17 Days of Nausea

So it's been 17 days since the federal election, and in a few minutes a couple of white guys will decide if we get to keep our newly minted female PM. I really enjoyed election day, but the waiting since? Not so much. Thank goodness for @jeremysear, @scottsues, @annabelcrabb and @mariekehardy on Twitter - their sarky good humour has helped me keep my own (mostly).

When you were 4yo, you announced to Daddy and I that you would be a Greens voter. We were a little taken aback, being Australian Dems voters (this was before they sold out and imploded of course), but figured that since kids were generally more left-wing than their parents, it made sense. I don't know how you voted this election, but I was so proud to see you go in and cast your first vote - you've now legitimately earned your right to whinge, complain and throw things at the TV for the next three years.

I'm guessing you've learned by now that one doesn't just vote for the candidate one agrees with, and then sit back and enjoy sensible, caring governance for three years or more. Politicians only do the right thing if their heads are held in a vice. To accomplish this, I recommend membership of GetUp!, but you of course can make your own decision about the best way for your views to be heard.

Here's your sister's position: "We like Julia Gillarrrrd (she pronounces it in pirate-speak - goodness knows why) because she's a nice lady. Nobody likes Tony Abbott, because he's a bad, bad man." She appears to be taking after her big sister in becoming a wise young woman.

Should we end up with a misogynist, science-ignoring, homophobic government, I predict tears and vomiting. And I don't think Cat will be impressed either.

Love you, Mum xx

PS. Deciding independent MP's Windsor and Oakeshott made more sense than I've heard from politicians in years, and I got to keep my lunch. And dance.

Examining faith, and questioning beats.

The one thing I am prepared to say uneqivocally about religious beliefs, is that they should be examined.

I am inordinately proud of the way you refused to attend school scripture classes after your teacher showed himself to be a fool, both on the subject of homosexuality and of epidurals in childbirth (eye-roll). I was really proud of the way you were prepared to question matters of faith on your own terms, but I hope it's something you continue to examine with a relatively open mind - not falling into the alternate trap of rejecting all faith as a matter of dogma.

I'm prepared to be wary of any faith that demonises 'the other'. Both for it's nasty consequences (see also Conservative Politics, WWII, Slavery, Oppression of Women, Arab-Israeli Conflict) and also because I just can't see Jesus ascribing to that notion. He put rules aside to care for people enough times to give a pretty clear vision of how the law vs love thing was supposed to play out - and if you're going to have a faith that disagrees fundamentally with it's deity, then it's not really a faith, is it? Just an excuse to push your own exclusivist views around.

Anyway, Effortless Segway to Christopher Hitchens' who is not backwards in standing up for his beliefs. Below is his interesting examination of the ten commandments. But if it was me? I'd reconsider the dorky beat track in the last section. Bad 90's top40 spoken word hit flashback.

Love you, Mum xx


h/t Andrew Sullivan