Embracing America

I just received an email forward, and it reminded me why I called this blog Embracing America. The email was about a principal at the Roane County High School in Kingston, Tennessee. In September, 2000, he opened a football game by saying that normally there would have been a prayer, but a Supreme Court decision had ended that, so he read a statement commenting on that and inviting people to pray anyway.

I understand how this principal feels, and I understand how the people who forward these emails feel, but I don't think that they understand how I feel. What is worse is that they don't care how I or anyone else feels. If you disagree with them, then they have no use for you. They don't want to listen or compromise and reach a middle ground. They want their version of America to win, and if they can't have that, then they have no use for this country.

The people sending these emails are embracing their side, their team, and their beliefs, but they forget that we are all part of the larger game of making this country a lasting empire that promotes democracy, freedom, and justice. By continuing to fight for their beliefs to the exclusion of all others, they are simply promoting anger, divisions, and hate.

Yes, most of this country calls themselves Christian or Catholic, but there are many people in this country that are atheist, agnostic, or whatever. The free exercise clause of the Constitution has been interpreted to mean that we must protect the rights of the minority even if it offends the majority. Embracing America means embracing those who think differently and behave differently. Alienating anyone who does not share your beliefs is not the American way.

I believe that we need to embrace every American. Democrats and Republicans cannot continue to embrace only those who share their beliefs. My frustration right now is more with the Republican party, because I think the Right is beginning to narrow the qualifications for membership in their party. I think the party is either going to split or drive itself into obscurity. I don't think they want intelligent, moderate, and open-minded people like myself. I feel like the Republican party is essentially saying to me "you don't meet our qualifications. You don't blindly believe that the Left is wrong. You accept gays and atheists. You don't hate Obama. Get out of our party." Well, maybe that's what I need to do.

I'm not sure the Left represents me either, but the Right certainly is no longer representative of my beliefs. Every time I get another email forward, I am reminded of the tunnel vision that is becoming too characteristic of the Right in this country. Is the left less ignorant? Or less divisive? I don't know.

I do know that the Right seems to be embracing a smaller and smaller segment of this country, and they seem to be blaming the media for everything. The Right seems to forget their mistakes, like their nomination of Palin and their refusal to truly get behind John McCain. They seem to forget that they had no real substance in the campaign. They spent more time talking about Obama than about their plans and their ideas.

The party has to take a hard look at itself, and they have to acknowledge that every problem in this country was not invented by the media. We have real economic problems in this country, and people are struggling. The media has not invented the economic downturn. The Right has to reach out to people and put forth a plan to rebuild this country. Instead, they are alienating people, calling Americans lazy, and blaming the Left, which is ludicrous when we have had 8 years of Republican leadership.

Yes, the Tennessee principal has a right to his frustration, but this country was founded on the freedom of religion and our right to believe or not believe. Why must we bring prayer into public places? Why is that necessary? There are churches, Bible groups, and religious organizations all over this country. Why isn't that enough? Why is it necessary to be so angry that we cannot have organized prayer in school?

I don't know the answers to these questions, but I do know that right now, the Left seems to be embracing low income workers, homosexuals, single mothers, minorities, and so many other groups. Who is the Right embracing? Certainly not people like me who think for themselves. The Right is so convinced of their strategy in this game of political control that they would rather lose the game than save what was once and can again be a truly great country.

Thinking for Myself

I voted for McCain in 2008, but I don't hate Obama. Nor do I want him to fail. I think he has made some good decisions and some bad ones. Bush's ban on stem cell research came from a religious place, and I think it's a good thing that Obama has overturned that ban. From a purely scientific perspective, there is no reason for a ban on stem cell research. Too many Republicans though believe that removing that ban was a mistake. These people can't tell you why they think it was a mistake, but they know it is because the Republican party and Foxnews tell them it's a mistake. I have close family members who are intelligent Republicans but they walk around parroting Foxnews and other conservative pundits without understanding why they are saying what they are saying.

One recent example is the way Rush Limbaugh has become the new face of the Republican party. Many Republicans argue this is because of the Democrats and the liberal run media. Ask a Republican why Rush is the new face of the party. They all say that they believe that the media and the Democrats have created this belief. While the Democrats are certainly happy that Limbaugh is the new face of the party, it's clear that they didn't create this situation alone. The Republicans are playing right into it by having the RNC Chairman Steele apologize to Limbaugh. Steele actually said “My intent was not to go after Rush – I have enormous respect for Rush Limbaugh,” Steele said in a telephone interview. “I was maybe a little bit inarticulate. … There was no attempt on my part to diminish his voice or his leadership.” Republicans have to realize that they cannot blame the Democrats or the liberal media for their own mistakes, not when they are calling Rush a leader.

I hope the Republican party comes together and finds itself again. When I was 15 years old, I campaigned for Bush and Quayle, because I saw a party of honor that I could respect. I don't know where this party has gone. Now the only thing the Republican party seems to stand for is their hatred of Obama and the Left.