Our ideas are better.
For the record I'm a self descibed left-leaning democrat. I'll proudly call myself a liberal and not surprisingly overall I'm pleased with the results from Tuesday's elections. Instead of gloating or sharing my opinions on what the election results mean instead let me share something a good guy I met a few years ago had to say a couple of years ago after the last election.
November 4, 2004
Well guys & gals,
This is it. This is how it feels a day after our efforts and hopes dissipated to the reality of four more years of George W. Bush's America. I say his America, because it certainly is not the America that I enlisted in the Marine Corps to defend. No that was for my America. An America that stood for justice, unity, thoughtfulness, and served as a beacon of light, a shining example to the world of how democracy should work.
So what now? Do we continue to wallow in the mire of depression? Do we allow ourselves to succumb to the feelings of fear and despair over the future of our Party, our ideology, our Nation? I've been searching for answers the past 36 hours. I click on the DNC's homepage and am greeted with only the concession letter Senator Kerry provided for his supporters. Even the ever outspoken Michael Moore has but a photo of George W. compiled with images of the fallen in Iraq. Our so-called liberal pundits are filling the airwaves with talk of reconciliation with the Republicans and the necessity of restructuring our party so as to appeal to "real" Americans. So here we are. Leaderless, without direction. Alone.
Alone? Well that's what the talk shows, AM radio, and the pundits would have you believe. But it seems to me that 56,000,000 of my fellow Americans voted the same way I did on November 2nd. That's nearly 4 million more votes than any Democratic presidential candidate has ever received. Alone? Hardly. 56,000,000 of us chose truth over lies and deception. We chose workers over the exporters of jobs. We chose the middle class and working poor over the wealthiest of the wealthy. We chose choice over the suppression of women. We chose healthcare for all Americans over the profits of the insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies. We chose blood over oil. We chose compassion and intellect over ignorance and stubbornness. We chose PEACE over War! We chose change.
Well, where do we go from here? As powerful as we were, we came up short, true. Do we now lay down and sacrifice our morale convictions to appease the right? Do we scamper off to lick our wounds? Or do we follow the example of the prize fighter that hits the mat, his head aching, ears ringing, face bloodied, but his will remains unbroken, and he climbs back onto his feet to continue the fight?
See, unlike George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfield, Condoleeza Rice, Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, etc., etc., I know a little bit about war. And that knowledge reminds me that one battle does not win a war. Nor does it spell defeat for those that narrowly lost, lest they surrender. And I will not surrender this fight today or any other day. I will not cede OUR America to George W. Bush. We are 56,000,000 strong and OUR ideas are better. They're just plain better. They're worth getting up off of the mat.
God Bless you all and God Bless America!
Sean D. Huze
Marine Corps veteran of the war in Iraq
The only thing I would add is that winning feels better than losing.
3 Comments:
Only one problem with the statement made, it makes the rest of us sound less American for believing in most of the policies of Bush. I too fought in Irag (first one), came at the end of Vietnam, did my thing in other countries. Am I less an American than the one's that believe Bush was wrong? I will accept the outcome, if this party that won, can do all it promises, I have nothing bad to say. What we have is the freedom to choice, majority always should win, I accept that. Wish all of you well and really do hope you all get want you are looking for from this party and your next President Mrs Clinton.
First on the eve of Veterans day from someone else who served in Gulf during Desert Storm, let me say thanks for your service. Everyone who has served honorably in the military gets a pat on the back and a nod. I might post more on my take on what service to the country means but for now, again, thank you.
Secondly I won't speak for Sean who wrote the piece but my take is he's not saying you and other's on the other side of the isle aren't less of an American, just wrong. Thanks to people like you and I and the countless others who have served we do have the freedom to choose in the market place of ideas. You think yours are better, I think mine are. This time around more people agreed with me. I'll be the first to say there are partisans on both sides that are willfully wrong and aren't so much interested in finding solutions but rather just arguing to hear their own voice. I don't have use for those people or with those that parrot their talking points. But thoughtful dialog with people with differing views can only be good.
Third and lastly, while I don't think Hillary Clinton is the devil incarnate like many on the right (she's apparently a pretty decent Senator for the people of New York) I can think of a few dozen others I'd rather see taking the oath of office come January '09. In fact among the liberals I know, Hillary is no ones favorite.
You wrote the reply in a nice and polite way. You are right and I agree more people on either side should do rather than say. One Vet to another, peace be with you and yours. Thanks again for those comments. We are all Americans. I just mention Hillary Clinton for the heck of it. Lets just hope who ever is in charge, will ensure they take care of all. Have a great day.
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