Sherry Chandler

Lines Composed a Few Miles above Stoner Creek

The forecast calls for gusty winds and rain,
creeks may overflow low-lying roads
but birds don’t care, spring is their refrain.
Sex, sex, sex the mockingbird’s song explodes.
Mine, mine, mine the black-capped chickadee
replies, swaying in the leafless cherry tree.

The bluebells, too, explode out of the earth,
purple not gold is this nature’s first green.
The trillium crowns for greeny-purple birth,
the peony’s red, the trout lily’s obscene.
Enthusiasm tops finesse and taste
as Terra contemplates her thickening waist.

Exuberance
and not romance
must lead the dance
in the circumstance.l

According to a report by Linda Blackford of the Lexington Herald-Leader, Tracing the White Male Face of the Capitol, Kentucky doesn’t do all that well when it comes to racial and gender diversity amongst our elected officials:

Last week, Sen. Barack Obama made a nationally televised speech that put race at the center of American political discourse.

That’s not a place where Kentucky is entirely comfortable.

This is the state, after all, that waited until 1976 to ratify the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution, the laws that outlawed slavery and ensured blacks equal protection and the right to vote.

While certainly no trailblazer in women’s rights, Kentucky did elect the third female governor in the country. But the state has never elected a black to statewide office. There are now six blacks in the state House of Representatives and one in the state Senate. According to a study by the Secretary of State, there are five black mayors and two black circuit court justices in the entire state.

“What’s apparent is that, somehow, throughout the 20th century a message has been sent that African-Americans are not welcome to participate in the political process,” said University of Kentucky historian and author Gerald Smith.

But now into Kentucky’s 20th-century political scene comes the most cutting edge 21st-century presidential race anyone could imagine Ð a black man and a white woman vying for the top spot. Some believe the race might just be generating enough excitement — no matter who wins — to help lift Kentucky out of its somewhat hidebound political traditions.

For some reason that I’ve never quite understood, Kentucky, a state with severe problems with poverty and unemployment, persists in electing some of the most hidebound rightwing politicians in the country, even the ones that call themselves Democrats. This trend is especially true in Eastern Kentucky. I’ve never understood it. But then I don’t understand how the coal companies can bring a crowd of workers to the state capitol to protest in favor of mountaintop removal. I suppose, when jobs are so scarce, you’ll sell your birthright for the privilege of earning a little money.

But then you can’t trust women. They might do stuff like this.

But then again, I guess we could be Idaho.

Also, while you’re planning your weekend, remember the reading and reception to celebrate the release of Leatha Kendrick’s newest poetry collection, Second Opinion (David Robert Books). The reception is from 6:30-8:00 pm at the Carnegie Center, 251 W. Second St., Lexington.

Today Bill Clinton comes to Paris, Kentucky. It’s a closed affair at the Legion Hall, just a mile from my house. Of course, I’m not invited, but still…

Just another extraordinary event in this extraordinary Democratic primary. Historic candidates in a historic race, Fox Newsmen develop a sense of ethics, and Bill Clinton comes to Paris.

A disturbing dream last night. A predator lurked outside the open door. I couldn’t see the beast, didn’t know how close it was. Could I run across the room and shut the door before the thing could pounce?

High winds in the weather forecast.

***
Update: Open events for Bill Clinton in Kentucky today:

• Frankfort Convention Center, 405 Mero Street, Frankfort 10:00 a.m.
• Mason County High School, 1320 U.S. Highway 68, Maysville 2:00 p.m.
• Morehead Conference Center, 111 East First Street, Morehead 5:30 p.m.

A report from World Public Opinion has this to say to Mr. Cheney’s “So?”

In sharp contrast to views recently expressed by Vice President Cheney, a new poll finds that an overwhelming majority of Americans believe government leaders should pay attention to public opinion polls and that the public should generally have more influence over government leaders than it does.

I am making this post as a follow up to Max’s comment , which I want you all to read (scroll down).

