This Whole Crazy Thing with Jack Ryan
I have been much amused lately reading what journalists have written about Jack Ryan, the candidate for U.S. Senator here in Illinois whose divorce files were recently released. I honestly didn't think the revelations were that big a deal. It's not like Ryan beat his wife, or raped her, or cheated on her. I really thought he could weather it. And even though I'm a stauch supporter of Barack Obama, I considered Ryan a good, solid Republican who could give Obama a good race (although Obama will win, of course).
Little did I know. I feel bad for the guy. Of course, let's face it. He did show an onerous lack of judgment in running for office. He also should never have sealed his divorce records. This is usually only done (according to my divorce lawyer husband) to a) protect the child or b) protect celebrities and powerful people who have enough pull to get their records sealed. Since Ryan is a celebrity and his wife Jeri is also a celebrity--well, you do the math. Given Democrat Blair Hull's similar troubles in the primary, you'd think Ryan would know.
And pissing off Judy Barr Topinka, the state's most powerful Republican, is also a big no-no. Ryan shouldn't have lied to her, especially since many of the Republicans now calling for Ryan's resignation from the race are now comdemning not Ryan's sexual hijinks but his utter and complete lack of judgment in this matter.
All that aside, however, Ryan really didn't do such a horrible thing. After all, Ryan broke no laws. As for having kinky sex with his wife Jeri--well, have you SEEN her? If I were a guy, and I had Jeri Ryan as a wife, I'd be flaunting it too. Those of you who have never seen an episode of "Star Trek: Voyager" have no clue what I'm talking about.
I agree with the Rockford Register Star columnist Pat Cunningham: "Most politicians lie every now and then. John Kerry and George W. Bush are both liars, but they'll get about 100 million votes between them in November.... I'm not trying to trivialize the moral offenses Jack Ryan is alleged to have committed. He seems to have been a jerk --no, a kinky jerk. For all I know, he might still be a jerk. But he won the Republican nomination for the office he seeks, and I don't think it's right for a self-appointed posse to chase him off the ballot."
Here are some of my other favorite columnist quotes from the past few days:
From the Peoria Star-Journal:"There's no breaking of marriage laws or the Ten Commandments, (Ryan) said in an interview on WLS-AM. If the worst people can say is that over eight years of marriage he took his wife to places "she felt uncomfortable ... then I think people will say, gosh, that guy's lived a pretty clean life." Some people may say that, but probably not many in central Illinois, where the average resident is not accustomed to using "sex" and "club" in the same sentence and following it with the phrase "pretty clean life."
From Chicago's youth-geared paper Red Streak: "Watching the public flogging of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jack Ryan on Channel 11 Monday was pleasantly disturbing. According to his divorce papers, that's how he likes it."
Dan Johnson-Weinberger (I honestly have no clue who this guy is): "You have to really question the judgment of anyone who at one time was married to Jeri Ryan, and now, for whatever reason, is not."
The first gut reaction by loyal Republicans was of course to protect Ryan. Kevin McCollough, the Illinois Leader, said this: "For Eric Zorn and others to write in their columns or Web logs that Jack had been dishonest - is a blatant, politically minded fabrication on their own part." Hah! Funny, isn't it, in retrospect?
So I have really been enjoying this. I even watched Jay Leno's monologue last night to see if he'd add any additional jokes. I know some Republicans might be saying that I'm only amused because Obama gets a lot of leverage out of this event. But I feel bad for Ryan, who was an attractive, articulate candidate. Yes, his judgment was bad, and yes, that's probably reason enough for him to leave the race. But we're all a nation of ignorant, silly Puritans if we judge him by his "creepy" sex life.
P.S. I think many of us, if we really thought about it, would find stuff in our past life that would completely disqualify us to serve the public.
Monday, June 14, 2004
Six, Er, Seven People I Admire
We all have heroes. Here are a few of mine.
Penn and Teller--These guys are funny, they're entertaining, and they're brilliant. Their magic show is different because they tell it like it is, and they're amazingly irreverent. I also love their TV show, "Bullshit!", for its unabashedly liberal take on the world. They're also such characters. The world is more fun with them in it.
