Choosing Hope and Understanding Over Fear and Distrust! Healing America's Divisions!

It is important for our nation to reject the distortion of America that has been thrust upon us by demagogues intent on securing power and wealth at the expense of every American.

Brilliant political tactitians in the mold of Karl Rove have divided this nation sticking wedges between us, wedges encouraging our deeper feelings of insecurity, hate, and distrust.  It is time to end this era of base motives and raise our goals and aspirations to solving problems and assuming responsibility instead of shifting responsibility to our descendants and others on this planet.

We have been told lies to frighten us into action.  We have been deceived by those who we have elected to protect us as they leveraged our fear into actions that have undermined our nation's security, our finances, and our standing in the world community.

Let me touch on some of the subjects that deserve our consideration and open this up to all of your comments.

Abortion.

We are told that Democrats are in favor of abortion and the Republicans like John McCain are opposed to abortion.

Reality informs us that very few people ever are in favor of abortion.  That when abortion is made illegal, it doesn't go away.  Instead it goes into the back alley where the poor and disadvantaged women are made to suffer while wealthy women still maintain the right of obtaining the abortion in a safe fashion.

Realists understand that we cannot make abortion go away.  We can instead educate our youth in sex education and provide them with the means to prevent undesired preganancy.

Wedgies prefer to think that the best sex education is abstinence education.  Realists are aware that abstinence education doesn't work.  That those that practice "abstinence" are more likely to expose themselves to the risks of unprotected sex than children educated with knowledge rather than dogma.

Realists know that government is often best when it invades our personal privacy the least.  That what goes on between a woman and her doctor is not the province of the Federal or State Governments.  Wedgies claim to wish to have a smaller government but prefer a government that will regulation the most intimate of matters between a man and a woman and her physician.

Guns

Wedgies will let gun owners "know" that Democrats plan to "take away their guns".  Realists believe that there is in fact an epidemic of gun crime in America.  That the greatest risk to having a gun in one's own home is the risk of suicide. 

Realists know that nobody is planning on taking anyone's guns away.

Just like automobiles that are registered and drivers licensed, these actions are not intended to take everyone's cars away!  Rather, for a civilized society to allow the unfettered proliferation of handguns, we all face a risk of more not less violence in our society.

Gays

Wedgies will make issues where none exist.  They scare Americans suggesting that by legalizing the marriage between two same-sex individuals, that somehow the "institution" of marriage is under attack.  It is a call to 'marital arms' to protect marriage, a holy institution between one man and one woman.

Realists understand that the role of marriage is to protect children as much as to provide a special relationship between two individuals.  Realists are aware that there are many children in same-sex families today.  That legislation to deny their parents the right to marriage will destabilize these children's lives, denying them possible court protection in terms of custody, support, and inheritance.

Wedgies claim to be full of 'family values' but are ready to hurt children without realizing it over their own fear of being 'under attack' by one group or another.

Realists understand that marriages are under attack more by those who make a mockery of marriage, who are guilty of Adultery (can you name a famous Presidential Candidate who has engaged in such behavior in the past?), and by economic pressures that drive families apart.

God

Wedgies are set to exploit fears that "Christmas is under attack".  They dismiss separation of church and state and seek to blur the edges between religion and government.  They let the majority know that their religion is being assaulted, and then go ahead and trample all over the minority because it suits them politically.

Realists understand that the best Democracy is one that separates religion from government.  That abuse of religious freedom has always been due to majority religions imposing and persecuting the majority.  That our founding fathers understood this and thus wrote into the 1st Amendment the Separation Clause.

Realists know that other culture have other religious beliefs.  That this nation must lead by respecting that diversity of our own people.

English

One of the newest wedges to be driven into the American populace is the fear of losing English, the language of the British, our former colonialists.  Wedgies instill fear and insecurity into the populace by frightening them of the spector of invading hordes from Mexico threatening our ethnic purity by speaking Spanish and working.

Realists understand that our nation is a conglomeration of many cultures and languages.  That our diversity is our strength not our weakness.  That while it may be wise to teach every child how to speak English, there is nothing shameful as Lou Dobbs would suggest to teach as many of our children Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Russian,  Arabic, Hebrew, or a host of other languages.

Our ability to learn the cultures of the nations of the Western Hemisphere in which we live, is helpful not harmful to our economy and the peaceful relationships with our fellow nations.

Immigrants

There are twelve million undocumented aliens, or "illegals" in this nation who came here seeking work and to improve their lives.

Wedgies will tell you to be frightened.  Be afraid.  And go after these dangerous people.

Realists will tell you that there are no ways to move 12 million people from the United States without destroying our own economy, without ruining our businesses, and undermining the peaceful relationship we have with Mexico and other neighbors in this Hemisphere.

That people "working" at a meat processor plant are far less dangerous than criminals and gang members who distribute drugs and engage in other illicit activity.

That if we deny these people jobs, they will be jobless and become burdens on the state in poverty.

If we deny them education, they will become ignorant and difficult to assimilate into our culture.

If we deny them healthcare, they will become ill and diseases will fester among them and threaten our own populace.

That the humane and wise thing to do is to embrace these people, identify them, offer them a path for citizenship, and help them contribute to our nation paying taxes, contributing to social security and building our nation for the 21st century.

Of course we need to enforce our border requirements.  But wedgies who pander to our fears and distrust of the unknown and different are despicable people who advance their own political careers and personal wealth on the backs of others.

I do not have the space or time nor do you likely have the desire for me to write more.

But it is clear that for this nation to move forward into the 21st century and not back to some darker time, we must be prepared to love one another, care for one another, and be responsible citizens willing to pay taxes to advance this nation, and do our part to continue to make America the greatest nation on this planet.