Sex, Violence, and Impeachment Brady Ehler, OP Opinions Editor God be praised! The US Democrats have won both the House of Representatives and the Senate! Finally, Dubya’s approval rating has plunged to 34%. Finally, the majority of US citi- zens have (for the time being) lost faith in the Republicans and finally the overwhelming opin- ion is that the Iraq War is wrong. While I am pleased with the election results, I can’t hope but to ask for a little more. I want to see Bush impeached, and now that the Democrats are back in the saddle, it is a definite pos- sibility. Unfortunately, I don’t think an impeachment is very likely. We have all heard the ped: trian question, “why is it that violence is perfectly acceptable in American media, but sex considered obscene?” I don’t know the answer to that question, but there is a lesson to | inferred; the citizens of the United States are much quicker to take offence towards sexu exploitation than violence. This is why a US president can be impeached for lying about having his flagpole waxed, but not for lying about his reasons for invading a foreign cou try. The problem is, that ever since World War II, The US has had a reputation as a coun that employs its military towards the ends of global liberation..61 years have passed-sine the end of WWII and the US has engaged in countless military misadventures in such countries Vietnam, Panama, Nicaragua and Iraq. Unfortunately, there still exists a residu: sentiment that The United States’ military ventures are in the interest of God, freedom, and all that is good. But why the hate-on for sexuality? Everyone likes sex, right? Even the people that ge offended by seeing a titty on TV like having sex. What gives? Why is it okay to shoot Islamic children with assault rifles, but not okay to have a nice Sunday morning screw? I like to think of the Democrats as graphic sex and the Republicans as graphic vio- lence. Imagine this scene; you and your partner are working very hard to make a baby. Unfortunately, your partner has some uterus problems and you have your work cut out { you. Eventually, after eight gruelling years, you and your partner are rewarded with a bea tiful baby boy. Then one day you’re taking your baby out for a walk in his stroller, and a man on the street pulls out a gun and shoots your child in the face. That’s kind of like h The Democrats spend their terms reducing national deficit and nation debt, and how TI Republicans get into office and immediately go on wild spending sprees. The great thing about spending all that money is that the Republicans can make a lot friends by doing it. They can make the people like them by cutting taxes, and giving out cheques. They can also make the corporations like them by giving out subsidies and putt money in their own pockets by giving infrastructure contracts out to companies that Republicans have stakes in. Another thing they can do by spending exorbitant amounts ( money is run a War and Bread economy! The best thing about spending all this money i they know when the Democrats get into power, they will have to do the responsible thir and pay off the massive debt they have amassed. Unfortunately for the Democrats, they are forced to garner support by making the ri decisions, rather than throwing money around. This in itself isn’t very effective, but luckily, they have a card in their favour; they just have to wait for the Republicans to fuck up so bad that the American people have no choice but to realize their mistakes. So, maybe Bush won’t get impeached, but then, maybe he will, after all, if he doesn’t he | no longer rely on the House of Representatives and the Senate to overlook his government’ mistakes. I went for a walk the other day to run a few errands. As I left my home, I decided that while I was on my walk I would: be Andy of Mayberry. In case anyone doesn’t know who that is, Andy Griffith had a television show from 1960-1968 in which he played the Sheriff of Mayberry, a small southern town, and was who most people would consider as the nicest guy you would ever want to meet. The reruns have never stopped playing since the show ended. Most people who know me probably think of me as the Barney Fife character on the show. He was the 6 THE OTHER PRESS NOVEMBER 23 2006 simple-mind deputy that was always getting into trouble. But, I wanted to be Andy as I wen on my walk. I like to pretend I’m different characters. I get sick of being me all the time. When ’'m1 I drag around all the baggage and history that goes with being me. When I’m another chara ter, I become them and don’t think me and my life. I chose to be Andy that day because I v feeling down and Andy was always in a pleasant mood. When I left my place, I started to say “howdy” to everyone I passed. The people on 6th avenue in New Westminster weren’t expecting to be greeted by Andy of Mayberry that mots ing. While some people ignored me, many said hello and smiled. Feeling better and encoura by the smiles, I began getting into my part. When I would pass an elderly lady, I would deliy my, “Howdy Ma’am,” and add something like, that’s a lovely hat you’re wearing, As I walked by 8th street, I saw an intoxicated gentleman fall down on the sidewalk a bl away from me. I headed towards him to see if I could be of some assistance and offer som home-spun advice about how he didn’t make the best choice to drink so much before 10:3( the morning. I never got to speak with him because he got up and started screaming at pas cats; one happened to be a police vehicle. I proceeded up to 6 street and 6" avenue and noticed a young man I had seen asking change in that area over the last year. Usually when I went by him as myself, the full-time si dent without a job, I would answer his request with a firm no. But as Andy I stopped, pulle out a quarter and gave it to him. I suggested that he use it to call his family and let them kr how he was doing. As I walked away, I’m sure I heard, “Fuck you.” That wouldn’t bother A so it didn’t bother me. I was enjoying my walk around Mayberry (New Westminster). Choosing to act like some else hasn’t always worked out for me as well as it did the oth day. When I was 16 years old, right after I received my driver’s license, I decided to take a r in my father’s pick-up truck as Richard Petty, the famous stock car racer. I smashed the tru into a tree on a back-country road. I realized that day that I just can’t suddenly imagine tha have the talent of another person and expect that to true. Never again was I Richard Petty stock car racer. But if I ever win awards like he did, I hope I show his class.