The Final Straw---Lifelong Republican Votes For Kerry

[MsConduct]

After witnessing fascist-like actions at a Bush rally, Carl Worden has seen the light. This is an excellently written editorial, well worth reading.

http://www.sierratimes.com/04/10/20/carlworden.htm


Peace

[cheshire]

1. That was well woth the read. Thanks.

[Bozita]

2. 3 teachers tossed for wearing shirts with "Protect Our Civil Liberties"

from the article:


Three local teachers got tickets to the Bush rally, passed all the security checkpoints and scrutiny and got in. They never created or caused a disturbance, and they were perfectly peaceful members of the audience waiting to hear Bush speak. But before they got to hear Bush, they were expelled from the rally by Bush rally staff who objected to the words printed on the T-shirts they were wearing.


No, the words on the T-shirts the ladies were wearing did not disparage Bush, nor did they suggest support for Kerry or any other candidate. The words did not condemn or support the war in Iraq, nor did they slam any Administration policy. No, the T-shirts the three women wore showed an American flag, and under it the words, "Protect Our Civil Liberties". That was all -- I kid you not.

That was it. That was the last straw for me. That was the defining moment I'll never forget. That was my epiphany.

[insanity]

23. I know them

They had shirts that said "save our civil liberties" and one (the one I know) had a "No on 36" button (yes on 36 is one man one woman). It has gotten a lot of pissed off people in our local paper and a couple of good articles about the three ladies. Saving our civil liberties is not the Bush agenda.
Also, my 18 year old friends got shot with pepper bullets for standing and one girl I know got maced. I almost got arrested for "disordlerly conduct" This all made my vote so much easier, I voted by mail the day I got my ballot.

[MsConduct]

32. Don't you love that Oregon has mail-in ballots? Welcome to DU!

[LibertyorDeath]

3. Thanks this guys got bush*s number

The absolute last straw for me took place at the Bush rally, held in Central Point, Oregon on October 14th. President Bush stayed in Jacksonville, Oregon overnight after the rally, and protesters and police clashed on the streets. I sent out a photo of a Jackson County Sheriff's Deputy, all Nazi'd up in black leather riot control gear and grinning evilly as he shoved a woman holding her 5 year-old daughter. It wasn't the finest hour for local law enforcement, but even that wasn't the last straw for me. No, the last straw for me happened just before the Bush rally itself.

Three local teachers got tickets to the Bush rally, passed all the security checkpoints and scrutiny and got in. They never created or caused a disturbance, and they were perfectly peaceful members of the audience waiting to hear Bush speak. But before they got to hear Bush, they were expelled from the rally by Bush rally staff who objected to the words printed on the T-shirts they were wearing.

Tania Tong & Candice Julian - Medford teachers got booted from Bush rally
Mail Tribune Photo
No, the words on the T-shirts the ladies were wearing did not disparage Bush, nor did they suggest support for Kerry or any other candidate. The words did not condemn or support the war in Iraq, nor did they slam any Administration policy. No, the T-shirts the three women wore showed an American flag, and under it the words,

more http://www.sierratimes.com/04/10/20/carlworden.htm

[RummyTheDummy]

4. Holy shit

That was a helluva read. This guy has a lot of sense. These are the kind of Repugs I can respect. He did a great job in highlighting the difference. There was a time when they weren't so venemous, but that day is long gone.

Let's just hope there's a lot more like him.

[Steelangel]

5. Suggest anyone to read the comments

http://www.sierratimes.com/ar_mailbag.htm

Name: Jerry Worthington
This Feedback was sent on: 10.20.04 at 18:39 Pacific Time
So what is new Carl has never stood for anytrhing in his life that he did not change his mind on

Response From Carl Worden: I reserve the right to be wrong, to admit my error, and to take steps to correct it.

It's called wisdom. look it up sometime.

Carl F. Worden

-----------------------------------------------------------

Name: tadowe
This Feedback was sent on: 10.21.04 at 00:40 Pacific Time
Carl:

So, you'll vote for the first such 'military' traitor, since Benedict Arnold, because the local fuzz and a few callous campaign micromanager's conduct happened to 'offend' your sensibilities?

