History Repeating

When I was in school, I remember being told to study history well because it always repeats itself.  That statement has proven true in everything from me channeling my mother as she declared ”this tastes like the freezer”, to a war on terrorism that looks suspiciously like a previous war on communism.  Well since I’m sure you didn’t come here to listen to me ramble on about my mother-morphing, I’ll move on to the other subject at hand:  The current ”war” (aka: occupation) that looks, smells and even tastes much like a war we fought in a land called Vietnam.   The wars have so many similarities that even the music that served as the soundtrack to the Vietnam-era peace movement works today.

 Take, for instance, the recent cover of Pete Seeger’s anti-war mantra “Bring ‘Em Home” by Bruce Springsteen.  The song, written in 1966, is as appropriate today as it was in the ’60’s.  While some tweaks were done between the original and the cover, the basic message of the song is still the same:  bring our soldiers home, not tomorrow, not next week.  Bring our soldiers home NOW. 

If you haven’t heard the song before, I urge you to go out to iTunes or your favorite music site and download it.  It’s a great track for any of us who truly believe that we should “Bring ‘Em Home”.

 Here are the lyrics of the Springsteen version:

If you love this land of the free
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
Bring them back from overseas
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em homeIt will make the politicians sad, I know
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
They wanna tangle with their foe
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home

They wanna test their grand theories
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
With the blood of you and me
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home

Now we’ll give no more brave young lives
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
For the gleam in someone’s eyes
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home

(Hooo-hooo hooo-hooo)
(Hooo-hooo hooo-hooo)

The men will cheer and the boys will shout
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
Yeah and we will all turn out
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home

The church bells will ring with joy
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
To welcome our darlin’ girls and boys
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home

We willl lift their voice and sound
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
Yeah, when Johnny comes marching home
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home

Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home

Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home

Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
Bring them back from overseas
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home

If you love this land of the free
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
Bring them back from overseas
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home

Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home
Bring ‘em home, bring ‘em home 

Religion in the White House — The Sequel???

I am a liberal democrat.  I believe in a woman’s right to choose.  I believe that all people, regardless of sexual orientation, deserve the right to marry.  I believe that we, as a 21st century society, need to be taking better care of those who cannot take care of themselves.  I believe that we should end our illegal occupation of Iraq.  And I believe that our forefathers were correct when they decreed that church and state should be kept seperate.  That is why the article “Hillary’s Prayer:  Hillary Clinton’s Religion and Politics” by Kathryn Joyce and Jeff Sharlet bothers me so much. 

 Currently, our administration has been hog-tied by a religious zealot who believes that God told him to invade Iraq.   Our country is in the worst shape it has been in years, possibly ever.   The last thing our country needs is another President who wants God to be their Vice-President.   We do not need “Bush 3:  The Clinton Years”.  That’s a sequel Hollywood couldn’t pay me to go see.

As I said earlier, I am a liberal democrat.  I support the democratic party, and I support the democratic candidates.  Do I have favorite candidates?  Yes.  If they don’t make it to the nomination will I still support the democratic candidate?  Yes.  Because for the most part I believe that the democratic candidates stand for the same values I hold dear.  I do, however, worry about the nomination of Hilary Clinton. 

Now before anyone starts wondering if I’m anti-woman President, let’s get one thing straight.  I am not against having a woman president.  Hell, when I was just a baby cactus my mother used to tell me I’d become the first female president.  Well that didn’t happen, but I’m all for someone blazing the estrogen trail to the White House.  My concern isn’t about a woman in the role, it’s more about who Hillary is, and if I want her to be the one to define a female presidency. 

Please, go out and read the article on MotherJones.com and come back and let me know what your thoughts are.  Do you see her religious faith as a bane or a boon for the White House and our nation?  Can she be counted on to listen to her “human advisors” and not just to her “spiritual ones”?

Welcome!

Well, after a long time of reading other people’s blogs, I’ve decided to throw my “thorny” hat into the blogosphere.  I’m ChollaChick and this blog is going to be one part politics, one part commentary, one part humor and one part of everything else.  So, grab a bowl and a spoon and let’s enjoy some Cactus Soup.