informal poll

[Sidda]

On Tuesday, I had a complete meltdown. It was as if the last bit of my optimism had been drained from me, and all that was left was despair. I had thoughts like, "if there is a disaster, how will I get to my family (who are 7 hours driving-time from me)?" and "should I really keep trying to have children?"

Now, I should posit that I am not prone to hysteria, and I have NEVER had serious, prolonged thoughts like these. Not even after 9-11, when I continued on a planned trip to Taiwan only 2 weeks after, despite all of the fear of flying, etc. I cannot point to a specific event that day that prompted my hopelessness, but my sense is that it was the Israel/Hezbollah matter, on top of Iraq and the other political matters that I don't have any more energy to get into.

But the next day, Wednesday the 26th, polls from NBC/WSJ and CBS/NYT came out that seemed to show almost identical despair across the country. Some of the questions on these polls mirrored my feelings. I have talked to a few more people since then, who have also had similar experience this week. I was wondering, how many of you have had the same kind of sudden depression/despair/etc. this week? And how many haven't?

[Krista]

I have more irritation at the administration, than despair. I honestly don't know how it will all work out, but I have a feeling it will, somehow. Frankly I have to have hope that it will work out.

[Louise1991]

even though i've had a pretty good week myself, earlier this week, i found myself thinking that i should get my emergency kit prepared. watching the news overwhelms me and the only way i haven't gotten down is by turning it off when it reaches a certain point. if i listen too long, i start feeling as if the entire world is about to explode. denial is a good thing but i'm pretty serious about taking action to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. times are scary right now.

[aaronts]

even though i've decided against shopping at Walmart any longer, i've been planning a trip there to stock up on canned goods, batteries & the like. whether it be bird flu, a nuclear attack, a hurricane (i work from my home office & i can look out my window to see the ocean here in southeastern mass), you name it, i want to do what i can.

part of me is resigned to devestation. the other part wants a peaceful situation to ensue ASAP. i don't watch the news anymore. i only read it. it's easier for me to take that way.

i have a 3 week european holiday coming up in about a month. i'm wondering if it will be my last. sad to say, i'm wondering~

[Krista]

I think we need to be careful of the doom and gloom. It gets to be overly dramatic and that doesn't help anything. This middle eastern conflict has gone on for years and years and years. Its just part of life. War happens unfortunately, but life goes on no matter what. Keep informed, but keep going on.

[aaronts]

right Krista, & i agree. it ain't over til it's over.

just the same, there's a lot more than just the wars in the middle-east. there's the issue of global warming. the weather has been off for sometime & every year it gets more obvious that something's seriously wrong. hurricanes HAVE to be taken seriously more frequently. there's the threat of disease, as much as i hate doom & gloom, it could happen. there's the fact that countries who shouldn't have WMDs, real ones, do. it adds a new twist to what can go wrong. as much as it's depressing, being informed is the smart thing to do~

[Sidda]

I am appreciative of your somewhat upbeat comments, Krista. I was hoping to hear of some others who still held out some optimism. I am feeling better than I did on Tuesday, but I couldn't believe how overwhelmed I was. I brought this thread up because I am increasingly unable to concentrate on daily activities, as much concern as I have had. I need to hear what others are doing and feeling, good and bad.

I also agree that dwelling on it doesn't help much, unless you are contributing something positive. I wonder, how can we (the American people) do something positive to allay our fears in light of these late events that have so many of us nervous? How about neighborhood organizations for disaster preparedness (never a bad idea)? Getting stocked up for disaster issues (natural, not just possible outside threats, as aaronts noted)? Any other thoughts?

[JerryStopher]

This war in the MidEast has been going on for six thousand years. We already know the Israelites have nuclear weapons, and I expect they will use them this weekend.

Those who love war will rejoice, I suppose. Me, I will be sad - but I expect to go on living, right here on the Gulf Coast. Here we have West Nile Virus and some flesh-eating bacterium that's infesting our beaches; here we have heavy-industrial pollution thanks to the refining of Black Water (the curse of Texas).

Anyway, for my main thought on war-in-general, read my siggy, where I quote Jimmy Carter.

