I was inspired by a post over at FireDogLake by
Christy Hardin Smith with regard to a post at Digby. It has bothered me in that I have witnessed the GOP cater to the baser side of our humanity for so long. They have brought out the ugliness of Americans. Christy's post got me to thinking about this issue and I love what she says here:
Honestly, let's think about it for a minute -- can you count the number of truly principled stands that you can recall the Democratic party taking in the last five years on more than one hand? Me neither. I'm not saying that the Republican party is any better, but now that the veneer of competence and honesty has slipped off their stinking mockery of a rose, wouldn't it be awfully nice for Democrats to capitalize on the opportunity by standing up FOR the American people -- ALL of the American people? Including the ones that have been taken for granted and all but ignored the last few years?
The South is made up of a big mix of economic strata -- but the unifying theme from the very wealthy down to the poorest of the poor is this: what they'd like is some respect and to be treated like they are just as important and intelligent as the rest of the country. Not like some poor hayseed cousin that you are too embarrassed to take to the country club for fear he'll belch the national anthem before the sorbet course.
And don't give me that crap that we can just forget about the South and still take all the "battleground" states and win on the electoral map. There are blue collar people in every freaking state -- or people who come from blue collar stock, and even though they've worked their way up to the suburbs and a two-car garage, they still see themselves as one step removed from the trailer park. (I still do, and I'm two steps removed...)
The Democratic party used to stand for the little guy. The Common Man. The underdog that could make good if he were only given a chance. The widow who got squeezed out of her husband's pension. You know the list.
We are hearing the rumblings of the issues the GOP will play to the public to try and motivate voters. The problem with the GOP is that they play to the baser side of humanity. They play to scapegoat one part of the population to try and unify the others. They play on the unlovely aspects of humanity such as greed, prejudice, fear, and religious pride/bigotry. They are now building on fanning the flames of fear and predjucice of Hispanics. In the last elections and they will probably try to fan these flames again, they perpetuated the fear of homosexuality. Karl Rove and his ilk are masters of the dirty tricks to illict the shadowy disowned sides of humanity. The White House Iraq Group purposely played on the American peoples' fear of "mushroom clouds" to gain support for their war. They have been quite successful in building a negative response to the word "Liberal". They have played on the blindness and naivete of the people of the religious right. Remember what Scanlon said,
"The wackos get their information through the Christian right, Christian radio, mail, the internet and telephone trees ... Simply put, we want to bring out the wackos to vote against something and make sure the rest of the public lets the whole thing slip past them."
These tactics fit the definition of the word
Evil (definition: n.1.something morally bad: wickedness. 2. a cause of suffering or injury - social evils.) I will take this further and say that there is a big problem when a certain political party caters to and tries to expand what are the baser sides of America. We need leaders who can elevate us to our higher values, beliefs, and ideals.
During WWII, my father grew up in a small agricultural town. Many of his friends were fellow farmers who were Japanese. He served in the Navy and while he was away, his friends were rounded up and sent to internment camps. He said that this was something he felt horrified by and ashamed of his government. During that time some people took advantage of Japanese families and bought their land dirt cheap, but there was another side to this story that showed a better side of humanity. There were fellow farmers who held the land for their friends until the war was over. I see this as what is good in humanity and Americans; it is a light in us that is the opposite of the darkness the GOP is capitalizing on. I saw America's humanity light up during Katrina and the tsunami disasters. It was at this point when Bush ignored the plight of Katrina's victims, that the citizens got a look at the man behind the curtain. Americans donated and volunteered to help their fellow citizens. MSM correspondents broke with protocol and gave impassioned reports concerning the plight of the adults, children, and animals. Those who appeared to be loyal mouthpieces for the GOP became their biggest critics. What I am saying is that the American population is one that can be roused to care for one another. So far it has been disasters that have triggered the response. We have had leaders in the past who have been able to touch this Light and nurture it in the American heart. John F. Kennedy was one of them. "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." still echoes and has become a fixture in the American culture.
There is a call for the Democrats to step up and stand for something. I am saying that the Democrats must stand and cater to what is good about America. Cater to the Light that is within us all. Do not stoop to the baser elements that the GOP does. Talk to the American people and help them to remember how they care for fellow citizens. Tell them that we can care for each other and that we all have a right to Health Care, to not have to be afraid that their insurance will be cancelled or beyond their means to pay for. Let citizens know that they are valued, that they are encouraged to get an education, a job, to feel safe, and to care for one another. Tell Americans how they have shown their love and compassion for other countries and that we can do this when without a disaster triggering event. We can have a strong defense, but we are not so greedy and aggressive that we put our children in danger. Tell the people that we will not put our future and children in debt. Educate the people about Global Warming and tell them how you and they can work together to stop it. Tell the people that you will enforce research into alternate energy sources that are safe and affordable. Encourage communities to come together rather than emphasize differences. You can unite Christian groups with others in fighting the sex slave trafficking of women and children. The Democrats need to encourage a community service component in high schools.
Do not let the GOP call you "elite", you can not let it go by ignoring it. They are planting negative image making seeds in the psyche of the American people. The Democrats have to create an image in the psyche of the American people that helps to ignite the light of our humanity. The Democrats need to nurture this image, repeat it, repeat it, and repeat it, until it becomes alive in the everyday expressions of Americans.
As Hardin Smith said:
But to do that, we need some fresh ideas -- and we need politicians will to step up and honestly run with them. From the gut, from the heart -- all the way, not just half-assed, but all the way to the finish line. And we need to provide hope for everyone, not just the golden parachute crowd -- everyone in this country needs to feel like they have a stake. Because they DO have one. And that their actions can make a difference -- make a change -- and bring something better for themselves and their children.
The Democratic politicos need to get out their EGOS and do the opposite of the baser GOP methods. They need to think about the good in most Americans and fan that flame.
Bring me a Higher Love (Steve Winwood)
I will wait for it
Im not too late for it
Until then, Ill sing my song
To cheer the night along
Bring it...oh bring it...
I could light the night up with my soul on fire
I could make the sun shine from pure desire
Let me feel that love come over me
Let me feel how strong it could be
Bring me a higher love
Bring me a higher love
Bring me a higher love
Wheres that higher love I keep thinking of?