Real News To Terrorize Y’all’s Neighborhood

by squishmael

I was in first or second grade when another student went up in front of the class, wearing a t-shirt with a photo of some girl dancing on a strangely-lit walkway, to demonstrate something called the “moonwalk.”

It wasn’t long after that I made the connection in realizing that the girl on his shirt was an all-of-a-sudden monumentally popular singer named Michael Jackson. It also wasn’t long before my mom helped me making my own white glove to wear with my red and black “Thriller” jacket and zipper-happy “Beat It” pants.

The collision of pop-culture marketing and my small town elementary school kid sensibilities prompted an earthquake-sized influence on my appreciation for music and the re-release of THRILLER is an aftershock that I can’t help, but, to let hit me 25 years after the initial jolt.

You can go on about all of the crazy crap that Jackson has been involved with over the years, but, just the first few beats from “Billie Jean” are enough to make me wish that I was the little brown chimp that Jacko referred to as “Bubbles,” instead of the big fat albino gorilla that I am. So, forget about the issues in the presidential race. Just tell me who Michael endorses and they’ll get my vote.

Right To Life

by squishmael

I haven’t finished the process of breaking down all the issues yet. I admit to not giving the race for the presidency a lot of attention until the last month or so. But, you can count on one issue being on the top of my list when I line up the candidates side by side to compare their positions: how do they address the issue of the people’s right to life?

Now, you may already be writing me off as a Christian conservative, but, hold on. When I consider the right for each individual being to live, I’m not just talking about fetuses (which I do believe have that right), but, also about American citizens being forced to serve in Iraq, elderly people who can’t afford medication, hispanics who cross the border out of desperation, and blue collar workers who can’t afford proper medical care.

The worst thing somebody could do is claim that they are for protecting the lives of the unborn and vote for a candidate who says they also want to protect the unborn, but, then put hundreds or thousands of people in harm’s way for the sake of oil.

The fact that the American political system is flawed becomes apparent when you realize that bundled laws that aren’t even read by most lawmakers are being passed by the truckload and presidential candidates are burning millions of dollars just to make the point that they’re responsible enough to have the job of righting our economy, providing healthcare for people who can’t afford it, and feeding those whose cupboards are bare.

As Chris Cornell once sang so brilliantly several years ago, “The wreck is going down. Get out before you drown.”