First day of class, and a Monday, so I am in a mood. Added to that, and Streak is not feeling well this morning. That makes me unhappy. I know this is par for the course, but it still sucks. He has shown some appetite, so we are hopeful that this will pass.
On that note, btw, thanks to everyone who has commented or emailed me about Streak. The community of friends helps lighten the load, and I can't tell you how much we have appreciated the nice words.
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But to the central point eating at me this morning. I read this story on NPR about Anti-Islamic Rhetoric On The Rise and felt a little sick. I think we all expected a rise of anti-Islamic sentiment after 9-11, but it didn't happen as bad as we feared because, I now see, for one key figure. George Bush didn't allow the Republican party to openly embrace racism. I still think he was a terrible President, but he may be the best the party can provide right now.
Look at how the rest of the GOP is using this "mosque" story to gin up bigotry and racism. There is really no other way to look at it, it seems to me. This is a major party stepping out and openly embracing racism and bigotry. Not fighting it, not trying to negotiate with the racists in its midsts, but openly flogging it. That is beyond reprehensible and beyond irresponsible. I think it might, in fact, be an act of evil. Note, I am not calling these individual Republicans evil people. But when Sarah Palin constantly pushes the falsehood that this is either a mosque or at "ground zero" she does so to encourage anti-muslim sentiment--and that is an evil act.
I used to think that the Republican party was filled with a bunch of mostly reasonable people with a few outliers. I am starting to doubt that as I see them turn right and practically don the white hoods in celebration. And when they give me their "Christian" message, I throw up a little in my mouth.
We are way past the time for the grownups to step up.
1 comment:
I'm amazed sometimes that in an age where anything said or written is easily accessed later people are still willing to play to the worst in us to try and get their seat in congress even though they MUST know how rediculus it will look later. Have they not seen the film of the McCarthy hearings, the Golwater speeches, the dogs and firehouses? These tapes are bad enough at the time but now they are iconic examples of the worst we have been. Someday kids will shake their heads in disbelief as these examples of intolerance, bigotry and hate are recounted. The assholes are identifying themselves clearly already.
BB
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