From ThinkProgress:

This morning, on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, ABC’s Good Morning America aired an interview with Vice President Cheney on the war. During the segment, Cheney flatly told White House correspondent Martha Raddatz that he doesn’t care about the American public’s views on the war:

CHENEY: On the security front, I think there’s a general consensus that we’ve made major progress, that the surge has worked. That’s been a major success.

RADDATZ: Two-third of Americans say it’s not worth fighting.

CHENEY: So?

So?

• 4,307 coalition deaths — 4,000 Americans, two Australians, 175 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, one Czech, seven Danes, two Dutch, two Estonians, one Fijian, one Hungarian, 33 Italians, one Kazakh, one Korean, three Latvian, 22 Poles, three Romanians, five Salvadoran, four Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai and 18 Ukrainians — in the war in Iraq as of March 24, 2008
• 29,395 wounded by official count.
• 655,000 Iraqis dead
• 3.4 million Iraqis displaced.
• $500 billion dollars in war costs. (See sidebar). That is nearly $1,500 per U.S. citizen.

The Karl Rove version:

On Fox News’s The O’Reilly Factor last night, former Bush adviser Karl Rove defended the invasion of Iraq five years ago, saying that “if we win,” it “will send a powerful message throughout the Islamic world.” Claiming that “the Muslim world is waiting to see who is going to win the conflict” between “al Qaeda” and “the West,” Rove argued that a continued U.S. presence could create “energy for reform throughout the Middle East.”

“By winning, we will send a powerful message that the momentum is on our side,” said Rove. “And it will rally the Muslim world to us.”

The Bushistas have wanted to run this country as though it were their empire. The American people don’t think SO.

They want us to think bullheadedness is steadfastness. The American people don’t think SO.

They want us to think stupid is smart. The American people don’t think SO.

There are smarter ways to win this conflict bring terrorists to justice and to make the American presence in the world a force for good. Either Barack Obama with his multicultural background or Hillary Clinton with her legacy of good will can restore the prestige and benevolent power of the United States.

But all presidents are politicians (see this from The Left Coaster) and subject to the temptations of power, and Bush will leave a wildly empowered presidency, so it’s also important to restore balance to our government. Jeremiah Wright says governments fail. And so they do. That’s why the founders wrote checks and balances into our Constitution. The court is compromised. So whoever is president, we need to make sure we have solid liberal majorities in the House and Senate to restore oversight and protect our interests.

To quote Max:

SO ………………

America VOTE.

All republicans supported and continue to support those NeoCon policies. We need bigger majorities in the Congress and Senate to properly manage this fiasco.

Vote a Democratic Ticket. Get rid of them all, put responsible people in office at all levels.

Tomorrow? Well, what can I say? My mother used to tell me it will never come but that was because she wanted me to put my novel down and pick my homework up. I don’t want to contradict Mother, but it does seem to me that tomorrow’s the only certain thing. We will get a new day, whether it’s the dog’s or not, whether we’re there to see it or not. Probably not a change, at least not for the better, but a new day. Nothing can stand still. And for most of us, it’s always jam every other day.

***

Postscript: It’s a beautiful morning today, a frosting of white snow on the grass, the bare trees, the dark evergreens. The sun turned it into a wonderland. When I got out of my car at the lot, a mockingbird on a low limb just over my head was mocking everybody. Unlike our shy country birds, this sophisiticated city boy didn’t care a hoot that I was standing almost within arm’s reach. He was celebrating spring, snow be damned. He’ll probably baptize my car later but for the moment I’m grateful to him for jamming today as though there were no tomorrow.

Here’s a campaign video for you. The Arab Conscience, part II:

Watch at YouTube

From Juan Cole:

“The Arab Conscience” is produced by Ahmad Al Aaryan, written by Karim Maatouk, Sayed Shawki, Ahmad Al Aaryan and Siham Shaashaa, composed by Tarek Abou Jawdeh and Khaled Bakry, and arranged by Adel Hakki. It has been performed at the Cairo Opera House.

