[Vision2020] GOP Declares a Monopoly on American Values

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (July 1, 2006) Lewiston Tribune with a special thanks to Tom
Henderson -

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GOP declares a monopoly on American values
Tom Henderson

OK, so the amendment to ban flag burning failed. 

The three -- count 'em, three -- people who desecrated Old Glory last year
can continue lighting up flags like marijuana joints at a Grateful Dead
concert. 

And they can continue to hide behind the First Amendment. 

Yet chin up, true believers. Congressional Republicans will get that First
Amendment if it's the last thing they do. Trying to get a constitutional ban
on flag burning was just Round 1. 

Republicans have plenty of other fights planned under their American Values
Agenda. The agenda starts with taking over the words "American" and
"values." 

These words are now owned exclusively by the Republican party. You may have
thought the idea of live and let live -- or at least minding your own
business -- was an American value. 

Since being renovated by the Republicans, that particular value has been
replaced by a ban on same-sex marriage. Similarly, religious tolerance --
once considered a core American value -- has been replaced by hostility
toward the judiciary. 

Nowadays, all good Americans value barring judges from making any rulings on
the Pledge of Allegiance -- especially the "under God" part. 

Republicans couldn't pass that item on their agenda either. But there's
still tax cuts. It's an American value to support permanent tax cuts for the
rich -- even in the face of skyrocketing federal spending. 

A ban on human cloning also found its way onto the agenda. 

None of these things have much to do with running the country. But they play
to people's emotions. And there's an election coming up. With the way
Republicans have been running things, they need to aim for the gut. 

If people's brains are allowed to kick in, Republicans are in trouble. 

So they cling to the safe stuff. Homosexuals are bad. Patriotism is good.
God is even better. Never mind the war. Pay no attention to the deficit.
Civil liberties? What civil liberties? 

Stick with symbolism. Forget the things like liberty and justice that
symbols represent. Stick with empty symbolism. Monopolize words such as
"decency," "morality," "character," "faith" and "values" -- as if no one who
disagrees with you possesses those qualities. 

That's the way to win votes. Unfortunately, it's not the way to govern a
nation.

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Seeya rouind town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Uh, how about a 1-strike law. Death doesn't seem too extreme for a Level-3
sex offender."

- Dale "Comb-Over" Courtney (August 3, 2005)