Friday, August 13, 2004

Why do conservatives hate America?

(I originally wrote "reactionaries" instead of conservatives. But who can tell the difference these days?)

We all know (because Bill "Shut up! Shut up!" O'Reilly tells us so) that "Liberals hate America!" But if that's the case, we learned it from the masters of America-hating, the conservatives/neocons/reactionaries that dominate the American political landscape today. They can't decide if they want it to be 1950 or 1850, but either would be preferable to the ugly truth of America as it is.

They hate an America where gay people's relationships could be considered equal to theirs.

They hate an America where a family could consist of something other than June Cleaver, vacuuming in heels and pearls; Ward Cleaver, standoffish career man; and several well-behaved moppets.

They hate an America where guns make people less safe, not more.

They hate an America where the public schools might possibly mention the messy world that exists outside the schoolhouse doors.

They hate a world where America is not the strongest bully on the playground, but rather an exceptional student who needs to "play well with others" to get along.

They hate an America where people might be more offended by violence than by sex.

They hate an America where people they disagree with still have freedom of speech and press.

Liberals love America for its possibilities and its future. Conservatives fear and hate America for those same traits, and long to return to an America that never was.

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