Hillary Clinton--Well, she graduated from my college, had my thesis advisor and lived in my dorm. But I really admire her because she's a strong, intelligent woman who has managed to survive politics for years despite crazy conservatives trying to break her down. She's a great role model. You go, girl!
Melinda Culea--When I was ten, she was the bomb. And maybe I had it wrong--I mean, it's not like I know what the actress is really like, or what actually happened on the set of "The A-Team" TV show. But the fact that she was the only girl on the team was so cool. And the fact that she stood up to the producers because her role was so small and silly was even better. She got fired for it, of course, but I admired her for not settling to be just eye candy to the TV audience. She was right--look at how women are kicking butt all over TVland now, and they're totally sexy. I forgive her for never sending me an autographed picture.
Maya Angelou--Her poetry is absolutely beautiful and powerful and meaningful. She's such an overwhelming presence, and it's hard not to feel awed when you listen to her read. If I could write poetry like Maya Angelou, I'd be able to say things in language that I can only struggle to express now.
Barack Obama--Despite the fact that George W. Bush, from what I understand, was shocked to find that "Osama" was running for the U.S. Senate in Illinois, I think this man has a potential for greatness. I campaigned for him in March, and will do so again for November. He's an articulate, upstanding man with a fine record in the Illinois legislature (which puts him ahead of Bush already); he's a civil rights attorney who cares about the same issues I do; and he's perfect for the Senate. I think he's totally wonderful, and I've never been so excited about a candidate before.
David Sedaris--What an amazing writer! His stories and essays are so hilarious and clever. He writes about turds like no one else. I'd love to have a satirical eye like his. And one else has been able to write a Christmas letter that actually imbued me with holiday spirit. This man's prose is inspiring and brilliant.
We all have heroes. Here are a few of mine.
Penn and Teller--These guys are funny, they're entertaining, and they're brilliant. Their magic show is different because they tell it like it is, and they're amazingly irreverent. I also love their TV show, "Bullshit!", for its unabashedly liberal take on the world. They're also such characters. The world is more fun with them in it.
Hillary Clinton--Well, she graduated from my college, had my thesis advisor and lived in my dorm. But I really admire her because she's a strong, intelligent woman who has managed to survive politics for years despite crazy conservatives trying to break her down. She's a great role model. You go, girl!
Melinda Culea--When I was ten, she was the bomb. And maybe I had it wrong--I mean, it's not like I know what the actress is really like, or what actually happened on the set of "The A-Team" TV show. But the fact that she was the only girl on the team was so cool. And the fact that she stood up to the producers because her role was so small and silly was even better. She got fired for it, of course, but I admired her for not settling to be just eye candy to the TV audience. She was right--look at how women are kicking butt all over TVland now, and they're totally sexy. I forgive her for never sending me an autographed picture.
Maya Angelou--Her poetry is absolutely beautiful and powerful and meaningful. She's such an overwhelming presence, and it's hard not to feel awed when you listen to her read. If I could write poetry like Maya Angelou, I'd be able to say things in language that I can only struggle to express now.
Barack Obama--Despite the fact that George W. Bush, from what I understand, was shocked to find that "Osama" was running for the U.S. Senate in Illinois, I think this man has a potential for greatness. I campaigned for him in March, and will do so again for November. He's an articulate, upstanding man with a fine record in the Illinois legislature (which puts him ahead of Bush already); he's a civil rights attorney who cares about the same issues I do; and he's perfect for the Senate. I think he's totally wonderful, and I've never been so excited about a candidate before.
David Sedaris--What an amazing writer! His stories and essays are so hilarious and clever. He writes about turds like no one else. I'd love to have a satirical eye like his. And one else has been able to write a Christmas letter that actually imbued me with holiday spirit. This man's prose is inspiring and brilliant.
Friday, June 04, 2004
Why I Hate The Phrase "God Bless America"
I love my country. I think it's sad that since I'm a liberal Democrat, I have to remind people of that fact to show them I'm not being treasonous or anything when I speak my mind. I love America's wide open spaces, I love its diversity (of thought, and of people), I love its freedoms and I love its people.
