http://www.dissidentvoice.org/May2004/Bageant0524.htmIf anything can stop this imperial court of jackals, the jackals we allowed to steal an election (without breaking out in open street rebellion as we probably should have done), the ones currently looting the national treasury, the ones spoiling for Armageddon and wiping their asses on the constitution, it is you, me and about 100 million other Americans who may or may not decide to vote in November. Even if we cannot drive the jackals away from the carcass of our constitution, we can redeem ourselves as individuals. Let me share with you these lines by Vachel Lindsay. I know Lindsay is uncool among the literary gaggle these days, but let me do it anyway.
I am unjust, but I can strive for justice.
My life's unkind, but I can vote for kindness.
I, the unloving, say life should be lovely.
I, that am blind, cry out against my blindness.
Come, let us vote against our human nature,
Crying to God in all the polling places
To heal our everlasting sinfulness
And make us sages with transfigured faces.
-- From “Why I voted the Socialist Ticket,” by Vachel Lindsay
If you will remember, we did have other options. In our hearts we all know that Nader, Kucinich and Sharpton were the only candidates speaking the whole truth. Whether they would have acted on their own words, may be another matter. We will never know because liberals, being too worried about picking the right actor in the televised popularity contest that we call elections, never seriously considered them anyway. Speaking the truth does not count for much these days. I