"Moral" Values?
Approximately 20% of last Tuesday’s voters identified themselves as evangelical Christians. The majority of this group named the “moral values” issues of the day – gay marriage, abortion – as their top concern. Their top priority?!?!? Gay marriage and abortion are the most urgent problems facing us right now?!?!? How can anyone’s priorities get so twisted and lopsided? What kind of insular, sheltered world are these people living in? What century, for that matter?
George W. Bush used a combination of lies, fake documents and good old fashioned steamrolling to bring about the invasion of Iraq. Right before the invasion he actually believed there would be no US casualties (he told this to Pat Robertson in the spring of 2003). There have now been over 1,100 American soldiers killed, and more than 100,000 Iraqis killed.
Osama bin Laden is still at large (what ever happened to “wanted dead or alive”?). Every time an Iraqi is killed, a bereaved relative is ready to sign up with Al Qaeda, whose membership is larger than ever.
In the last four years, we’ve had the first net loss of jobs in over 70 years. The health care situation continues to deteriorate; the number of millions of uninsured Americans continues to increase.
30 years of environmental protections are being derailed by Bush and his corporate masters. They brought him to the dance; now he has to put out.
All of the above problems are too bad and all, but Omigod, 2 guys in San Francisco are trying to get married. We have to Act Now!!! And, (gasp) that slutty girl from the wrong side of the tracks is thinking of having an abortion!!! Call in the Army of God!!
I’m sorry, but we’re talking about a different species here. Their skewed, wacky priorities are bad enough, but when did “morals” and “family values” become synonymous only with promiscuity, homosexuality, and abortion? What is “moral” about a president who invades a country for phony reasons and causes the deaths of over 100,000 people? Which “family values” are exemplified by corporations that are downsizing and outsourcing whenever possible, and reducing (or discontinuing) payments for employees’ health benefits and retirement pensions? We’re talking about families here; real people.
Nobody from the Religious Right has ever said anything negative about the Enron ringleaders or any of the other corporate robber barons of the past few years. It’s time for the Bible Brigade to get their noses out of people’s bedrooms and look up; look around. There’s a world out there.
posted by Tom Harper @ 1:16 PM
1 Comments:
This is the same group that got Reagan in years ago and unfortunatley the same group that fought us in the civil rights days. The Southern Baptist split from the rest because they believed in Slavery and Later Jim Crow. Jerry Falwell wants you to forget he used to preach seperation of the races and would discorage Civil rights . He went toe to toe with Martin Luther King on many an Occasion,
At the same time there was never much enthusiasm from the mid west evangelicals either.
When LBJ signed the Civil Rights act he knew he was giving the south to the republicans. The Republicans had a perfect change to show some real "Morals and Values" and say "Hey we agree with Civil Rights" Instead they woo'ed the Southerners in and never adpated a Civil Rights Platform. Did you know that Nixon promised the South he would appoint judges to overturn "Brown" (which had more to do with integration then busing)?
Lest you think this is ancient history Remember Candidate Bush spoke at Bob Jones University when their bible based policy prohibited integration. The Republicans have been morally, legally (Reagan fought to give a University that discriminates tax exempt status - so against federal civil rights policy), and financially for years. Bush apologized and said he didn't know that they had that policy (yeah right) so why he nominating the attorney who argued the goverment's case for Bob Jones (saying she believe totally in their discrimintory policy) to a federal judgeship? - this is not only present day, but no one of the religoius right spoke out against Bush's visit or Bob Jones or their policy.
What this also means is Diversity has always been the Democrats strongest base. People seem to be saying in order to win they have to abandon that notion and I don't think that is going to work. I mean look at the people that did vote for Kerry still sizable number.
We have to do something to convince people that real family values involve helping people get jobs, taking care of your environment, taking corporate criminals to task (Go Elliot Spitzer!) and treating everyone as equals.
Then you convince the others that Gay marraige and stem cells will no more hurting as Civil Rights, Integration, Women's REAL rights (equal pay not just abortion), Disabled Rights were hurting the country then.
If you look into your history you will find the same groups opposed all those things then, back then they were outsiders, today they are card carrying republicans.
I am not necessarily saying that 20 percent are all bigot I think there is a sizable number who could be swayed if you appeal their core values put it in a way they would understand, That was Martin Luther King's key to success
You expose them for who and what they truly are and you may be able to take back the country.
Erik
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