This you will do because you are such a staunch 'conservative' and constitutional scholar, which is evidently germane from the buildup to your 'surprising' decision to support someone who has consistently voted to restrict military hardware and force levels and to limit human intelligence. You will vote for the appeaser to the North Vietnamese communists in destroying MIA documentation, ending the effort to find them, and offering the communists 'favored' nation trade status. You will vote for someone who is able to 'fix' his less than honorable discharge and make it 'honorable'.

You would, wouldn't you -- cut your long political nose *off* to spite your 'conservative' Republican 'face'?

You have the discipline of a puling child and ". . .are not fit for command. . ."

Very, very sincerely,
Tad Dowe

Response From Carl Worden: You know, Tad, you really need to learn what your duty as an American is, instead of blindly obeying every illegal order like a good little Nazi.

I don't like Kerry's politics one bit, but his stand on the undeclared, unconstitutional and illegal war in Vietnam was right. He stood alone, and idiots like you call him a traitor?

You need to re-examine your own values before you question Kerry's.

Carl F. Worden

-----------------------------------------------------------

Wow. Carl Worden won my respect...

[MsConduct]

16. He seems to have the answers to whatever they throw at him. n/t

[Barad Simith]

6. a great article

for every conservative who is shouting his disdain for Bush from the rooftops...

there are tens of thousands who will either pull the lever for Kerry, or vote for a third-party candidate, or just stay home

[LittleClarkie]

7. Now that's a true patriot

I do think that Kerry will surprise him. But even so, the part that got me the most was his taking the lives of the soldiers to heart.

Bless him.

[Contrary1]

8. Bravo!

[WildEyedLiberal]

9. That's a conservative I can respect.

I am sure that I probably disagree with him on just about every matter of policy, but I can respect and admire his obvious patriotism and his wisdom in knowing that COUNTRY comes before PARTY.

If only more conservatives were as principled as he. His smackdown of that freeper and his defense of Kerry's antiwar activities were brilliant too. Bravo, Mr. Worden!

[MsConduct]

33. They should all be like him, huh? Welcome to DU!

[BurtWorm]

10. Wow!

"My decision to vote for Kerry was a vote to get Bush and his administration out. I could have voted for a third party candidate who couldn't possibly win, but that would have translated into a vote for Bush, and I just couldn't do that. Too many kids in uniform have already been killed and maimed for nothing, and I see it as my primary duty to save as many of them as I can. If my vote for a third party candidate means Bush wins and more kids come home dead and mutilated, then I have abrogated my duty as an American, as a Christian and as a decent human being. I didn't know better during the Vietnam War, when I voted for Nixon twice, but I would be without excuse if I did it again now."


:wow:

[shelley806]

11. This is great! Someone had it posted a few days ago, and

I e-mailed it to family members. I'm glad he woke up. I pray that the rest of the country will on Nov. 2. This administration is more terrifying to me than the terrorists.

[MsConduct]

13. I didn't know it was posted before...

I think it should be posted as much as possible. I found it on the myway boards. I've sent it to all my friends also.
This guy Worden has my respect, fer sure.

Peace

[RafterMan]

12. One of his replies to a reader response

Response From Carl Worden: Well, partner, you are on the wrong side if you call yourself a Bush supporter. You are on the wrong side of the Constitution, which means you are on the wrong side of the people of the United States.

Let me put it this way: If the Founding Fathers and Framers to the Constitution were reincarnated today and given positions high in government power, they would immediately order the arrest of George W. Bush for high treason. They would probably fight over the honor of hanging Mr. Bush.

You need to learn what your responsibilities as an American citizen are. You need to revisit the Constitution and Bill of Rights, then read the full text of the Patriot Act Bush signed.

That alone will remove all doubt.

Carl F. Worden

[MsConduct]

14. That was G-R-E-A-T. You gotta love this guy! n/t

[Steelangel]

15. **kick**

This topic is too valuable to drop out of the picture.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

17. sierratimes.com is a VERY conservative site

This is fantastic PR. The freepers must be apopleptic over it.

