any kind of logical argument *why* same-sex marriages are such a bad thing to allow. But since I haven't, I can only imagine that it's based on hatred and disgust for homosexuals. And this saddens me greatly.

It seems clear to me that homophobia is rooted in a kind of sexism - one where women are supposed to act one way and men are supposed to act another. Anything that challenges this notion produces a deep sense of anxiety. Heterosexual men seem to especially loathe gay men because somehow it challenges their sense of masculinity.

Boys are taught at a very young age to not be "woman-like" or "girl-like" in any way (it's the worst insult on the playground!). Why is it bad to be like a woman? Well, of course - because women/girls are *INFERIOR*. This notion is often (sometimes literally!) beaten into them by their peers. And they carry this into adulthood, spewing this poisonous attitude on anyone who happens to be in the way.

But wait - isn't it true that girls don't want to be like boys or be called man-like? Well, not really. If you say she LOOKS like a man/boy, sure, that's insulting. But not if you say she acts or thinks like a man. There are some that actually see that as a compliment! (I've been "complimented" like this myself. You can just imagine how pleased I felt...) The main problem people seem to have with lesbians is how they (stereotypically) LOOK, and the fact that they seem to be rejecting men (or the need for men). Overall, I get there sense that there is less outright hatred for lesbians, especially if they're pretty.

Anyway, I have another "political" post in the works. So much for this being a "humor" blog. (But I'm sure there will be more humorous things in the future.)

Luckily, the rest of my life is pretty happy and peaceful. Nothing much to report there.