Much has been made about a trio of GOP spokeswomen's comments over the weekend concerning 'real' citizens. And this wasn't a rant against illegal immigration, rather a suggestion that a good number of us might be somehow anti-american, or at least fake.
Nancy Pfotenhauer spoke of the 'Real' Virginia, which could be counted on vote GOP. I find her repulsive in general, but as she tuck to mere statehood, she's the bronze medalist here.
Many will disagree with placing Michele Bachmann as second place, for her interest in having the media take over the role of the HUAC. She's an awful, awful woman. And she pretty much spews nothing but stupid. But, she will never be relavant nationally, and hopefully the good people of Minnesota will dispatch of her soon enough.
Nevertheless, i have to give the gold to Sarah Palin. She likes to visit 'pro-American' parts of the country. I assume that precludes Tennessee, Vermont and Alaska, who have fairly well publicizied seccesionist groups. You can't really be 'pro-America' and looking to leave the Union, can you?
Can you really be 'Pro-American' and fly a Confederate flag? I'm just wondering. That seems Anti-American. Go to any country music show, see how many clearly 'Anti-American' people you can find.
Is bigotry 'pro-American'? Is xenophobia our new baseball, homophobia our apple pie? I guess there is a long history there, but, would anyone be happy equating bigotry and American?
I guess I'm not sure that we all a share a common definition of what America is. Sarah Palin thinks it revolves around 'Small Town Values'. Things such as hard work, family, which if I am to understand her, are things disliked by horrible cityfolk. It also seems to include narrow-mindedness, the ethics of Machiavelli and bumper-sticker depth logic. Oh, and a painful misunderstanding of what the Vice-President does.
For my part, I wouldn't think that's what most Americans want. I think they would choose to want a free society, as a broad term. I think Americans like to have choices, and about things other than taxes. Maybe the right to choose their own partner, or to terminate a pregnancy, perhaps practice a religion other than Christianity or no religion without being treated as suspect.
I think Americans would like an inclusive society, one that speaks more of 'us' as a whole than 'us' as factions, some trying to save America, others trying to destroy it. I guess I'm saying that Bachmann and Palin are Anti-American.
At least the America that I believe in. In the discussions of these women's comments, I never heard anyone ask what either of them considered 'American'. And there is little I'd rather see asked. Under no situation in politics should this whole ploy be acceptable. But, short of that, it would be nice to have a working definition of what behaviors are 'pro-' and 'anti-' American.
The definition, in the end, is the most valuable part of the conversation.
Oh Sarah, you are an inspiration to all those who dream of one day achieving mediocrity.