"Stay and fight." Interesting blog post tonight by Dean. Inspiring.

[madfloridian]

http://www.blogforamerica.com/
Stay and Fight
My local newspaper in Vermont has published several articles since the November elections about disenchanted people moving to Canada. Yes, the Presidential election was a disappointment to a lot of Americans — about 48% of them. But this is our country too, so my attitude is, "Please stay and fight." Over the next four years we have a chance to lay out a vision and a message that appeals to the best in all Americans.

Our message has to be about rebuilding community. The community we want to rebuild is one based on mutual respect. The community we want to rebuild is one based on fiscal prudence, where a dollar saved is a dollar earned so that our kids can have at least the same, if not better, opportunities than we have. Our community will be one where Americans who work hard, no matter what their wages are, have a basic standard of living which includes adequate health care. Our community will be inclusive. Our community will not turn its back on those who are members of minority groups, on American Indians, on single women with children, on people with disabilities, on public employees, on gay Americans, or on working people who make minimum wage.

Our community will be based on fairness. Our America will be a community where all really are created equal. Our community will be one where people of faith are welcomed and held up as role models, but it will also be one where those who seek to use religion as a wedge issue to teach intolerance and hate are treated as the sinners which they are.

This community will be based on values of strength, toughness, respect for others and their ideas. And above all, the notion that loving thy neighbor — all neighbors, not just some — is an essential American value.

Americans are too tough to give up easily. As we start a new year, please continue to build our community — together we can take our country back.

Posted by Howard Dean at 10:25 PM

[The Zanti Regent]

1. It's too little and too late for me.

Now that my only child died for Jesus, I'm ready to give up.

[Merlot]

5. That's so sad...

I'm sorry to hear that

[madfloridian]

7. Heartbreaking.

But you can't give up. You just can't. He or she would not want you to give up fighting.

Peace. :grouphug:

[The Zanti Regent]

12. I saw what Jesus did to him.

He was totally brainwashed by the Jesusistas, just got out of high school and wanted to go get even for 911.

I pleaded with him not to go, but the recruiter got to him. Promised him he would fight for America and Freedom. Big bu¢k$ for college.

and now my only child is dead.

Tomorrow starts a new year. I will go see him in the VA Cemetary and lay some fresh roses on his grave. Then I will go to work to secede California from Jesusland.

You tell me to stay and fight. My relatives in Nazi Germany stayed and fought and wound up in Bergen Belsen, Dachau and Auschwitz and they were killed.

Now the Jesusistas are coming for Gays and Lesbians.

The only way Jesusland can be stopped is by pulling the rug out and letting the Jesusistas sink in red ink. California should tell Jesusland to fuck off and pay the bills.

[fooj]

13. I admire the integrity of your post! You have suffered...

Please know that many Americans suffer with you! Our deepest, heartfelt condolences! You are not alone! We are here for you! Please help us stop these injustices so that no other mother loses her only child to war! May you find your inner strength and courage throughout this troubled time. :hug: I wish you peace.

[The Zanti Regent]

18. There will be no peace until Jesusland is stopped cold.

Jesusland is out of control. You cannot fight when Howard Ahmandson and the Jesusistas have rigged the voting machines and the press is solidly controlled by the Nazi Republican Party. Hitler or Stalin NEVER had it as good as the Bush Crime Family has it now!

The only way to stop it is to work for secession and the blue states should leave. You hear the bullshit that the preachers are saying, they don't want us anyway. That should be fine with everyone. Let the blue states go and then stick Jesusland with the bills. Let James Dobson and his fucking Presidential Prayer Team try to pray the red ink away. Let Grover Norquist and his Catholic bishop pals eliminate all government and see how the churches will still exploit the masses and leave them to fend for themselves.

The only way to stop Jesusland is to stop enabling and financing it. Japan and China should be ashamed that they finance such a Frankenstein state.

I want Howard Dean to explain to me why I should stay and play with a rigged and stacked deck. No thanks, I wont rest until this country is broken up the way the USSR was.

[LTRS]

38. Nice to know someone else sees this...

I have a son as well. An only son. I am sorry for your loss - I cannot even imagine how it must feel to lose your only son.

But I had to post to say one other thing .... it is nice to know that someone else sees what you express in your post. Some days I think I am the only one who sees where all this is headed. I won't leave yet. I will stay and fight for now, but I feel like there aren't enough people noticing what is happening to make a difference.

[fortyfeetunder]

10. So sorry about this.

I can imagine this is a tough end of the year for you. My thoughts are with you :hug:

[asjr]

2. Howard Dean is still my guy.

[DFLforever]

3. Bless Dean .

A new year's message addressed to community and the social contract.

He's essentially telling us it's all still worth fighting for despite the crushing electoral defeat.

And his actions over the last two years, more than those of almost anyone else, are responsible for maintaining our hope.

[Eloriel]

4. There he goes again

Being the visionary who transcends labels and rises above "liberal" and "conservative" to appeal to ALL Americans and offer a vision of hope, an achievable vision of what's possible, what's doable, and what average Americans can be encouraged to participate in -- well beyond wedge politics.

[madfloridian]

6. I like this part: "this is our country, too."

"Yes, the Presidential election was a disappointment to a lot of Americans — about 48% of them. But this is our country too, so my attitude is, "Please stay and fight." Over the next four years we have a chance to lay out a vision and a message that appeals to the best in all Americans...."

