It Isn’t Over ‘Til It’s Over

Over at "Better Terms," a couple of my long-time journal friends wondered jokingly what I was going to find to write about, since very, very soon (thank god) I will not have Mr. Bush to kick around anymore.

Let's face it. The Obama election is merely one victory—albeit a large and important victory—in the battle to rebuild the America razed by the Bush Administration.

Bush's "Politics of Fear" have nourished the beast of hatred in our land. It is strong and fierce and is not going to go down quietly.

The religious right wing, given not just any seat at the table by the Bush Administration, but the seat at the head of the table, is not going to surrender that seat without a vicious fight.

Big Business, upon which the Bush Administration bestowed the Absolute Power which corrupts absolutely, will not be easily wrestled back into Pandora's box.

Last Tuesday night, even as Barack Obama claimed the victory that was not the landslide it should have been, the voters of California chose to insinuate themselves once again into the bedrooms of their neighbors and deny them civil rights based on the common gender of the two sharing the bed.

General Motors—that good old boy network of unimaginative American industry determined to ride every wave of consumer frenzy until it crashes on the shore, rather than look ahead to catch the next wave—is standing in line with the failed banks, hand outstretched to grasp its share of the government bailout.

And even here in little Columbia County, Oregon, the voters took it in their heads to pass a measure inspired by the xenophobia stirred up by the Bush Administration—an unfunded mandate that the county (one of the smallest and poorest in the state) now by law must police every business within its borders to enforce federal immigration laws.

So, ladies, there is a lot of work to do; plenty of potential for scolding and ranting still inspires these old hands.

And maybe we'll even get to write about something positive for a change.