I spent my birthday standing in line for an hour and 45 minutes this afternoon, the last day for early voting. I arrived and noticed the line was doubled up on itself, and was so long I couldn’t tell where it folded. Somewhere far, far down the hall I could see that. I asked a lady near the door where the actual voting was taking place how long she’d been waiiting. “Just an hour” was her reply.
George Orwell’s “1984″ was hidden away in my overstuffed purse. I pulled it out and began reading the tiny print on withered, yellowed paper (it is my boyfriend’s father’s book). I had to read the sentences over and over again. I couldn’t concentrate with all the freaking talking going on around me. I was trying to get the jist of doublethink when this sweaty guy in a suit told this young black kid next to him, maybe 19, that if he believes in God everything else in his life will just fall perfectly into place. The kid nodded his head in silent, passive agreement. He followed that up with, “We all got to believe in something.” The sweaty man in the suit’s voice grew louder. He said, “NO. No. Not something. God. God is the only thing.”
The kid was embarrased, stared at his shoes and said, “Yeah, man.” I hadn’t noticed person ahead of me had moved up several feet.
There was constant conversation, some between strangers, but because so many people knew each other. I am still voting in Murfreesboro, which is way more “small town” than Nashville, so there was a lot of, “Hey Peggy, how’s your mama and them?” I tried to read but the words on my page swam a lazy swim, then came into focus beneath me: WAR IS PEACE.
A tall, oafish college-aged guy called attention to my reading. Those at the end of the line were face to face with those at the front of the line, since it was a doubled line, with no rope to seperate us. Like at Disneyworld, except instead of a rollercoaster waiting for you at the end you get to push a few small black buttons followed by a big red one. Huge rush. Anyway, the people at the front of the line had been waiting over an hour and they were getting a little cabin fever. It was hot in there. This place wasn’t meant for that many people. No doubt the local fire marshall was just looking the other way. The people in the front of the line were more vocal due to their fatigue. They were excited. They were almost there! I wanted to read in peace, but instead the oafish guy told me about how he gave up after four chapers then read the Cliff’s Notes. I nodded, smiled and looked down at my book. I tried to think of something to say, but I had to pee and he would be moving ahead in line soon, and I didn’t want to say anything too commital, you know? So I gave up and said nothing. After that everyone in line saw that I am a stone cold bitch, so I was left alone.
I alternated reading with eavesdropping. Not a word about politics. I tried to gauge who each person would vote for based on appearances and bits of conversation. Naturally, I hadn’t a clue most times. Well, except the the lady whose kid said something about “Cheney bad vote.” She quickly silenced her child, but that lady had to wear a scarlet K on her chest for the rest of out hour and 45 minutes in line. I vote at every opportunity, and have since I turned 18 years old. I usually go on election day, and am usually the youngest voter there in a sea of grannies. I used to live in a granny sort of neighborhood, so it makes sense, but I was thrilled to see the line filled with a very diverse bunch of people. Lots and lots of young voters and a high number of minorities. Plumbers and sheetwallers and that stinky kid with the mohawk.
Once I finally got into the office to vote I was greeted by an exasperated and rude election commission official who was more interested in socializing with the granny at my right than telling me where to sign. “Here and here,” he barked, then introduced himself as a politician from nearby Eagleville to the old lady next to me. I asked him where my second signature should go, because I wanted to make very sure that I didn’t fudge anything that would make my vote somehow not count, and he barked again, “I said there.” I was exhausted by this point, as was he, so I merely laughed in his face and took two extra PROUD TO VOTE stickers. Boo-ya!, Mr. Politician Election Volunteer, I got your stickers.
I finally voted almost two hours after I arrived. But not before a long line of senior citizens were moved to the front ahead of me. I would never, ever normally think such a thing, but after standing all afternoon my snug, though thoroughly cute, Steve Maddens didn’t even fit on my feet anymore. I was irritated. It’s just that I waited so long. I thought for a fleeting moment that maybe their votes should only count half since they put in half the effort. Then I saw their Bush stickers on the Oldsmobiles parked up front in the blue spaces. Yes, I thought, theirs’ should definitely count half.
