I'm a HATER!

That's right folk, I'm a hater!  At least that's what I've been called by people who don't agree with my opinions. Funny thing is that I was raised in a country where I was taught there was a thing called "free speech" where you could openly express your opinions.  Others didn't have to agree with your opinions, but they should at least respect your right to have them.

"I may not agree with your opinions, but I will defend to the death your right to them!"

No more!  If your opinion differs, then you are beyond the pale.  You are a hate filled non-person who does not deserve any consideration other than to be dismissed and disdained.

So, when I question the President's "evolution" over gay marriage as being political, I am a gay hater.

When I caution people not to jump to conclusions in the Treyvon Martin case, I am a racist hater.

When I question the so called "scientific consensus" of Global Climate Change, I am a "flat-earth" denying hater of the planet!

I was reading an article this morning in the New Yorker Magazine Online (I do my best to read BOTH sides of the political press) and the author quoted his wife as saying "People are really willing to vote for Mitt Romney? They hate Obama so much they’d vote for Romney?"  Really?  REALLY?


Why is the assumption that my political motivations are all based on HATE?  Can't I have a policy disagreement or dislike his leadership style, or his foreign policy?


Seems like just a few years ago, the press was trumpeting that "dissent is the highest form of patriotism".


I guess that only applies when your "dissent" is against a Republican president.  

Francisco Franco is still dead...

Back in 1975, when Saturday Night Live was still funny, Generalissimo Francisco Franco, leader of the Spanish Civil War and ruler for almost 40 years, died. I suppose that this in itself was not funny, and Chevy mispronounced Generalissimo, but it was an admitted turning point in world history.
For what seemed like a year afterwards, Chevy began Weekend Update with "The top story tonight; Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead". A running gag as it were.

 Fast forward 36 years. On May 2, 2011, President Obama announced that the Navy SEALs had dropped into a compound in Abbotabad, Pakistan and killed Osama bin Laden. I don't have to remind you that he was the person who plotted the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 and most assuredly deserved to be killed.

I congratulate President Obama for having the political courage to take a risk. It has been his only major foreign policy achievement of his term.

One year later, as the anniversary of this accomplishment approached and in the midst of a political year, our President released an attack ad against his Republican rival asserting that Romney wouldn't have "pulled the trigger" and made the "gutsy call" to send in the SEALs and kill bin Laden.
 
I think Romney summed up my reaction very well: "Are you kidding? Even Carter would have done it!" So much for a gutsy call.

THEN, the President jets off to Afghanistan to sign a new agreement with their supposed leader and spends some more time patting himself on the back on his great accomplishment. It seems like we hear something every day about himself or one of his spokesmen reminding us about the success of the raid.

I'm afraid that for the next six months we are going to be hearing: "The top story tonight: Osama bin Laden is still dead".

Where's Chevy when you need him?

P.S. Sorry for being away for so long, but I promise to do better as I seem to have somewhat more time on my hands of late.