The Crushed Optimism of a Young Republican

I did a diary about this Republican Professional IT security person a while back. His name is Chuck Herrin. I went back and visited his site and found a rant echoing many here on Kos. He firmly believes the Vote was hacked and he is now totally disillusioned with his Grand Old Party.

http://www.chuckherrin.com/rants.htm

Here are some excerpts - but also check out his whole site. This is a man of spiritual integrity, if you ask me. He interprets the Bible way different than your average gay bashing freeper.

Take this last Presidential campaign - I watched while both sides went negative, but my side went EXCLUSIVELY, almost gratuitously negative.  All we did was mock and make fun of the Democrats and Kerry, which let us avoid real issues.  As a Republican, Bush's record troubles me, but this was ignored in the effort to smear Kerry, a decorated war hero, and his supporters, also a bunch of decorated war heroes, as traitors to their country.  We smeared a Vietnam Vet (Max Cleland) in a wheelchair with one arm and no legs as a traitor to his country.

Huh?  Is that the right thing to do?  Last I heard, Jesus healed the crippled (excuse me - Handicapable), he didn't slander and mock them.  What happened to us?  How did we get here?  This is the party who is supposed to be the "Moral Majority", who has gotten so entwined in religion that the two are nearly synonymous, who preach the teachings of Jesus to anyone who will listen, and many who won't.  But we're not living it.  Would Jesus make fun of Veterans disabled in a war He  had skirted his duty to fight (He also had strong paternal connections, by the way), but which He supported?  That doesn't sound like the Jesus I know.

No, Really, What Would Jesus Do?

•  I agree!

  I hit a "christian" friend of mine over the head with similar sentiments. The behavior and attitudes of the GOP and the Evangelicals are so far from Christianity that it's laughable.

  by ccr4nine on Sun Nov 21, 2004 at 10:59:28 AM PDT

•  I'm emailing Chuck's link

  to every Republican I know.....

  by nowness on Sun Nov 21, 2004 at 11:06:46 AM PDT

•  We Need Chuck Herrin

  to help us crack voter fraud wide open. If he can help us prove the 2004 election WAS indeed hacked (and not just that it could have been), then we will destroy the Bush presidency yet.

  by Yosef 52 on Sun Nov 21, 2004 at 11:09:06 AM PDT

  •  We meaning the whole country ....

    send him an email...........

    by nowness on Sun Nov 21, 2004 at 11:14:00 AM PDT

•  Beautiful rant

  I've been wondering if anyone in the republican party feels this way - it's good to know at one does.  

  by k2winters on Sun Nov 21, 2004 at 11:09:20 AM PDT

•  WOW!

  This guy is terrific!  There IS some integrity left in the world!

  by beemerr90s on Sun Nov 21, 2004 at 11:09:43 AM PDT

•  Have To Bookmark His Site

  Was checking it out through your previous diary. The goal should be to get elements of the religous right to come to the realizations he has come to. I'm hoping we will see more voters like him over the next few years. If they make up 3% of the population it would be perfect. Think you have found my favorite republican blogger.
  

  by HL Mungo on Sun Nov 21, 2004 at 11:42:52 AM PDT

•  oddly enough

  there are a few ppl in the repig party with integrity. once upon a time, back in 1981, I was one of them. I lost my republicanism; I hope I haven't lost my integrity.

  anyway, here's what I wrote to mr. herrin:

  Dear Mr. Herrin: My attention was drawn to your site through a note on Daily Kos (I'm sure you've already heard from quite a few people over there). As a "hard left" liberal who, years and years ago, was a young Reagan republican (I went to his inaugural, as well as to the senate confirmation hearings for - argh - James Watt), I appreciate your openness and honesty. It sounds like your feelings are quite similar to the way mine were, as I moved out of Republicanism and towards whatever I am now. For me, the trigger was the US's secret wars in central America - El Salvador and Nicaragua particularly. I couldn't understand why my government, which said so many glorious things about peace and freedom, was using my money to kill peasants who simply wanted a decent living and human rights. In fact, a "Contra" terrorist attempted to kill a good friend of mine in Nicaragua; she was visiting as part of a Peace Mission, & staying with Sandinistas. This guy snuck in during the night to try to kill some of the Americans & make it look like the Sandinistas did it; he was caught, interrogated, and shot the same evening, but not before he revealed who he was and what he was working for. It never left my mind that a very good friend of mine could have been killed just so people in the Reagan administration - who I had helped to put in office - could win a propaganda victory at home.

  I don't know if you intend to stay with republicans and attempt reform from within, or whether you're looking to other alternatives. I wouldn't attempt to influence you. I just want to say that regardless of what you do, thank you for your honesty and integrity, as well as for your best attempts at helping to create an ethical government and society; the world needs more people like you.

  all the best,
  David Livingstone/RabidNation.com

  by RabidNation on Sun Nov 21, 2004 at 02:55:32 PM PDT