Oh, California I do love you...but you've become a piece of crap

I love California and I love calling myself a Californian, true to the shaky ground we live on in every way these days.
There was a time I thought California should even secede from the union, I know fighting words, you say.
But my place of origin, LA, Los Angeles, became part of me, my personality.
What does it mean to be a Californian?
There's the geography aspect, envied by those landlocked folks in the midwest, we have the beaches. And down the sloping shape of the state we have a variety of elements which have created unique terrain stretching from the northern rugged, rocky beaches to stretches of silky sand just short of our Mexican Border (which is another issue I would like to talk about).

So, I guess I associate my California personality with variety. Some ruggedness, some grandeur of Yosemite,which is inspirational if you've had the chance to visit.

There are so many places in California to discover over your life...and of course, we Californian's like or even love would not be stretching it, the adventure of California.

It's in our self image here.

There is still a vastness, a feeling of places untouched, that makes us believe the universe is expanding and so are we.

My spiritually could even be connected to the California part of me.

As it has become internalized in me, I feel the pain we are experiencing with our own image, as a state.

Divided we stand, united we fall: California politics

That's another trait of Californian's is diametrically opposed viewpoints living next door to one another, driving on the freeway at 3 miles an hour together, and the ethnic mixture that can only be a strength and not a weakness.

The weakness has only been in our inability to effectuate our high ideals. Make it happen baby.

Most major changes are either catastrophic in nature or they're slow growing and evolving. Maybe both.

Sometimes something comes along to finally knock off the piece of branch left broken and hanging after the storm has passed.

In the case of institutionalized racism, remember, we had to have a political maelstrom which brought the issue to the forefront and finally a day has come where there is a dark skinned President. Pigment has been the problem.

(Personally speaking I would like some pigment myself. I envy it. And so it goes.)

So, since the inception of this country and its constitution we have excluded rather than utilized the diversity as a positive force, which it should be. It took almost 200 years before this country finally admitted to the ostracizing people, this was the 1960's which was the erupting of mount stupidity.

Yeah, we were stupid, scared mostly.

Here in our California of today, 2009, nine years after the year 2000 cataclysm of fear we experienced because of some reason I still don't know, we are in a huge change cycle.

When I hear people back east talk about us as a liberal state which will always give up its electoral vote to the Democratic party in the Presidential and federal elections.

That's another thing California has the most electoral votes, yes, we are a big guy in the scheme of things: we can make or break you in an election.

We're quite important strategically in any election.

So, Californian's believe we are important. And we are.

How you treat your most vulnerable says it all

I'm in shock about the cuts coming in the tangled budget we are apparently in denial about,
in California, falling on those who have the least and have the least amount of hope because they are caught in a system which is discarding and degrading people.

Yeah, we are experiencing racism here and if not just that, but exclusivism, (is that a word?) which I will define as a territorial thing. We want the resources, or at least control or, no, at least a hand in it.

And a discriminatory, outwardly, apparently, system which discards people we pretend to help.

Let me talk about health issues. Our Governor who has had an expensive heart operation or two to make him live a stronger life, he will be back.

His health is driven by a system of big money. Remember the terminator who is firing people left and right, gutting a state system that didn't work. Is it all bad?

No, not at all. These programs need to be reformed, but standing in the way, are the people feeding off the various programs. Nobody wants to give up their share. It's an immaturity, its a lack of faith in the bounty that is here all around us, more so, I think, here in California.

What I would like to see done that they cannot do, quite yet

If there were changes available to us, I could go right now on an urgent visit to the Governors office, and throw a bunch of ideas at him.

"Governor, there is no reason we cannot take care of our poor and there is equally no reason they can't take care of us."

"What are you talking about crazy lady?" (sorry, my dialogue skills are limited)

"Yes, sir in all due respect, could I ask you a question?"

"If you have to waste my time with public opinion which is not my opinion, so I will only half listen if you don't mind." (again, I'm sure he's had better writers writing for him)

"If you saw someone fallen in the street asking passer's by for help up, would you extend your hand and lift him up?"

"I could lift them and over my head and do my daily weight training reps at the same time."

"Good point. You give and get at the same time. But imagine later on, this person you helped, now has been able to help another person. Hey, you remember that movie, "Pay it Forward?" A similar principle needs to apply to the systems which handle people who are no longer able to hold down certain types of employment, but that doesn't make them useless."

"They just want a free ride in my Hummer and they're hustling us."

"So, with that attitude sir, you will be wasting human energy, which needs to be utilized. I recommend that we change our system in California, to begin an on-going program of compassion and effective rehabilitation, an adequate word, for those who want it. And we will not reprimand those who can't."

"Okay, get it started. Oh, I like the blog, the one about Jerry Brown. He's a thorn in my side right now."

Part one of the "I love California" series. Next: California Creativity, what can it potentially do and splitting the state? The ultimate in gerrymandering.