Tongue Tyed: The Post Where I Vent...Politically This Time

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: Name: Ty; Location: Dallas, Texas, United States

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Feb 8, 2005

The Post Where I Vent...Politically This Time

This started as a return comment for Banj, on my post about Rumsfeld's comment on Larry King, but it got too long and I went on a tangent, a related tangent, but a tangent nonetheless. So I am posting it instead.

Banj, the first paragraph of my post is directed at you specifically. The rest is where your comment made me go. How it made me feel. I do not mean this as an attack on you specifically, I am just tired of Republicans making me feel like I must be crazy for having these thoughts. The funny thing is, I am starting to feel like I did in college with my undiagnosed manic/depressive roommate who made me feel constantly like I was walking on egg shells, never knowing when I might say or do something "wrong" and wondering what the consequences of that would be. But she is a WHOLE other post...or three...Back to my original point...

His loyalty is not in question here. His ethics are. He WAS aware of what was happening over there before the general public. But there was no attempt to stop what was transpiring until the media got a hold of the story.

I am obviously not a huge fan of the man, but my "casual" evaluation of him is just as valid as someone working in the White House. I voted. My dissent is what this country was founded on. Choice and opinion still matter, and I can still love my country and hate it's current politics. For that matter, I could hate my country if I so chose. Because I am given that right. Period. Don't tell me to go live in another country if I don't like it here (as I have heard said on occasion). Tell me to go work for change in the system. That is acceptable. That is how those types of concerns should be addressed in this country.

Banj, this is only partially directed at you, so please don't be too offended, I am just so tired of people implying that because I am not bowing down to our current administration, that I am unpatriotic or worse, flat out wrong. I am an independent--lowercase "I" because I am independent of a party; I am not of the Independent party. I will vote, WHEN I like what hear, for either party. I will not blindly follow the crowd. But the more the right tells me I am wrong for thinking the way I do, the more the right tells me how I should think, and what is supposed to be right for me, and the more alienated they make me feel from my government for not agreeing with everything they say, the less I want to consider voting for a Republican.

This stance has made some friends suggest I am a Democrat. But that is not what makes a Democrat. Simply disliking the current Republican party does not make one a Democrat. Nor, as other friends have suggested, does the fact that I will not vote for a presidential candidate with an obviously pro-life agenda mean that I am a Democrat. It simply means I do not want someone in a position to take away that right who does not agree with me. I will vote for Pro-life Republican candidates with less power over my reproductive organs, but not those who can change that. I have several Republican friends who are pro-choice, so the the two (Republican and pro-choice) are not mutually exclusive. This is not to say I dislike Democrats. I just do not want to associate with a party. My beliefs do not fall along party lines, and I do not see any reason to label myself one or the other.

I am just terribly tired of being made to feel like pariah by the Republican party for having views independent of theirs. I am tired of the patriotic little magnet ribbons telling me to "Support our Troops." Don't TELL me to support our troops. Say YOU support our troops. Where are the little magnets that say, "I Support our Troops"? And by the way, when was the last time you heard ANYONE, Republican, Democrat, independent, Independent, say they DON'T support our troops. It's the administration people don't support. And the blind little magnetic accusation irritates the crap out of me. I know people are trying to be patriotic with their little crooked magnets (can anyone PLEASE put their magnet vertically, I can read it even if it's not horizontal, people. Really. Have you ever seen anyone wear a real ribbon horizontally? No. Because they belong in the vertical position) but they are inadvertantly accusing others of being unpatriotic. And by the way, buying a little yellow magnet at the convenience store does not make you patriotic. A supporter of capitalism, maybe, but not necessarily patriotic.

I am sure I am just royally pissing people off right now, but I needed to get this off my chest. And Banj, thank you for finally giving me the push I needed to write this post. It has been a long time coming.

posted by Ty @ 2/08/2005

3 Comments:

At 4:44 PM, February 08, 2005, Anonymous said...: Amen Cuz! Be loud and vocal! We all have friends being shot at in Iraq right now because of our governments deciet (and it sure aint for our freedom). Criticizing that is not casual, it is necessary!

Banj's comment would be funny if it werent so sad. After all the lying our government has done over Iraq, whether it was WMD's, torture, Halliburton (which scammed billions), Oil for Food (which was reported this week that Bush condoned violations of it pre-war), and insufficient armor for troops it is amazing that some people still honestly believe that the people running our country these days are humble, decent public servants out to do whats best for us...What else more do they have to do before people stop uncritically trusting them. Sleep with an intern?

Hell, Clinton lied over Monica, but no one died over it, now Bush lies and 100,000 Iraqis and thousands of American soldiers are dead because of it. And worst of all, we are less safe today then we ever were, because this war has created (and still is creating) many new radicals.

what's scary is that Rumsfeld not only knew about torture, but many in the administration condone it (like the incoming Att. General and Homeland security secretary). And this despite overwheming evidence that torture does not work, (a person will say whatever it takes to end the pain, not the truth, see "the economist" magazine).

People like Banj make our country weak because they unthinkingly and unquentioningly accept authority. It is those of us who strive to improve our country, to make it live up to its ideals who make it great. Rumsfeld is just a man, and like all other men he makes mistakes, and those mistakes hurt our country and we have a duty to point them out. That is true patiotism.

either that or us blue states might secede and leave Jesusland to ruin itself...

Rob
At 8:30 AM, February 11, 2005, Ty said...: Rob, I loved the Clinton/Monica comparison!! That rocked!
At 8:30 AM, February 11, 2005, Ty said...: Poeticus, Thank you!! I am so glad I am not the only one!! :)

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