Thursday, November 04, 2004
Let the Healing Begin
"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and orphan - to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."
Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865
While I've had the guilty pleasure of watching Bush's sworn enemies gibber and rave yesterday, I've refrained from gloating over the victory with those I've personally debated with this past election year. The reason is that we can't afford to be a divided nation, and I believe that there are still many out there who will back away (as I myself did fairly recently) from the Left's goal to "Europeanize" our country to a radically secular and hedonistic philosophy and lifestyle. Some will always be impervious to facts and reason. But I also think there is a legitimate liberal point of view that is necessary for a healthy balanced body politic. But what opposes the conservative viewpoint is sick unsound and dependent on a culture of untruth.
I've already seen this manifesting in conversations of what seem to be fairly reasonable people. One meme that has instantly taken hold is the idea that Bush's administration will soon institute a draft. The administration and the DoD have long maintained that conscription would be disasterous to current military doctrine that relies more on technology and training than bodies; quality over quantity. However Kerry did propose a national service in 1996, and Charles Rangel (D-NY) sponsored a bill to bring back the draft, which he later said was in protest to the Iraq war.
Hopefully pointing out this facts will counter the rumors in your circle of influence. I'd welcome feedback to see if anyone else is hearing this meme in water cooler conversations.
Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865
While I've had the guilty pleasure of watching Bush's sworn enemies gibber and rave yesterday, I've refrained from gloating over the victory with those I've personally debated with this past election year. The reason is that we can't afford to be a divided nation, and I believe that there are still many out there who will back away (as I myself did fairly recently) from the Left's goal to "Europeanize" our country to a radically secular and hedonistic philosophy and lifestyle. Some will always be impervious to facts and reason. But I also think there is a legitimate liberal point of view that is necessary for a healthy balanced body politic. But what opposes the conservative viewpoint is sick unsound and dependent on a culture of untruth.
I've already seen this manifesting in conversations of what seem to be fairly reasonable people. One meme that has instantly taken hold is the idea that Bush's administration will soon institute a draft. The administration and the DoD have long maintained that conscription would be disasterous to current military doctrine that relies more on technology and training than bodies; quality over quantity. However Kerry did propose a national service in 1996, and Charles Rangel (D-NY) sponsored a bill to bring back the draft, which he later said was in protest to the Iraq war.
Hopefully pointing out this facts will counter the rumors in your circle of influence. I'd welcome feedback to see if anyone else is hearing this meme in water cooler conversations.
papijoe 7:00 AM
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