Although the opera works within the framework of Arab nationalism, it has a strong anti-war theme and it is not sectarian. One singer has the refrain, “The origin of the human race is the human being; all the prophets are brothers/ Moses, Jesus, Muhammad reject aggression.” This verse explicitly states the brotherhood of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and daringly shows the Aqsa Mosque atop the Temple Mount as a site of Muslim-Jewish conflict while doing so, seeming to say that holy places should not be a basis for violence. The lyrics say God is love, God is peace. At one point the “love of the Gospels, the wisdom of the Qur’an” is celebrated, and Christians, Sunnis and Shiites are all called to peace.

For Americans, the most touching part would probably be the Egyptian songstress Amal Maher’s libretto sung over a powerful visual condemnation of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York. I think she knew she would be singing over those unspeakable images. She turns away in horror as her stanza ends.

The images of US actions in Iraq, Abu Ghraib, etc., interspersed with a denunciation of the assassination of Lebanese leader Rafiq al-Hariri and of Israeli occupation forces’ brutality to Palestinians, give a sense of how the Iraq War is viewed in the region, as yet another attack on the Arab nation. But there is also a critique of the internal divisions and use of aggressive violence by that nation. (It does not condemn what it sees as resistance to occupation; but I think the underlying message is that violence just begets more violence.)

…Note that a lot of the performers here are Lebanese Christians; others are wealthy members of the new upper middle classes in the region, who speak English and sometimes have signed with American labels. They are condemning violence and war and intolerance.

Also from Juan Cole:

You contrast the concerns of the Iraqi Christians, with just staying alive this Easter or finding enough food to eat or avoiding being kidnapped, with those of Americans in southern California. Many are struggling to avoid losing their homes; for some it is too late, and they just have to be grateful for their new small apartments. Then this brought me up short:

‘ Former Marine Cpl. Gustavo Aguilar Jr., a two-tour veteran of the Iraq war who was profiled in the Daily News last week, also has something to be thankful for in tough times.

Aguilar had been laid off from a bakery-delivery job and feared losing his home. But after his story appeared in the Daily News, Aguilar immediately received several job offers.

He now likely will be able to avoid either foreclosure or having to sell his Sylmar town home.

“Despite all the hard times we’ve gone through, we never lost faith,” Aguilar said. “If it can carry us through, it can do the same for the country.” ‘

So if the Iraqis are being devastated by the war, and if the Americans who fought the war are losing their lives, or if alive are losing their jobs and barely avoiding being made homeless, who exactly is benefiting from the war?

Enough with the slaughter. Enough with the violence. Enough with the hatred in Iraq.

Sing it.

The rumbling, rattling, stuttering train of my thought has got sidetracked and left me stranded on the platform on this bleak Easter morning where the gray sky meets the gray horizon and the wind howls out of the west and batters the single ragged daffodil blooming in the scree by the side of the tracks. How’s that for flogging a metaphor? Actually the morning is still. We have achieved a second daffodil here on the farm but it finds itself born into an unwelcoming world, temperatures having plunged back into the twenties and snow in the forecast tonight and tomorrow.

to the LOL cats:

Sharp-eyed Poppysmatus spied this little fellow yesterday and declared him a sure sign that spring has come. A worm for the Worm Moon perhaps? But, says Pops, he will need to grow for a couple of years before he can aspire to anything as grand as an Easter chick.

A distant midnight-rumbling train rattles
the windows and the cat snuggles closer
to my shoulder blades. Rambling men
and tracks that run straight to the horizon
are not part of a woman’s mythology.
Except when she’s the butt of a traveling sales-
man joke, a woman’s dreams are not linear,
unless, of course, the line circles round
the whole wide world to form Ouroboros,
the Yin and Yang of it, what goes around
comes around like a cat curled
into a ball against my shoulder blades
as the world turns toward the dawn, toward
another spring, another distant rumbling train.