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When I pause to think why the Republican party may lose votes, I find this: to whom might they yet appeal? Is the face of modern conservatism a truly compassionate one? From George W. Bush's falsetto simpering "Please save me" to a shocked Tucker Carlson, to Rush Limbaugh's callous mockery of an ill man who is fighting a very good fight, we have witnessed the signs of disregard for the values this party has claimed to espouse. Are these the people who represent a culture of life? If we look at the waste of lives--people who could have been spared if we only chose to do things well--in Iraq. In Afghanistan. People who could have been saved by a competent response to Hurricane Katrina. People who might not have died if more attention was paid to terrorism intelligence pre-9/11, or barring that, people who would not be dying now of respiratory disease if, again, Republicans, weren't in such a hurry to say "All's well" at Ground Zero.
Do we find empathy with the ill among us, and the dying, or with blastocysts that will be discarded anyway, and yet might hold promise in helping those others? Do we find empathy in prolonging the life cycle of one, severely brain-damaged woman, and discard millions who are without health care? Do we really mean to spread freedom, or do we intend revenge? Are we for the ideals of our Founders, the ideals of our Constitution, the freedoms the terrorists alledgedly hate us for--or are we willing to sacrifice them to save our skins--are we afraid--or are we strong?
I like to think that as a nation, we Americans really do have a sense of honor, empathy, generousity of spirit. We rose to the occasion on 9/11, we gave of ourselves when disaster struck in SE Asia with the tsunami--which barely affected us in a direct, material sense, and again when Katrina hit--which I think affected every one of us in a real, gut-level sense. We Americans have that greatness of spirit--our government should represent that. This government has not done so. I think that the voter-disgust, and desire for change, comes from an understanding of that. I think Democrats might better embody our better selves, do more good, less harm. Be less hypocritical, be more, I daresay, competent, steady, effective.
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