And of course, what’s also routine is that somebody, somewhere, will comment and say — Obama politicized this issue. Well, this is something we should politicize. It is relevant to our common life together. … When Americans are killed in mine disasters, we work to make mines safer. When Americans are killed in floods and hurricanes, we make communities safer. When roads are unsafe, we fix them. To reduce auto fatalities. We have seat belt laws, because we know it saves lives.
For so long our political press has defined “politics” as some kind of game, for so long they’ve derided “politics” as something that doesn’t matter, that’s theater, that’s pretend. They’ve done this for so long we’ve started to forget what politics is. Politics is how we do this. Politics is how we live.
Politics is how the snow gets plowed. Politics is how the sewers run. Politics is where the cops go, and when they go there, and how many of them do so, and how often.Politics is where your children go to school and what they learn while they are there. Politics is food. Politics is work. Politics is play.
Politics is what governs anything too big to govern itself. I decide to drink water or wine, but politics decides one comes in a bottle with taxes attached, and one comes out of the tap. (Days like today, I think we should reverse that ratio.) Politics is what decides who gets paid, and for what, and I got news for everybody who thinks they live in a free market society and that news is HAHAHAHAHAHA.
Politics is who lives. Politics is who dies. And politics is saying that it’s all just politics, and it only matters when I say so, and then it isn’t politics at all.
A.
I saw the President’s statement.. Righteous indignation sums it up.
It was good to see President Obama angry
I predict (hope?) that gun control will be attached to legislation ala Repubs’ defunding PP tactic. No more negotiating, convincing, studying, etc. No more Carrots. It’s time for Big Stick politics.