The Louisiana legislature is going to cripple the teaching of evolution. Not exactly a thrilling story in modern America - I mean, shocker, some Deep South state government is pissing in the face of science education and separation of church and state. Who knew? Oh, right, anyone conscious. For me, while tragic, and obviously everyone should do everything they can to stop this kind of nonsense from happening, it is a reason to reflect on one of the biggest differences between Republicans and Democrats.
Here it is: Republicans don't give up. Let me repeat that: Republicans don't give up.
Democrats, on the other hand, do.
I reflect on this because, I mean, I'm going to bring up three words that no one had heard of in years, and some of you perhaps never: Equal Rights Amendment. The amendment was simple - to guarantee all Americans equal rights regardless of race or gender, and giving Congress the power to make laws to insure this. It wasn't ever ratified, and it is dutifully reintroduced - in a purely symbolic way - every year since '82, but I can't remember the last time that someone actually talked about it.
On the other hand, the Republicans are fighting, still fighting, the Scopes Monkey Trial - and that was in 1925. They're still fighting the New Deal. They're still fighting Roe v. Wade. I can't think of a single issue that the Democrats have fought for like the Republicans have fought on those three issues. Year after year, they just haven't given up. They have this view of the way the world should work, and they fight for it. Tirelessly. Relentlessly. Without cease.
Because the Democrats, who routinely mistake compromise for appeasement, do give up fighting for things like the New Deal (much less the Great Society), the ERA and for the progressive humanism of government, the debate can be controlled by the Republicans and conservatives. Because they do teach their children, and their children's children, that destroying the New Deal, secular education, civil rights, etc., are the highest political values. Even when the Democrats have been right, they . . . have given up.
Which is probably why I'm not a Democrat (oh, god, I'm not a Republican, either!). Even when they've been right, rather than tirelessly fighting for what is right, they've allowed "political expediency" to shape their politics and policy.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
One of the key differences between the Republicans and Democrats
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3 comments:
Plenty of people still talk about the Equal Rights Amendment and many still lobby for it, just check out www.4ERA.org. You might be surprised at what's going on in state legislatures regarding gaining equal rights for men and women.
It's the media that makes sure people like you don't hear about our work.
Year after year, campaign after campaign, the Republicans will make anti-abortion and evolution and lowering taxes and/or abolishing worker protection as part of their platform. I can't think of the last time that the Democratic Party had, as part of their platform, passing the ERA.
While it is true that some people are fighting for it, obviously, the party has stopped, as have almost all of the people in the party. That there is a small movement otherwise doesn't change the essential truth of what I said, so I'm gonna stick to it. I'll change my mind when Barack Obama says he supports passage of the ERA.
Yeah. When I get tired of people that generally agree with me giving up by not fighting for what they believe in for all eternity, I get upset and give up on the whole party too. Bloody quitters.
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