us, them, we
Us, them, we
You would think that the President of a free, democratic nation would distance himself from divisiveness and name-calling. But we are talking about a president that lives in his own little world, so I guess I'm expecting too much there.
Bush appeared in Ripley, Virginia yesterday to celebrate Independence Day. Looked more like "Rally 'Round Religion Day" to me.
The minister that spoke before W. greeted the crowd with these remarks:
"We have ridiculed the absolute truth of your word in the name of multiculturalism," (Reverend) Miller said. "We have been forced to honor sexual deviance in the name of freedom of expression. We have exploited the system of education in the name of the lottery. We have toyed with the idea of helping human life in the name of medical research. We have killed our unborn children in the name of choice." via Newsday
And then W. gets up there smiling. I'm not implying that he finds those words to be absolute truth, but he is aligning himself dangerously by hanging out with people who think that embracing multi-culturalism means ridiculing God or that "sexual deviance" (read, homesexuality) means the same.
"Bush also drew cheers for the freedoms 'granted to each one of us by Almighty God'.." I was under the impression that our freedoms were granted to us by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and those who fought for revolution.
"May we always live by that same trust, and may God continue to watch over the United States of America."
Continue? He was watching over us before? Looks like he was busy watching over some other nation last September. Besides, I thought that it was Bush's job to ensure that real, living people are watching over the United States.
When a leader of a nation says "we" he is speaking for the entire nation he presides over. W. does not speak for me. When he says "we" believe in God and "we" should thank the Almighty for our freedoms, he does not speak for me. His Baptist faith does not speak for an awful lot of people. I wonder how other clergy, from religions that are a little more open and accepting to people of all walks of life, feel about multi-culturalism and homosexuality.
Instead of bringing our nation together on the anniversary of its birth, W. has done more to separate the "us" from the "them."
Let's wave those flags of freedom, everyone. Let's shout about how this country affords us freedoms that no one else has. Free to be you and me, right?
If you're not for them you're against them. If you embrace the cultures of others, if your God is different from the one spoken of in the pledge, if you have no God at all, if you are gay, if you question authority, if you speak out against our leaders, if you believe in freedom of choice, if you think outside the areas set forth by our leaders, if you dare to have a differing opinion about foreign policy, war, education, then apparently you are part of the problem.
The lines have been drawn. Us. Them. For or against. No inbetween, no crossing over lines, no holding hands and embracing our differences.
I am not represented when our president says "we."
I am more frightened of that thought than I am of terrorists.
Comments
Are we moving toward an Orwellian society? Perhaps he just had the wrong source of danger. When we talk with someone about these issues, do we tend to lower our voices? Do we wonder if Big Brother is checking our blogs? Wasn't there a recent news report about checking out people who had looked at (or ordered) plans of domed stadiums over the internet?
Elections are coming up this fall. DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!
Posted by: sue | July 5, 2002 06:53 AM
so very well said, Michele. this man and the things with which he gets away frighten me. It's the way he can't seem to draw the line between his personal beliefs and beliefs shared by the nation as a whole.
Posted by: Emily | July 5, 2002 08:28 AM
I'm starting to believe that the U.S. is morphing into a religious dictatorship (dictatorship with a nice mask of democracy), straight out of science fiction.
It may blow over, or in ten years you might find that people who don't fit into the theocracy will be encouraged to live elsewhere.
Posted by: Bill | July 5, 2002 09:04 AM
word.
Posted by: aaron | July 5, 2002 10:53 AM
Well said. BTW, W. was in Ripley WEST Virginia on the 4th. A subtle difference, but one that pleases me greatly, being that I live in Roanoke.
Posted by: ron | July 5, 2002 11:13 AM
I would definitely fall into the "them" category as well. Pardon me for trying to be different, President Moron, but I thought that's what my country was founded on.
Posted by: Keith | July 5, 2002 01:53 PM
so true. so sad.
Posted by: ratty | July 5, 2002 05:22 PM
Personally, I already feel pretty encouraged to live elsewhere...
...and as a snotty suburban marylander (and as long as the nation is being divisive!) I feel entitled make snarky comments about both Virginia and West Virginia. ;)
Posted by: Emily | July 5, 2002 05:47 PM
Democracies such as the US, Canada, Britain, etc. are wonderful in that people in those countries can, for the most part, hold views contrary to the governing party, or contrary to the majority of citizens without having to feel like they will land in jail for their views.
I don't agree with everything my government says or does, but when leaders say "we", I feel they are talking about the majority of citizens, or at least the constituency that placed them in power. With the changing nature of politics, it's only a matter of time before someone with a different opinion finds him/herself in office.
Bottom line: I tend not to take so personally the words of any politician.
I hope all of you had a meaningful and enjoyable 4th of July.
Posted by: JEfromCanada | July 5, 2002 08:25 PM
I'm definitely not in the "we" group. I can't understand why the president of the United States would behave like that, much less speak after someone so hateful.
Posted by: Nancy | July 5, 2002 10:32 PM
Bottom line: I tend not to take so personally the words of any politician.
Yeah, but when the politician in question is such a fucking shithead, it's impossible not to get a little riled up.
Posted by: jima | July 5, 2002 11:34 PM
Your country very much appears to be moving towards a constitutional dictatorship with heavy theocratic overtones. There was an interesting article on some of this at FindLaw about a month ago. It was written, by of all people, John Dean former White House counsel to Richard Nixon. You can find it at http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20020607.html
Posted by: The Dynamic Driveler | July 6, 2002 02:10 AM
I swear, shit like this makes me just want to put my head between my legs and breath deep so I don't pass out in fear. Please, pleae, please let us make it until the next election when we can vote his ass out of the office.
Posted by: Kymberlie R. McGuire | July 6, 2002 02:30 AM
Has there ever been a more convincing argument for the seperation of Church and State? We can rail on it all we want on a website or in conversation, but nothing quite illustrates the point as well as someone like W. or his cronies preaching from the Presidential pulpit. Those words put the fear of- pun intended- God into me.
I am an American. Americans are by definition different from other Americans in background. When our chosen leader decides to exclude those who aren't like him in public it's disgraceful. It shakes the very core of what this place was founded on.
As for forcing anyone to honor anything, does this "man of God" realize we're being forced to endure his archaic viewpoint? That as strongly as he feels about homosexuality others feel about homophobia or anti-Semetism? The whole idea is to embrace others and move forward togehter, not to alienate, discriminate and take a detour.
Al Gore never sounded so good. And really I wish I lived in Volusia County, FL last year.
Posted by: Eric | July 6, 2002 03:23 AM
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