I’m still grieving. I have read many things in lefty blogs about Dr. Tiller’s murder, and I can’t seem to shake it. Partly because I was lulled into thinking that this kind of violence was in the past. Partly because I am just so damn discouraged at how the GOP still gets to define how we debate issues and with what terminology. Whatever the reason, I’m still saddened. However, a thin thread of anger is beginning to worm its way through the pain.
So, just for this post, I am giving in to the baser side of me. I need to vent.
Dear Religious Right,
Listen up. For far too long you have gotten to choose how to frame the debate around abortion, gay rights, and other things which, quite frankly, are none of your damn business. I am not talking about Christians in general here, but the wingnutters who are the extremists to the right. I am not pretending that you are anything more than what you really are–domestic terrorists. If you had brown skin instead of pale, pasty white skin, you would be known as a terrorist cell.
I did not know that the last doctor murder was while Clinton was president. In fact, there were none during the Bush years, despite the fact that abortions rose during Bush’s reign as Decider-in-Chief. By the way, per that article I just linked, here’s a little fun fact for ya. Abortions were at 24-year low when W. took office. Gee, who was prez before him? Why, one Bill Clinton. Anyway, as the right gets out of political power, it appears that the batshitcrazyinsane portion of their party feels hopeless and helpless and shoots people to feel better about themselves. They don’t give a shit that it’s the Dem presidents who actually do things to improve conditions so less abortions are obtained, because really, who needs facts to get in the way of a good hard-on for hate?
All right. I have read the blogs and the pundits (all lefties, of course) eloquently detailing what is going on with the Republicans and why they are doubling-down on the shit that got them canned en masse in the first place. It all makes sense. I mean, there are only five truly red states now–you know, red like how Rush Limbaugh’s face gets when you withhold his Oxycontin and his donuts–so the surviving Republicans are so far right, they’re in Michelle Malkin’s lap. Even Sean Hannity privately has a moment of doubt as to how bat-shit crazy conservative the Congress Republicans are. So, yes, I applaud the attempt by the left to have a substantive discussion as to the whys of the Republican hubris and as to the hows of working through/around said hubris. 
President Obama talks at length about bipartisanship and about how he is the president of every American. He has reached out to the Republicans, and he’s gotten his hand slapped for his troubles. Still, he keeps trying. He truly seems to want to get past the bitter partisanship that has divided this country for the last few decades. To that end, I am writing an open letter to the religious right in which I will NOT call them names or be overly-snarky. I can’t promise that no snarkiness will creep into my typing because let’s face it, snarkiness runs through my veins instead of blood. Still, I will do my utmost to keep my tone civil. Here we go.
Dear President-Elect Obama:
An open letter to still-president George Bush.
An open letter to Sarah Palin.