I'm motivated by this article from the Washington Post to address an obvious dilemma, one that the Republican party is so stupidly ignoring: your stance as the "high-moral ground" party, defending Christian beliefs and rights in the name of the Constitution, falls flat when you do not emulate those principles.
I've had so many debates with my lovely and smart boyfriend, Jon, about all of my grievances with this collection of snake-oil salesmen that call themselves the GOP these days, but Jon had the best point that ends my argument flat: the historical legacy of conservatism in America has nothing to do with what we call the Religious Right today. Think about it, conservative Republican once meant someone who believed in small government (not just fiscally, but socially) and was not dictated by a Christian agenda that (surprise!) demands big government when it comes to meddling in people's personal social rights. At some point in the past century, the Christian Right hijacked this political party as its own. Or, perhaps more truthfully, some power-hungry Republicans realized that capturing the hearts and minds of middle America was as easy as bringing together church and state. And abracadabra, you have a powerful, core constituency that will always vote your way because you ordain it so in the name of God.
Sound familiar?
Yeah, the Vatican has been using this trick since the Dark Ages. Hell, this is why religion was formed in the first place - to fulfill the superstitious tendencies of unenlightened subjects and wield them tame to lords. What better security policy is there than an imaginary man that can smite you from the Heavens, but He can never be seen until you're dead? But I digress.
Back to the GOP. So good for you, you figured out how to manipulate the gullible masses. Now all you have to do is to live up to those principles you spit from your lofty pulpit. Maybe you're not the best Christian yourself, but at least don't be cavalier about it. Try to keep the man behind the curtain under wraps! And yet, there is the constant stream of conservative Republican politicians that are forced to "come clean" (only after they're caught) about extramarital affairs (not always hetero). "Let he cast the first stone"... eh boys?
Here is S.C. Govenor Sanford giving an interview about gay marriage. Keep in mind this was 5 months into his affair. My opinion is, if you are sullying the sanctity of this most divine institution, you should not be allowed to determine who can enter into matrimony!
And then there is Nevada Senator Ensign who so viciously denounced Democrats caught in sexual scandals, calling on them to resign! But is he going to resign? Nope.
Don't get me started on Sarah Palin endorsing Bristol Palin being the new spokes-bitch for abstinence-only education...
So you see, when the conservative constituents have these as their leaders, and Rush Limbaugh as their mouthpiece, no wonder they're going off and murdering abortion doctors. Because with this logic, murder is the best way to send a message that murdering is wrong. Murder and a dearth of logic in the name of religious activism, I mean, c'mon, we may as well be in the Inquisitions. It's sad that in 2009, we still face this ignorance.
My closing message: If you want to save your party, GOP, ditch the Christian agenda and return to your true conservative roots. Take a page from the Log Cabin Republicans playbook and get in touch with the reality of our country today (or maybe just the coastal states). And maybe then the whiny, liberal elite media might take you seriously and give you favorable airtime. Maybe.
No comments:
Post a Comment