Tag: donald-trump

I once saw a solo show written and performed by man who spent more than 20 years of his life in prison.

I marveled at how confident he was in front of the audience. Most of us in “the theatuh”* go through years of education, formal training, and trust-building exercises to achieve such ease. With zero formal education, he carefully guided us into his carceral experience. It was impactful!

Excellent storytelling aside, the fact remains that this man, like millions of Americans, was overcharged and lost several years of freedom and safety in a thoroughly unjust justice system.

When I got home, I was fired up. I told my husband I was never going to vote again because Democrats and Republicans are responsible for our horrendous prison system.

“How the hell can I vote in a system that’s so broken?” I asked. “And why the hell isn’t prison reform our number one political issue!?”

I threatened to “go Libertarian” and proclaimed it was “high time we live off the grid!”

Spoiler: I still vote, I’m still a registered Democrat, and I still prefer cities and convenience to rural settings.

Storytelling…it riles me up.

Some more personal theatrical, cinematic, and literary history

In 2002, I saw a play about convicted serial killer Aileen Wuornos. She was a prostitute who shot seven of her johns to death in 1989 and 1990. At the time of the play, Wuornos was on death row for the murders. After learning about the rape, abuse, and humiliation she endured in her young life, I left the theater angry that she was the one in jail awaiting execution.

Theatre…it riles me up.

A few months later, Wuornos was executed by lethal injection. About a year after that, a film about her (starring Charlize Theron) was playing in most cinemas across the United States. The movie wasn’t as good as the play (they never are) but millions of people like me were outraged at the unfairness of it all. However, it wasn’t until I started writing this blog post that I realized that Theron and other folks in the movie-making industry made millions from Wuornos’s tragic life.

Exploitation…it riles me up.

***

Approximately 14 years ago, before it was a Netflix series, I read Piper Kerman’s book Orange is the New Black. It was upsetting, yes, but also insightful and even inspirational because there was a long list of resources for women prisoners at the end of the book. I was so moved that I dressed up as Kerman at a local “Come Dressed as a Literary Character or Author” event.

A few years after I read the book, I watched the series. I was once again outraged and disturbed by the injustices each “inmate” endured. And today, as I write this, I am just now realizing how Netflix and the television industry has profited from the stories of the overcharged, wrongly charged, and wrongfully executed. The overcharged, wrongly charged, and wrongfully executed have not profited one cent and the prisons have not been reformed! Am I riled up? Yes. But…

A little personal history and personal hypocrisy

A few years ago, three completely separate then-friends of mine — people I had invited into my home — went to prison for crimes involving children. Though my family and I were unharmed by them, it was a very disturbing and shocking slew of events.

Betrayal…it riles me up!

And betrayal scares me. What else were they capable of? I suddenly stopped caring about prison reform. I wanted them to go away forever and never again come near my family.

Am I a hypocrite for cutting them out of my life? Or was I forced to make clear boundaries in order to protect my family? Or a little of both? Or a little of both and something else? Jesus hung with prisoners. Hell, he was a prisoner. He was crucified as a prisoner alongside prisoners.

Should I have supported my “friends?”

WWJD?

I did WAMWD. What any mother would do. Cut them off.

A little political history and political hypocrisy

Republican nominee and twice-impeached former president Donald Trump, the biggest hypocrite this country has ever seen, was recently convicted of 34 felonies. It’s unlikely he’ll serve even one minute for his crimes. If anything, the conviction has only endeared him to his base. They’ll vote for him on November 5 and Trump will vote for himself.

If he wins, we’ll have four years of mind-numbing rhetoric.

If he loses, will he incite another riot? Will another police officer die? Will more Americans die while the “normal grandpa” kicks back at home?

To think I once said I’d never vote again is beyond pathetic and ironic, but I felt that way. I did. Hypocrisy, change, and the human condition will always blur the lines of my personal politics. But I will not let that stop me from voting blue, and only blue.

Where we are now

I audibly gasped when Biden announced he would not be seeking re-election. I was on my laptop and immediately slapped it shut.

“What’s wrong?” my husband asked.

“I don’t even want to talk about it,” I said. “I’m too pissed.”

“Just tell me.”

“Guess.”

“Biden dropped out.”

I nodded my head and sobbed.

Politics…they rile me up.

Fandom or Fan Dumb?

It took me a couple days to deal with my Biden grief. I knew I would support Kamala but at first I wanted to hear who her running mate would be and I wanted to wait for the official nomination at the Democratic National Convention. For a hot minute, I half-wondered if Illinois Governor JB Pritzker was going to run. But once President Biden addressed the nation, I felt better. He has that affect on many people, not just me. His resounding praise and endorsement of Kamala Harris made sense and I decided I was all in, even before the DNC.

It may be a dumb way to put it, but I’ve been a Biden “fan” for a long time. Among many things, I love the president’s compassion and that he created a cabinet that actually looks like America. I love that he brought Amanda Gorman to his inauguration. I instantly became a fan of the national youth poet laureate before she uttered one word of her poem. When she clearly enunciated, “Mr. President, Dr. Biden, Madame Vice President, Mr. Emhoff, Americans, and the world” in her greeting, I knew I had to pull my car over and just listen. And when she recited her poem, “The Hill We Climb” I sat there in my car speechless, dumb with hope. Only Biden could give us that moment.

***

I’ve been a Kamala fan ever since she showed up on my political radar in 2019. She’s sharp, tough, and experienced.

Before becoming the vice president, Harris has served as senator, prosecutor, and attorney general. I don’t agree with every move she makes; her record as a prosecutor and attorney general conflicts with what I say I want for prison reform, but she said she has a unique plan to end the war in Gaza.

“The war in Gaza is not a binary issue,” she said.

Neither is prison reform. Neither is immigration. Neither is education. Neither is my political journey. Neither is life! But when it comes to voting, let us vote in a very binary way: ALL BLUE.

Harris is racking up all kinds of support. She’s raised millions on top of the millions she’s inheriting from Biden’s campaign funds. The Obamas endorsed her and over the past few days, my social media filled with renewed democratic hope. I felt hope with Obama, I felt hope when Gorman read her poem, and I feel hope for Kamala.

My family supports Kamala, too. We have a goldfish named after her, for crying out loud. Actually, the fish’s name is Vice President-elect because when we got the goldfish, Harris was still the vice president-elect.

Stretching the binary

A couple days ago, I heard Kamala say her platform will be about the middle class and abortion rights. Fine, but I want to point out that she used the word “binary” when she talked about war. If she sees that war is not a binary issue, she probably sees that nothing is! I believe her nuanced and intentional use of the word is a signal to how she’ll inform and include everyone in our country. I am so sick of the Republican “there are only two genders” hate speech and insipid DEI comments.

Oh please let Kamala win.

What I want for prison reform

Nobody asked, but I’d like carceral life to include weekly nature hikes, pet ownership, access to good libraries and music instruments, performance opportunities, and daily trust-building exercises. It’s what I want, not what I expect.

I’m not riled up. I just thought I’d put it out there.

In conclusion

Most of the time, I’m riled up. I’ve spoken with many a friend and family member about this. Alas, I remain…riled up.

Thank you for reading. Vote Blue! -Connie

*None of us in theatre pronounce it “theatuh” but blogging…it riles me up.

Photo Credit: Vice President-elect is the goldfish closest to the surface of the water.