A realization

Over the past five or six years, I had suspected that I was part of the minority in this country. Yesterday, I was slapped dead in the face with the confirmation. I am indeed part of the minority population that is rational, thinking and informed about reality. And on top of that, I'm part of the secular subset minority of that even. The rest of the country makes gut decisions early on and sticks to their guns no matter how much information or facts they're presented with. Mainly because the mostly ignore or discount those dissonant facts. You may shocked to find out that most of this latter group is religious.

So now our once sensible nation is being run by religious fundamentalists. A president who believes in creationism. Yes, he believes that God was able to create the entire universe with sheer will, but then needed a day off because he was so tuckered out. An Attorney General who believes people can speak in tongues when touched by God. A plethora of administration folks who side with Israel to facilitate the return of Jesus. People who actually believes that once Israel controls the Holy Land again, Jesus will descend from the skies and kick off the End Days. A representative from Oklahoma - Tom Coburn - who believes abortion doctors should get the death penalty. A representative from Kentucky - Jim Bunning - who has openly demonstrated signs of dementia or Alzheimer's over the past month. Of course, considering that GOP voters only watch FOX News, and Brit Hume isn't fond of pointing the shortcomings of Republican politicians, they may not be aware of these problems.

And, whether you like it or not, Bush and company did indeed receive a mandate to run the country their way yesterday. When you receive that many popular and also increase your seats in Congress, there's no other way to spin it. A majority of the country wants more religion in our lives. Then again, so does bin Laden. You say potato, I say Dark Ages nightmare.

The truth is, more than half of this country makes their decisions without any proof whatsoever, then holds firm. Of course, that might partially explain why Ben Affleck is still considered a movie star. Frankly, the only things that can possibly win their hearts and minds is actual life experience. To that end, I'm hoping that all the red staters that voted for Bush lose their jobs and their healthcare and then get sick. I hope their teenage daughters get pregnant and can't get a now-illegal abortion and they have another mouth they can't afford to feed. It'll be okay, though, because a federally-funded religious charity will give them a free turkey on Thanksgiving. I hope the self-regulating oil industry begins drilling in your backyard and pollutes your air, and I hope the coal industry blasts a mountain in your part of the state and sends millions of tons of slags into the streams that supply your drinking water. In other words, I hope you get just what you voted for.

Cynical? Dark? Sure. But I don't really give a fuck anymore. I don't have time to worry about other people. I'm too busy previewing churches in preparation for Congress' Mandatory Church Attendance Act of 2005.