Jes A Li'l Bit Down About the State Of The Nation Just Now

"Dear Ms. Peacebang:Thank you for your e-mail, and I look forward to reviewing and responding as soon as I can. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of mail I receive daily and the press of Senate business, your response may be regrettably delayed. In the meanwhile, you may find my website at http://frist.senate.gov to be helpful, as I endeavor to post my positions on most major policy issues there regularly along with other information of interest.Again, thank you for contacting me and know that I always appreciate hearing from you!Sincerely,William H. Frist, M.D.Majority LeaderUnited States Senate"

I love these form e-mail replies. It's perhaps the most depressing part of activism: to get a polite form letter in response to your scathing letter expressing outrage against one more disgrace against our democracy. Why don't they just be honest?

"Dear Ms. Peacebang.... we could actually care less about your futile, mewling little liberal complaints from bright blue Massachusetts, where you can marry all the gay couples you want to and drive all the Toyota Prius's you can afford (which we know is only one, if that), because we have all the power and all the money and all the corporate buddies we'll ever need to own this country and most of the planet until long after your bones have become dust, and then we'll find your grave and hold a picnic on it and laugh and laugh until the very planet collapses around us, and when it does we'll still be laughing at your worthlessness and powerlessness.... mwa ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!! MWA HA HA HA HA! Love and kisses, Billy F."

I called Senator Frist's Tennessee office to leave a message, too, because this open, overt, in-your-face (get what I'm sayin?)flagrant alliance of religious fanatacism and government makes my hair stand on end. Whatever happened to the notion of serving the nation, for God's sweet sake? And I mean the whole, religiously pluralistic nation? I don't expect lots of group hugs with the Democrats or nuthin', but is it too much to ask that our elected officials not actually DEMONIZE a whole sector of the population for the crime of having a dissenting opinion? What happened to the days of keeping the freakazoid fanatics distracted in the corner, tossing them a little bone now and then, but basically understanding that the fanatics are not representative of the constituency, and that we do not pander to them??

Oh, I forgot. The fanatics are the leaders now. They got out of the corner and they want the whole pig, not just the bone.

I definitely need to spend some time out of this country this summer. Like I'm thinking Sweden.