I was volunteering for Gore 2000 and saw the vice president speak when he came to St. George's Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Manchester. Gore broke the flow of his speech with a non-sequitor about the need to defend marriage because, "Marriage, as an institution between one man and one woman, is a pillar of democracy."

I tried to parse out what that meant--was Gore trying to say that democratic society would collapse without the institution of marriage? Is it because he views the best families as having a husband and a wife, and the best families are necessary to breeding and rearing the next generation of democratic participants?

Before I could come to an answer to these questions, my speculation was interupted by the memory of Cecil B. Demile's Samson ripping down the foam pillars to which he was bound. By free association, that memory led to the image of the Hulk's green muscles bursting forth from a collared shirt. I then realized the entire line of thought was absurd, starting with Gore.

While gay marriage isn't an issue I follow closely or think of as terribly central in the wider political context, for me this issue was the proverbial straw. Gay rights is one more area where the Democratic Party demonstrates its lack of commitment to any kind of ethical principles and its capacities to sell and trade the people it represents while pursuing power.

When I realized that the piece of shit who molested me 35 years ago was now old enough to collect social security.

Oh, we must keep the promises made to seniors. Promises that seniors made to themselves.The assholes who DEMOCRATICLY dumped trillions od dollars of thier taxes onto us also DEMOCRATICLY promissed themselves a big bite of my earnings (EARNINGS, meaning I earned it). AND I am expected to get screwed twice (DEMOCRATICLY), so you can have your utopian society. This time, it is FUCK YOU. And don't you dare tell me to calm down. FUCK YOU.

I was molested as a child by a babysitter my parents hired. Maybe he's collecting social security, maybe he's in jail? Who knows, I told my parents way to late and he skipped town long before.

So no, I do not blame the Democrats or FDR's new deal for me being molested.

Take a look at your paycheck. You know what bites more? The military. While you're misplaced temper tantrum is placing the blame on Democrats for supporting a weak social welfare system our government is spending most of your hard earned money on bombing brown people.

I stopped supporting the Democrats when they started supporting the military industrial complex over the people. So that would have been, hmm, always?

Molestation --> ... Libertarianism?

That explains so much.

I never had failth in either party. When I was growing up I would follow the elections. I never liked the idea of picking the lesser of two evils.

I dont like the primarys either. To me those elections are just extensions of the presdiental elction. Just another way for the canidates to spend more money, and speak more lies to get more votes.

This keeps logging me out when I try to comment, but this is Erik Swanson.

I still have faith in the real democratic party. I'm 37, and I remember things from the eighties like Dems blocking aid to the contras, fighting for a nuclear test ban treaty, cutting off aid to South Africa and El Salvador. It's just AMAZING to me how far many dems have lurched rightward.

And sure we can blame the DLC and the gigantic money piles you need to run for office nowadays. But have you ever been to a MEETING of a local democratic party? There's usually about 4 people there.

Trust me, if we'd all stop whining and start going to meetings, progressives could take over the democratic party in about two weeks. Parties are controlled by their members, after all.

There have ALWAYS been conservative democrats, from Andrew Jackson to today. It's easy to forget that Byrd used to be considered a right-wing kook.

So I still haven't lost faith. I'm just annoyed.

Erik, I don't think you are getting logged out. I think what you are experiencing is the result of your browser drawing from its cache.

If in Explorer, after you login, you do not see your login in the top left module or as an option in the "Author" drop down menu, then go to "Tools > Internet Options > Temporary Internet Files" and click on the "Delete Files" button.

If this happens in Firefox, go to "Tools > Options > Privacy > Cache" and click on the "Clear Cache Now" button.

You enter a city hall conference room to find four people already seated. You sit as the others rise and spend the first minute slowly reciting the pledge of allegiance.God I wish I was kidding…

Person One: Good evening, everyone, as you all know, I am Ray Benchley*, chairman of our city committee. Let me begin by recounting all of the extraordinary initiatives I recently undertook…

Ten minutes passes

…which brings us back to introductions. Please stand and be recognized: Vice Chair Bonnie the Retiree With Nothing Better To Do, Treasurer Lou Who Is None Too Bright But Whose Family Used to Run This Town And Is Still Fairly Rich, and Secretary High School Kid Looking For Something to Put on his College Applications. Now I trust you all received the agenda in the mail?

Erik Swanson: Actually, I didn't. But in any case, I was wondering if we could talk about…

Benchley: I'm sorry, sir…

Erik: I'm Erik Swanson.

Benchley: …Erik, but you'll have to wait five hours until we have finished going over the agenda before you can propose adding any new agenda items to the meeting. Moving on to the first order of business, Claremont XXXV and what we will do to keep from rocking the boat…

Erik: But wait, I didn't even get…

Benchley: I'm sorry Erik, but you will have to address any further concerns about the agenda to Secretary High School Kid at the Conclusion of this Meeting.

Moving on, as we went over last week, Cliff Belo and Tedd Gatsas have proposed a new bipartisan solution to the Claremont dispute that would lower propoerty taxes by 6 cents on the thousand by cutting education funding. We think this plan will pass the court's tests for adequacy in funding as defined in Claremonts III, IV, and X through XXII…

Two hours pass.

…Which brings us to the agenda item proposed by Vice Chair Bonnie, the Retiree With Nothing Better To Do. Should we support the mayor's decision to float a $50 million bond for another riverside urban renewal project? Chair recognizes Treasurer Lou.

Lou the Retiree Who Is None Too Bright: First, I would like to thank the mayor for working so hard on this plan. I would also like to record in the minutes my great appreciation for the work of the architects, whose drawings of the outdoor restaurant seating this project will generate remind us all of the Paris bistros we've never visited…

Erik Swanson: But the last time you tried this kind of urban renewal project the city went into debt and the only one who made any money was the contractor…

Benchley hits his gavel on the table.

Benchley: The chair has not recognized you.

And so on, for another three hours. You spend the remainder of the night trying to figure out how so few people can say so little in so great a time. At the end of the night, Benchley will hand a reward to the Treasurer for being a rich guy.

*Any resemblence to persons living or dead is purely a remarkable coincidence.

You're absolutely right. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't go. If democracy is too annoying to you, and believe me, I understand that political and voluntary associations might as well get chucked.

But I think the pain of having to deal with other boring humans might be worth the trouble. Luckily, the way democracy works is if you got 10 or even 5 people together, you could become the majority of such a committee in no time.

I mean, I'm SURE that if you're used to forums like this one, actually discussing boring ol' democracy is no fun. But the revolution ain't supposed to be fun.

I'll get off my high horse, 'cause I don't go either, but it sort of baffles me that all of US, who CARE, don't do anything but post screeds. It's like punching the wind.

onegoodmove.org/1gm/1gmarchive/2006/03/paul_hackett_do.html

i lost faith in the democratic party when the democratic party lost its faith. what's wrong with mixing christianity and democratic politics? if we had christian democrats, like they do in germany, our democrats wouldn't lose elections like oprah and lovehandles. joebob republican wants god, guns, abortion bans, and public schools. i say give him god, ignore the guns (cause wtf? who cares if someone else has guns?) accept that pro-choice is a losing fight and then fund education!

right now, rich republicans can say, "we got jesus on our side" and laff at the voters all the way to the bank. neutralize the one power they have over the masses and they're gone like stedman.

nh indy media deleted my login for some reason. but now i'm back.