But let's deconstruct this phrase, through my experience. I'm an atheist, and have been ever since 9/11. But not because of anything the terrorists did, directly. Actually, it was the proliferation of signs saying "God Bless America" that did me in. I know many people believe this phrase to be an expression of hope, of faith, of love. I don't see it that way--I view this phrase as an expression of closedmindedness, hate and prejudice. I'll tell you why.
First, the "America" part.
I'm an Asian-American. I grew up in this country and fully intend to die here. I was born at a hospital in Lawrence, Kansas. I've visited a few other countries--Taiwan, the U.K. Briefly. But being non-white in a white culture, I have had a few racist experiences in my life. I've been called names, like "gook" and "f---in Jap". Since I'm not Vietnamese or Japanese, I thought those incidents were kind of funny. But let's face it. I'm not considered "American" by many people, even though I am one. I don't look American, according to some. To illustrate this point, I'll give you an example from a woman I don't think most of us consider to be racist or even unkind. Dear Abby is the woman of whom I speak.
In college I picked up a newspaper and read Dear Abby's column. Someone had written saying that he (or she) could not tell us Asians apart and was looking for advice. This person wrote in good faith. The gist of Dear Abby's response was that "They can't tell US AMERICANS apart either." I'll never forget that phrase. That someone so wise, so common-sense could say something like that completely bowled me over. I wrote back, though I have no idea if my letter ever garnered a response. I said, basically, that yes. I can tell AMERICANS apart. But that's not really the point. I don't need someone to be able to look at me and say I'm Chinese as compared to Korean. What I really want is just for people to understand that all Asians come from different cultures that are as rich and varied as Caucasian cultures. That the Japanese come from an interesting culture that's completely separate from Chinese, just like Scots come from a culture thats completely separate from that of German people, or French people. I also said that many of us ARE Americans. We consider ourselves to be from this country, and it's the only place we've ever lived. To separate Caucasians from Asians in that way was just wrong, and made those of us who grew up in this country feel excluded from our own culture.
It's incidents like that that brought it home to me that people of my race are NOT considered Americans by many. Despite our contributions, despite our love and loyalty to our country. And so when I see a phrase like "God Bless America," I can almost see the addendum that goes, "unless you're black, or Asian, or Latino, or--heaven forbid--Arab American." Yes, it's my baggage that leads me to see this invisible addition. But that baggage wouldn't exist if I didn't feel the hostility from certain parts of my own country.
Okay, so let's move on to the first part of the phrase. "God Bless." Well, where do I even start? For one thing, this phrase assumes a homogenous opinion that once again speaks to the lack of understanding and diversity in this country. It says that everyone reading this sign is Christian, or else they don't belong here in the good old U.S. of A. And atheists? Forget us. We're not included in this at all. By association, we're traitors and terrorists. What about other religions? What about the rest of us? To me, this seems to be a phrase of exclusion. And it assumes, with great hubris, that God is on our side and ours alone. It makes me think of that part in Voltaire's Candide where both sides in the war are having "Te Deum" played in their camps. God can't be on everyone's side, can he? I tend to think that if there is a God, he's on the side of individuals who are good and who believe, whether or not they live in this section of the northern hemisphere of the Earth. According to my baggage, the real phrase goes something like this:
"May the Christian God of the Good Middle-Class People bless America, except for those people who are not white because they clearly don't belong here with the rest of us clean, normal Caucasian people. This includes but is not limited to Mexicans (who have jumped the border to steal our jobs), African Americans (who are all morally bankrupt), Asian Americans (who are all inscrutable), Arab Americans (you know why) and gay people (because even though you may TECHNICALLY be white, you're all screwed up in the head)."
Is it any wonder that phrase grates on me? I don't expect the average American to understand why I look at "God Bless America" and I see something sinister and hypocritical. But I do. I'm sorry. That's just the way I feel. I will shout to the skies how much I adore this country--but I will never, ever utter those words. I will never sing them, I will never believe in them. It hurts too much.
