[Vision2020] An open letter to John McCain

[Dave]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-schaeffer/an-open-letter-to-john-mc_b_133489.html


Senator John McCain: If your campaign does not stop equating Sen. Barack 
Obama with terrorism, questioning his patriotism and portraying Mr. 
Obama as "not one of us," I accuse you of deliberately feeding the most 
unhinged elements of our society the red meat of hate, and therefore of 
potentially instigating violence.

At a Sarah Palin rally, someone called out, "Kill him!" At one of your 
rallies, someone called out, "Terrorist!" Neither was answered or 
denounced by you or your running mate, as the crowd laughed and cheered. 
At your campaign event Wednesday in Bethlehem, Pa., the crowd was 
seething with hatred for the Democratic nominee - an attitude encouraged 
in speeches there by you, your running mate, your wife and the local 
Republican chairman.

Shame!

John McCain: In 2000, as a lifelong Republican, I worked to get you 
elected instead of George W. Bush. In return, you wrote an endorsement 
of one of my books about military service. You seemed to be a man who 
put principle ahead of mere political gain.

You have changed. You have a choice: Go down in history as a decent 
senator and an honorable military man with many successes, or go down in 
history as the latest abettor of right-wing extremist hate.

John McCain, you are no fool, and you understand the depths of hatred 
that surround the issue of race in this country. You also know that, 
post-9/11, to call someone a friend of a terrorist is a very serious 
matter. You also know we are a bitterly divided country on many other 
issues. You know that, sadly, in America, violence is always just a 
moment away. You know that there are plenty of crazy people out there.

John McCain, you're walking a perilous line. If you do not stand up for 
all that is good in America and declare that Senator Obama is a patriot, 
fit for office, and denounce your hate-filled supporters when they 
scream out "Terrorist" or "Kill him," history will hold you responsible 
for all that follows.

John McCain and Sarah Palin, you are playing with fire, and you know it. 
You are unleashing the monster of American hatred and prejudice, to the 
peril of all of us. You are doing this in wartime. You are doing this as 
our economy collapses. You are doing this in a country with a history of 
assassinations.

Change the atmosphere of your campaign. Talk about the issues at hand. 
Make your case. But stop stirring up the lunatic fringe of haters, or 
risk suffering the judgment of history and the loathing of the American 
people - forever.

We will hold you responsible.

This post first ran in the Baltimore Sun as an op-ed on Oct 10, 2008. 
Frank Schaeffer is the author of Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of 
the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or 
Almost All) of It Back. Now in paperback

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