HOME | POLITICS | SPORTS | LIFE | SCI/TECH | OPEDS | HELPFUL TIPS
|
Nov. 8, 2004 The first step in waging a psychological conflict is to dehumanize the opponent, to lump them into a generalization that the general populous does not approve of. This has been done through history, and it is what is being done with the Democratic Party in the wake of the Republican sweeps. “The Liberals,” the “Radical Left,” “Massachusetts Liberals,” the “Democratic Islamic Party,” “Babykillers,” “Communists,” “Socialists, ” “Frenchies,” “Terrorists,” “Enemies of freedom,” “Justice haters,” “Softies,” the “Looney Left,” “Morally Treasonable,” “Irreligious,” “Immoral,” “New Sodomites,” “Men against God,” and the absolute worst, “Unpatriotic.” We are not all liberals. We did not all support John Kerry with our heart of hearts. The Democratic Party is home to many divergent viewpoints and passions, just as the Republican Party is. To call us all liberal Communists, supporters of terrorism, enemies of freedom, is like a slap to good men like Senator Evan Bayh, Governor Bill Richardson, and Governor Joseph Kernan, and to a much lesser extent, myself. But I suppose the winners get to stomp on the losers until they tire of the game. Judging by the titles of columns on this website, the strategy is in full swing. To use those hateful, dehumanizing, vicious words on an entire group of people are completely inappropriate, and overlooks millions of registered Democrats that disagreed with John Kerry. To insult the Democratic Party is to insult us all. We have stood together during eight years of Clinton, and will stand together during eight years of Bush. But we will not be treated like this any longer. Using words like I listed in the titles of columns, in tirades against the Democrats, would be the same as if I called all Republicans radically fundamentalist, fascist, overbearing, gun-nut, Orwellian, vote-rigging, Watergate- level morally devoid liars, cheating elitist, blue-blooded hacks with a fetish for stripping away our basic rights and profiling any non- whites foolish enough to go out in public. But that is not true. That is an insult to good, decent, honest men like Arlen Specter, Ben Campbell, Richard Lugar, John McCain, Lincoln Chaffee and the George H.W. Bush. It would not only be immature but downright wrong to lump all Republicans into this religious fundamentalist, elitist group. If this is true for one side, it ought to be true for the other. There are hardcore members of our party, and people on the outskirts of our party, just as there are within the Republican Party. As a majority voice in Congress, Republicans now have a right, a duty, a high moral responsibility to be decent and fair. I call on all Republicans, from columnists here to members of government, to stop the smear and generalizing and focus on issues. How can we have bipartisanship when a “liberal tree-hugger” cannot get a fair hearing with a “neo-fascist Evangelical?” How can we have any kind of fairness and maturity by anyone when the majority uses such derogatory terms as “baby killer,” even if it may be their personal view, upon everybody in the Democratic Party? As I have said, we are a resilient bunch. We have stood tall. However, this also means that, if you attack the party, you are now attacking all of us. Come now. We must all grow up. I pray that my message is heeded. ------------ About the author: Max Burns is a 17-year-old Democrat with moderate, centrist ideals. He blames John Kerry's 2004 loss on John Kerry, and is authoring a pamphlet on how to refine the Democratic Party for Victory in 2008 and beyond. For more information, check out The New Democrat. Read the fantasy-fiction novel "Alcardia". Email: DeMBurns@gmail.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
