[Grovenet] to Muriel (and all)

[Meredith Bliss]

Thank you for including us in the response, Joy, that was very well put.

On Thursday 09 November 2006 22:38, JBlair2154 at aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 11/9/2006 2:04:15 PM Central Standard Time,
> grovenet-request at rdrop.com writes:
>
> .( I  have MS and can't work--of cou!
> rse we don't qualify for any  help)
>
>
>
> Muriel,
> As another MSer, I can identify with your frustration (and have  many other
> friends with MS all over the country who have been trapped by the  flaws in
> our medical care system.)  I'm also the wife of a career Air Force  vet who
> served in Viet Nam and who has been a Republican most of his  life....not
> today, though!  Although I was raised a Democrat when  Southern roots meant
> the South voted as Democratic bloc, and greatly admired the  Kennedys, I
> asserted my independence as a young adult and voted Independent for  a few
> years. With my husband, I admired Barry Goldwater and listened to Paul 
> Harvey and agreed we should bomb Hanoi and even thought Ollie North was
> pretty  cool. Eventually I even voted for Richard Nixon, or rather for the
> Republican  "law and order" platform because I worried about the growing
> crime problem. But  as I matured, I began to follow the political news much
> more carefully and  thoughtfully and decided that the Republican Party was
> expending way too much  time, energy and money engaging in "dirty politics"
> -- not just because of  Watergate, but even in the relentless way Bill
> Clinton was pursued until they  found his Achilles heel and took advantage
> of it to corner him. The foul tactics  intensifed with their "fear and
> smear" campaigns during the last two  presidential elections and for the
> first time in my life, I found it impossible  to have a civilized dialogue
> on the subject of politics with people I have known  all of my life. I was
> losing friends and alienating a few family members simply  by disagreeing
> with them: by saying "No, Kerry is not a traitor," and "I believe  in
> separation of church and state," and "Yes, I am a patriot AND I support our
>  troops, even if I don't believe Iraq had any WMD," and "No, Democrats are 
> not communists."  "And why do you think all of the mainstream media, 
> including even the Associated Press, is so heavily liberal that you refuse
> to  trust anything they say?"  All these people -- normally so kind  and
> bright -- did was get angrier and angrier with me for questioning them.
> What has happened to this country? I wondered. Where is all of this  venom
> and ignorance coming from?
>
> And it didn't take long to figure out the answers. I began to  preach
> against anti-extremism...and I was told that if I said even such logical 
> things, I was "not a moderate."
>
> Either you are for us or against us. Sound familiar? Reasoned  debates on
> issues were "out."  Blind adherence to preconceived notions and  refusal to
> compromise were "in." God had spoken, and those of us who hadn't  heard the
> Voice were in favor of terrorism, loved the murderous Muslim, and  hated
> America.
>
> The GOP had been hijacked by the neocons, who are largely  composed of
> fundamentalist Christians dedicated to a form of social conservatism  which
> wants government to legalize their own religious tenets and make us 
> officially "a Christian nation." The other Republican base of support is 
> still big business -- proving that my daddy was right when he explained to
> me  the difference betwe en the two parties. Democrats still support
> working-class  issues such as the minimum wage and better access to health
> care and fewer tax  cuts for big corporations.
>
>  The "Blue Wave" of Nov. 7 indicates five things: (1)  Democrats have lost
> patience, been energized by a good campaign waged by Howard  Dean, and have
> actually gone to the polls; (2) Independents have at last  been awakened by
> the stench coming from Washington and decided to "throw the  bums out," (3)
> at least 20% of the far right religious base has deserted the  Bush camp;
> (4) moderate Republicans, including military leaders, have begun to  speak
> out against those in their own party who have lost sight of what the party 
> once stood for; and (5) Democratic candidates have moved even more to the
> right  than they have previously been -- some so much, esp. on social and
> religious  issues, that they can barely be distinguished from Republicans.
> There are very  few true liberals in Congress these days.
>
> So, Muriel, this is my wordy way of saying that you aren't the only 
> American who has found the changing political climate confusing and who
> have  changed party allegiances and are wondering who supports what and
> why. Hang in  there, lady. This is an interesting -- if sometimes
> bewildering -- time in our nation so there will be a lot worth watching.
>
> P.S. Write to me privately if you ever feel like discussing MS  problems.
>
> Joy
>
> "Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in  the end."
> (Unknown)
> _______________________________________________
> GroveNet mailing list
> GroveNet at rdrop.com
> http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet

-- 
----------------------------------------
Just happy to be here, but speaking 
only for myself!
Meredith Bliss --- www.rdrop.com/~mbliss
----------------------------------------