Through a glass darkly

It's hard to find a time more polarized than right now. People have staked out positions that they defend with a ferocity rarely seen outside of a wild animal park. Right or left, Republican or Democrat, secular or religious, it makes no difference which side people are on, whatever the cause, people are championing said causes with more ardor and passion that ever.

In 1995 I was working in a computer store and my co-worker, a former military policeman, was constantly calling for Clinton's impeachment. I took the position that until the investigation into Clinton's activities were over it was premature to take action, not that I thought he was innocent. I often felt the Republicans shot themselves in the foot over their violent anti-Clinton rhetoric and told my co-worker that. Because I didn't demand immediate action on Clinton my co-worker thought I was some kind of liberal apologist.

This came as something of a surprise for me because I have a long history of conservatism. In 1972, the year 18 year-olds were given the right to vote I turned 18. I promptly voted for Richard Nixon, not the best vote I ever cast but then the only other choice that year was George McGovern so I still think I made the best of a bad situation.

I've never been a Clinton-hater even though after the truth came out about Monica and Clinton's perjury I firmly believe he should have resigned his office. As a president he was a disgrace and put a stain on the office, one that will take years to clear up.

Today liberals have taken to Bush-hating with a vengeance. They make ridiculous, over-the-top, claims about his unfitness to be president when they know that most Americans approve of his handling of the country's security in the wake of September 11 and especially of the economy.

They claim that the proven upturn in economy after his tax cuts is just temporary and that we will soon be plunging into another recession -- at least that's what they seem to be hoping will happen. They claim the recovery hasn't produced jobs, despite the fact it has produced over a quarter-million jobs in the last four months and that the trend seems to be continuing, at least for the foreseeable future.

The Democrats and their elite media aparatchiks are howling about the continuing loss of life in Iraq. Instead of allowing Bush the funding to try to stem this they block every effort he makes to alleviate the situation, no doubt so they can continue to whine about it.

When Democrats and their liberal fellow-travellers are confronted with their Bush hatred they always point to the Clinton-bashing that the Republicans engaged in. What they never seem to grasp is that there is a significant difference between the two. Now we know for a fact Clinton engaged in inappropriate and illicit sex acts in the Oval Office, is an admitted philanderer and a proven liar. President Bush is not, but you'll never hear any Democrats admit that.

What kind of country can you make of such a divided electorate? Sometimes, when I'm at my most pessimistic, I think it's time to bring forth a solution denied our forefathers: Secession. Perhaps we should just give the liberals Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Washington, D.C. and let them go their separate ways while we who are of a more conservative leaning can practice our lifestyles unhindered by those who seek to dominate every aspect of our lives.

It might not be a realistic solution but then realism and politics seem to drift further and further apart each day. For me realism is starting to get a little tedious. The Boy Scouts are now being decried as a hate group, which certainly has to change that old chestnut about boy scouts being goody two-shoes. Christmas is under attack and secularists want to delete it from the list of federal holidays. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional and school children can't say it at the start of the day.

Frankly I don't want to live in an America where such surrealistic phenomenon are reality. Give me the unreality of a persons word being their bond and Boy Scouts being loyal, trustworthy and true. I like it better that way.