Last night I watched an episode of South Park where PETA harrassed the school because their mascot was a cow. So they had a vote on who the new mascot would be, and the choice was between a giant douche and a turd sandwich.

Stan refused to vote because he hated the choice, even though Puff Daddy threatened to kill him if he didn't vote. Eventually Stan was banished for not voting, and had to go live in the wilderness with PETA. He didn't really fit in, so they told him to go home, and he explained why he could never go home again.

"But Stan," said the PETA people, "don't you know, it's always between a giant douche and a turd sandwich. Nearly every election since the beginning of time has been between some douche and some turd. They're the only people who suck up enough to make it that far in politics."

And so Stan goes back to South Park and votes. In the background, along with images of an eagle and the American flag, someone sings:

"Let's get out the vote! Let's make our voices heard!
We've been given the right to choose between a douche and a turd.
It's democracy in action! Put your freedom to the test.
A big fat turd or a stupid douche. Which do you like best?"

http://www.twiztv.com/scripts/southpark/season8/southpark-808.htm

I know! I'm getting really pissed off about all that as well. My blood was literally boiling earlier at all pointed fingers, blame being thrown around and the derisive comments about our leaders I was reading online especially from some members of the foreign press...that isn't really helping at all right now. Everyone in politics and the media sound self-righteous and impotent especially those particular ill-informed foreigners who really don't understand America. I read a comment from one BBC reader who stated that the anarchy in New Orleans is a result of all Americans toting around guns. What an idiot!

i agree!

i need to read the news, the coverage here really sucks....

also, I don't think pointing out white privilege means that I'm assuming the position of the victim. I am really grateful for everything that my country has provided for me and my parents. But I think this issue is really a heart issue. I was never "victimized" because of my color. But I think it's a lot more subtle than that. You feel the weight of your skin, just by being in public. I'm sure you do too because you live in Inglewood. You feel like a target sometimes. But isn't that because you live in Inglewood? It's so interconnected. Like one racial comment by a gas station attendant will trigger all these other memories and reinforcements that have made me feel insecure and a bit scared of what people think of me. Heck, even when I see Asian people, I think "FOB" then I realize they are totally American. My own fears of what people think of me are there a lot because I am so aware of my own racial attitudes towards non-white people.  So I may sound bitter about this topic sometimes and it's not because I think people owe me better treatment or that because white people should always keep their mouths shut all the time. But mostly because it's a highly emotional topic and I'm so used to being on the defensive. I like to hear other people's point of views, but please don't think that I want to be a victim, even if I tend to whine sometimes about things. Also, I know God doesn't want me to be so sensitized to this issue because I know it's not my battle to fight, I think we have bigger fish to fry.