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Reflections on Red and Blue America

May 3, 2004

(archived broadcast )
Conservatives love America like Mommy or Daddy,
Unconditionally, right or wrong.
Liberals love America like Husband or Wife.
An object of affection and, sometimes, disappointment.

Conservatives love their country
Like they love God.
America is all perfect, all powerful.
Conservatives must constantly reference “God.”
Cling to “God” on our money, in our Pledge of Allegiance.
The Word makes it true.
To suggest that America is not perfect is to suggest God is not perfect.
It is heresy. It must be rooted out.
Whatever is, is right.
Liberals love their country
Like they love God
As a source of comfort and strength.
America is not perfect and all powerful.
God is not perfect and not all powerful.
Liberals struggle with a perfect God.
How can God be perfect when there is so much suffering in the world?
How can America be perfect if its faults and failures are plain to see?
Whatever is, can be made better.
To a conservative, a Republican President —
Like the Pope of Catholic doctrine – is infallible.
He never makes mistakes.
God chose him.
And God doesn’t make mistakes.
It does not matter that the American People elected someone else.
The Supreme Court follows God’s Will.
God trumps democracy.
“We have no God but America and Bush is his prophet.”
To a liberal, leaders make mistakes.
Like a husband or wife.
Love, yes, but watch carefully with open eyes
Because trust flows from respect.
Work to keep the marriage strong, but sue for divorce, if you must.
Don’t love America, right or wrong.
Love America because it is right.
When it is right.
When it lives up to its promise of liberty and justice for all.
Conservatives believe in easy choices.
Guns and butter.
“Buy now, pay later.”
War and prosperity.
You don’t like Saddam, remove him.
America, like God, is all-powerful.
Liberal democracy will spring up in Iraq without irony
Like fallow soil just waiting to be plowed.
“They will greet us with flowers and candy.”
Liberals believe in tough choices.
Sacrifice tax cuts to preserve social security.
If you go to war in Iraq,
You will divert troops from capturing Bin Laden
You will allow nuclear weapons in North Korea. And Iran.
If God cannot do it all,
Then America cannot do it all,
Even with a draft.
Why does the world hate us so?
Conservative leaders believe in two Americas:
They don’t have to fight wars. We do.
They don’t have to pay taxes. We do.
They don’t have to struggle to get jobs. We do.
They don’t get punished for using drugs. We do.
They have deferments and loopholes and daddy’s friends and lawyers.
We do not.
Liberals believe in one America.
One law, one rule should apply to all.
Rich and poor, Black and White
Those who fight wars, pay taxes,
Struggle to get jobs, and are punished for using drugs
Are the real Americans.
God’s suffering servants.
Conservatives believe the Constitution is perfect,
Because it reflects majority American values.
Because the Founders themselves were perfect.
Liberals believe the Constitution is perfect,
Because it protects minority American freedoms.
Because it can be amended.
Conservatives will fight and risk death for their country.
Witness hero John McCain.
Liberals will fight and risk death for their country.
Witness hero John Kerry.
Do liberals love their country more than conservatives
Because they risk ridicule and shame?
Because they rise up to criticize their country when it is wrong?
Witness hero John Kerry.

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  • Put-in-Bay, Ohio September 11, 2005 11:34 am

    Ok?

  • Love finds a way--or a getaway September 11, 2005 11:20 am

    Methinks you thinks too much
    Beloved Mutants
    Roses are red;
    violets are blue.
    Roses are white and yellow, too;
    and some violets are more purple.
    People, too, fall through the cracks
    of indigenous identity
    onto the spectrum
    of differing androgyny;
    hybrids, seeking love
    as humans do,
    with partners entering the ark
    two-by-two,
    er…or in threes
    as the case may be.
    Girls are pink;
    boys are blue.
    Of course there are transgenders, too.
    Mixes and matches,
    they all want love,
    emotional comfort that fits like a glove.
    Somewhere between normal and anomaly,
    nature finds a way
    to play Cupid
    and answer the cry,
    “Be my valentine.”

  • Robt September 10, 2005 4:43 pm

    Victor Frank,
    Guess your responding for Johnny newhound. Well, OK I think???????????????