[MsConduct]

18. I didn't know how conservative of a site it is...

yeah, the readers must be have fits over this, for sure. That makes my day! LOL


Peace

[Kahuna]

19. Great letter. Thanks for posting.

:hi:

[otohara]

20. New American's From

countries who operate this way should not even consider voting for the facists regime that stole their way to White House.

I'm sending this to my older friend who escaped from Urkraine and has vivid memories of this sort of government. She voted for Bush in 2000

[Tsiyu]

21. Yes a beautiful thing

I would have Carl's love child. Seriously, he is taking the issues to heart and is unafraid to back up his position and to take the heat from the dimwitted fools who will NEVER see the light.

Hey Carl? :yourock:

[Steelangel]

22. **kick**

[Cha]

24. Hey, Hey, Hey!

"Protect Our Civil Liberties".

Gotta Love those words!

[MsConduct]

26. Four Words, Big Impact ...

Kind of scares you to think that these words were so threatening, huh?


Peace

[Cha]

27. Their mindset is scary , yeah!..

But those were also the words that changed this republican around ..so they turned out to be our fightin' words.

[MsConduct]

28. Yeah, you're right about that! Thanks. n/t

[MessiahRp]

25. Extremely good article

Hopefully we reeling many more like that into the fold. The thing is too, I think once these people vote for Kerry, and they are most definitely doing it first and foremost to remove Bush, they'll grow to admire the man.

He'll put the healthcare and education spending bills through, but he'll trim the pork and balance the budget or threaten vetos. Fiscal Conservatives will like that.

He'll put the old assault weapons ban back into place, but he won't ask for further restrictions on weapons. Gun Enthusiasts can live with that.

He won't use Gay Rights and Abortion as a wedge issue so doing nothing to restrict either will prominently affect a lot of people because people won't have it crammed down their throats daily.

Kerry will end up being a pretty moderate, balanced guy. And I think we'll keep the Kerry Republicans, unlike how they squandered the Reagan Republicans.

Rp

[loudsue]

29. Great article! BTW.... I think some of the polledNader voters are repukes

who can't bring themselves to vote for shrub. In fact, I think a great many of the votes that Nader gets will be from the repuke camp.

:kick::kick:

[JusticeForAll]

30. This has to be seen!!!

Tania Tong & Candice Julian - Medford teachers got booted from Bush rally (because of this T-Shirt)





Mail Tribune Photo

[Oreo]

31. Beautiful

Response From Carl Worden: Oh Darling, anybody could fool a true Republican like you. Bush did!

Of all these instances you cite, were any of them official, sanctioned acts of the Democratic Party? Did a Democrat officer come out and say he backed those acts 100%??

No, I didn't think so. Yes, Republicans like you are the very easiest to fool, because you vote your party while your conscience isn't even addressed. Carl Worden

[MsConduct]

35. The Guy Has Class. Welcome to DU!

[Wapsie B]

34. I just have this feeling

that chimpy's lost WAYYYYYYY more loyal republican voters just like Carl. It ain't gonna be close.

Kerry/Edwards Landslide.
Believe it.

[hippiegranny]

36. it was mostly enjoyable

I took issue with this passage:

>I'm certainly not a Democrat or a liberal, but I might just register as a Democrat to help them avoid mistakes in the next primary, like running another John Kerry for president. Any moderate, pro-gun southern Democrat would have easily swept Bush aside this election. As it is, the race is so close it could go either way at this point.<

which he later contradicts:

>I still believe this election is going to Kerry, no matter what the polls predict. Last time, it was so close the Supreme Court had to decide the outcome. This time, a huge number of former Bush Republicans like me have bolted to Kerry. Unless a large number of former Gore supporters are going to vote for Bush this time, I don't see how Bush can get re-elected. Add to that the massive numbers of young voters who are registered to vote for the first time under threat of a draft, and I see Bush being shown the door by more than a close vote. But we'll see...<

but all in all, it was good to read a first person account of a change in heart and the reasons for it.

[MsConduct]

38. I got that he's not a Kerry guy...

I'm just glad he can see through the bush*t. That, to me, was the best part.



Peace

[frank frankly]

37. you've got to read the feedback and carl's responses to the emails

it is a GREAT read. really, really GREAT!

[MsConduct]

39. The guy is sharp, no doubt about it!

Glad you enjoyed it.