Ultimately, my wait was totally worth it. It wasn’t so bad, I had Winston and Big Brother to keep me company. Only one person in line recognized the irony of my reading “1984″ in line for the 2004 election. He made eye contact with me, pointed at my book and said, “Nice choice.”
Something about that line today made me a little more confident about high numbers for Kerry in Tennessee. People were visibally tired or worried they’d be late to pick up Suzy from day care, but they were not willing to come back on November 2, I heard them say. They were eager to get it done today. Everyone took the wait and inconvenience in stride.
I found the last page I’d read before heading back to my car. I covered IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH with a pressed-flower bookmark and made my way outside. The line was now down the street and growing onto the street perpendicular to it. Rain fell from a muddy sky and the line grew deeper. A bus pulled up carrying registered voters from the local university. I felt good about what had just happened; about what will happen.
But, maybe I’ve just been brainwashed by the Party.
21 comments ↓
Heh, that was a very good choice of reading. And it’s great that you voted, because so many people don’t.
“We are the dead,” he said.
“We are the dead,” echoed Julia dutifully.
“You are the dead,” said an iron voice behind them.
They sprang apart. Winston’s entrails seemed to have turned into ice. He could see the white all round the irises of Julia’s eyes. Her face had turned a milky yellow. The smear of rouge that was still on each cheekbone stood out sharply, almost as though unconnected with the skin beneath.
“You are the dead,” repeated the iron voice.
“It was behind the picture.” breathed Julia.
“It was behind the picture,” said the voice. “Remain exactly where you are. Make no movement until you are ordered.”
(Attribution: http://www.orwelltoday.com/betrayal.shtml)
That’s one of the most chilling scenes in English literature, in my opinion. And it’s becoming more plausible by the day.
Down with Big Brother.
Indeed. (That’s one of the reasons behind my choice of domain name.)
And someone had to read 1984 in the Cliff’s Notes version??? It’s about the easiest-to-read classic out there. (Well, skim the long Goldstein excerpt, at least, but the book is very accessible.)
It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen . . .
You need to re-read 1984 as well as study up on Orwell. Orwell uses the book to denounce Socialism, what so many liberal minded people see as the cure to all of society’s evils. Funny how you miss the irony in “doublespeak”. I’ll give you a hint, JK is very adept in that skill. Openmindedness is closedmindedness.
Orwell is also using the book to denounce governments lying to their citizens. And he’s using it to denounce limitless surveillance and the gradual erosion of freedom. That’s irony.
Why don’t you give us specific examples, with citations, of John Kerry’s doublespeak? Surely that would be much more effective for your cause than your hinting darkly about how he’s supposedly like the Party and Big Brother.
http://vidiot.typepad.com/telescreen/2004/10/i_am_going_to_v.html
I am going to vote on Tuesday, and no one is going to stop me. Not clumsy intimidation tactics, not long lines, not Republicans who rip up Democrats’ voter registration forms. (Incidentally, I am worried that they will try to
I’m not going to argue politics. All I’m saying is that if you’re at all familiar with Orwell and his work, you would know that he was profoundly against socialism. By your logic, you would think that Animal Farm was a book meant to warn farmers about possible pig uprisings. My whole point is that it’s ironic to use quotes from a guy that was wholly against your political views.
Hmm…Morgan…so I take it that to you, liberalism equals Socialism eh? Well, I guess its only fair since to me, Conservativism equals fascism. Regardless, if all you got out of reading 1984 is Orwells hatred of Socialism, then YOU are the one that needs to reread it…including the cliffs notes… because even they were able to grasp the other themes the book touches on. Live in the now man!
Oh and Happy Birthday Brit! Despierta mi bien dispierta, mira que ya amanecio…ya los pajaritos cantan, la luna ya se metio! Hope you had a great one.
Good on ya, and to echo Marcos, xinnian kwaile, all the way from Taiwan. Enjoy!
