Wake up, stupid - do something

It’s not often that the Opinion pages have seen consistent input from a variety of cynics, prophets and pundits over a variety of issues. The recent analytical pieces by Grimsrud, Yoder, Jenner and other outspoken Caucasian males have made for a worthwhile exercise in critical thinking and rhetoric.

While our society needs a good prophet, however, so too does it need a good prophetess. Instead of writing my own words, I share the following excerpt from the senior show of former EMU theater student, Joanna Doyle.

Her words call our attention to the invisible intellectual canvas of our society, upon which we paint as we share our thoughts about any number of issues, from sexuality and the church, to Wal-Mart, to the American flag, to editorial integrity. He who has ears to hear, let him hear:

"Wake up, people! I am protesting stupidity! You think the issues are war, terrorism, AIDS, taxes, and oil drills? Think again. The media uses this stuff as eye-candy so we will all be distracted from the real issue: stu-pid-it-y. We’re all trapped in a rat race man, and we aren’t even smart enough to eat the cheese once we get to the end. We just try to find the next maze.

I’m worried. Concerned that we don’t really understand anything. That we have been fooled into letting our brains deteriorate so that we can’t even form an opinion. Most of us don’t even bother to agree or disagree---we just go with the flow.

Georgie W. Bush summed it up pretty well at one of his press conferences: "I think if you know what you believe it makes it a lot easier to answer questions and I can’t answer your question." That was the best indicator of the state of the union that I’ve heard in a long time. And if that thought doesn’t make you too happy, then maybe you need to get your arse out there and find some answers for yourself. Playing around in the middle of the road isn’t very smart. Whether you like it or not, suck it up, because eventually you gotta cross. And if you don’t you won’t get run over—you won’t get hurt—you just won’t matter.

You aren’t a pawn of your government. In fact, you ARE your government. For the people by the people. It’s sobering and it’s true. If you don’t like that then you better get up and do something about it because there are no guarantees that anyone else will. Why? Because they are all stupid! The middle of the road is full of idiots. And don’t think that spouting off some words will do the trick. You see where that got Bushy-boy.

Action - do something. And for heaven’s sakes, think before you do it. They want us to feel worthless, pathetic and small.

I don’t care about the war on terrorism. It’s stupid. All I care about are the brain cells that are out there blowin’ in the wind without a home.

Claim your brain, man! It’s about time for human beings to get smart about something—themselves. You get me? Wake up man! This is stupid!

That’s all I got to say."

As do I.