Okay, so, I recently read an article in the Anchorage Daily News. It was a rather disturbing article about something that an actual politician in this state has come up with- making sex before marriage a crime. This sentiment was carried by one of Gov. Parnell’s appointees, Don Haase. Haase believes that both extra-marital and pre-marital sex should be a crime. He of course said that it should be left up to the voters (very important), and that he wouldn’t want to see it be a felony. That’s great, having sex in a relationship outside of marriage would be a misdemeanor. Ladies and gentlemen, this is fucking crazy!
It also brings me to the point of this article- the conservative elements of this country hate freedom. They hate it. They hate everything about it. They hate it that we don’t have lock-step in this country toward their ideals. Let me give you proof. A good journalist always has proof of his arguments. Let me begin by a concept I brought up in my last article (before this weeks) in the newspaper, The Northern Light, for which I am a political commentator.
In case any of you didn’t catch the endless series of bullshit that came from the right in this country after the protests about cutting the collective bargaining rights of unions, let me fill you in. There was a tidal wave of conservative rhetoric about how the protestors were “thugs” and looking to “pad their own wallets.” Lee Doren said that the Tea Party had never done anything that thuggish. There was a big consensus among the conservatives that these unions didn’t even deserve the right to exist at all, much less protest for their dumb bargaining rights. Doren said that these protests were the reason that FDR didn’t want government funding for unions.
Let’s get a rather recent example. The House of Representatives recently voted to cut funding for NPR. Interesting, because without NPR, PBS, and the like, only 6 major corporate entities control ALL of the media. Apparently, not having the independent option is just kudos to these parasites.
Then there was another piece of legislation that has been tossed around- making miscarrying a felony! For real, there has been talk in Georgia about making it a felony that is punishable by DEATH! Abortion is in the same law that was proposed, but that means very little in context with this. Miscarriages- a process that happens all the time. For a lot of women, it is heart-breaking and sad to lose a fetus like that, but it happens. It’s no fun, but it is. It happens often without women even knowing about it. A fertilized egg can miscarry before reaching utero. So, the government in Georgia wants to hold women criminally responsible for a completely natural complication. Unbelievable!
And this is only the tip of the conservative freedom-hating iceberg. Anybody remember the concept of net neutrality? It was, in my opinion, an issue that didn’t receive as much coverage as I would have liked. Remember how the conservative element in this country was all up in arms about it, saying that having the FCC protect net neutrality was freedom-killing? Of course, that was pure bullshit, but they fought tooth and nail to keep it from happening. Now, if a site can’t pay enough money, they can be made slow as fuck to all wireless providers. I’m sure that’s just great for small businesses, don’t you?
Then there was the massive debacle over healthecare reform. Remember the “freedom killing bill?” Or do you remember the “death panels?” Those were Palin’s finest work as a dim-witted political mountebank. I remember all the noise that the conservatives made, and it was all dumb.
But perhaps the best example, and a rather recent one, which has come up again, is the community center in New York City which would have a couple rooms reserved for Islamic worship. The conservative element called it the “9/11 Mosque,” a title which is so ludicrous and heartless toward the 1st Amendment that is actually does offend me a bit when they scream about individual liberty, then curse an entire group of people for wanting to have a place to gather and worship their imaginary friend. A total double-standard with Christianity, but whatever.
Here’s the truth, ladies and gentlemen- conservatives hate freedom. They hate that minorities have opportunities in this country. They hate that women have rights over their own reproductive systems. They hate that people who aren’t Christian have the ability worship their god at their place of worship. They hate that we have these public broadcasting groups, like PBS and NPR, who are taking away business from the massive corporate monopolies that have gone unchecked and rule our media zeitgeist. They hate that we have taxes on businesses. They hate that they don’t get to tell the LGBT community that they are going to jail for loving somebody of the same sex, or for being different.
Look, I have my discourse with the political elements of this country, I do. I don’t deny that the two-party system is fucked up. I wish we had a nation that was smart enough to not need parties, and to have people just running on their own merits, with the public all getting together and voting according to their personal beliefs. But this isn’t about political parties. This is about a system of ideals. This is about the conservative message, and how it is against everything that makes this country good.
You see, it breaks down like this- if they had their way, business would have no taxes, nothing to stop them, and they would completely own everything in this country (more than they already do). Conservativism is, by definition, being against change (or quick change, depending on which dictionary you read). It is dumb by definition, and we have people in this country who like it.
If we’ve learned anything from the Tea Party, it is a tool. It is a tool for those with money to prey on those without it. Have you ever noticed that almost all the hardcore racists are white trash? Have you ever noticed that almost all the people against the LGBT community are Christian? Have you ever noticed how those who are against unions are either in the direct employ or representing a group who is funded by corporations? It’s an interesting conundrum.
The simple truth is that these people hate what makes this country great, and they also hate the people in it. People who think that women who miscarry are felons hate women. People who think that a man who loves another man should be in prison hates gay people. It is a hate-based political philsophy, and it is pretty freakin’ sick too.
Until next time, a quote,
“You know, I kind of like a little socialism in America. When I drive down the road, I like to know that that is partly my road. When I see kids playing in the park, I like to know that that is kind of my park. When my house nearly burns down, as it very nearly did recently, I like to know that the firefighters who save it kind of work for me!” -Terroja Kincaid
Peace out,
Maverick
Lucien Maverick's Den 