Hello I'm Rich Brown and this is my personal website and blog. I'm just your simple, average, down to earth, professional, out gay man and aspiring circuit boy, living in Phoenix, Arizona with a few things to say while trying to find my place among all the scary, conservative, religious nuts in this sick and twisted world.
Thursday, November 08, 2001
@ Work
I was thinking on the way to work today how it seems that we feel sort of disconnected on the West Coast. Growing up on the East Coast close to New York and Washington D.C. you sort of felt more in touch with the "heartbeat" of the country. Now that I'm living on the other side of the country I can see how easy it is for Californians to feel somewhat separated and disconnected. We barely even acknowledge the fact that a war is going on right now because it doesn't seem to have much affect on us out here. I'm starting to find out that living in California really does make people soft. Those who have never lived anywhere else cannot understand what we from that side of the country call the "East Coast" mentality. This would include the "East Coast Work Ethic" as well as "East Coast Conservatism." Now I'm not saying that either of those are a good thing, I'm just saying it's a totally different way of thinking and a completely different way of life in general. Living on the East Coast you seem to feel as if everything is going on around you. Out here it is just another day, same old routine, as if nothing different is going to happen in our lives. This may or may not be a bad thing but I believe that when people are not in touch with what is going on in the world or even in our own country it can lead to complacency. A type of complacency which pits us against our fellow Americans because we can't understand why they may have such strong opinions or feelings regarding a particular matter. Anyway -- just a thought I was having today.
The more I think about what is going on in the world today I'm really opposed to what we are doing in Afghanistan. I think that by our continued bombing campaign we are succeeding in making more enemies in the world. I am honestly afraid as an American to travel abroad with the way the world sentiment seems to be looking down on Americans. I admit that it was a terrible thing that happened in New York on September 11, however I don't think that a "war" which is focused around one country is the way to solve these problems. Look at the amount of money we are spending to conduct this bombing campaign and war. What if that money was taken and used to increase the security systems in the airports and just domestically. Wouldn't that also help us. Why not wait until someone like Bin Laden surfaces and then go in for him. Every interview that I see on the news with someone from the middle east is completely negative towards America and Americans. I'm patriotic and proud to be an American because frankly life here in the states is probably better then most places in the world, however I'm embarrassed at the way our government acts and try's to impose it's belief system on everyone else. I don't know what we as Americans can do to stop this from happening. I understand that Foreign policy is an important issue, but when it comes down to it our Government is supposed to be here for us as Americans. I think they need to get out of this role as the world police officer and focus more on domestic issues. We need to stop giving away all of our hard earned tax money to other countries and clean up some of the problems we have in our own country. I don't know ... I think somewhere in there we just lost track of what our founding fathers intended for this country. We are still a great country, but imagine how much better we could be if we fixed our own problems.
I've been thinking a great deal about politics, art, and world issues lately. I miss having my Father around to discuss and debate these issues. I really do think I need to go back to school so that I can at least have some sort of forum with others where I can sit and talk about somewhat more intellectual topics. I enjoy talking, learning, understanding others views and I enjoy the challenge of debating others in regard to my views. I think as shallow as the gay community is here in San Francisco, it's difficult to find someone who can have a conversation that doesn't involve talking about their new hair care products or latest trick. Ok, so even I may be a bit guilty of falling into that category once and a while, but I really do want more out of life. I need more. I have to hurry up and get my life together so that I can get back to school. I thrive in the University environment and judging by my mood lately and recent dislike of my job, that is going to be the only place where I can really feel at home.
