The Promise of America

The Republican base have crossed the Rubicon*, of separation of church and state, and blended political philosophies with religious ideology, this toxic mix has poisoned the public discourse.

Their petty attacks and political machinations have used fear as a battering ram against the truth and that fear has turned into rage. It has clouded the minds of some with doubt. This country has been greatly diminished by it. Some would take away the rights of many for the privileges of a few. By taxing the poor and giving to the rich.

At the same time they would have you believe that by suppressing the rights of a few "liberals and homosexuals" that they are in some perverted way preserving, "traditional American values". Since when has this Nation ever been about suppressing anyones unalienable rights? Rights that are endowed by their creator, because all men and women are created equal in the eyes of God. Yet these self righteous, twisted, Christians, believe that they and they alone hear the voice of God and everyone else is damned. To my ears they sound more and more like the radical Taliban Islamists who are the sole arbiters' of God's will on earth and anyone that is not with them is an infidel and must die.

But in spite of the vitriol that they haver injected into American politics, beyond the hostile and ugly face of this campaign, beyond the animus, beyond the backdrop of financial chaos they have created with their policies of privilege and uncertainty it engenders, beyond charge and countercharge, beyond their visceral hatred, America's promise still waits.

Many Americans have lost sight of that promise and forgotten the potential greatness of this nation, and forgotten the greatest promise ever made, by one generation to another in the history of mankind, a promise of freedom and equality for everyone.

Whatever else happens on November 4th 2008, we stand at the crossroad of that promise, and of its fulfillment or its failure, afraid and trembling or confident and victorious. November 4th will determine whether we become a nation, of the few, by the few, for the few, or we remain a nation of the people, by the people, for the people.

I for one choose the latter. That is why we must rise above the lies and deliberate deceptions that hold us bound by uncertainty and fear. We must drowned out the voices that cry out, "Kill him"' the voices that cry out, "Traitor!', "Treason!", "Terrorist", that cry out, "Socialist!", off with his head" and "Bomb Obama!". We must speak out loudly, and we must speak the unflinching truth to those voices of intolerance and injustice.

The blood that was shed by our forefathers and our fathers to preserve this promise of freedom and equality demands that we move forward not backward, that we press on with courage and fulfill the promise that is America.

Commentary:
This nation has almost succumbed to the illusion that its greatness lies in its ability to unleash its unlimited military might on anyone without consequences. That is a dangerous idea that has been promoted by the far right, who have massive financial interests in the military and the industries that supply the military with arms. It has subordinated, diplomacy, to a relatively dysfunctional position in the executive branch without a strong vigorous advocate. The real power of this Nation lies in the perception of its character, by other nations, that America strongly defends individual rights, freedom and liberty. We have nearly lost that moral advantage within the last four years. Gain it back on November 4th.

If you love your country speak up! Speaking truth to power is real patriotism.


*Crossing the Rubicon is a metaphor for deliberately proceeding past a point of no return. The phrase originates with Julius Caesar's invasion of Ancient Rome when, on January 10, 49 BC, he led his army across the Rubicon River in violation of law, hence making conflict inevitable. Therefore the term "the Rubicon" is used as a synonym to the "point of no return".