The Shame of Being a Republican

I was just reading Ian Buruma's article in a recent New Yorker, "War and Remembrance". This article is about the premier genius of latter 20th century German fiction, Gunter Grass and revelations that Grass had been involved in a small way in the SS during the latter part of WWII. Grass has come under criticism, not so much for the fact that he participated in something that many Germans of his age did, but that his involvement with the Secret Police of the SS was kept a secret for more than half a century while he condemned others for the same involvement. It is a shame that the genius who wrote 'A Tin Drum' should suffer so much shame that he would produce his own judgmental cover-up.

This article makes me wonder how the world and this country will perceive the Republican party of this country in years to come. Something is very wrong with the Republican Party and the Democratic Party's complacent enablers. You can see this in Rep. Foley's use of his power to try and seduce young men who worked for him as Pages. You can see it in the use of torture in Abu Garab and Gitamano, you can see it in FEMA's neglect in New Orleans. You can see it in what has happened in our schools since "No Child's Behind Left" as Journalist Greg Palast aptly calls it.

Most importantly you can see it in the callous disregard for the truth that began our war in Iraq. Where was the moral compass that we were able to have after WWII - that compass helped us rebuild the great nation of Germany which is now reunited, Democratic and more the country of Beethoven and Goethe than the country of Hitler and Himmler? When Auschwitz was liberated, it was liberated by segregated black soldiers - that’s true. But we were moving in the right direction then, just on the cusp of having an integrated military. This integrated military was so helpful to raising up a black middle class in this country. I don't know if there was a conspiracy behind the assassin who killed Dr. King. But very few in this country would have voted to jail and torture Martin Luther King in the 60's. Many whites took to the streets to support the Civil Rights movement because that was the great moral compass of our country.

But today, will we vote to jail and torture Muslims and other dissidents in this country? Is this where we are headed? Who makes the rules when a President has such an absolute arbitrary power? I learned in school that absolute power corrupts absolutely, but since Social Studies class is now cancelled due to No Child's Behind Left, this phrase will be conveniently deleted from the folk memory of our people in years to come. I know there are bad people who conspire against us, but can't we just try them on charges and move on?

But when someone finally rescues us from the prison our society has now become, whether it be the proverbial feces that hits the fan, or otherwise, will Republicans say they didn't know about the extent of the torture being inflicted? Will they say they didn't really mean to destroy our freedom of dissent? Will they turn on each other and point fingers? Probably.

I remember 9/11 too. As my blog attests, I was right in the middle of it. Let me tell you about a pretty Moroccan girl who used to be a cashier at the luncheon place in the building where I worked. Days after 9/11, she abandoned her scarf for a baseball hat, piling up her thick dark beautiful hair in that scarf, smiling, taking our money and fearing us. There were many military in our building (selective service). The outpouring of sympathy and support of the military officers was very wonderful to see. In a few days, she was happily back in her usual dress. That's America at its finest.

That is pretty cool that she was treated with kindness and respect by people who frequented her place of business. I was at a local gas station/convenience store while on my morning walk; stopped to get a bottle of pop, and they had TVs on in there with the news on 9/11. The guy who owned the place was of East Indian descent and regularly wore a turban. He was a hard worker who instilled the same hard work ethic into his children. His place was vandalized three times in three days until the local police found the freaks who were doing it. "Respectable" neighborhood people were doing it. This man started wearing a ball cap instead of a turban after that. Small detail, but still relevant nonetheless. The station has since been sold and I heard he made a pile of money, so it more or less has a happy ending. But it was sort of a hangout for me and it made me sad to think that hateful people would target a guy who isn't even Muslim (He's Buddhist) just because he's different from them. Different as in smarter.