During Howard Dean’s speech to the Democratic National Convention, he said
something that puzzled the pundits: we no longer need to be ashamed to say we are Democrats. David Brooks, a conservative, mused, ‘when
have Democrats ever been ashamed to be Democrats?’
The problem is the word: it’s not ‘Democrat,’ it’s ‘Liberal.’ The Radical
Right has heaped scorn on liberalism and liberals for nearly 40 years. Even now, while Kerry undermines Bush’s security creditionals
(war-hero vs party-boy), the Radical Right couldn’t care less: Kerry’s a liberal and they’re going to make sure everyone in America
knows that, because everyone in America know being a Liberal is bad.
Why is liberalism bad? Don’t just spew the Radical
Rights’ refrain in response — think. In the last 30 years, a Republican President lied, cheated and stole and resigned. Another
cajoled us while making deals with dictators and death squads. The current one started with the big lie, ”I’m a uniter, not a
divider,” and went downhill from there. What, exactly, do Conservatives have to be proud of, or, why aren’t they ashamed of this?
What is the single greatest accomplishment of liberalism in the last 40 years? The Civil Rights Movement. Where were the
Radical Right and the Christian Evangelicals then? Well, many of them were Southern Democrats. Cleverly, the Republicans lured them
with talk against the Federal Government. The Federal Government is the Beast. On the surface, they talk about taxes and regulations. At
the heart is fear: fear of change, fear of loss of power, fear of others, of ‘them.’ We’ll call ‘them’ liberals, but, wink, you know
what we mean: blacks, hispanics, asians, gays, women — whatever you fear, that’s them over there, waiting to take your way of life away
from you. Lies that play on fear. Straight out of Nixon’s playbook.
Fear is at the heart of the control the Radical Right
and Christian Evangelicals hold over the Republican Party and, through it, all of America. We may not be able to do anything about
their fear and loathing, but we cannot let it stop us from progress and moving America forward again towards freedom and peace. America
IS a liberal nation, equality and justice are LIBERAL notions; the status quo, convention, keeping power and control are
CONSERVATIVE, and shameful. mjh