by Loren Adams, 13
December 2009
This is how my red-state
friends and relatives see America and how I don't.
But their views dominate
this neck of the woods (the "redneck" part) – why migrating way
down to South America or the Iberian Peninsula looks pretty good right now. And
their eyesight has gotten worse since Obama landed, not better. Not from
anything the President has or hasn't done, but because certain prominent
right-wing and religious characters have fanned the flames and spread
outrageous lies.
But sometimes it's more
upsetting to observe the behavior involving lack of courage and conviction
demonstrated by certain fellow Democrats, especially the Harry Reid types.
Maybe that's why my misled kin prefer die-hard, flaming right-wingers; they see
strength of purpose in the Becks, Limbaughs and Hannitys, but none on the other
side.
My righteous relatives
look at weakling liberals with their pandering, shallow words coupled by
compromising positions supposed to be on unshakable, rock-solid moral ground
that Congress must pass for America to survive – then watch them waffle
over a few Blue Dogs and a very immature, unprincipled sour-graped GOP that has
to win no matter if it means death to the nation. They don't give a damn about
the country, just their power.
So, I don't blame Karl
any longer; I blame stupid ass Dem leaders who racked up big majorities in 2006
and 2008 – only to throw the chance-of-a-lifetime away by not pushing
ahead for what America wants and desperately needs. The progressive base is
ignored while they romance filthy, bulldog Republicans who'll never concede
defeat and never play fair. Nevertheless, the concept
"bipartisanship" means more to Dems than the fate of a fast sinking Titanic.
They’re more concerned about making music on deck to a dying swarm of
passengers than to rescuing them from freezing waters, image over substance.
Who's in charge? I agree;
we don't need a Harry Reid as captain. We need someone like Sheldon Whitehouse,
Anthony Weiner or Alan Grayson. The new kids on the block have more spunk
because they just arrived from the grassroots. But they are what we need, not
spineless compromisers.
So, what I see in the
future is not pretty. Two factors are pulling against us in the US: (1) an
uncompromising, belligerent, hypocritical right-wing determined to turn us into
an autocratic, theocratic state; and (2) a weak majority that doesn't have the
cajones to do what’s right, even though it’s surreal that they should
capitulate and subjugate themselves to a very weak minority – tail
wagging the dog.
The country I now see in
the future is not mine. It's my brother's, it's my cousins who seek
little truth, believe magical myths, and are filled with fear, hate and loathing
for anyone outside the realm.
You see, my relatives are
devoted NRA members, right-to-lifers, who believe the greatest crime ever
committed against this country was splattered over a certain blue dress, if you
catch my meaning. Oh, they never forget that piece of history but how they soon
forget the Bushisms, the high-treason, the torture, the illegal surveillance,
the illegal wars, the desecration of the Constitution, and the derailment of
the economy.
My brother believes
current Republican leaders are born-again. I don't.
My cousin believes the
Iraq War was justified, even after all the information came out. I don't.
And, yes, he still believes there were WMDs in Iraq at the time the "Decider"
decided to invade. I don't.
My nephew believes God spoke
directly to George Bush about invading Afghanistan and Iraq. I don't.
My niece believes that
all Democrats are traitors, communists, terrorists, and worse than scum.
I don't.
My aunt believes that the
GOP stands for "God's Only Party." I don't.
My sister believes the
U.S. is destined to take over the whole world and make it a Christian empire
with a born-again Sarah Palin (or someone like her) at the helm. I don't.
My brother believes all
Democrats should be locked up permanently with no chance for parole, including
me. Obviously, I don't.
My mother believes the
U.S. was established by Bible-thumping fundamentalists and therefore the
Constitution and Bill of Rights were based solely on the Bible. I don't.
My sister believes that
anyone that disagrees with right-wingers' set of beliefs is bound for hell.
I don't.
My nephew (even after
attending college) believes that evolution is just dreamed up by secular
humanists in attempt to influence the world for atheism. I don't.
Nearly all my kinfolk
don't believe in global warming but believe the concept was simply made up by
environmentalist whackos for liberal agenda. I do believe in global
warming, and so did our grandfather, Amos Adams, who watched the climate change
during his 101 years; died in 1994. He said so in his memoirs I transcribed
from his recordings long before the words "global warming" came
along. But my kin won't listen; they're from the "redneck" neck of
the woods; what can I say? Even Granddad Amos would be ashamed.
My religious relatives
claim I'm a backslidden sinner just because I don't believe like they do.
I'm not; just believe they've dropped off the deep end by listening to
fools and drinking Kool-Aid.
They also believe any
gun-control is communist inspired. I don't.
My delusional nephew
believes the US can make it alone without help from any country in the world
because God has especially "blessed" it. I don't. He believes
in Palin’s concept of American “exceptionalism” where we are a special chosen
nation that can, therefore, do no wrong. I don’t.
My cousin believes that
all unions should be dissolved and all labor laws repealed. I don't.
My sister believes Social
Security and all federal and state social programs are government hand-outs,
entitlements, forms of communism and should be repealed. (She would never
consider giving up her own disability check every month; that's
"different.") I don't.
My brother believes Bill
and Hillary Clinton are actually communists and Barack Obama is just a
follow-up. I don't.
Problem is, most of
Red-State America agrees with my kinfolk now, it's quite clear. Support
for Healthcare Reform hinges on a few votes from my neck of the woods –
and so do the other remedies necessary to rescue this sinking country.
Oh, some of my family are
still trying to change my mind; it's the "evangelistic" spirit in
them. But it's artificial and not based on the true love and Gospel of
Christ – such is the mind-set of most RED-STATERS. Brainwashed, I
call it. How they love Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, yet hate an elected
President, a treasure with the sweetest spirit and highest intellect.
Yes, my relatives are
real persons and not just made-up for this story. And, yes, they believe just
as I described. I wish it wasn't so, but it is. The nation's gone
crazy; my kin are just a reflection.
America is in a sorry
state, and unfortunately is trending for worse; the great decline is visible.
It will soon no longer be my America, but my brother's, my nephew's, my
sister's, and my niece's.
In a RED-STATE America,
hate and vengeance dominate. In a RED-STATE America, war is the main industry –
and they incredibly label it "Christian." RED-STATE America killed the economy, and want to kill the
President I love. But they'll never see it that way. RED-STATE America
puts education at low priority, actually unnecessary. In RED-STATE America,
slavery is reintroduced. In RED-STATE America, a Sarah Palin or new
George Bush leads us back to the Dark Ages.
The CULT is taking over
America and is forcing her into Dominionist Theocracy.
This is my relatives' America, not mine. 