Redisengagement

Well, it’s been an interesting few weeks since my last post. I’d worked pretty much non-stop from July 4 – November 2, and after returning from Florida, I had plenty of Life to catch up on. It’s clear to me I need to take some time off, and to disengage, at least for a short while. At the same time, I feel a tremendous concern to keep the momentum going. And not to mention the sense that there’s still an incredible amount of work to be done. I’m finding that the election results have been have been far from turning me off from politics. Instead, I’ve been finding it hard to turn off. If anything, the election has made my convictions stronger, my vision clearer, and my sense of purpose clarified.

I’ve been songwriting again, which has been really delightful space to be in. After June of this year, I had virtually no time at all to write. I think that the involvement with the election has certainly shaded my approach to these songs. Where the first batch were pretty much all over the map, these are tending to focus more on political themes, which seems a pretty clear reflection of what’s been going on for me lately.

My biggest passion/concern right now is Honest Elections. That there are questions about the reliability of the voting process (black box voting, voter intimidation, etc.) here in the US is outrageous to me. Especially in light of the fact that we’re dropping bombs in other parts of the world, insisting on “liberation” and “democracy”, yet our own house is isn’t in order. That so many men and women have died to preserve the right to vote strikes me as just cause for every American to be concerned that there are honest questions being raised about our own elections. It is the essence of democracy, and we simply can’t afford to allow a really messed up system (30% of voters used electronic voting, which has not been proven reliable, and audit trails have been in some cases deemed “TOO EXPENSIVE” which just totally pisses me off considering the billions we’re spending in Iraq.)

I’m inspired, too, by the Ukranians, who are seriously going to bat for their democracy. It feels wierd and wonderful that democracy is alive there. I am frequently stunned at some of the statements made by the administration, given what’s been going on in our own electoral process.

Anyway, I’m zonked, and gonna hit it…