America Divided: for MPSIMS

The BBQ Pit
1

I saw a thread like this in GD, but I didn’t really know where to put this.

If Bush wins, which seems likely, I wanted the Bush supporters to remember a few things.

This election, for perhaps the first time ever, comes down to this. About half of the country is completely, utterly, against Bush. Gore & Bush divided the country but this is worse.

We don’t just think he’s doing a bad job, some of us think he’s doing the worst job ever.

We feel he’s against gays & atheists. That’s 20 % of the country combined.

Non-Christians are feeling the sting. I don’t know how many people are non-Christian, but I’m sure they’re tired of hearing about the Judeo-Christian God every turn. Make no mistake, he may sayd God, but he means Jesus.

Half of us think that Kerry, who isn’t all that great, *could not in any way * do worse than Bush.

Half of us think that Bush has burned all our bridges with foreign nations, destroyed what little integrity we have, tossed caution to the wind.

*Please * just remember that when you say “Why aren’t you behind Bush, now that he’s won?” It is very hard to get behind a president whom at least some of us truly despise and others truly doubt his intelligence.

This isn’t the best-written post in the world, but please…try and remember this when you go flaming us. Try and remember we’re not just doing this for fun but we have genuine misgivings about this man’s ability to lead a country.

And if he wins, as it seems as if he will, I say with gritted teeth: Congratulations. In my personal opinion: as a non-white, atheist, lower-middle class woman, I think nothing worse could have happened to me. Can you understand that? I don’t feel in any way that Bush represents my interests.

Thank you for your patience.

2

Well said.

And let me add an international voice. The re-election of GWB is nothing but bad news for most folks outside of the US, and I fear what last night’s results mean for the world as a whole. I don’t see it being good.

3

Um, yes, we know all that. Thanks for being the millionth person to point out the obvious. We know how you feel. We just disagree.

4

I am terribly sad and frightened about what is to come. I can’t even imagine what the state of our personal freedoms and international relations will be 4 years from now. I feel incredibly disappointed in my fellow Americans, and I almost have the sense that I am being held hostage by right-wing Christian fundamentalists.

5

Hey, I think both candidates suck equally bad.

6

applause

That is well-written.

The thing that frightens me most about Bush is that the last four years have shown us a restrained Bush, one who had to worry about getting re-elected. What will he do now, now that he knows that he can do pretty much whatever he and his cronies want?

7

Not true. Too many times I’ve had Bush supporters outright insult me because of some part of this line:

non-white, atheist, lower-middle class woman,

or because I think gays should be allowed to get married (or how about, really just left alone, whatever.

Besides, what do you have against me telling how I feel? Go somewhere ele and don’t read the thread if it bothers you.

8

Alas, they won’t. Bush isn’t interested in people who didn’t vote for him, and will do exactly as he pleases without any consideration of anyone else. That’s what he’s always done, and there’s no reason to believe he’ll do anything else.

9

quote]If Bush wins, which seems likely, I wanted the Bush supporters to remember a few things.

This election, for perhaps the first time ever, comes down to this. About half of the country is completely, utterly, against Bush.
[/quote]

Uh, huh. Replace the name “Bush” in those sentences with “Kerry” and how does it make a difference on a national level? Better from your personal viewpoint, no doubt, but no difference in the big picture.

This is far from the first time the country has been close to evenly divided over a presidential election. This is not even the closest race. As things stand now it looks as though the candidate who won the popular vote also won the electoral vote. It doesn’t always happen that way.

Not to be too snarky, but we in the US don’t usually get “warm and fuzzies” over Canadian elected officials either. There used to be a huge diference in how US citizens viewed the role of government vs. other representative republics in Canada and Europe. The US has traditionally been more conservative and favored less obtrusive government with more individual freedoms (and responsibilities). That seems be slowly but surely going by the wayside. I, for one, am saddened at that prospect.

