Saturday, November 17, 2012

Reverb



I say it all the time, that this period in history feels so much like the sixties. It really does.

One of my FB friends posted a picture of a billboard she saw near Westminster, Maryland, a shockingly racist depiction of Obama mooning and giving the finger to America. His bottom, as depicted, is super black. A rat next to him calls him daddy. It is not only weird, but ugly, offensive as all get out, and probably within the fifth amendment rights of the person who put it up.



One way that this time period reverbs with an energy similar to the sixties is the stark re-emergence of the civil rights movements, not only for people of color, but for women and gay people, too. We were supposed to have gotten over all that racist crap, right? Check the image above ... whoa. We are far from it, though to be fair, we're much better than we used to be - I mean - Obama was elected president twice, something that would have been unthinkable during the sixties. But we still have far to go.

I keep thinking about the "rape guys" as a friend of mine refers to all those idiots who believe pregnancy can't result from "legitimate" rape or that it's god's will if a raped woman becomes pregnant. Good lord, who are these people and how can any of them sit on the Congressional Science committee? Wow. Their high profile appearance during the campaign was an eye opener. We're allegedly all equal now, right? Hmmm ... not quite!

During the sixties, the old paradigm of American society cracked, shattered, and fell. It was exciting and frightening, just like now.



Yep. This time period is so like the sixties. It feels like anything could happen, that time/space is in a state of hyper flux. It's all to the good; I mean, that kind of flux helps us evolve out of our old patterns even though it's hardly pleasant to see how deeply held are our phobias.

It's exciting. But I miss the sex. I miss the drugs. And I miss the rock 'n roll!

Shalom.

6 comments:

ellen abbott said...

Oh yeah, sex, drugs and rock and roll!

I am shocked by the hatefulness that has been directed towards the president. And the total lack of respect that has been shown towards him and the Office itself not only by the average racist but among Congress as well. I hope that perhaps this has been a last gasp of those that are too fearful of granting equality towards all people that they actively work to suppress.

Reya Mellicker said...

Yep, I'm shocked too. But I shouldn't be, should I?

We are so much better than we used to be.

Steve Reed said...

That sign is just bizarre. It's so bizarre that it's completely ineffective. Weird.

I always felt bad that I missed out on the '60s. So maybe this is my chance to live them again!

Washington Cube said...

As the photographer of that picture, I can add that my friend who showed it to me...didn't even want to. She had mentioned it, but she said it made her sick every time she drove by it. There was another Obama image on the flip side, and a domed camera on top of the sign (large) I guess to capture anyone who might try to destroy it. I still can't believe there isn't a law about displaying things like this. I wish the Secret Service would pay him a call to see if he held any animosity to the President that might be harmful.

Susan Carpenter Sims said...

The kind of energy behind the creation of that sign, the same energy I felt around me so strongly leading up to the election always just brings to mind the image of a pack of snarling dogs to me.

I've been thinking a lot about walking labyrinths lately. What you say here about being like the 60s,and how in some ways it seems like we're regressing but we're actually making progress makes me think about how you can come to a point in the labyrinth where you're just a few inches from where you were before. So it feels like pretty much the same place, but in reality, you're much closer to the center than you were.

Reya Mellicker said...

Susan - how cool! And yes, you think you're almost out of the labyrinth, then loop back in towards center. Ver cool.

Cube, only you of the all seeing eye could locate something like this. It gives pause for thought! Thank you