Note to Conservatives: I am not out to destroy the world.

The BBQ Pit
1

I made a mistake yesterday. While driving the office’s pool car, I grew bored of the sports talk radio show that I usually listen to, and decided to try the pre-programmed stations of the car. Within an hour of listening to talk radio, I was told that, because of my political views: I hate America, I want the United States destroyed, I want democracy to fail, I want to oppress Christians, I want the social fabric of America to be rent apart, I want to destroy the family, and I want thousands of U.S. troops to die.

Wow, I’m a busy guy. Who knew?

So, a quick word to conservative talk radio “personalities”, especially Eileen Byrne, Dennis Prager, and Rush Limbaugh:

I do not hate America, I love it.

I do not want America destroyed, I want it to be a beacon in a dark world.

I do not want democracy to fail, I want it to flourish, but I do not believe America has the right to violently invade countries in the name of democratization.

I do not want to oppress Christians, I want a proper separation of church and state.

I do not want to destroy the social fabric, I want it strengthened by the recognition of the value of diversity.

I do not want to destroy families, I want to strengthen them by recognizing the right of homosexuals to marry.

I do not want U.S. troops to die, I want each and everyone of them to return home safely and to be treated well by our government.
The sooner we can stop with the brainless demonization of those who disagree politically with you, the sooner we can start building a better, stronger, more united country. So stop spreading lies about what I want, stop protraying yourselves as victims of some massive liberal plot, and stop with the creation and destroying of strawmen to get ratings. And, lest anyone get the wrong idea, this rant can easily be directed to liberals like Dio who engage in the same fanatical, unthinking hatred of the “opposition”. But, thank God, Dio does not have a talk radio show.

And, just so you know, I re-programmed all the stations to NPR. It’s the little victories that matter so much.

2

Can I add to your rant?

To the Christian announcer who said: “Evolution is a THEORY, NOT a FACT”

FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU YOU IGNORANT BITCH

Did you not take eighth grade biology? Do you not know that a THEORY has been proven several times, unlike a proposition, which has not? Did you not read how bacteria EVOLVE to become more resistant to drugs like penicilin? Do you not know how roaches become resistant to poison? Did you not read the section I did about the moths in England that evolved from white to black to deal with the polution? You must have not read the same book I did, did you read any book at all? Or are you just a moron who believe whatever shit Falwell et al are spewing?

I swear, sometime I wish the scientific community would rename their categories of proposition/theory/law so these religious nuts (not everyone who is religious is a nut, okay? Just the ones with this attitude) wouldn’t have the ammunition!

3

Hamlet, it goes both ways, particularly here on the SDMB. Both sides think the other is out to destroy the world. What I think is a big shame is how much partisanship there is in the country right now, and how entrenched everybody is in their own beliefs. It feels like both sides are drifting father apart and trying to alienate themselves from each other. All I hear about these days is ‘red states’ and ‘blue states’, what is this, a fucking civil war?! :mad: I’d much prefer a ‘middle of the road’ approach where everyone can bring something useful to the table instead of accusations, complaints, and scapegoats.

:frowning:

4

Not yet. Give it time.

5

Destroying a conservative’s world, one radio station at a time.

6

Gee… and Air America doesn’t engage in the “brainless demonization of those who disagree politically with them.”

Oh, and include Barbara Streisand, Michael Moore, and a variety of others who purport that the Republican party is trying to remove all vestiges of democracy from our country…

Not too mention, it also appears to me that most threads in the Pit show a strong leaning towards demonizing any person who might support Bush. (See any thread that begins with genocide, bushbots, et cetera.)

We live in one of the most divisive partisan times we have seen in a loooong time–at least since Vietnam. Both parties adhere to the truth when it suits them and discard it just as easily.

The age of the statesman has unfortunately left us in this country. Where are our leaders? Where is the next Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Lincoln, Kennedy, or FDR going to come from? Agree with them or not–they were leaders. Who was the last great statesman in this country? Now we have politicians who appeal to public images created by banks of political marketing specialists. We have candidates that follow party lines. Really, was either Kerry or Bush appropriate candidates for presidency? Were they the best our country has to offer? Come on.

We need to get back to the point where political disagreement can be accepted. Demonization occurs on both sides now more than ever. Partisanship is at an almost all-time high. It sucks. I love my country, too. I love my Constitution. However, just because I am conservative, many people accuse me of trying to destroy it.

7

Well, i don’t want to speak for him or anything, but most of the evidence i’ve seen on this board suggests that Diogenes is not, in fact, a liberal.

8

This will never…ever…happen. We’re a divided country, and the split is only growing.

Please tell me who or what can unite this country.

