Posted on 11/06/2004 6:43:14 AM PST by TruthShallSetYouFree
I live in Morris County, NJ, a red stronghold in a blue state. Last night, my wife and I went out to dinner with another couple, with whom we have been very close friends for 25 years. The political leanings of the four of us range from very, very conservative to extremely conservative.
While waiting for our food, we sipped some wine and waxed poetic about the recent election. I’m sure it was a scene that was duplicated in virtually every city in the country, if not the world. The discussion was taking place in normal conversational tones. We did not whisper when we said “Kerry,” nor shout when we said “Bush.” The restaurant, a small establishment in a strip mall, had only a few other patrons at the time. While aware that our words could be easily overheard if anyone was paying attention, we were not concerned because we were not using foul language nor making any really insulting observations. Indeed, our conversation could have easily been taking place at one of those “town meetings” that the lib cable networks like to hold.
Apparently, the nature of the conversation (basically a group “Hi-Five”) was more than a distraught, disgruntled liberal at a nearby table could bear. She was an attractive, older woman (she admitted to being 70) who had the longish hair and aging-hippie clothing that is typical of her ilk. My best guess is that she is a retired school teacher. She was dining with what appeared to be her husband. After suffering in silence for several minutes, she got up from her seat (she was sitting directly behind my wife and me) and walked over to our table.
If you are anticipating a blow-by-blow description of a major altercation, you’ve come to the wrong place. The woman put her arms gently on our shoulders and said, quite softly, that she had worked very hard for the past several months on the Kerry campaign, and was so upset and disappointed that things had not gone their way. I was in no mood to have a political discussion with Miss Birkenstock, so I basically ignored her. Indeed, a rolling of the eyes for my friends across the table was my entire physical reaction.
My wife, who, in the past year or so, has gotten far more interested in politics, could not let the moment pass. She said to the woman, in a very soothing voice, “Don’t worry, the country will be fine, Bush is a decent, honest man.”
The lib lady complained of the “lack of compassion” on the right. My wife defended our side and mentioned that she and I volunteer at an afternoon center for minority kids, helping them with their homework, and questioned if Kerry or Jesse or Sharpton or any of the “compassionate” libs pay more than lip service to the notion of helping the disadvantaged. The woman’s only really aggressive parting shot was that she hoped we all enjoyed living in a “theocracy.”
That actually struck me as funny, and, apparently, is a new liberal catch-word. We four conservative celebrants are composed of a secular Jew (me), an Eastern Orthodox Christian (my wife) and two lapsed Protestants. My wife is the only one of the four who is a regular church-goer. This notion that because “values” were an important component in the Bush victory, we have become a bible-thumping, holy-rolling theocracy is merely another instance where the left just doesn’t get it.
Here’s what they are missing: organized religion codifies morality, gives it form and structure, but morality (i.e., knowing right from wrong and doing what is right) does not require one to practice Christianity, or Judaism, or Islam. While religions clearly counsel their adherents to practice morality (except for the Wahabbi branch of Islam, but that’s for another essay), practicing morality does not require one to be a member of any particular religion, or any religion at all, for that matter. Our Founding Fathers, though they were Christians, were very much aware of this, and set up our Constitution to allow each citizen to practice whatever religion he might choose, or none at all.
John Kerry was being most disingenuous when he responded to a question in the last debate, about how he, as a Catholic, could condone the practice of partial birth abortion. He did his usual bob and weave and tap dance, and offered up the notion that, as a practicing Catholic, he finds the procedure abominable, but he can’t allow his personal religious beliefs to affect his political views. (Truth be told, Senator Kerry was really afraid that anything less than 100% acceptance of the precepts of the Planned Parenthood Wing of the Democrat Party would cost him their support.) Okay, John (and any other liberals who are lurking), here’s the scoop: What you said is totally, unquestionably, ridiculously WRONG!
