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Nov. 30, 2004 The 2004 election was a victory for moral values and an affirmation of the agenda of the religious right. The president has a mandate to appoint pro- life Supreme Court judges, to press for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and to select Jerry Falwell as Ayatollah-In- Chief. Evangelicals emboldened by their decisive victory at the polls, are now beseeching the Almighty to ravage the left coast and east coast blue states with earthquakes that will wipe them off the electoral map. The Rev. Jerry Falwell was so pumped by Bush's victory that he immediately launched the "Faith and Values Coalition"; the new organization will lobby for pro-life judicial appointments; a federal amendment barring same-sex marriage; and the election of another socially and fiscally conservative president in 2008. If the rotund televangelist has his way young men will be arrested if they hum Broadway show tunes and young women will have to resort to wire hangers if they want an abortion. Reality check: Was the presidential election really a victory for Falwell-type "moral values"? If a statement is repeated ad nauseam does that make it the truth? Hopefully, this essay will provide some balance to the mantra repeated by the White House and their Amen Corner at Fox News: Americans voted for "moral values" as defined by Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Pat Boone. Social conservatives cite an Election Day exit poll which they claim shows "moral values" as the top reason voters chose one or the other presidential candidate. But "moral values" was not defined by the pollsters. Exit polls do not have a good reputation, but I will be gracious and accept the legitmacy of this poll. It could be argued that the "moral values" of peace, protection of the environment, equal rights for homosexuals and affordable health care are what propelled 49 percent of the electorate to vote for John Kerry. Even assuming that in the minds of many voters the term meant anti-abortion,anti-gay- marriage,anti-Michael Moore and anti-nipple exposure on network TV, only 22 percent of those questioned said it was what mattered most to them. Seventy-eight percent did not say so. Others listed "terrorism" (19 percent) or "Iraq" (15 percent). So, 34 percent picked security issues, a lot more than chose moral values. The greatest moral value is self-preservation; Bush was not re-elected because Americans want to establish a theocracy, but because the incumbent was perceived as the best candidate to protect our democracy. Democrats and other progressives shouldn't concede an inch to the religious conservatives; we need to continue to fight for the "moral values" we believe in: Women's rights, protection of the environment, right of privacy, gay rights, AIDS research, the fight against racism and affirmative action. If liberals go on the offensive and refuse to let the right define "values" we can recapture the White House in 2008. If we launch our own "Faith in Secular Society and Humanitarian Values Coalition" we can paint this country blue and it will be the Republicans singing the blues four years from now. ------------ About the author Robert Paul Reyes: I am a columnist for the Lynchburg Ledger. Email: rreyes4966@aol.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! |
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