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Are we there yet?
Is there a wearier, drearier time of year in Loudoun County than early March?
Gone is the shiny expectation of snowy white mornings, replaced by the leaden certainty of chilly gray days, barren brown trees, and soggy yellow grass.
Yeah, we’ll get the odd warm day or two, duping the trees into an early bud. But the next day – the sucker punch – scouring winds and the dreaded wintry mix.
We want spring to come … and stay. It’s the time of year when all we can ask is, “Are we there yet?”
I’ve found that this sentiment is spilling over into other areas. A great waiting, a great wondering has taken over.
For instance, are you sick of the presidential campaigning yet? I’m getting there.
Don’t get me wrong … I love the circus atmosphere of the primaries. I like it when issues are discussed in widespread fashion. There’s too little of that in the non-presidential election years, when we’re more apt to be discussing Britney’s new boyfriend/scandal/tattoo or who got voted off “American Idol” this week.
But right now, the Republican race is a done deal, and the Democratic candidates – Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama – are starting to bite into one another like two pit bulls going for the last Milk-Bone. When it starts to move beyond campaigning, and just provides fodder for the Republicans to use during the national campaign … well, the bloom is off the rose.
Oh, we’re still hearing stuff we’ve heard all along: small distinctions between the two on health care plans and immigration issues and such.
In reality, there simply aren’t a lot of substantive issues between the dogs in this fight. As the campaign wears on, the two candidates – and the groups that support them – have had to go for the jugular instead.
He says she doesn’t make good decisions (re: the vote to authorize the war in Iraq); she says he’s all talk, and no walk.
The candidates themselves generally try to keep their comments from getting too extreme. But, just the same, the more outrageous accusations are out there – on the TV and radio, on websites and blogs, in the papers.
She’s been accused of being a shrill, overshadowed-by-Bill, over-ambitious, rhymes-with-witch. He’s been accused of being a no-flag-lapel-pin wearing, no-Bible-swearing, terrorist plant.
Whether put out by shadowy operatives aligning themselves with Democrats or Republicans, it’s ugly. At the same time, I suppose it is inevitable, given the unprecedented backgrounds and viability of the two people in question.
Now, more than ever, it is our responsibility as voters to be well-informed about the candidates, and not to take any information about them at face value without looking into it on a deeper level.
However the race shakes out, I hope we will realize what a historic election year we are in, with a chance to (finally!) see someone other than an older, white male take the oath of office next January.
Look, we’re all realistic folks. We know there are those who are mistrustful of foreign-sounding names or think a woman just isn’t up to the task. There are those who want to keep things the way they have always been. It’s too scary, they think, to change. Let’s keep doing what we’re doing.
My thought: What we’re doing ain’t working. It is far scarier, in my mind, not to change.
But the fact remains … there are still racist individuals in our country. There are still sexist individuals in our country.
Can we get beyond these people? Can we get beyond these feelings?
Are we there yet?
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