Barbara Cubin's (R-WY) new attack makes the shocking charge that Gary Trauner is from New York. How is it that middle America feels entitled to attack other Americans, whether they be New Yorkers, from Massachusetts, "Hollywood", or San Francisco, but I must respect and understand middle America--a group of whom feel not the slightest hesitation to demonize me?
Every three months or so, it seems, I am subjected to a David Brooks column telling me that, as a New Yorker, I am an elitist, that I look down on middle america, that I don't undertsand the "real" Americans who live in fly-over country, and don't make the effort to. None of which is true in my case.
I may be a stero-type. I am a middle-class Jew, the son of a Holocaust survivor, with progressive values who lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. But, I work hard 12 hours day. My wife too. We are trying to raise our son to be a good, honest, educated, hard-working, tolerant member of society.
Where is the David Brooks article about how middle America has no problem demonizing New Yorkers, or "Hollywood" or Massachusetts without understanding us? Based on my circle friends, it seems to me that the problem is not that New Yorkers, none of whom I know hold the attitudes that Brooks regularly ascribes to them, look down on the rest of the country, but that middle America has a warped and distorted view of New York, has no problem expressing those prejudices, and is unwilling to see past their preconceived sterotypes.
Of course, Cubin's party has no problem using New York and 9/11 as a political tool to advance their agenda of fear. But, what gives them the right to score political points off of the lives of the friends and collegues we lost?
Bush stood on that pile of rubble at the World Trade Center, on our dead friends and collegaues, and declared we would go after bin Laden, that we would go after al-Qaeda. I admit I cheered--go get them Mr. President. Now. Today. Let's do it.
And bin Laden still laughs at us from his cave 5 years later. Meanwhile we are squandering lives and treasure in a pointless war in Iraq. And Karl Rove has the audacity to stand not 10 blocks from where I live and claim that New Yorkers would surrender to al Qaeda? And the Republican Party implies that I am somehow not a real American? That I don't hold values that this country can cherish and uphold?
I can't say this more eloquently--so I'll say it in my best New York accent: Fuck You Mr. President.