[IzzyS]

I remember going into a huge funk back in 1980 when the USSR invaded Afghanistan. People were talking about nuclear war and I was sure we were doomed. Now I'm more worried about getting over my second bout of the flu in four months, and hoping I don't melt in the triple-digit heat we've been having here for the past month.

I don't want to give the impression that I'm not concerned. My sister and my two nieces live in Israel. I don't agree with the war and my sister and I have gotten into it. She's a hawk and I'm a dove. We were raised to be doves; in fact, back in the '60s my dad had a styrofoam dove on his car antenna. But she's into the war and expects us all to go along with it, and I just can't. I have a lot of Lebanese friends, too, and I'm hearing two sides of the issue, and about all I can conclude is that in war, there are no winners, only losers. So yeah, it gets depressing.

But I'm not stockpiling canned food or anything like that. I don't know why. I live in L.A. You'd think I'd learn my lesson.

[JerryStopher]

... about all I can conclude is that in war, there are no winners, only losers.
Amen.

(The software said to lengthen my message, so I'm doing that. But the whole message was "Amen.")

[manskater]

Sidda -- sometimes I feel as you do but I;m holding out that there are more people like you and me than those who wish to blow up our planet for their greed and power. I hold this president responsible for what has turned out to be an out of control situation in the middle east. I hold him responsible for the worsening relations with N Korea , Syria and Iran. I hold him responsible for our worsening domestic policy where people have to work two jobs to make ends meet and still don't have healthcare. I pray every day that there will be a leader out there who will at least get our country back together so then we can tackle the widening conflicts in the world. Our country use to be seen as a leader now it is a laughing stock.

[IzzyS]

I pray every day that there will be a leader out there who will at least get our country back together so then we can tackle the widening conflicts in the world. Our country use to be seen as a leader now it is a laughing stock.

:clap Bravo, manskater. I've asked all the AARP members I know if this is the worst president they can ever remember, and the result is 100% yes. They're divided on who they remember as the best president, because some of them are Republicans and even the Democrats can't agree, but every last one of them finds this particular president to be an absolute embarrassment. Me too, and I remember campaigning against Nixon, so there you have it.

[Sidda]

Sidda -- sometimes I feel as you do but I;m holding out that there are more people like you and me than those who wish to blow up our planet for their greed and power.

Thanks, manskater. I'm glad to hear any hopeful comments.

I am feeling better, even though the news seems to get worse. I am hopeful again that compassion will eventually win over egotism and arrogance; that love will win over hatred; and that peace will win over hostility and violence. Here's to the hope that it happens sooner rather than later.

Thanks for everyone's comments. They have been helpful.

[Skatekwan6]

even though i've decided against shopping at Walmart any longer, i've been planning a trip there to stock up on canned goods, batteries & the like. whether it be bird flu, a nuclear attack, a hurricane (i work from my home office & i can look out my window to see the ocean here in southeastern mass)
But you decided AGAINST shopping there, so shopping there would defeat the purpose. Go to Target instead.:8

To answer the original question, I often sit back and think everything that is wrong with this country. Everyone is always talking about how great America is but they never talk about how bad it is. I don't celebrate the 4th of July anymore because as a black male, that date in 1776 did nothing for me. I can't even say I'm proud to be an American, although I do like living here and I do like many things about America. But shooting fireworks and celebrating the day doesn't really make much sense to me anymore. I prefer to celebrate different things in different ways, all which recognize that I am glad to be here. I do think that "Proud to be an American" can mean different things to different people. But celebrating the fact that I am glad to be here on July 4th just doesn't seem right to me anymore. It can really get you down to think about all the things that are wrong. And what is really discouraging is that people want power and they want to keep it, so the people in power don't actually want to change things as much as we'd all like to believe. Because if they did, they run the risk of losing their power. And I also believe that if the power were in the hands of a different group of people and things were the complete opposite, the same things would happen, because most people want to maintain their own power at any cost.

[aaronts]

Skatekwan6, really good point about power. tis true.

i have every intention of shopping at Target, but Walmart has more canned goods!!!! really, that place gives me the creeps, & that's aside from the fact that they're ruining a lot of businesses & business practices that are beneficial in the long run~