A very sad day, today is.
Each week Rochelle Wisoff-Fields posts a pic to write a 100 word story about.
This week it’s disappointment.
Copyright – Jean L. Hays
The Day The Earth Stood Still
It was the day that so much could have been decided.
Pretending to be new and sleek vehicles, bloated and decaying parties added bizarre accoutrements hoping to attract voters, misemploying millions of precious dollars, and splaying sound bites like reverberating engine roars across a benumbed expanse of voters.
Issues of infrastructure: the dusty old highway that both cars sat on as well as crumbling water systems were left untouched. Fracking and pollution would continue unregulated. Real job creation, lack of living wages, and education were left to fallow.
The affected masses never showed up for the car show. The few that did cast their votes into a dry wind.
Randy Mazie
The Writer's Village 
I’m not au fait with your current political/electoral melee but then again, I’m not sure I need to be. This represents pretty much politics everywhere, not to mention a fine piece of prose expertly linked to the photo prompt.
Dear Randy,
From Boston Commons to the boneyard, eh? A death knell or a dirge for our country and our political system. I love it and applaud this story.
Time for a revolution… (Hello NSA listener, yes, I wrote the word ‘revolution’. Come and get me.)
Aloha,
Doug
I love the “R” word.
No, not republican – revolution.
I am still a another “r” word – a radical.
and lastly, my “R” word – Randy
I Really like that!
I have been saying for the past couple of years that I see this country seriously teetering on the brink of another revolution/civil war. I’ve never known a time in my long life when such a vast segment of the American public was genuinely afraid of its own government. That’s a much more lethal enemy than outside forces. Something will definitely have to change — deeply and quickly and soon — to hold off such a catastrophe. I’m so taken by the possibility that I’m actually working on a new novel about just such an event. I remember Chuck Norris saying — in his book “Black Belt Patriotism” — that if the event does come, Texas will be the leader. I don’t really like Texas much, but I shared with a poet friend from there recently that I am beginning to envision myself as a Texas citizen — just in case.
Democracy speaks. Don’t like the results? Remind yourself of how the Greeks engineered the system.
I’m not sure what you’re referring to, but since one form of government that existed in Greece was oligarchy – where the aristocracy or wealthy ruled – i think we are back, once again, in the same situation, or predicament.
The pendulum will swing back, I think, when things get so bad that the average man revolts again, whether through the ballot system or resistance movements vis a vis labor collectives or otherwise.
I also believe that there were/are to a degree systemic factors also affecting the races, from gerrymandering (the courts said, yes to that here in florid) to voter suppression.
Yes, this is an oligarchy we live in, alas!
Alas .. I think you are right about how we cast our votes (if we even do) might be the same as the great reason for pimping your Edsel.. 🙂
Too many people don’t vote – especially the young who are the most affected by politics and have the least historical perspective of the great middle class ground that is being swiftly eroded.
Perfect for this horrible after election day! I feel the same way only you put it so much more eloquently.
Thank you.
I hadn’t realised you have spent so much time in the UK. And France. And Poland. And … .
Yes, the entire world is taking a horrible drubbing. And those who are voting for these changes are hurting themselves (along with the rest of us), not seeing see the forest from the trees. They simply focus on “I don’t want ‘them’ to get anything” and “I want to keep what I got” – not realizing how quickly they are losing everything as a result of self-centeredness and short-sightedness.
A good take on a dark day – using a difficult prompt. I put my hands together and cheer (you).
Thank you.
We all need to put our hands together – and pray, and be strong, and support whatever local and broader people oriented causes that we can.
Much as I do not want to offend my very good conservative friends on-line who hold sincere and principled (albeit wrong) views, I like this piece and I especially like the “The Day The Earth Stood Still” theme. If only we had Gort to keep an eye on the Republican Party!
If our friends are sincere and principled, then I say, good. But muchi of what I hear is self-centered, fear mongering, obstructionist, coupled with veiled racism/sexism/classim.
I don’t hear a lot of facts and figure, pro’s and con’s, and potential solutions. Mostly bullying, intimidation, and emotional appeals to people’s fears and prejudices.
Many republicans, especially tea partiers, seem to have no trouble offending the rest of us. I say, sometimes, it is time to not be so civil.
Sometimes, a fire needs to be fought with fire. Sometimes,it is time to take the gloves off, Perry.
Your political colours are showing – which I think is great. Adds passion to the piece. Bloated, decaying, crumbling, left fallow… emotive and emotional words.
Well written.
KT
Thank you, KT.
Is my slip showing, too – and my eye makeup running?
Randy
Randy, you made your point much more eloquently than I did. Beautiful writing. Powerful and sad indeed. Bravo!
I liked what you had to say – you know that.
Thank you for your kind words – Randy
A reporter interviewing a politician asked, “Why do you think voter turnout is so low? Is it ignorance or is it apathy?” The politician replied, “I don’t know, and I don’t care.” Sums it up!
You might be interested in another writing challenge. This challenge gives you a photo prompt and the opening line of the story, which you get to finish using 100-150 words…It is called Mondays Finish the Story! I hope that you join in! ^..^
Thank you, I’ll check it out. Randy
🙂
Great story and social commentary, I’m guessing inspired by the recent elections in America? I loved the imagery, especially that last sentence.
Thank you.
Randy, I’ve lived long enough to realize that things swing back and forth–always have, always will. At least there are some who care. Well written. — Susan
Thank you, Susan
It’s important to get out and vote, that’s for sure.
Kansas has proved it’s not fly-over country.
Ok, I’ll bite. What does “Kansas has proved it’s no fly-over country” mean?
New York and California. They consider us fly-over country.
gotcha.
No, I don’t.
So what does it mean that New York and California consider you fly-over country and how have you proven that you’re not? Have you declared Kansas via your state elections a “No Fly Zone” or something good like that. Ha.
I guess you’re not a happy bunny after the US vote that we saw reported even this far away in Tenerife.
Wow. First, let me say that I am not a happy bunny. nor contented cotton-tail, or
felicitous rabbit, or an insouciant hare. I’m not even hopping.
I’m dreading the passing of the keystone pipeline, corporate tax cuts, more deregulation, more corporations moving their headquarters out of the country to evade paying their fair share taxes, and soundbites like “He’s set to poison the well” – shades from a few years back of the idiocies of “Your either for us or against us.” John Wayne died a while back and that mentality needs to remain dead with him.
As for Tenerife. You sent me looking up info on it as I had not heard of it before, Canary Islands, off the coast of western Sahara and Morocco (West Africa), part of Spain, and almost a million residents. Very impressive, and I gather very beautiful – with 5 million visitors every year.
Thanks for commenting. Randy
Told with passion. The right to vote is so precious. It’s a shame it doesn’t come with a few lessons in how to think logically and see through hype, image and sugar-coated promises.
Amen.
Such a sad tale… or, is it horror? Clever and well done, Randy.
definitely horror… and about to get even more gruesome.
Such a unique treatment of the prompt — and so timely. Nicely done.
Thank you.
A passionate, dark, and beautifully written diatribe!
Bravo!
(And I concur with everything you say!)
Have I told you lately that I like you?
🙂
No, not really.
😉