Re: RAT religion and politics

[schedlinski <schedlinski@yahoo.com>]

I think that Catherine's point is well-taken, and
while I'm still voting for Nader, I'm not totally
convinced he'd make a good president in terms of
compromise, deal-making, etc. I do think he would make
good use of the bully pulpit, which has always
appeared to be the most powerful tool of the
presidency in peacetime (and frankly, I'm not sure I'd
be thrilled to have Ralph Nader's finger on the button
should there be some sudden war, but I'll take my
chances).

I think the points about abortion are basically moot
-- people don't change their minds about abortion, so
it's not an issue like gun control or the death
penalty where the power of the president to speak on
an issue changes the popular opinion. The supreme
court is in charge of abortion, period, and the fact
that the president appoints justices does not mean
anything -- it is beyond the pale to ask a justice how
they feel about a particular issue before naming them,
and the legal precident surrounding roe v. wade has
always been one of privacy, which is an issue that
cuts very curiously around "party" lines. As the other
clipping showed, there is nothing to make us believe
gore would do any more for a woman's right to chose
than bush.

gun control, death penalty, gay rights -- these are
issues that the president has some sway over, but only
because the president has a platform to address
people. Well guess what, RATs, so do we. The issue of
who becomes president is far less important in our
day-to-day lives than how we carry out the mandate to
communicate to each other and to our audiences (read:
Everyone) Sure calling W. a corpse fucker (fine in
this venue) blows off steam, but OUR mandate as
artists is to communicate -- even to people we don't
agree with. We can do more to help broaden political
debate by creating something that surprises our
"enemies" (not by lambasting jesse helms in a theatre
on walker street -- the most cowardly kind of theatre)
by engaging with them. I think if we get wrapped up in
the "evil" of the republicans (or Al Gore, or Ralph
Nader, or dammit even Pat Buchanan), we lose. Hate is
a weapon, sure, but one whose only use is for
self-slaughter.

rm schedlinski

"there are people in this world who do not love their
fellow man, and I HATE people like that" -- Tom Leher.

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