If we shadows have offended,
Think but this and all is mended,
That you have but slumbered here,
While these visions did appear,

So I went and did a funny thing last night. I went to a republican party rally for Lumpkin County. Wierd. I felt like I was spying on the enemy in a Mission Impossible movie. It was so much fun. It turns out that my boyfriend had the tickets for two weeks and didn't tell me because he was afraid to ask me to go. There is nothing like politics to get the blood boiling and thoughts rolling around in my head. The keynote speaker was a very insightful political stategist: Dr. Ralph Reed. He was a tremendous speaker right up until he said 2000 and one. All I could think was, oh well, there is something wrong with everyone. There were only a few times that I thought I might throw up due to the disagreement factor going on in my head. Mostly, what I enjoyed was all the excitement that was in the air with all the people who came to listen and hurrah and go coocoo for cocoa puffs. It was really cool to see the expressed patriotism and the participation in our nation's inner workings first hand. Things like last night are things that you only see in the movies. They bashed Dr. Dean and hurrayed W. They also uplifted the local politicians too, which was really neat to see them. Up here in the mountains, if you don't know who the person is that is running for an office personally, you don't really get a look at them. I have actually only ever seen one politician in White County and that was only because the owner of the restaurant I worked for told me who the guy was, other wise I'd have just thought he was another customer. The politics in White County are a little more dixie mafia oriented than Lumpkin County, which makes elections a little more pre-set than usual. The republicans are running scared on the next gubenatorial election though. That was one thing that I don't think they realize: why there is a republican in the governor's seat. They see it is as much a fluke as Zell Miller acting republican. They quoted Zell, by the way, and I just laughed. Not loudly mind you. There is just something exciting about politics no matter what side of the fence someone sits. I don't know if it is the innate American characteristic or what, but there is something to standing up for what one believes. One of my favorite lines in regards to clear cut citizenship for this country is from "The American President" : "America, America is about advanced citizenship. You have to really want it. You have to be willing to sit and listen to a man who would stand shouting at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime to oppose. It is about have a flag to represent that freedom and also about burning that same flag in an effort to exercise that same right. You want a character debate Bob?....." Well from that point the speech goes into the movie. There used to be a disc jockey on the country station in Atlanta who used to be very adament about freedoms and would let someone on his show who would go off on a tyraid about something he specifically disagreed with for no other reason than to prove the point of freedom. I guess what is so intrigueing about all of it is the human emotion factor. I have seen a lot of sickness and grief and depression in my life, but it is rare that I have had the priveledge to experience emotional rushes like winning a football game or meeting a role model. I do remember going with my Dad down to the corner of Lakeshore and waving at the President as he drove out of the VFW in his limo and going to the rally in the middle of Decatur to shake the future President's hand. I also remember watching Denise Forrester carrying the Olympic torch through Avondale and passing it off to someone else before running it into the new stadium for the opening ceremonies. Those were rushes of excitement in emotion that if I could bottle and sell, I would be a millionaire. Maybe then I'd be republican too. Nah. Not enough money.