I spent my day at the MA state house today, watching the House of Reps debate a bill that I had researched extensively. I was marginally against the bill, so I was pleased when it lost 147-3.

But while I was sitting there, my mind kept wandering to the protest at Georgetown yesterday, and I was feeling so encouraged. There was a little blurb about it in the Boston Metro this a.m., and i was wondering - could this be the start? could it be the beginning of people voicing their unhappiness with the things going on right now with this current administration?

The debate that i was watching also gave me a little a hope - a hope that people truly can be snapped out of apathy. it wasn't a federal issue at all, but it was a situation where a senator had tried to really RUSH something through the system, and if she had succeeded, something of questionable constitutionality would probably have passed both houses of state congress based purely on rhetoric and without any real discussion or argument. Fortunately, some groups mobilized and contacted their legislators, the brakes got put on the process, and today - 3 months after it was supposed to happen - the bill was defeated.

I'd love to see more of both these things -- citizens affecting legislation and the visible protests. I think part of why it hasn't been happening on the federal issues is because the Bush administration doesn't usually give talks at open forums where students of any political persuasion are welcome. I just read the other day about Bush's recent town-hall style talks, and how it's filled with people who are there by invitation. He's not answering spontaneous questions of the Zuska's of the world -- but rather questions of the President of the Young Republicans. The general public don't get access. But perhaps this recent invigoration provided by our friends at Georgetown will help all of us who are concerned to say so.

There is an "Emergency Town Meeting" pertaining to the Domestic Spying issue being held on Monday the 30th at Fanueil Hall here in Boston - it's sponsored largely by the organization i'm working for right now, and i wasn't going to go, b/c it's from 6-8 p.m., and i usually get HOME at 6 p.m. and I have kids. And it's too hard. But I've decided to ask my babysitter to bring the kids over to the city for 5:30, and taking them with me, and meeting beloved there, too. I can probably even get us on t.v. -- if we plaster stickers from this organization on our clothing.

We took the kids to an anti-war march in 2003 in San Francisco. I am glad to have them participate, too - even if they grow up to have different views than I do (which I try hard to let them know is their perogative) - they will grow up knowing that they CAN and SHOULD express those views. Their right and their duty.

So I think that's where we'll be next Monday. And the next evening, we will all be watching the State of the Union. As nauseous as it makes us!!

posted by Zuska @ 6:13 PM

2 Comments:

At Wednesday, January 25, 2006 8:24:00 PM, The Marpepps! said…

That's awesome, Zuska. It's also completely amazing that Boston is having an emergency town meeting! It gives me hope to think about your kids taking part in this issue. You're raisin' them kids proper.
At Thursday, January 26, 2006 9:44:00 PM, Zuska said…

it was a long time ago - before the war. in that crazy San Francisco. I remember being so angry when Georgie said that making decisions based on the protests would be like "listening to focus groups." meanie-head.

But there were a lot of kids there - i wonder if mine will be the only kids in Boston? It's not hippy-drippy S.F. anymore. (pout pout)