A visitor could come here from another planet and would know that killing a two-year old kid is wrong. It wouldn’t take much of an inductive leap to realize that pulling a 9-month fetus halfway out of the birth canal and then piercing his skull and sucking his brain out is also wrong. Wrong for Christians, wrong for Jews, wrong for Muslims, wrong for atheists. Wrong! And anyone with a shred of morality and a working brain would also realize that kicking a pregnant woman in the abdomen and destroying the baby growing inside her is different from punching a guy in the mouth and knocking out a tooth.
If my liberal co-diner wants to see a real theocracy, she should visit the Mullahs in Iran. or the Muslims in Saudi Arabia. What we have in these United States is a return of good old-fashioned morality. Naturally, the amoral left equates that to a theocracy. It does not bode well for them in ’06 or ’08.
I don't want it to bode well for them. 30 yrs from now, I want to lean over to my wife "Hey honey, remember them dang liberals? Wife:"Well, barely ,but go ahead"
Really enjoyed your encounter. BTW, what did you have for dinner that night?
Good vanity. Until last spring, we lived in Somerset County NJ. I see Morris went Bush too, even stronger than Somerset. :)
Silly libs, their poor education shows through everytime.....
This lady needs to go live with the Taliban so she might truly understand what a theocracy is.
Funny, but the only time I see clergymen involved in politics as office holders is with Black liberals: The Rev. Jesse Jackson, The Rev. Al Sharpton, The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Bump
I could not have said this any better. As a conservative who is a member of a religion that is not a Judeo-Christian one, I find it hard to explain my position to liberals who can't believe I belong to a political group that is, by and large, Judeo-Christian. What they don't understand is that the adherence to religion indicates that conservatives have a moral standard. I have no problem with the fact that most conservatives are openly Christian. I find it more important that conservatives believe in the moral standard that their religion provides for them.
When liberals wail about our country becoming a "theocracy," they are really upset that our wonderful nation is a nation founded upon morality and the belief in the difference between right and wrong. They are simply upset that they cannot indulge all of their selfish desires without being called on it.
It was a Turkish restaurant. We had hummus and taboulli salad and shish kebob. The onions taste as good this morning as they did last night. Oh, yeah, and a nice Chianti.
The liberals aren't afraid of "religion." They have plenty of religion. They are afraid that right and wrong are objective and absolutes with which a culture must deal.
Great post. They cannot get their minds past the church door.
The hysterical rhetoric of successful Boomer libs is borne of a life of idyllic luxury free from any real adversity, at least compared to much of the rest of the world. It's a strain of liberalism comprised of obnoxious spoiled brats writ large.
l was at a retirement dinner for a large group of city employees.The American election was a topic of discussion at our table.l was asked by one of the members of the group , what l thought of the President's re-election.When l said, ' l danced around the house with joy", you could have heard a pin drop.My fellow diners were in a state of shock.l loved every minute of it.lt was almost as nice as Tuesday's election result.Sometimes it's lonely being a Conservative Canadian but last nightl felt like a winner.God bless President Bush.
Well said.
And I know that this is far from the point of your post, but I wonder why a complete stranger felt that it was acceptable to come over and put her hands on you. I suppose that it's just another example of the liberal belief that they shouldn't be restrained by social mores.
Your essay is impeccable.
Thank you.
Bump for later.
I went up to one of my customers (die hard liberal) in the middle of the cashier line, put my hand gently on his shoulder and said 'Don't worry, you'll steal the next one.'
Two customers in line looked horrified, and one snickered.
One of my cashiers has another job that takes her into many different offices here in Fairfield County. The day after the election she noted the somber mood of HER customers (she is a recently proclaimed conservative thanks to Rush and Sean). When she was in one of these offices she noted the somber people scurrying about and one said to the other in a hushed tone -- 'John Kerry is giving his concession speech at 1:30, so we're going to re-arrange all of our lunches so that we can watch it.'
The other person was tight lipped and shook her head gently. This person turned to my friend and whispered in a choked-up voice, 'John Kerry is giving a concession speech at 1:30.'
My friend said 'JEEZ, IT'S ABOUT TIME. WHAT A SORE LOSER.'
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