All kidding aside, I really do feel something akin to compassion for those true Republicans. By true, I mean men and women who have serious fiscal issues with our spending policies of late. Men and women who have serious reservations about the efficacy of government programs to cure societies ills with often ill administered programs.
I get that. And I do feel as I said, a certain empathy to those folks. For they are trapped in a horror story that may or may not be of their making, but surely they were asleep at the switch.
Their party has been hijacked by an increasingly insane group. Some, most perhaps, are not philosophically aligned to the drivel they spout. If they were, we could feel compassion for their rather clear mental illness.
No, most are opportunities of the most crass variety. They have found a niche that is paying off handsomely, and purports to have the strength to do so for some time to come. They are, as we are wont to say, laughing all the way to the bank. They are not above any type of lie, any time of distortion in order to continue the charade and it’s incumbent dollar reward.
No concern for the country lingers in their cerebellum for more than an instant. Never long enough to make an impression. No time to engender any guilt, that is clear.
Yet, there is a growing league of these “real” Republicans who are finding it hard to remain quietly in the party, while awaiting the return of sanity to it’s ranks. And truthfully, they are obligated, or so it seems to me, to speak out against this utter vile craziness which so jeopardizes our country and our world.
It seems that some have had enough. A brilliant piece at the Daily Dish by Andrew Sullivan, called Leaving the Right, takes the party by the teeth, and shakes. Enough is enough. At times there is a real morality that must be stood up for. And now is that time. Ironically the party of family values is starting to find it’s own morality in opposing the insanity it has become.
What it comes down to is this. Whether the wackos on the right are sincere or calculating sociopathic thugs makes little difference. Wrong is wrong. It is absurd to form a party on the belief that science is some devil and that evolution and climate change aren’t real. It is absurd to promote candidates because they are “down home” folksies when they have zero knowledge of foreign or domestic issues.
If that doesn’t convince you read, Little Green Footballs, and this post: Why I Parted Ways with the Right.
It’s going to take more, however, that testimonials on the blogosphere. It’s going to take real Republicans, politicos, writers, and others to step up and say no to this racist/homophobic/selfish/intellectual hating/perverted religious agenda. It is not enough to go quietly into the night, disappearing from the party membership. Those honest, long time, and highly respected among the party must stand forth with clear and unambiguous speech, denouncing this hate-filled movement. We see a beginning. We hope it continues.
And while I’m at it, let me say this about Adam Lambert.
It seems that Mr. Lambert appeared on a music awards show and acted in a rather sexually explicit manner. He has admitted that he probably used poor judgment in kind of being swept away by the occasion.
ABC immediately canceled his appearance on GMA the following day, and is, so we hear, thinking of requiring a contract with celebrities in which they agree to perform “as is” from their rehearsal.
I thought that Ellen DeGeneres made a good point. If one is offended by blatant sexuality in general, so be it, but if you are otherwise okay with heterosexual blatant sexuality, then shame on you if you objected to this.
I tend to agree. Part of equality is having the right to express yourself as others do. That doesn’t make it right or agreeable, but we ought not to be selective in what is “offensive” to us. Adam Lambert is a young man, of extraordinary talent. He has hit the jack pot. He is soaring in the clouds with literally hundreds of sharks attempting to get part of his “action.” He has had little time to discern who are friends and foes yet. He is trying to be all things to all people, finding his place in the genre. He is finding his place as a human.
I didn’t see the show. I don’t know if I would have thought it traversed a line or not. But I can and will not blame the kid for being immature in his decision making. We all were at that age. We just weren’t making our stupid choices in full view of millions of people. Cut the kid some slack. He seems nice enough, smart enough, and he is certainly talented.
Did it just make you squirm because he kissed a guy? If so, check thyself. As far as I can tell, he did nothing not already done by Madonna.
Existential Ennui 