Jump to the Left, Jump to the Right by Dyan Kane

The following are emails shot back and forth between myself and a high school friend of mine from back east. Let's call him Ben. We lost contact with each other after I left Rhode Island to pursue a career in entertainment "out there" in the world. About 5 years ago, traumatic family issues brought me back to Providence, and we rekindled our old friendship. We get along well, except for our views on politics. My mom held fast to her belief that a lady never discusses religion or politics at the dinner table. I understand why. Our friendship has been tested a few times over differences in political opinion. Ben knows history and can substantiate any claim with historical American and World History data. That makes him a challenge to debate issues with. I'm more emotional - not good when debating - and so arguing with Ben has, hopefully, made me more sharp and objective. I'm getting there. In the meantime, read on. Better to read from the bottom up...The first message is at the bottom, the latest at the top...and don't hesitate to comment...

From: DYRO
To: BEN


Yes I'm "conservative" in my lifestyle, probably because my pocketbook doesn't allow for extravagance these days. I'm aware of the consequences of having all the material possessions I desire (blackberry, cell phone, computers, air conditioning, a flushing toilet, hot water for a shower )- all the things I take for granted, its not acceptable morally any more to consume in a wasteful way. No one scared me into thinking that way. What scares me is that people like George Bush did NOTHING to address energy issues because he is an OIL man and he and Cheney, the Bush Dynasty and the oil industry (seeing another record profit at the expense of people like me, who have to weigh driving or eating), who FIXED the numbers when scientists were giving clear evidence of global warming due to emissions from industry, DID NOTHING. Because after all the years HUMANS have dumped filth into our oceans, our rivers, our seas, after all the years of shipping waste out into shipped into space, years of accumulation of polluted emissions into our atmosphere, years of creating deserts out of once lush rain forestry, years of slaughtering innocent animals, (families of near extinct silverbacks and orangutans, for instance, are murdered assasination style because people in their neck of the jungle need to burn trees for coal to ship to...US? INDIA? CHINA?? WhoEVER?) Something has to GIVE!
Can you deny the changing weather patterns on our planet?? It's not about being conservative, Republican, Democrat, Liberal, Catholic, Protestant, Big House, Little House, Hummer, Prius, Diamond Bling, it's not about distractions like Lindsay Lohan and who she's fucking. We ALL need to get back in touch with what the INDIANS, who we SLAUGHTERED to create this GREAT COUNTRY, were into for the hundreds of thousands of years - LIVING WITH NATURE PEACEFULLY. We've been taught to be consumers. At what price, Jay??? At what price??

And I believe that someone like OBAMA sees all this and is able to consult with the brilliant minds of TODAY's world, CARES enough to do so, to plug into the bigger issue, so that we can all continue to live comfortably on a planet we are CONNECTED TO, not seperate from.

Please, read Eckhert Tolle's "A New Earth" (he wrote Power of Now).
Please, I will send it to you.

This is how I think of you: progressive, tolerant, receptive, non-conforming, interested, wide awake, broad minded, understanding, permissive, unprejudiced, impartial, rational, passionate (definitely), unconventional, believer in civil rights, revolutionary. Yup. That's you.

By the way, that's webster's definition of liberal.

--- On Mon, 8/25/08, BEN wrote:

From: BEN>
Subject: Re: hi
To: dyro
Date: Monday, August 25, 2008, 5:11 AM

i love these talks. i am not a republican i am a conservative. it is conservatism that made this a great country and it is conservatism that will keep us great. you live your personal life conservatively why do you want anything less from your government. don't fall for all the scare tactics used by those who want you to give up your freedoms granted by god and turn them over to a government created by men in the name of saving the planet or any other deception. it is this ideal that has enable a nation of only 300 plus years to advance light years beyond all others for we believe in personal freedom and responsibility not government and trust in the goodness of the individually not of the collective like the socialist. america is great because of it's people and it's freedom not because of it's government. someday you will grow.
love ya


--- On Sun, 8/24/08,

From: dyro
Subject: Re: hi
To: BEN
Date: Sunday, August 24, 2008, 11:47 AM

There are so many bigger issues to tackle than 1) the 2 parties taking a little from each other and blurring the lines (what's bad about that?), 2) than who's what religion, 3) science vs. religion, 4) whether the constitution still holds for the technological society we now live in. NO ONE is ready to handle the Presidency, especially during the times we live in now. If we destroy the environment, we won' t have a healthy planet to have these debates on. We'll be walking around like the Chinese, with face masks on to shield us from the pollution all new industry is causing. We can't go on in the same ways. The OLD ways don't hold in today's fast paced,. technologically advanced world. If ya can't keep up, ya can't be president of this great country, and try to be on the same page with the rest of the world leaders, whose thinking on things like energy and environmental concerns is so far ahead of ours. The last 8 years did nothing to help advance us. Please step back from the picture and let go of your tight hold on old school naiivety. I know growth is painful, but you don't have to lose your Republican-isms in order to do the right thing on issues that are bigger than party lines.



--- On Sun, 8/24/08, ben wrote:

From: BEN
To: dyro
Date: Sunday, August 24, 2008, 8:04 AM

he is a closet liberal

--- On Fri, 8/22/08, dyro wrote:

From: dyro
Subject: Re: hi
To: BEN
Date: Friday, August 22, 2008, 2:54 PM

you & I, our table coversation would be like the Schwarzzeneger household. Man would I love to be a fly on his dining room wall!!!!!




--- On Fri, 8/22/08, BEN:

From: BEN
Subject: Re: hi
To: dyro
Date: Friday, August 22, 2008, 9:28 AM

i don't need to read that book i already read marx comunist manifesto. of course most of his supporters haven't read his book they can't read they are caught up in the words prepared for him that he reads from his teleprompter. lol luv ya

--- On Fri, 8/22/08, dyro

From: dyro
Subject: Re: hi
To: BEN
Date: Friday, August 22, 2008, 11:52 AM

don't worry, my friend. The whole world is shifting, (except Russia, apparently). We'll be ok. You've got to read Audacity of Hope. You'll feel alot better if you do. Funny, all the ardent supporters I've met in the last few months haven't even read his books. It's stunning.

--- On Fri, 8/22/08, BEN> wrote:

From: BEN
Subject: Re: hi
To: dyro
Date: Friday, August 22, 2008, 5:20 AM

SCARY

--- On Thu, 8/21/08, dyro

From: dyro
Subject: Re: hi
To: BEN
Date: Thursday, August 21, 2008, 3:34 PM

oh yeah, re: Obama -- I have a friend on the inside of his campaign who's trying to get me a job re: fundraising for the last 70 days of his campaign. How exciting! Might be my entrance into all things politico. Ya have to admit, this is an exciting time for our country, and for the world!!!!