(blush)

[jay]

However this election turns out -- even if Kerry somehow finds enough votes remaining uncounted in Ohio and Florida -- I'm ashamed and embarrassed for my country that it was even close. Religious intolerance and gay-bashing and fear-mongering outweighing this administration's poor economic performance, deceptions, an unjust and unnecessary war... by performance, Bush is arguably one of the worst US presidents, yet appeals to "moral values" were apparently enough to outweigh incompetence in office.

Increasingly, the so-called "red states" feel like a different country -- different culture, filled with potentially-hostile religious fundamentalists. Just like many Arab countries... I don't know if I could ever be comfortable living in my home state of Georgia, anymore.

Comments

[starsail.livejournal.com]

Amen.

[enchantedwahine.livejournal.com]

Yes, I am mortified! I never beleived Bush had a chance. What the frick is going on in this country?

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

Religious nationalism, and fear, methinks. Ironically, the places most at risk of terrorism are... blue states.

[trinker.livejournal.com]

I am so very, very sorry to be seeing the results you're seeing. I have feared all along that a great part of the U.S. was out to get me. I wish I'd been wrong.

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Someone on my friends list (from England) looked at the results, drew a map, and said there's at least 2, if not three countries here now. I just wish we could really make that so. I'd much rather live in the smaller country of "Pacifica" at this point. I'm terrified of what we have to face now.

[tenacious-snail.livejournal.com]

I saw a map of the "United States of Canada" (roughly Canada plus the coastal and Canadian border blue states) and "Jesusland" (roughly, the red states).

[tenacious-snail.livejournal.com]

I have a new city council person, and it is the first time this district had elected a new council person in, well, probably, my lifetime. It at least seems that way. I met the council person-elect at the "How Berkeley Can You Be" parade, when he was briefly walking in amongst the polyamory contingent. Not all things are as bleak as some things appear.

[geekchick]

I deleted my previous comment because it sounded really pissy to me on reading it back, and I didn't mean to direct my mood at you. Sorry about that. =/

[tenacious-snail.livejournal.com]

hmmm, okay...I didn't take it personally, but I appreciate that you don't want to direct a pissy mood at me.

[geekchick]

Just to reaffirm this, it certainly wasn't personal at all. I'd just had a button of mine stomped on many, many times today and the knee went flying.

[tenacious-snail.livejournal.com]

(hug) if it will help.

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

(nods) It's hard enough having to deal with that issue over and over... Living in N. Va., or even elsewhere in the South, does not necessarily mean leaving the reality-based world. Even in this election, 46% of Virginians voted for Kerry.

Now places like Utah or Idaho or Wyoming... or parts of the rural South, or the Central Valley out here... sigh.

[geekchick]

Increasingly, the so-called "red states" feel like a different country

I'd say take a look at this map and notice that there's plenty of areas tending to red in California too. I think (in fact I'm sure) that your perspective is skewed by virtue of living in the particular area you do, much as mine is someone skewed by living in the section of the state that I do.

[geekchick]

Er, "somewhat", that should be.