Be American

The Christian Science Monitor has an awesome op/ed here:

The weird thing about the conventional wisdom of liberals versus conservatives, is that liberals are often painted as anti-American. The opposite is true, otherwise I wouldn't be a liberal. The thing is, liberals have read a history book more than once in our lives. We do understand the principals of what this country was destined to represent when it was created.

The fact of the matter is, conservatives, just like Christians, have hijacked the past and it's meaning. It's so bizarre, it's beyond words.

In the case of the 3 Gitmo prisoners that killed themselves last week, all you see is this bizarre glee from the right wingers. I was horrified. Whose position is anti-American? The reactions are completely opposite so one side has to be contrary to what America stands for. Which is it? Conventional wisdom would tell you that I'm a fringe leftist and anti-American pacifist. Truth is completely different - and what is remarkable to me is that there is even a debate about that. It's beyond arguing.

Right wingers, conservatives, Republicans are traitors to the ideals of what this country represents. They glorify violence and death as if this big balled up internal self-loathing is eased by the suffering of others. It truly is why I think conservatives are sociopaths, and the must have been exposed to some really horrific violence or hatred when they were children.

As I'm sure a lot of you don't read what I link to, here's a bit.

But George Washington and his compatriots took their founding principles quite seriously. On Aug. 11, 1775, Washington sent a blistering letter to a British counterpart, Thomas Gage. He complained about gravely wounded and untreated American soldiers being thrown into a jail with common criminals.

Eight days later, despite threatening to treat British soldiers with equal cruelty, Washington admitted that he could not and would not retaliate in kind, writing: "Not only your Officers, and Soldiers have been treated with a Tenderness due to Fellow Citizens, & Brethren; but even those execrable Parricides [traitors] whose Counsels & Aid have deluged their Country with Blood, have been protected from the Fury of a justly enraged People."

I take quite seriously the actions of George Washington. I understand the example Alexander Hamilton set when he prevented his men from slaughtering prisoners of war. That is what it means to be an American. That is why I'm a liberal - because we believe exactly the same way. Conservatives are traitors to their country because they are simply too ignorant to understand what the Constitution of the United States means, and what the founders of this country wanted us to be.. and what they wanted us to be was a beacon of justice, liberty, and compassion - the world over. That's the liberal manifesto.

So, it's up to every person to choose. Are you a violent, hateful, vengeance seeking, blood thirsty fear monger, or are you willing to stand up and do the right thing regardless of what is done to you? The choice was easy for me.