When I Was A Republican
When I was a Republican, back in the day, I believed that no man should have the right to marry another man. Nor a woman another woman. I felt that unions such as theirs would ruin the validation of "true" marriages.
What is a "true" marriage, though? I no longer know.
When I was a Republican, back in the day, I believed that government handed out too much and that would take away from our businesses, our industries, our commerce, our ways and means of making money.
Where does the money come from now, though? I no longer know.
When I was a Republican, I thought that the flag and our amendments and our belief in the inherent right of our President were patriotic things that I should cling to.
What do I cling to now? I no longer know.
Oh, wait. I do know.
I cling to my inherent belief that this country has sometimes made some huge mistakes, both recently and in the past. And I cling to the belief that we are able to right this ship.
That's what I cling to, and you can all try to pry my fingers off that belief as hard as you can, but my fingers are clinging strongly, and this ship is not sinking.
What is a "true" marriage, though? I no longer know.
When I was a Republican, back in the day, I believed that government handed out too much and that would take away from our businesses, our industries, our commerce, our ways and means of making money.
Where does the money come from now, though? I no longer know.
When I was a Republican, I thought that the flag and our amendments and our belief in the inherent right of our President were patriotic things that I should cling to.
What do I cling to now? I no longer know.
Oh, wait. I do know.
I cling to my inherent belief that this country has sometimes made some huge mistakes, both recently and in the past. And I cling to the belief that we are able to right this ship.
That's what I cling to, and you can all try to pry my fingers off that belief as hard as you can, but my fingers are clinging strongly, and this ship is not sinking.
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It used to be when I was young, AMERICA RIGHT OR WRONG.
I would rather it be America Right or fix it.
At any rate LisB, I am a Cling-on just like you.
Merry Christmas to you and Happy New Year.
December 23, 2008 11:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yep.
December 24, 2008 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Bwak, I have three volumes of his essays and I pulled out one. Orlando had reminded me of a writer of essays and I could not for the life of me who it was. It is Twain. It sounds so stupid but Twain's essays set down a standard. I fell in love with him as a boy.
As a boy, of course, I only understood so much.
It was fun picking him up again.
December 24, 2008 11:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
At risk of me too-ing... me, too!
I'm a cling-on, too.
December 24, 2008 12:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too, both of you.
December 24, 2008 12:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
And happy holidays to everybody, and a peaceful new year to everybody, whether you are Cling-ons or not.
May 2009 be the start of the times when the world didn't care who was right or wrong or right or left or for someone or against.
May 2009 be the start of this fragile globe's peaceful outreach, both outward and inward, and everything in between.
Peace,
Lis
December 24, 2008 12:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well said, Lis. Happy Holidays!
December 24, 2008 11:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
Melissa Etheridge and the President-elect are both getting slammed pretty good on both sides of the ideological divide for taking your words to heart. Let this be the year where seize these rare opportunities to work together for the greater good. Peace and love.
December 24, 2008 4:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
You see, Lis, you've arrived at the point where you have seen that the real patriots are those who want things to be better, not just more of the same.
Those who want more of the same are benefiting from the status quo and will gladly sacrifice anyone else to preserve that. What they fail to realize is that such an approach weakens a society. It can be wrapped in noble terms, going back to "Do not treat others as you would not be treated." or couched in the purely practical, such as "The strong make many bricks, the weak make few, the dead make none!"
At this point, I could utter some Bogart-in-Casablanca type stuff, or just wish you and all around you warmth, peace, and joy for now and the future. And I think that is a better way to close.
December 24, 2008 2:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Merry Christmas, LisB. And may God bless us, every one.
December 24, 2008 9:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Forgive me Lis, but you've told us all about your Republican days many times.
Dead horse, you know?
And here in my corner of Connecticut, another ice storm is coming down!
Maybe, just maybe, part of how it is that you and others came to change your views is that many others out there raised there voices once and again (dead horse and all, you know? ;-) instead of keeping quiet...
Merry Christmas. And to all a good night!
December 24, 2008 9:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/loki_redux/2008/12/melissa-etheridge-outrageously.php
December 24, 2008 9:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for the shout out bro!
December 24, 2008 1:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
. . . my fingers are clinging strongly . . . . LisB
Are you sure that's not rigor mortis setting in?
December 24, 2008 12:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
ack!
December 24, 2008 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Are you sure that's not rigor mortis setting in?
My expat friend Birmingham Dave was a child when the Germans bombed England in World War II. He remembers clearly the hum of the German planes overhead and the sirens. He is pumped at the prospect of us fighting back from this debacle. The other day, he said, "We had the good fortune of having the leader we needed at the right time. So do you. I'm excited. I almost feel like an American. You can do this. I know you can." He pumped his fist when he said that.
Here is an Englishman, an old fart, who feels exactly as does Lis.
You just gotta believe, Ellen. Being all cynical won't do. We have to keep the faith. We can do it. Yes, we can.
December 24, 2008 6:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Former and current republicans such as yourself inspired me to join the party in August 2008 and work to change the party from within. It's never too late to return and take up the fight!
December 24, 2008 1:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
ack!!!!!!
December 24, 2008 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
:O)
December 24, 2008 2:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
I see you write a lot about changing the republican party from within, jem. What exactly would you like for that change to be?
December 24, 2008 5:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
I would like to see a party more like the one that Teddy and Ike and Abe were the leaders of. I would like to see the party more resemble the rank and file republicans I have spoken to in real life vice the divisive windbags we see in the media. I would like to see it become the conservative half of our progressive national strategy.
December 24, 2008 6:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Be careful what you ask for there... .
Abe? Well Abe had a set of problems facing him that were unique in our history and not (so far) repeated, so it's hard to match, true enough.
Still, Teddy was the guy who felt that common workers needed protection from fat corporations; it was this thinking that led to labor organizing. He's the guy who framed the concept of worker pensions and that people deserved to earn a "living wage" (his phrase). He was all about government oversight and regulating essential industry, all to keep greed in check. In fact, he was very vocal about the need for a graduated system of taxation because anyone who reaps the greatest benefit from the "commonwealth" -- that the resources of the country belong to all the people, not just the ones that manipulate them for profit -- owe the greatest debt to the country for the privilege of profiting from that common wealth.
Speaking graduated taxation, let's take closer look at Ike. He helped shepherd in the single greatest growth in wealth of the middle class. What was one of the key factors in how that happened? Try this one: The top 1% earners' tax rate was 91%(!). There were attempts to lower that rate by the Republican controlled congress of the 50s. He vetoed those efforts.
So, yeah, aside from the fact those principles would make almost any 21st century Republican's head explode, those are truly great American leaders whose ideas and successes should be returned to.
December 24, 2008 7:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
As I said, that is where I would see the party aspire to rather than its modern incarnation.
December 24, 2008 8:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Experience is the best teacher, Lis, as you show us. Thanks. have a Merry and a Happy, whatever you're celebrating.
December 24, 2008 4:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I dunno if this is the first time I've read your blog, LisB, but your post look mighty lak a song to me. Are you that kinda writer too? I mean that in the nicest and most supportive way possible. :-}
December 25, 2008 9:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Um, well, I write a lot of poetry (or what I like to think is poetry, heh heh). In a lyrical sense, I guess. Thanks for noticing.
December 25, 2008 6:17 PM | Reply | Permalink