What To Do?

With election day bearing down on us (the polls open in 38 1/2 hrs), what are we going to do when this is all over? Will we continue our harsh criticisms of each other's candidates in class? It sure will be strange. Everyone seems to be suffering from campaign fatigue except for Bill Maher who on Friday declared this the best election season of his lifetime. That very well may be the case, but it's time for this to be over. Time Magazine published a wonderful article today about how much has changed over the course of this election season. Just by judging the before and after pictures of Barack Obama, you can see that this campaign season is running on fumes. Both candidates are physically and mentally exhausted. Endless events on a daily basis running from sunrise until way past sunset, with a few hours of sleep thrown in between.

 This is getting old. What else can Obama and McCain say to sway voters? They have thrown everything but the kitchen sink into this campaign, and the sink may get thrown in sometime before polls close Tuesday evening.  Now I love politics as much as the next political junkie, but there gets a point when you have to give your drug a rest. Peace and tranquility is what this junkie needs now. An endless supply of partisan bull is exactly the kind of medicine a madman would want at this point. For those of us that have been riding this train since the beginning, it's time to pull it into the station. Let's not throw anymore coal into the engine. This seems unlikely. There will be long lines, accusations of voter fraud, purging of voters, illegal activities on all sides. No one wants this to go past the wee hours on November 5th. If you do, please feel free to invest in Georgia's new private mental health facilities, you could use them. 

Personally, I'm looking forward to a relaxing month of December. Close out this semester of school, plow through my ever-growing reading list and sit back and enjoy. No more late night conference calls, fewer emails, and hopefully just wonderful stories about American democracy holding up another bizarre election process. Face it, you're tired too and just won't admit it. How many fruitless debates can you get into with a friend/colleague over this election? Unless you thrive on anger, I suggest you join me in calling for a peaceful return to class on Wednesday (and in this class's case, Thursday) and begin to discuss something other than the ridiculous crap thrown around in the past two years. I for one, enjoy my hair not either falling out or turning grey by the time I'm 25. Until then folks, enjoy tomorrow and Tuesday and may we all come back together as Americans when this concludes. Perhaps then we can all look at the monumental challenges ahead of us, put our hands together and get to work. That's what we do, it's democratic, it's American, and that's something that makes us all so proud. 

Until then...

A Somber Reminder

Yesterday marked the seven year anniversary of September 11th. The reminders were everywhere from television programs, memorial services, to every Major League Baseball team wearing "stars and stripes" hats to remember the tragic day. For what seemed like the first day since last 9/11, the presidential candidates also put campaign activities on hold to honor those lost and attended a ceremony at Ground Zero and put aside partisanship. 

Despite the large disagreements over recent years between Democrats and Republicans, yesterday we were all Americans, as we are everyday and it shouldn't take the anniversary of a national tragedy to remind us of that. The media put aside their political leanings to cover the ceremonies, even while Hurricane Ike began making it's treacherous track towards Texas. Everyday I am proud to be an American, and it is shame that it takes 9/11 for us to remember who we are and how patriotic we all are and can be. We argue, claim one side is more patriotic because of their political beliefs than the other. No one has an exclusive right to patriotism. It is something that we feel, believe in, love, and strive to achieve throughout our lives as Americans. Due to my political beliefs I have been told a number of times that I "don't support America" or I am not "a true patriot" or a defender of America. I have spent the last several months working on political campaigns, volunteering for that matter. Why? I am a patriot.

Ladies and gents, let's use this as a reminder of our duty to our country and whether we're liberal, conservative, Republican, Democrat, black, white, man, woman, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, we're all Americans, and we're all patriotic. Some may not wear a flag pin or wore their red, white, and blue yesterday, but they felt it. 

We all came to this land seeking the freedom and liberty all of our ancestors were seeking and it's about time we all are proud of that. So those that have differing views that I may, stand up with me and let us all be proud of being Americans. 

Missing the Story

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Last night John McCain accepted the Republican nomination for President of the United States. While a momentous occasion, the mainstream media has missed the story completely. Demonstrations have been taking place all week in the Twin Cities that have led to hundreds if not close to one thousand or more arrests of protesters. While many protesters were instigators, most were not, simply using their First Amendment right to Freedom of Speech. This is something that I take great pride in and seeing fellow young people express their voice only to be shut down is despicable. 

Even more disheartening is the total lack of mainstream media coverage this is receiving. If you scroll through the top stories on CNN.com, there is finally, now at the conclusion of the convention, a link letting you view a few videos of the protests that took place. Police arrested protesters, charged them with felony riot and have released most. While the severe charges will not stick, some face up to a year in jail for their actions. The media has remained silent. 

Protests began as soon as the convention started on Monday, overshadowed by coverage of Hurricane Gustav and came to a head on Tuesday evening. There was a music festival called the Ripple Effect Music Festival, which had all the proper permits to hold this festival in St. Paul on Tuesday. The popular band Rage Against the Machine, well known for their political activism, was scheduled to play the event. Upon attempting to take the stage, police prevented the band (who just recently reunited) from even taking the stage. The band took to the streets. Grabbing a megaphone, singer Zach de la Rocha and guitarist Tom Morello addressed the crowd about protesting peacefully and proceeded to perform two songs sans instruments. After the band left, police promptly arrested nearly 200 more protesters. 

Rage did get to play a show the following night, Wednesday at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Upon concluding the show de la Rocha told fans to leave peacefully. Not all did. Police in riot gear were waiting and promptly arrested after fans took to the streets and began protesting what de la Rocha called the "fascist Republican agenda." 

The protests for me became a bit more personal when a photographer from my former school, the University of Kentucky was arrested amidst the protesting this week. He was a photographer, press pass included. He was doing what any responsible journalist might do, cover the story. He was charged with felony riot. 

The media continued their silence all week. Now agree or disagree with the protesters taking to the streets, this was a story. A major one at that. The journalists that did take to the streets were being intimidated, threatened, and yes, even arrested. This prevents Freedom of the Press, Freedom of Speech, and is downright un-American. Pro-war, anti-war, pro-Bush, anti-Bush, Democrat, Republican, Liberal, Conservative, young, old, it doesn't matter folks. These were people that couldn't express their right to free speech because a few decided to spoil it for the many and the cops went overboard. Round up those that are causing destruction to property, interrupting the protests, or threatening police. Next time, I shouldn't have to look very hard to see police blasting a woman in the face with pepper spray or dragging someone through the streets. We did this in 1968, let's never do it again and shame on the media for shoving to the back page. 

Cops should be there to serve and protect. Arrest those that are causing a danger, but kids waving American flags calling for an end to the war giving you the peace sign? Why spray them? What did they do? Oh yeah, they decided to disagree with the establishment. They paid the price.  

*The picture is of Kentucky Kernel photojounrnalist Ed Matthews. He was photographing the protests and was not taking part in them. He was doing the job of the people we study in this class, reporting the news. At least he was trying to, and trying to do it honestly.