I love my country. I think it's sad that since I'm a liberal Democrat, I have to remind people of that fact to show them I'm not being treasonous or anything when I speak my mind. I love America's wide open spaces, I love its diversity (of thought, and of people), I love its freedoms and I love its people.
But let's deconstruct this phrase, through my experience. I'm an atheist, and have been ever since 9/11. But not because of anything the terrorists did, directly. Actually, it was the proliferation of signs saying "God Bless America" that did me in. I know many people believe this phrase to be an expression of hope, of faith, of love. I don't see it that way--I view this phrase as an expression of closedmindedness, hate and prejudice. I'll tell you why.
First, the "America" part.
I'm an Asian-American. I grew up in this country and fully intend to die here. I was born at a hospital in Lawrence, Kansas. I've visited a few other countries--Taiwan, the U.K. Briefly. But being non-white in a white culture, I have had a few racist experiences in my life. I've been called names, like "gook" and "f---in Jap". Since I'm not Vietnamese or Japanese, I thought those incidents were kind of funny. But let's face it. I'm not considered "American" by many people, even though I am one. I don't look American, according to some. To illustrate this point, I'll give you an example from a woman I don't think most of us consider to be racist or even unkind. Dear Abby is the woman of whom I speak.
In college I picked up a newspaper and read Dear Abby's column. Someone had written saying that he (or she) could not tell us Asians apart and was looking for advice. This person wrote in good faith. The gist of Dear Abby's response was that "They can't tell US AMERICANS apart either." I'll never forget that phrase. That someone so wise, so common-sense could say something like that completely bowled me over. I wrote back, though I have no idea if my letter ever garnered a response. I said, basically, that yes. I can tell AMERICANS apart. But that's not really the point. I don't need someone to be able to look at me and say I'm Chinese as compared to Korean. What I really want is just for people to understand that all Asians come from different cultures that are as rich and varied as Caucasian cultures. That the Japanese come from an interesting culture that's completely separate from Chinese, just like Scots come from a culture thats completely separate from that of German people, or French people. I also said that many of us ARE Americans. We consider ourselves to be from this country, and it's the only place we've ever lived. To separate Caucasians from Asians in that way was just wrong, and made those of us who grew up in this country feel excluded from our own culture.
It's incidents like that that brought it home to me that people of my race are NOT considered Americans by many. Despite our contributions, despite our love and loyalty to our country. And so when I see a phrase like "God Bless America," I can almost see the addendum that goes, "unless you're black, or Asian, or Latino, or--heaven forbid--Arab American." Yes, it's my baggage that leads me to see this invisible addition. But that baggage wouldn't exist if I didn't feel the hostility from certain parts of my own country.
Okay, so let's move on to the first part of the phrase. "God Bless." Well, where do I even start? For one thing, this phrase assumes a homogenous opinion that once again speaks to the lack of understanding and diversity in this country. It says that everyone reading this sign is Christian, or else they don't belong here in the good old U.S. of A. And atheists? Forget us. We're not included in this at all. By association, we're traitors and terrorists. What about other religions? What about the rest of us? To me, this seems to be a phrase of exclusion. And it assumes, with great hubris, that God is on our side and ours alone. It makes me think of that part in Voltaire's Candide where both sides in the war are having "Te Deum" played in their camps. God can't be on everyone's side, can he? I tend to think that if there is a God, he's on the side of individuals who are good and who believe, whether or not they live in this section of the northern hemisphere of the Earth. According to my baggage, the real phrase goes something like this:
"May the Christian God of the Good Middle-Class People bless America, except for those people who are not white because they clearly don't belong here with the rest of us clean, normal Caucasian people. This includes but is not limited to Mexicans (who have jumped the border to steal our jobs), African Americans (who are all morally bankrupt), Asian Americans (who are all inscrutable), Arab Americans (you know why) and gay people (because even though you may TECHNICALLY be white, you're all screwed up in the head)."
Is it any wonder that phrase grates on me? I don't expect the average American to understand why I look at "God Bless America" and I see something sinister and hypocritical. But I do. I'm sorry. That's just the way I feel. I will shout to the skies how much I adore this country--but I will never, ever utter those words. I will never sing them, I will never believe in them. It hurts too much.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)