Thursday, November 11, 2004
My Belated Congratulations To The GOP'ers Around Here...And A Request...
I've spent quite some time thinking about how I would put this post together ever since I got back from Mexico.
To all the conservatives that regularly view this site to break my balls or otherwise, I offer my sincere congratulations. However, that sentiment doesn't come without a small request.
My request is that each of you admit that the victories the GOP enjoyed last week came about, in large part, because your party's willingness to play to people's fears and hatred.
I'm not going to talk about disenfranchised voters, faulty computers, or a media bias one way or the other. I have no interest in any of those things right now.
What I am interested in is a sober admission that fairly clearly states the following:
"I admit my party played to the worst in its constituency and beyond by feeding the already burning fires of homophobia in this country."
With anti-gay initiatives on the ballot in several states, including the one that mattered the most, Ohio, conservatives offered up as political cannon fodder every gay or lesbian person in this nation.
Sadly, it worked...
As people with a strong set of political beliefs, my wife and I suffered quite a bit from what happened last week, but we both feel that the people who will feel the most stinging effects won't be us or our fellow Democrats (including great people like John Kerry, John Edwards, Ralph Campbell, Wayne Goodwin, Jim Wynn, and Alan Thornburg), rather it will be those who have officially become the scapegoat-of-choice for all of society's ills: homosexuals.
This election will only serve to make legislative gay-bashing a more acceptable and effective political weapon in elections to come.
As a straight married man, I've never taken issue with gay people's desire to marry. I actually look at it as an honor that more people would think so much of the institution to want to become a part of it. It wouldn't diminish what my wife and I have one bit. Those who believe it would, really should think about themselves first, and how secure they are about their own situation.
If more people don't come to this realization, darker days will probably lay ahead for not just gay Americans, but ALL Americans. The Fred Phelps's and Jerry Falwell's of this world are already sharpening their "moral" talons in order to make gay people seem like the reason our country is in trouble.
The worst part is that they now know just how powerful that message can be...
Honest conservatives really should step up and acknowledge in some way the poison that helped sweep them to victory...
UPDATE: Bob Jones (Bush's racist, anti-Semitic, anti-Catholic wingnut ally) is already proving me right.
In your re-election, God has graciously granted America--though she doesn't deserve it--a reprieve from the agenda of paganism. You have been given a mandate. We the people expect your voice to be like the clear and certain sound of a trumpet. Because you seek the Lord daily, we who know the Lord will follow that kind of voice eagerly.
Don't equivocate. Put your agenda on the front burner and let it boil. You owe the liberals nothing. They despise you because they despise your Christ. Honor the Lord, and He will honor you.
Had your opponent won, I would have still given thanks, because the Bible says I must (I Thessalonians 5:18). It would have been hard, but because the Lord lifts up whom He will and pulls down whom He will, I would have done it. It is easy to rejoice today, because Christ has allowed you to be His servant in this nation for another presidential term. Undoubtedly, you will have opportunity to appoint many conservative judges and exercise forceful leadership with the Congress in passing legislation that is defined by biblical norm regarding the family, sexuality, sanctity of life, religious freedom, freedom of speech, and limited government. You have four years--a brief time only--to leave an imprint for righteousness upon this nation that brings with it the blessings of Almighty God.
2nd UPDATE: Frank Rich explains why the red states' "moral values" don't amount to much...
|
