by Mel Weiss

Harmonic Convergence

If you’ve read, well, anything I’ve written here on this blog, you have probably inferred that rarely do I feel particularly in step with the larger world, let alone with the government. So it’s kind of weird for me to walk around feeling in touch with, not so much (or not just) a cultural moment, but a political one. I start mainlining political blogs during the 2007 phase of the 2008 election, my apolitical friends start quoting polls to me within months. I develop a little election-season crush on that brilliant butch Air America host who keeps popping up on MSNBC, and everyone from New York magazine to my considerably-to-the-right-of-me family in Texas starts to sing her praises—and maybe even her way-left politics. We all start praying that the remarkable Jewish-progressive cultural moment that exploded digitally during the Bush years takes on a political side in this new world, and Jstreet comes a-callin’. I think I’m going to start meditating on the words “infrastructure” and “two-state solution” for maybe an hour every day.

All this by way of saying that we at the Lilith blog—by which I mean I—messed up a little bit: I missed this year’s annual Blog for Choice Day. (You can, of course, peruse our post from last year.) Tons of amazing blogs participated, and you can see them all at NARAL’s website. I feel bad, but to be totally honest…I guess I just wasn’t so motivated by fear this year. We all know the story of how George Bush reinstituted the Gag Rule on Jan. 22, 2001—but did you know that President Obama (still getting the shivers over that one) reversed it?

It’s not like we don’t have plenty to worry about—we’ve still got a court that could make you rip your own hair out. (By the way, Mr. Chief Justice, we all hope you read the Constitution a little more carefully on the bench itself.) But with (say it with me!) President Obama up in charge, I can wear my very Jewish guilt about missing this year’s blog-for-choice day a little more lightly. But to make me feel better, go give a read anyway.

–Mel Weiss