Friday, August 14, 2009

I want my country back ... or do I?

(God bless America. Please. Even though we probably don't deserve it.)


Arlen Specter held a town hall meeting on Tuesday, where he met a young woman named Katy Abram. Like many in the crowd, Katy is opposed to health care reform.

“This is about the systematic dismantling of this country,” said Katy with great passion. “I'm only 35 years old, I've never been interested in politics ... We don’t want this country to turn into Russia. My question for you is, 'What are you going to do to restore this country back to what our founders created, according to the constitution?'”

The next day, Katy appeared on Hardball. Here is a link to the video clip.

Lawrence O'Donnell attempted to skewer her, asking hardball questions like "Since you are opposed to socialized medicine, have you encouraged your parents to refuse their Medicare coverage?"

Katy was wide-eyed and giggly, which at least is better than red-faced and apoplectic. She didn't seem to feel obligated to defend her position, but she did a good job of stating that position over and over. Again, she insisted that she had never really paid attention to politics before.

When asked why she felt no outrage until now - why the Bush years, 9/11 and the Iraq war failed to rouse any particular interest, - she said, "I trusted the government. I didn't really care."

But.

According to a posting on Daily Kos (link here), Ms. Abram is more politically involved than she let on. She is apparently involved in Glenn Beck's 9-12 Project.

What is the 9-12 Project? I'm glad you asked.

Here is the 9-12 Mission Statement:
"The 9-12 Project is designed to bring us all back to the place we were on September 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States, or political parties. We were united as Americans, standing together to protect the values and principles of the greatest nation ever created."

Wow. Who wouldn't want to go back to that proud, patriotic day?

You know -
~ The day when we were scared to death, wondering when the shadowy terrorists might strike again.
~ The day when we woke up to a new, dangerous world and realized just how strongly people hate us, and how destructive hate can be.
~ The day that started our long, painful slide into misguided wars, secret domestic spying programs, waterboarding, soaring federal deficits, and the politics of fear that kept W in the white house for 8 long years.

There was a certain amount of innocence, even on 9-12. Things went downhill from there.

In Glenn Beck's own words (September 9, 2005):

"You know it took me about a year to start hating the 9-11 victims' families? Took me about a year. And I had such compassion for them, and I really wanted to help them, and I was behind, you know, "Let's give them money, let's get this started." All of this stuff. And I really didn't -- of the 3,000 victims' families, I don't hate all of them. Probably about 10 of them. And when I see a 9-11 victim family on television, or whatever, I'm just like, "Oh shut up!" I'm so sick of them because they're always complaining."

Beck went on to rail about the survivors of Hurricane Katrina, calling them "scumbags" and exclaiming, "when I saw these people and they had to shut down the Astrodome and lock it down, I thought: I didn't think I could hate victims faster than the 9-11 victims."

So. Is this the country that you want back, Mr. Beck and Ms. Abram?

A country where we are all banded together against the rest of the world?

A country where victims of terror are hated and hurricane survivors are called scumbags?

A country where it's acceptable to lie and scream and throw out terms like "Nazi" or "Socialist" to prevent your fellow citizens from obtaining health care?

Instead of looking back to 9-12, let's close our eyes and imagine a country where we can band together with the rest of the world. Where we can talk to each other without having to lie or scream. Where we care about our neighbor's well being, and we do what it takes to make sure no one has to suffer because an insurance company has decided they are not worthy of treatment.

I think that's closer to what our Founding Fathers had in mind. Don't you?

~~~


2 comments:

  1. I watched that interview on hardball. Lawrence O'Donnell was fairly reserved with her. She rambled and made me feel sorry for her. She kept repeating everything she had obviously heard on FOX. I realize she was uncomfortable with the spotlight, but she sounded stupid. These right wingers can't even defend their position in their own words. They follow talking points.

    And Glen Beck needs to be farmed out somewhere far far away. He is so out of touch it is unreal. I can not believe that I watched him at one time on CNN. He was a little stupid on that channel but once he got to FOX he became completely insane.

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  2. Dear Ms Abram,
    Being the nice conservative Christian values you have as a housewife I am sure you are familiar with the New Testament verse:

    Matthew 25: 31-46

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