Image by paraflyer via Flickr
A bit of a tongue-in cheek offering for dVerse Poetics in which we are asked to write a Taboo poem…not something that I’m comfortable with. But here it is. Check out some more poetry to get your blood boiling at http://dversepoets.com and thanks to Sheila Moore and Kellie Elmore for shoving us out of our comfort zones.
welcome to
nevada
home of cowgirls
and cowboys
home of the
used-to-be-free-
thinking folk
like me
beholden to none
no government
handouts please
wide open space
the land and the
mind—mining
libertarian ideas
(although I don’t
like the idea of
legalizing marijuana
I tried it once
but didn’t inhale)
personal responsibility
means not spending
money you don’t have
and caring for
those in need because
it’s the right thing
to do
welcome to nevada
if you dare
reminder
this is not
california
deal with it.
Nevada has always been known for its independent spirit until the last few years. Leading the pack in legalizing gambling, prostitution, strong libertarian leanings, we polled 12% for Ron Paul in the last presidential election. Recently demographics have changed. Builders over-populated our cities so that we lead the country in foreclosures. There has been an influx of people who could no longer afford life in California and who came here in search of better things but then defaulted on their loans. Nevada also leads the country in unemployment (13.4% as of Aug.2011) since in time of economic distress, tourism is waning and tax revenues have declined. We are hurting. I’ve been here since 1993 and, yes, I’m one of those “Californicators.”
An important part of my belief system comes from the Native American tradition of respecting one another’s Sacred Point of View. Let’s do it!
Victoria C. Slotto, Author 