10

I am a middle class single mother in California…with a son who will turn 18 at the end of Bush’s second term. I cannot begin to tell you how filled with dread I am at the prospect of four more years of neo-con warhawk partisan bullshit.

My rights are being infringed at an alarming rate; they may not even be rights by the time my daughter reaches majority in 7 years. The environment is being destroyed with literally no checks and balances in place to replace what we’re taking. No thought is being given to the future, only profits for now.

Opinion has been elevated to the status of morals, morals have been elevated to the status of laws, and instead of finding middle ground with those we disagree with, I hear nothing but “Too bad. We won. Don’t like it? Leave.” In the words of a great Republican: “A country divided against itself cannot stand.”

I fear for my country very much right now.

11

[Quote=Doctor Jackson]

Uh, huh. Replace the name “Bush” in those sentences with “Kerry” and how does it make a difference on a national level? Better from your personal viewpoint, no doubt, but no difference in the big picture. [.quote[

Um…because you won?

I hate to be like this, but…duh?

12

I’m not sure you understood what I meant.

What I meant is that yes, we know how you feel. We’d have to be idiots not to know that after the campaign season we just went through. So the entire point you’re trying to make with this post, trying to impress upon us how hurt you are by what you consider the ‘betrayal’ of your country? We know. We understand the differences between us, and how you feel about that. We just don’t care, else we would have voted for your candidate.

13

This sentiment cuts both ways. Although I am not in the Bush camp, unfortunately, Kerry never convinced me either. But while you are asking people to remember not to flame, remember some things yourselves:

When you set up inflamatory threads, you are likely to get flamed.

The old saw that you should never discuss religion or politics in polite company came about because people feel strongly about them both. If you [you in the general sence, not the specific] don’t respect the beliefs and feelings of others, others will not respect yours. And boy, have I seen some disrespectful threads on this board - lambasting both parties, both candidates and their supporters. As I have said more than once, I am stunned at the behavior that goes on here, a board that prides itself on combatting ignorance.
From a personal standpoint, I’m not sure that the outcome is good - but I wasn’t sure either way.

14

No, I’m just asking for some consideration, what with all the gloating going on.

But if you don’t care, then very well. That’s your choice too.

15

I personally have not, nor do I plan to ‘flame’ anyone for their beliefs, left or right. But I resent the fact that all during the campaigns, and now even after the election has been decided that I am expected to feel guilt over my vote. I cast my vote with full knowledge and consideration of what it meant, both for myself and those on the other side.

I simply don’t agree with much of the ideology from the other side. There has been consideration. I’ve considered the matter, and subsequently discarded it.

What do you want from us? Do you want us to go around kowtowing to you because you feel bad today? The sense of despair and doom you feel is purely subjective. You feel like the world is going to end, but that’s your opinion. Not a fact.

I won’t gloat or put anyone down for their beliefs, but I’m tired of being told that I just don’t understand the other side of things, as though if I did I would surely agree with them.

I’m sorry your candidate didn’t win. I think it was a good race though. Now let’s all go get some lunch and get back to bitching about the weather.

16

I really doubt this statement is true. I’m sure you believe its true, though.

17

And I really doubt you have any standing whatsoever to make this kind of appraisal about me, but I’m sure you believe you do.
:rolleyes:

18

Wow. That’s the most condescending thing I’ve read in a while. You might do well to consider that intelligent, well-meaning people can examine a complex situation and come to very different opinions about what is best. I am not at all pleased that Bush won, but I’m not about to assume that everyone whose opinion differs from mine is a simpleton.

19

Well, I couldn’t say the same. I don’t know what these other people are thinking. I strongly doubt that she actually knows what many people who disagree with her are thinking either. I’m not judging her, I’m just saying I disagree with her assessment of her own understanding of what millions of people think. “I doubt it” is not the same as saying “you’re a liar.”

20

Gee, thanks. Friendly lot, you are, eh? I, at least, prefer people, not who agree, but don’t assume, and see the world from the opposite M.O.