Saturday, September 13, 2008

The Reds

It's 4:45 in the afternoon and ominous clouds develop over my city. A storm is on it's way. It is inevitable.

In the distance another storm is brewing. Though this one is 8 weeks away. This storm is gathering, the clouds are darkening and in it's formation, the nation it stands under, is ripping apart at the seams. Under its formidable coagulation the citizens have been told to pick a side. Either Red or Blue.

I find myself a Blue and a true Blue at that. For the last 8 years the Reds have been in control with the power of two towers falling and the threat that others will fall, the resistance of accepting a moral code, a war in some far-off land and a man on a cross, twisted to unbelievable proportions standing as a symbol to all of what is right and what is wrong.

For this Blue who believes in true equal rights, a forfeit of personal wealth to support those who are in need, for one who sees love as love and not a moral code, for one who wants to end an aimless war and one who believes health care is the right of every citizen has heard terrible and hideous things. Things the like chant of "Drill! Drill! Drill!" as if the chorus were singing "We're right! We're right! We're right!" This Blue has heard the talking down of community leadership and a woman who refuses to look at her own daughter as an example of a flawed and old way of thinking. The hypocrisy already shows itself thick. But it doesn't matter, this Blue thinks to himself, resigned and tired. They have The Cross, he whispers to himself, and that Cross makes them think, rather whole-heatedly, that the mere believing in it, or the mere saying they believe in it, or the mere attendance of an every Sunday, makes them righter. More right than this Blue can ever be.

"Who are these people?" This Blue thinks to himself at the edge of hopelessness. "These people whose jobs are at the poverty level yet whose children are kept in Iraq, who are being hit hardest by a recession, who cannot afford health care - who are these people that keep voting the same powers to office?"

"They are people who carry an absence of introspection," a wise man muttered to The Blue. "They find no fault in themselves, yet only fault in others," he continued. "And you be careful, young Blue, for when they find their leader in power and the economy the same, if not worse, they will be unable to admit their own personal mistakes and they will come looking for villains. If history is any evidence to our future they will come for the immigrants, those who do not belong here, first. Then, after ridding those who are illegally here, they'll see that their situation has not become better and they will come for those who challenge their moral code. Those who live alternative lifestyles, who don't live by the literature of the unseen higher power, those who have educated themselves opposed to having been educated, will be next. Spit and fire and finger pointing and terrible accusations will become their daily bread and water. And, after those people have been rounded up, and the situation the same, if not worse, the other religions and thought processes will follow. For there is no room in this nation for anyone to think other than what The Reds are already thinking. They will be next. You mark my word."

"Then what must happen," the Blue asks the Wise Man, "must I delete myself from this nation?"

"No," the Wise Man responds, "for that would be abandonment and those who are like you, need you."

"But," The Blue tries to interject!

"But!" The Wise Man holds out his finger, not to the Blue's face but up toward the sky, "but, if and when you see these atrocities happen, and when you see this absence of introspection, you must do what you can, to raise your voice, and fight for the nation that is rightfully yours."

11 comments:

Marc said...

Great post, E! I've been putting in 10-15 hours a week at our campaign hq here in town, and will be working as hard as i possibly can for the next 54 days to make sure abandonment isn't the only feasible option left. Fight On!

Anonymous said...

You seem to hold some bizarre stereotypes about Christians. Do you live in a bubble?

M. Knoester said...

We all do, anonymous, but considering the clarity of this post I would say Eric's bubble is much less opaque than yours.

Anonymous said...

did you have an epiphany or did you just smoke a joint? Abstract!

rptrcub said...

The Reds see only that Palin reflects their ideals of the good 'ol days and of the empty platitude of "hometown values." That she's "one of us."

They are deceived by a populism born out of fundamentalist Christianity and a desire to hearken back to an age that never truly existed. In a world that's large and confusing and scary, they run to the black and white explanations in the world.

Getting them to wake up are realize this deception is key.

This Blue with a drawl is outnumbered in his family and cannot reason with them. Logic has been displaced in some bizarre world, and it will continue to be displaced for a long time.

Anonymous said...

subtleknife, I stated that Eric holds "bizarre stereotypes about Christians," and you went straight for the ad hominem attack (without knowing a thing about me, of course). Do you agree that Eric's post stereotypes Christians or not?

M. Knoester said...

I think he stereotyped republicans.

Unless Reds and Blues stand for Manchester United and Manchester City...

Also, I don't see anything wrong with that per se*, and please let's remember that this is an opinion piece on a blog. To leave out the unsaid "of course not all republicans are exactly like this" is hardly a hanging matter.

* A stereotype is a simplified version of reality, much like, for instance an economic model. You just have to remember that you're using a model when you draw your conclusions...
"a simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group."

M. Knoester said...

PS Does "do you live in a bubble?" not constitute an ad hominem attack too?

Anonymous said...

The welding of the Christian Right to the GOP is responsible for the increasing divide between cultures, the culture of education, hope and equality v. the culture of ignorance, myth and prejudice, so it's entirely appropriate to point fingers.

I have serious concerns for the sanity of anyone who struggles to belong to an organization which states, explicitly in its charter (i.e. the bible), that they're unwanted. Also? Anonymous trolls add nothing to the discussion of anything.

RG said...

Excellent post my furry handsome friend. Just excellent.

Tinsel Shrimpfax said...

Fabulous post. Plus, I agree 100% with what bstewart23 added. Bust a move.