9

Um, no. Theories can’t be proven–they can be disproven, and they can be supported by empirical evidence (lots of it, in the case of evolution), but you can’t prove a theory. And before anyone attacks me, yes, I “believe” in evolution.

10

What the hell, it’s the pit…

How would you characterize Diogenes the Cynic?

11

We’re not that far gone. Our differences will heal just as they did after the 60s. Talk aobut your divided country, 2004 has nothing on 1968, when the country was polarized into olfd and young, left and white, white and black, hawks and doves. We had two assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, we had the Vietnam War, and we had a large, disaffected youth movement. Some historical perspective would do some of you a world of good.

Just wait until Al Qaeda detonates a dirty bomb in downtown DC or starts a smallpox epidemic in NYC–you’ll see the country pull together then.

12

Maybe some do. I don’t. My political stance tends toward the liberal, but I don’t believe conservatives are out to destroy the world. I believe there are many people who try to hide their interest in lining their own pockets, or a childish desire to attract attention to themselves, under a political label, and that this behavior is common amongst political loudmouths of all stripes.

Most of all, I believe that most of poltically-oriented talk radio is utterly worthless as a discussion forum, and that its hosts should just shut the fuck up.

13

Let me check the OP … Nope. Nothing in there about Air America being blameless. Maybe I should check the OP again. Nope, Couldn’t find anything praising Bah-bra or Moore. Wait a minute… There’s something in the OP about some liberals doing it too? Whodathunk.

Hey, I made that point in the OP too! Thanks.

You know, by and large I think the majority of demonization on this board of those who voted for Bush is along the lines of their ignorance of the issues rather than their desire to destroy the country. I’m not sure which is worse to be called: stupid or evil, but I’d rather the namecalling stop altogether.

Well, I don’t know about you, but for while there in late 2001, early 2002, I thought our country was pretty united. After 9/11, I thought our country was united more than it had been in years, and that there was an opportunity for great things to happen. The invasion of Afghanistan enjoyed bi-partisan support, the rhetoric on the “news channels” was comparitively tame, and, in our little neck of the world, there seemed to be a bit less political sniping going on.

The potential for, and a minor actualization of, unity was there. Although it took a horrible national tragedy to bring it about, there was hope we would be a more united country…

No such luck.

But I think that can happen again. Looking back at my own personal take on history, I think it is certainly possible for this country to be less partisan and more cooperative. It’s just we blew the one big chance we had.

14

Well, if you were angling for some flaming, i’m afraid you’ll be dissappointed.

Diogenes seems to me to be a leftist, not a liberal. Exactly what flavor of leftist is sometimes a little difficult to tell. At times, he seems to be espousing democratic socialist positions, especially on many economic questions. At other times he offers a more libertarian viewpoint, particularly on social and cultural isses. I certainly think he’s further to the left that what passes for mainstream liberalism in America. Then, at other times, he comes across as an authoritarian Trotskyist. :slight_smile:

Again, this is based only on my observations here. I don’t want to speak for him, and if he does, in fact, consider himself a liberal, then that’s how it is.

15

gobear, known to his friends as Elmer Fudd.

16

Does the ellipsis in your username replace the phrase “I can’t read through an entire OP without a kneejerk?”

17

Sorry, my bad. I didn’t get that from the OP. I take it you are suggesting i should have gleaned all of your fairly sacrastic remarks quoted above from this…
“And, lest anyone get the wrong idea, this rant can easily be directed to liberals like Dio who engage in the same fanatical, unthinking hatred of the “opposition”. But, thank God, Dio does not have a talk radio show.”
I appreciate the clarification. It appeared to my feeble mind to be an afterthought. I just wanted to point out that there are quite a few people (absenting Dio) who do have access to the mass media and make similarly idiotic accusations against conservatives.

However, I agree with your clarified response that we are divisive and both sides deserve blame. I agree that it is sad that both sides could not retain the unity found post 9/11; however, elections will do that.

GoBear. I totally agreed with everything you said.

18

Heh heh.

Especially since the OP took considerable pains to point out that the rant applies to people at all points of the political compass.

19

I would agree that a good leader has been lacking for awhile in either party and that disaffection with either party’s choice has contributed in large part to the partisan gulf. As much as I am angered over Bush’s decisions I can’t say Gore or Kerry struck me mid-campaign as being any more capable or of possessing greater vision.

For all the reasons mentioned above we’ve faced as of late a serious dearth of leadership among our elected. I’m hoping real hard that someone capable will come forth while our problems and other’s perceptions aren’t insurmountable.

20

I’ll have to trust you on this as I had yet to exist. I still can’t envision anything (aside of an attack) uniting us.

A horrific attack would do far more harm (the economy, the ensuing bullshit, erosion of rights, etc), then good (uniting country for 2 years).