Anyone remember
"Where the Buffalo Roam"? Not a great movie: Hunter Thompson is reputed to have hated it. It did have moments of genius, though, and I'll discuss one on the flip.
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson: Hi sir, it's Harris from the Post. Can I get you anything sir?
Candidate: How's the family, Harris?
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson: Oh the family, well that's bad news. The screwheads finally came and took my daughter away. Let me ask you a question sir, what is this country doing for the doomed? There are two kinds of people in this country, the doomed and the screwheads. Savage tribal thugs who live off illegal incomes, buried deep out there; no respect for human dignity. They don't know what you and I understand, you know what I mean.
Candidate: You ever play football, Harris?
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson: Yes sir, thank you sir. I played in college, and they're gonna get your daughter too sir. I've heard their rallies, they like Julie but Tricia... and they really hate you sir. You know that one half of the State Senate of Utah are screwheads. You know I was never really frightened by the bopheads, and the potheads with their silliness never really frightened me either, but these goddam screwheads, they terrify me. And the poor doomed, the young, and the silly, the honest, the weak, the Italians... they're doomed, they're lost, they're helpless, they're somebody else's meal, they're like pigs in the wilderness.
Candidate: Come here Harris, come here. Fuck the doomed!
It's just an obscure movie quote, but it needs to be a liberal rallying cry.
I was struck by that scene when I first saw it over twenty years ago. The epithet "screwheads" really rang true to me as a description of who the enemy really is.
Screwheads are those that want to screw us, or screw with us, or generally screw up, over or around with anyone or anything that we hold precious.
Want to screw me by allowing industry to poison my food, air or water? Screwhead!
Want to screw with me by listening to my phone calls and reading my emails? Screwhead!
Want to screw with counting my vote?
Want to screw around with the justice system, establishing a parallel legal universe where I have no rights?
Want to screw up the economy, play reverse-Robin-Hood?
Want to screw this country's military, by sending them to die for lies, screw with the care system for those that return broken from battle, and even screw over the families left behind?
You know what you are.
And we know who they are!
Scream it from the rooftops.
Get everyone to start using the term. Your boss, your clergyperson, the guy behind the counter at the deli. Get Fox News to deplore the use of that grand, vulgar epithet "screwhead".