We hear it all the time, the Republican Party has been hijacked by the Tea Party and rabid right wingers. Well, that is true.
The Republican party as I have always known it to be is no longer recognizable. Now (IMO) instead of simply having conservative views in comparison to the liberal view of Democrats, The Republican Party epitomizes narrow minded, divisive, angry and racist, misogynistic, anti government views. Anyone that believed the election of Barack Obama would not lead to some level of upheaval and anger by those that are opposed to having a Black President-must be smoking a special grade of crack. We all knew it would be some push back. I know I did.
However, I was not prepared for the level of anger, resentment and divisiveness that resulted from his nomination and subsequent win. Those on the right that opposed him showed their true colors. They quickly and loudly let it be known they would NEVER accept Barack Hussein Obama as a legitimate President of "Their United States of America" - for me I just smiled and said "Oh well, deal with it 'cause he is and will be for 4 years"
The Tea Party, Libertarians and rabid right have shown themselves for who they truly are. There is no mask to speak of, they are proud of their hatred and embrace it as if it is a warm cloak on a cold Winter's day. It gives them comfort and a sense of security. It is the perfect distraction for their daily lives. It is much easier to wake up each day knowing you will attack the president and government online and off, than to wake up and deal with your own life's issues.
But what of the Democrats? Who are the nut jobs on the left?
I am a Democrat, liberal, feminist and woman that freely admits my political and social leanings do not fit squarely into any box. I am a Democrat, liberal and feminist in all the broadest of those terms. The DNC convention held last week taught me I am not as open minded as I would like to be. Not at all.
Last week the daughter of the man I work for was in our office with her baby, and I was struck at how much of how she lives and how she is raising her child is so foreign to me. So opposite than I would raise a child. (Full Disclosure: I don't know her political opinions so she may indeed be Republican) however, she walked in the door with the baby swaddled in a papoose. He's 14 months. At first blush I thought that was cool until she went on to explain it is the only way she carries him. No strollers for her. She even added at one point that "even adults can be carried this way" when I questioned how long she would do that with her child.
She spoke of "him" dictating when he slept, that she didn't believe in controlling the time he is put down to sleep, that she prefers for him to tell her when his body needs to sleep. She is still breast feeding and mentioned that she "would" do so until "he is 6 or 7 - that is perfectly normal" - And at one point was going to pull out her breast and start feeding him in front of everyone in the reception area.
Everything about her at that point I objected to.
My immediate thought was everything I disagreed with her about, a more liberal minded person would not find any fault. The new fangled type liberal that believes in llegalizing pot. The ones that are hypocrites that speak often of those "lying politicians" yet ask them what they said to get their license for medical marijuana.......crickets...crickets...crickets.... What do we call our fringe liberals that see nothing wrong with little Tommy playing dress up in pink tutus and nail polish, and yes....sometimes going to school like that. After all, "he is simply coming to grips with his sexual identity..." Right? I would say wrong.
What do we call those among us that can't bring themselves to accept that there ARE different races? The ones that insist there is no White race or Black race, but instead only the Human race. As if to say there is something wrong with there being a White race and Black race..... I am FAR from being politically correct so I can not join in this particular mind-set, however I do appreciate their hearts for even thinking that way.
And of course we can't dismiss those new liberals that despise God and/or those that believe and worship a God. They are the ones that at the mere mention of God or Christ, results in an almost Pavlovic response of rolling their eyes and diminishing the believer's intelligence to that of a 5 year old that believes in Santa Claus. They are the ones that show the same intolerance many rabid ringers have toward non believers. They are completely unable to accept that not everyone believes as they do. So any reference made about religion and their minds and hearts close up immediately. They demean and mock the Bible and religion as a whole, instead of accepting the argument that what they see as science (we Christians) see as an example of a higher power's creation.
Who are these people and what should we label them?
They are on the fringe of our party, to be sure. Ask most men and women in America how they would feel if they saw a little boy showing up for school in a pink dress with his nails painted, and the response from MOST of society is not going to be "That wouldn't bother me in the least....I think it's great!" The PC among us would say that, but the realists among us would not. I think more people would react as I would, which would be to feel uncomfortable at that sight of him AND being uncomfortable with the fact we are uncomfortable! :-)
If I ask you to explain (based on your own internal image) the typical Tea Party member, we all know what you would say. If I ask what the typical rabid right winger is like, we all know what you would say. But if I ask you what the typical far left wing - wing nut is like.....could you describe them? And what name would you give them?
Just as the Tea Party is growing, so too are the left-wingers that lean too far to the left. I for one as a proud Democrat do not and will not allow them to do to my political party what the Tea Party has done to the Republicans. We MUST be liberal in our views and keep a balanced approach in how we deal with life issues. We must not allow those that have radical views - with no sense of boundaries to conrol our core message and beliefs.
We can not and should not allow their "anything goes" mentality to poison our waters of democracy.