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Yes, I know it's being joked about everywhere. There's a sort of gallows humor making the rounds, in various maps, both realistic and cartooned. And that gallows humor is based on the shocking vision of the map of the "United" States, with its blood-red center and its frozen blue fringes.
It's no joke, as the thousands of war dead, both blue and grey, could tell you. It's been tried before, and the half that stayed loyal was very determined not to allow it. And ultimately it collapsed.
Always before, in studying that long-ago secession, I've had the "appropriate" emotions and beliefs: the "good" North fought to prevent the "bad" Southerners from breaking up the Union, and won.
For the first time, I think I understand how the Southerners felt. A person who did not represent any of their interests - as they saw them, anyway - had been elected President over them. That person felt that a very strong federal government was necessary; they saw the states more as a loose confederation, with a nominal and weak central government. They felt disenfranchised. They felt unwanted. They felt they hadn't been heard. So they left.
And right now, I understand that. I hear the gloating triumphalism in the voice of the disgusting little turd that more than fifty percent of America wants as its President, and feel completely and totally disenfranchised. Yes, I voted - but not for that. I have some pretty strong beliefs - I am, after all, a Christian, although I'm sure Bush and his cronies would not acknowledge that since I'm not narrow-minded and bigoted, which appear to be pre-requisite Christian values for them.
Well, to be fair, I suppose I am narrow-minded and bigoted, but not towards the right people.
I think gay people are people, humans, and should have the right to do basically any damn-fool thing any other humans can do, including marry each other.
I think Christianity is the right spiritual path for me, and I think it's pretty good for a lot of other people, but I wouldn't presume to tell anyone else how to worship, nor issue pronouncements about my God is "better than" theirs.
I think abortion is not a good choice as primary birth control, but would not presume to make a moral judgment about its rightness for anyone except myself.
I think it matters at least as much what happens to people after they're born as before, and allowing them to buy guns and shoot each other is pretty stupid, as is killing them in order to teach them that killing people is wrong.
And my government...does not in any particular represent me, or my views, or my issues, at all. My government stands for bigotry and oppression and discrimination, and desires to enact those things not only into law but into the very Constitution that is the heart of the meaning of my country.
So I'm starting to think maybe Lincoln was wrong. Maybe we should have just said, "Sorry you feel that way, folks, but if you really do - then, good luck and God speed." And maybe the blue states really should say the same, and let the bigots go screw themselves without our help.
It's no joke, as the thousands of war dead, both blue and grey, could tell you. It's been tried before, and the half that stayed loyal was very determined not to allow it. And ultimately it collapsed.
Always before, in studying that long-ago secession, I've had the "appropriate" emotions and beliefs: the "good" North fought to prevent the "bad" Southerners from breaking up the Union, and won.
For the first time, I think I understand how the Southerners felt. A person who did not represent any of their interests - as they saw them, anyway - had been elected President over them. That person felt that a very strong federal government was necessary; they saw the states more as a loose confederation, with a nominal and weak central government. They felt disenfranchised. They felt unwanted. They felt they hadn't been heard. So they left.
And right now, I understand that. I hear the gloating triumphalism in the voice of the disgusting little turd that more than fifty percent of America wants as its President, and feel completely and totally disenfranchised. Yes, I voted - but not for that. I have some pretty strong beliefs - I am, after all, a Christian, although I'm sure Bush and his cronies would not acknowledge that since I'm not narrow-minded and bigoted, which appear to be pre-requisite Christian values for them.
Well, to be fair, I suppose I am narrow-minded and bigoted, but not towards the right people.
I think gay people are people, humans, and should have the right to do basically any damn-fool thing any other humans can do, including marry each other.
I think Christianity is the right spiritual path for me, and I think it's pretty good for a lot of other people, but I wouldn't presume to tell anyone else how to worship, nor issue pronouncements about my God is "better than" theirs.
I think abortion is not a good choice as primary birth control, but would not presume to make a moral judgment about its rightness for anyone except myself.
I think it matters at least as much what happens to people after they're born as before, and allowing them to buy guns and shoot each other is pretty stupid, as is killing them in order to teach them that killing people is wrong.
And my government...does not in any particular represent me, or my views, or my issues, at all. My government stands for bigotry and oppression and discrimination, and desires to enact those things not only into law but into the very Constitution that is the heart of the meaning of my country.
So I'm starting to think maybe Lincoln was wrong. Maybe we should have just said, "Sorry you feel that way, folks, but if you really do - then, good luck and God speed." And maybe the blue states really should say the same, and let the bigots go screw themselves without our help.
