OH, CANADA... While I'm not gutted by Canada's move toward conservatism, it is disturbing to think the new prime minister and his Conservative Party might begin to undo years of work to give civil rights to all. PM elect Stephen Harper has been an opponent of abortion and, even more worrying, the country's approval of gay marriages. Canada has been a haven for those looking for more civil rights when it comes to partnerships, adoption, etc. with many gay Americans deciding to relocate to Canada to protect their families. The only saving grace is that the Conservative Party did not receive a majority, with only 124 seats in the House of Commons to the Liberals 103. That means the Conservatives won't be able to force its agenda, but expect plenty of fighting. Harper is a Bush supporter, wants to spend more on the military and basically become another American ass-kisser. The only hope is that Harper won't be able to hold his government together and will get a vote of no confidence if he starts trying to make sea changes.
Why is it that Washington's demands for Google's search engine records seem less like preventing pedophiles and more like an extension of domestic spying? There's been a gazillion porn sites on the Internet since it was invented, so why the sudden move to subpoena Google? Maybe Washington does want to crack down on child porn, but it comes at a very interesting time, especially since Dubya and Co. would love to get its mits on the Internet to prevent those pesky Democrats from finding out and sharing the truth about the corrupt and illegal activities of the current administration. Dubya, Cheney-of-Fool and all the crooks have been stepping up the rhetoric about God, guts, glory, stopping terrorists, Sept. 11, yadda, yadda, yadda in defense of wiretapping American phones and reading private emails. Dubya's constant invoking of Sept. 11 to continue breaking the law is beyond contempt.
Looks like Samuel Alito is on his way to the Supreme Court and the work to overturn Roe v. Wade will begin in earnest, along with stripping way other rights. Dubya has been phoning up pro-life Nazis this week offering his support. New Chief Justice John Roberts has already shown his conservative colors by dissenting in Oregon's assisted suicide law. Luckily, the law was upheld, but only because Sandra Day O'Connor is still seated. Once Alito joins the court, the centrist bench will swing right.
I hope the Democrats can get their shit together to oust some of the Republicans and at least shift Congress back to the left. The Republicans have more money and are pros at staying on message...keeping America scared. And the Dems better not be putting all their eggs in the Jack Abramoff basket. Yeah, Dubya has connections -- hell, the White House even has photos of them together, but refuses to release them -- but unless Jack is on his knees giving Dubya head in those photos, they won't amount to much.
Why is it that Washington's demands for Google's search engine records seem less like preventing pedophiles and more like an extension of domestic spying? There's been a gazillion porn sites on the Internet since it was invented, so why the sudden move to subpoena Google? Maybe Washington does want to crack down on child porn, but it comes at a very interesting time, especially since Dubya and Co. would love to get its mits on the Internet to prevent those pesky Democrats from finding out and sharing the truth about the corrupt and illegal activities of the current administration. Dubya, Cheney-of-Fool and all the crooks have been stepping up the rhetoric about God, guts, glory, stopping terrorists, Sept. 11, yadda, yadda, yadda in defense of wiretapping American phones and reading private emails. Dubya's constant invoking of Sept. 11 to continue breaking the law is beyond contempt.
Looks like Samuel Alito is on his way to the Supreme Court and the work to overturn Roe v. Wade will begin in earnest, along with stripping way other rights. Dubya has been phoning up pro-life Nazis this week offering his support. New Chief Justice John Roberts has already shown his conservative colors by dissenting in Oregon's assisted suicide law. Luckily, the law was upheld, but only because Sandra Day O'Connor is still seated. Once Alito joins the court, the centrist bench will swing right.
I hope the Democrats can get their shit together to oust some of the Republicans and at least shift Congress back to the left. The Republicans have more money and are pros at staying on message...keeping America scared. And the Dems better not be putting all their eggs in the Jack Abramoff basket. Yeah, Dubya has connections -- hell, the White House even has photos of them together, but refuses to release them -- but unless Jack is on his knees giving Dubya head in those photos, they won't amount to much.
Comments
http://sailpoet.com/myblog/?p=37
And the reasons are:
Sharon Olds is unafraid to say anything in her poetry…especially in the work which is raw and seething with anger and emotion. Her metaphors are spot on and she refuses to follow the rules for line breaks. Her later work has become more narrative, and even a dialogue. Her poem “The Window” in "The Unswept Room," when her daughter calls hysterical from a concentration camp in Poland is almost a short film. Vivid, heartbreaking. That’s what I love about Sharon.
Cecilia Woloch is at home with both traditional form and free verse. Her pantoums are so tight they make me weep…because I just haven’t gotten the hang of it. She writes in a very concrete, accessible way and she loves to give you a gut punch in her last line.
Tania Rochelle gave me some sage advice as a poet: Never be afraid to name names. She does that in her "Karaoke Funeral" and the forthcoming collection "Nude Bowling at the Good Time Boogie." Like Olds, she’s fearless in her expression of life and loss. It resonates with me.
Now about the political stuff--it's not just child porn they're cracking down on, it's all porn and even strip clubs, escort services, all sex work. Of course, I am pro-sex work, being a former sex worker and all, I do NOT advocate child porn, or any porn where there is a loss of freedom in the sense that one or more parties are not mentally able to give consent or are physically forced into it. I just wish people would wake up and realize that sex is a fundamental human drive--the more it's repressed, the more things like pornography are needed and sought, it is a natural response. My opinion, of course.