Radio Silence

Hey all,

Sorry about being incommunicado recently; I know how you all wait breathlessly for my next review to be posted. But for the past week, I've been enjoying (ha!) the not-so-luxurious accomdations at Umass Memorial Hospital. Good times. Well...except for the good part. Still I'm out, feeling better, and hoping to stay that way for a bit.

Nobody ever says they wanna be a junkie when they grow up...but I do. A BLOOD JUNKIE, that is! While at the hospital, I ended up getting a blood transfusion, and I cannot express the myriad ways it made me feel better. Did you know it was possible to have warm fingers and toes without putting them on the belly of a loved one? Or that, as a mammal, you're supposed to be able to regulate your own body temperature? Or that it was possible to go a day without needing a nap? Me neither!

One of the reasons for my extended stay in the hospital is that I am very, veyr anemic, due to a multiplicity of reasons. The average person has a hematocrit level of 37. I checked in with a 23. But the difference is amazing! I guess the body does need all that oxygen after all.

Anyway, I wouldn't mind keeping this feeling of health and energy forever. Don't be surprised if you see headlines about me sneaking into blood banks with a bucket and an IV. Or I show up at your door with a tourniquet, slapping the inside of my elbow and whining, "C'mon, man, I neeeeeed it."

On a completely different note, one of the ways I'm preparing for the Zombacalypse is by collecting the bloodtypes of all my friends, so in case of severe injury, we know what type to get you. Just leave me a comment with your blood type (complete with Rh factor) and I'll mark it down for you.

I do this because I care. Truly.

I did get out of the hospital in time to vote and watch the election at my home. I am not ashamed to admit I cried. I really wish my grandfather had lived to see this. And my Uncle Jon. And Uncle Tad. And Uncle Craig. Not (just) because they're black, but because they lived through times of turbulance and struggle and strife, and they were part of the generation(s) that made this possible.

And, out of spite, I wish Strom Thurmond was, too. Heh.

However, even in the midst of all this joy, we mustn't forget a few things. First of all, Obama's presidency doesn't mean racism has magically ended. It may not be as deep and hateful as during our parents' generation, but it still exists. It is our job to remain vigilant and make sure the generations who come after us inherit a country where electing a black man (or Hispanic man, or female, or athiest, or...) is no longer a thing to be marvelled at. I didn't think I'd ever live to see this possibility, but now that I have, I'd like to get to the point where such an even merits no remark at all. THEN, we will truly have gotten somewhere as a country.

Oh, and let's not be too smug, okay? Yes, this is a momentus occasion, and yes, it deserves recognition and cheering. But we're not all that amazing on the world stage; the UN was lead by Kofi Annan, from Ghana, for almost ten years, and Pakistan elected Benazir Bhutto to be their Prime Minister back in 1998.

The second thing we must not forget is that other forms of prejudice are alive and thriving in this country. I am, of course, referring to the same-sex marriage bans that were voted into existence in Arizona, Florida, and California. I am especially disappointed in California. For one, how much of their state revenue comes from the gays? I mean, really! Can a state in that much debt really afford to spit on the wedding revenue Hollywood and San Fran were about to provide? I certainly hope they're not depending on the funds pumped into the state by the Knights of Columbus and the Mormons--do you really think they'll continue doing so now that their agenda has been met? For another, more serious reason, California actually voted to strip away rights to their citizens. Not just deny rights, but actually strip them away. That's so, incredibly wrong, I cannot even begin to describe it. What's next? Are they going to reverse Loving v Virginia? Decide marriage belongs to one blond man and one brunette woman?

Pundits are saying "The people have spoken. It's the will of the people." However, our government is NOT actually supposed to cater to the whims of the majority. It's supposed to protect the rights of minorities from those majority whims. And California did a really lousy job of that, proving that once again, America still has second-class citizenship. I'm grievously disappointed. There is no good, civil reason to deny marriage to any segment of our population. Do not legislate your religion on me. Keep this up, and I'm gonna legislate that we all have to keep kosher. Enjoy that bacon cheeseburger now, asshat.

Okay, I think I've ranted my fair share. Let's be clear, Obama's winning is a major victory for our country, both on a racial front and a political one. I really hope that he'll be able to steer us back into the forefront of the global economy, make us a force of peace, and restore our respect in ourselves, bith here and abroad. For the first time in eight years, I think that might almost be possible.

Regards,
N. Vivian