Posted on 12/03/2003 3:26:18 PM PST by NorCoGOP
SAN DIEGO -- On Nov. 17, I wrote a column that called for a progressive movement away from the polarizing stagnation of "left vs. right" in American politics. For once, I wanted to be optimistic. I wanted to believe that most of the people in this nation were sensible, compassionate individuals who could put aside differences of opinion in order to determine what was best for the nation as a whole.
As it turns out, I was completely f**king wrong.
I began to suspect this as I watched the rousing half-time show of the Dallas-Miami football game on Thanksgiving Day. There was great American crooner Toby Keith, spewing forth a load of Skoal-flavored hatred while scantily clad red, white and blue victory bunnies danced the night away. The term "pseudo-event" didn't even come close to describing what I was seeing: Brave General Keith, patriotically hung over, promises to slaughter every last dissenter he can lay his hands on, backed by an unstoppable army of silicon soldierettes. A sight for sore patriotic eyes, to be sure.
Of course, by that point in the holiday, I had already been exposed to hours worth of news footage on the "biggest event of the year." George W. Bush had single-handedly flown a Stealth bomber through exploding anti-aircraft shrapnel, landed on a completely blacked out runway and personally served hundreds of fresh turkeys to the troops.
Well, at this point in history I should be used to seeing ridiculous images on television, but this assault on the senses seemed a little uncalled for, too blatant, too extreme. Little did I know I was one of the lucky ones. While I was watching these propaganda festivals from the safe distance of my living room, some of my best friends were actually dealing with this vitriolic menace face-to-face.
The horror stories I received from friends who had spent the holiday with their far-right leaning families shattered my idealistic vision of a progressive America. One close friend barely escaped a physical beating at the hands of a favorite uncle after expressing the mildest sentiment of dissent over the conflict in Iraq. My friend was told that he was worthless scum and that he should be bombed out of existence with the rest of the terrorists. Another friend was almost ejected from his family's dinner when he expressed his displeasure with the fact that his younger brother was shipping out to Iraq in March.
My friends were not rude, disrespectful or antagonizing in expressing their perspectives on the issues, yet one of them was almost killed right there at the dinner table, and the other became the instant black sheep of his family.
So is this what it comes down to then? All it takes to get blacklisted is an unpopular opinion? It seems we have entered the Keep-Your-Goddamn-Mouth-Shut era of man. America itself has become a pseudo-event, a place where everyone likes to give lip service to big words like liberty and freedom while they do everything in their power to repress those concepts in our institutions.
I extended the olive branch, just once. I drew on reason, logic and my own understanding of the Constitution our nation was founded upon, and I actually dared to think that I could communicate with the "other side." Hell, I even thought I could remove that barrier that created an "other side." But I forgot something very important: Y'all love your barriers; you want separation, you want hate, you want repression. I thought I could deflate the conservative argument by using your own fondness for the founding fathers against you. In truth, the founding fathers never would have approved of the kind of silencing of dissent we are now seeing, but that doesn't matter much, does it? All of you brave and patriotic Americans don't really give two sh**s for the founding fathers or the Constitution. You would prefer that we not have the rights to dissent and freedom of speech guaranteed in the Constitution. Why not take it out, then y'all can finally get rid of all those pesky rebels who actually understand what liberty is.
I've been called an elitist many times but I never really owned up to the title. Well I'll tell you right now: You're goddamn right I'm an elitist. You, and by "you" I mean all those "patriots" and "neocons" and all the rest who are fueling this hate crusade in America; you are the true enemies of freedom, and you'll do more harm to this country than any terrorist could ever hope to. If you want a war with your own citizens, you'll get it. Forget about the olive branch. Until that day when you finally drag us kicking and screaming to the firing squad, we'll be fighting you tooth and nail.
I can think of a few other names, but dignity and decorum prevent me from listing them in this forum.
This guys self importance actually has him thinking he is worth the price of a bullet.
Oh, I bet they were! "Elitists" are prone to that. DTOM
I COULDN'T THINK OF A BETTER USE FOR THAT NONSENSE
Thanks.............jos
He's lucky he's such a dork or no one would be reading this pap.
I missed this, was this display of hatred a patriotic song?
Yes, I believe it may have been "Courtesy of the Red White and Blue".
That song drives them over the edge too. Boot in your @$$, and all.
Would it be too much to ask this dork to back this half assed accusation up with a direct quote?
Translation: "For some absurd reason, you failed to toe the PC line even when I used the right emotional keywords. Rather than acknowledge Bush is a knuckle dragging Neatherthal and conservatives are, at best, ignorant clods, you failed to see the light. If you won't treat my infantile, better than thou psychobable as genius, you're nothing more than goddamned Nazis. And I hate you."
I've been called an elitist many times but I never really owned up to the title. Well I'll tell you right now: You're goddamn right I'm an elitist. ... If you want a war with your own citizens, you'll get it. Forget about the olive branch. Until that day when you finally drag us kicking and screaming to the firing squad, we'll be fighting you tooth and nail.
I'm sure they'll be well polished nails, at that. However, I don't imagine you'll go kicking. Screaming, yes, flailing, possibly. Kicking, I doubt it.
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