Theories and guesses are reader's only explanation for Bush win

One of my sweet nephews asked me how Bush could possibly have gotten re-elected after all the lies he told and the mess he got us in. Following is my response:

It has taken me a long time to respond to your letter that was waiting for me when I returned from my short vacation. I sure wish I had a good answer for you about who won the elections. All I have are theories and guesses. I'll share those with you because you asked for my thoughts, and thank you for asking. It has certainly given me much to ponder.

It seems as though there are two parallel realities here now. People who voted for Bush don't seem to be in mine. Or maybe they're being very quiet about it. I had to draw someone out sort of sneakily who admitted voting for Bush. When she started describing Kerry, she called him similar names with contempt as others call Bush. She was passionate about her choice and felt that Bush had started that war and knows how to deal with it while Kerry would have pulled us out of Iraq and people would be killing us in our streets.

I was very surprised by her views and have no idea if it's what lots of them think or just her. Maybe the thread of guilt runs so deeply through many Americans and the only way they can feel safe is if they follow someone they think has a connection with God, and if they start killing everyone first, as if war is the answer to keeping them safe.

For some reason her comments led me to remember the first time I went to Greece in 1972. I was standing in line at a bank and ahead of me was an ugly, angry American. It was obvious to me he was full of disdain for the Greek people and I was embarrassed for him. He acted as if he was smarter and more powerful than these backward people. That was when America was the big, influential country.

Today (Nov. 20) I went to an intertribal gathering in Anchorage and Natives were there from Alaska and southern states, even Maine. As I watched them dance in their traditional garb and listened to the drumming and songs, I felt that connection to all that is very powerful. It was a great reminder.

On the way home in my car I heard activist John Trudell saying America is doing in this war just what they did to the Indians, and the 9/11 report has as many unreported secrets as revelations.

The bottom line is, I don't know how this could have happened. It seems impossible. But I'm reminded of when my son, Danny, was sent to Desert Storm before that war began. I was so scared and worried I felt like I could shrivel up and be of no good to anyone. I was doing massage work and as each day passed I was becoming more and more ineffective. Finally, a day or two before the war was set to begin, I realized what a waste of my energy it was to be so worried and scared. At that moment I made the choice to focus on hope and peacefulness, love and joy. As cheesy as it sounds, it worked. Immediately. I was able to work on people and give them help instead of feeling like a rock.

I think that is the best I can do now. No one I voted for got elected. I can't beat up all the Republicans, there's too many of them. The only thing I feel I can do is rise as far above this situation as possible and take a look, recognizing it's a game we all chose to play and the key is to stay balanced.

I'm sorry I don't have better answers. I wish I did. Maybe someday we can know.

Patricia Wade is the editor of The Chickaloon News.