Ariella Drake (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} arielladrake) wrote,@ 2007-11-25 00:02:00 |
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Liveblogging the Election - Closing Statements
I'm emotionally exhausted.
I'm pleased, and feel like a great big fucking weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Likescribewraith said, Rudd's speech made me feel welcome in my own country for the first time in literally half my lifetime.
I think tomorrow, or later tonight, I'm going to have to have a good cry, just to release the emotion.
Honestly, I don't understand the notion that coast-to-coast is a bad idea in terms of balance when you put it against House + Senate. I've heard it a bit from various places, and I really don't understand it. I've always thought House + Senate was a much bigger problem. And really, my main issue is that it seems ridiculous to punish federal Labor for the fact that the State Oppositions just aren't showing up. I mean seriously, The Lib/Nats in Qld haven't shown up to an election for the last decade or longer.
I'm not staunch ALP, and I don't think I ever will be. I'm not overwhelmingly for Rudd, either, and he's a little too right-faction for my liking. However, the ALP has done considerably less to make me feel not only ashamed of my country, but really fucking unwelcome in it. I have spent half my life, literally, feeling unwelcome in my country, and much of the other half was spent being too young to know much of anything (and dealing with shit closer to home in terms of feeling unwelcome). That's increased considerably since 2001, but it started in 1996. Tonight I feel more welcome in my own country, the country in which I have lived my whole life, than I have since I was old enough to start understanding politics.
I'm not going into this expecting to feel everything is going to be great now, but feeling more welcome for the fact that a party that has been so obssessed with Othering those without the backing of privilege and power has been delivered such a clear message of rejection is definitely a start.
Thank you, country. I feel a little safer, and perhaps even a little hopeful, tonight. I feel a little more welcome in my own country. And later, I think I need to have a cry about the fact that it took this long.
I'm emotionally exhausted.
I'm pleased, and feel like a great big fucking weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Like
scribewraith said, Rudd's speech made me feel welcome in my own country for the first time in literally half my lifetime.I think tomorrow, or later tonight, I'm going to have to have a good cry, just to release the emotion.
Honestly, I don't understand the notion that coast-to-coast is a bad idea in terms of balance when you put it against House + Senate. I've heard it a bit from various places, and I really don't understand it. I've always thought House + Senate was a much bigger problem. And really, my main issue is that it seems ridiculous to punish federal Labor for the fact that the State Oppositions just aren't showing up. I mean seriously, The Lib/Nats in Qld haven't shown up to an election for the last decade or longer.
I'm not staunch ALP, and I don't think I ever will be. I'm not overwhelmingly for Rudd, either, and he's a little too right-faction for my liking. However, the ALP has done considerably less to make me feel not only ashamed of my country, but really fucking unwelcome in it. I have spent half my life, literally, feeling unwelcome in my country, and much of the other half was spent being too young to know much of anything (and dealing with shit closer to home in terms of feeling unwelcome). That's increased considerably since 2001, but it started in 1996. Tonight I feel more welcome in my own country, the country in which I have lived my whole life, than I have since I was old enough to start understanding politics.
I'm not going into this expecting to feel everything is going to be great now, but feeling more welcome for the fact that a party that has been so obssessed with Othering those without the backing of privilege and power has been delivered such a clear message of rejection is definitely a start.
Thank you, country. I feel a little safer, and perhaps even a little hopeful, tonight. I feel a little more welcome in my own country. And later, I think I need to have a cry about the fact that it took this long.