As a liberal left-coast Canadian, I’ve been sitting up here in BC with many others like myself, biting my nails as the election approaches. We denounce the Bush administration, relieved that we’re technically a separate country, but realize that his policies and personality definitely affect us as well.
And so I speculate (worry) about how your average middle-America Jane or Joe is responding to all the election propaganda…. but it’s pure speculation, since I’ve never even BEEN to anywhere that would be considered middle America.
And I guess this is what is so great about blogs. Because reading yours, I feel like I have a bit of a window, particularly through posts like this. I bet you and I could find a lot in common, but we kind of live in separate worlds. So thanks for sharing about your experience. We’re sending down all the good wishes we can muster for next Tuesday!
PS. The letter “W” is a poor choice for your favorite at this juncture in history. ;)
Morgan, I am not sure if you are telling ME to re-read 1984 and study up on Orwell, or if you are talking to Vidiot. But I think you mean me, since you presumably don’t know that Vidiot is, like myself, liberal. (Unless you read his blog, too.)
In case you are talking to me: WTF, dude? I already said above I am reading it for the first time. How can I re-read something I haven’t yet read? And I admit to knowing very little about George Orwell, but plan on studying up after I complete this book. I want to read it fresh, without too much superfluous information influencing my experience.
So, um, what are you talking about?
“JK is very adept in [Doublespeak]. . . I’m not going to talk politics.”
Okay, but fair is fair.
I know for a fact that GWB dines on the flesh of infants and slakes his thirst on the blood of the elderly in an attempt to achieve eternal vigor and sagacious wisdom. Do I have evidence to support my claims? I have a bus to catch.
I’m not going to argue politics.
You’re the one who brought up John Kerry.
I read Animal Farm as a powerful indictment of Stalinism and Soviet-style corruption and excess, not of socialism per se. (Orwell described himself as a “democratic socialist.”) Together with 1984, Animal Farm cements Orwell’s credentials as perhaps the most powerful anti-totalitarian writer in the English language.
As he wrote in his essay “Why I Write”, “The Spanish war and other events in 1936-37 turned the scale and thereafter I knew where I stood. Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism, as I understand it.”
I don’t think that many contemporary American liberals are in favor of socialism as “a cure to all of society’s evils”, to use your words. I’m not, and certainly John Kerry isn’t. When was the last time an unreconstructed Socialist was in national office in the United States? It’s been a long while.
The policies of Bush, Ashcroft et al. represent, to my eye, much more of an incursion into totalitarianism (and its trappings) than anything Kerry represents. And once again, I ask you for specific citations of John Kerry’s “doublespeak.” I will happily supply manifold examples of the Bush Administration’s lies, disingenuity, and freedom-eroding policies upon request.
To quote Brittney, our host here, “What are you talking about?”
1984 is my favorite book of all time. Try reading “Wicked,” if you haven’t yet. Is there such a thing as “evil?”
You are fuckin’ cool. Boo-ya, indeed.
Geez.
Maybe it’s the beers, but when he said JK –
I thought he meant Kottke.
2 + 2 = 5
I’ll second the “Wicked” recommendation. Great book. I don’t know if I have the guts to see the musical, though…
Once you’re done with the book, try David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs. I expect the VCB can tell you more about the connection.
>>All I’m saying is that if you’re at all familiar with Orwell and his work, you would know that he was profoundly against socialism. By your logic, you would think that Animal Farm was a book meant to warn farmers about possible pig uprisings. My whole point is that it’s ironic to use quotes from a guy that was wholly against your political views.
Neither 1984 nor Animal Farm were anti-socialist screeds per se. Both were cautionary fables against allowing totalitarianism to flourish, regardless of the contemporary political camouflage it adopts. Totalitarianism thrives in an atmosphere of blind party allegiance, which itself thrives when people stop thinking for themselves and allow their thoughts and actions to be manipulated by fear and innuendo. I’m afraid the shallow mindset of many (though not all) Bush supporters would be great fodder for the telescreen. Oops–it already is.
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