[nightperson]

9. "This is our country, too." To say the least.

Not to sound too much like Gore Vidal, but why should Dean, Kerry, or myself leave (after our families have lived here for almost 400 years, each) just to please John "Sofa Samurai" Podhoretz et al....? I don't feel like going anywhere. Freep that.

[Merlot]

8. Yes, admirable.

And words I need to hear right now. A vision for us, and the belief that it's worth fighting for.

[madfloridian]

11. "those who use religion as wedge issue treated as the sinners they are."

You tell them, Howard Dean.

SNIP..."Our community will be one where people of faith are welcomed and held up as role models, but it will also be one where those who seek to use religion as a wedge issue to teach intolerance and hate are treated as the sinners which they are."

[janx]

14. Well I'm certainly not going anywhere...

What a great post to kick off the new year!

:party:

[Gyre]

15. I'm not going anywhere physically

though I've already migrated to the Green Party.

Gyre

[DavidDvorkin]

16. How can we fight?

If they own the voting machines and the counting process and the media, there's no way to fight.

I've become completely pessimistic lately.

[Joe Power]

17. Me too

As long as they have almost full media control and rig the elections we're all fucked. There will not be another revolution, and without one this experiment has probably failed.

[ldf]

20. there will not be another revolution...

sadly, is true. if there was going to be one it would have been after 2000. we are too far gone, now.

they have the media, they have the government, they have our very own party.

that is an unbeatable combination.

i'm all for the secession suggestion.

we, as a country, have lost any degree of moral integrity for trying to lead the world, thanks to the "beloved" president. so it is no longer possible for us to try to "take the high road" as an example to the other nations.

we, as a nation, are now a threat to the rest of the world. the red states set the agenda while the blue states finance it. maybe it's time we put a hold on the bank account.

i know it is a practical impossibility, but i think something as drastic as that is what it is going to take to stop this monster.

we (americans) have already become too complacent and accepting to do anything about it through legal means.

i say get out, why we still can.

[Cheswick2.0]

24. I can think of solutions to them ownign the voting machines

I am suprized no one has come to the same conclusions.

[Gold Metal Flake]

36. Lay it on me?

I'd like to hear it. Seriously.

[welshTerrier2]

19. held up as role models ??

Our community will be one where people of faith are welcomed and held up as role models

welcoming people of faith is fine ... but why would Dr. Dean hold up people of faith as role models? is he suggesting that those who are "people of faith" are better than those who are not "people of faith"?

would he also hold up as role models those who don't believe in god ??? when Dr. Dean says "our community will be inclusive" is this a group he accidently overlooked?

[madfloridian]

21. Will he hold up atheists as role models? Well, I don't know.

I don't even know what to say to you on that one. That paragraph was quite nice, really. He always makes sure to condemn those who are pseudo religous, and that is good.

Do you know of any politician who would hold up atheists as role models? I know a lot of nice people are agnostic or atheistic, but they truly do not expect to be held up as role models.

Could you be asking a wee bit too much of a person who is trying very hard right now? Could you just be a bit too demanding?

Radical left dogma is just as dangerous as radical right dogma anyday.

[welshTerrier2]

26. asking about Dr. Dean's views on athiests is radical left dogma ??

you're awfully quick to assign labels ...

[madfloridian]

27. Not what you said. You want them held up as role models.

You are awfully demanding of someone who is speaking out when others are not.

[welshTerrier2]

29. let's keep this going to highlight this issue ...

you call it "demanding" to highlight EXACTLY WHAT DR. DEAN SAID and ask whether his statement values "people of faith" more than those without faith? that's what you call "demanding" ??? you still have NOT ANSWERED THE QUESTION !!

as i've said before, even considering your "puppy love he can do no wrong ever ever ever" defense of Dr. Dean, i continue to support him for DNC chair ... but i will tell you what his careless statement about "people of faith" comes across as ... it comes across as political pandering to the religious community ... he's sucking up to religious voters ... as a political strategy, that might be a good thing to do ... for a person who talks about being "inclusive", this specific point clearly values "people of faith" above those who don't believe in god ...

my point is NOT to suggest that Dr. Dean doesn't respect both groups; it's to point out that this particular statement is beneath him ... it's political pandering and excludes millions of voters who should not be excluded as role models merely because of their views on religion ... i don't think Dr. Dean did this intentionally, but it was nevertheless a careless oversight ...

[madfloridian]

30. I think you are reading way too much into this.

I am not going to argue with you on it. It does not seem to me to be meant that way at all. I did not see pandering in it, and I still don't.

I am tired of seeing both sides go after the center so angrily. The extreme right attacks the moderates. Sadly, though, the extreme left is doing just about as bad.

The radical left is as bad as the radical right when they get so damn perfect on every thing.

If you are an atheist, and he offended you, then have nothing to do with him. That is knee-jerk politics at its best.

I don't have to defend a position that you are exaggerating.

[welshTerrier2]

31. "knee-jerk politics at its best"

extreme left ... extreme right ... where do you get this stuff ???

is there some position i've taken or something i've said that leads you to believe i am "extreme left" or "extreme right" ???

if someone is an atheist, does that mean they are a political extremist ???

you don't have to defend any position at all ... but you still haven't answered a very specific and direct question i asked ... Dr. Dean said that people of faith should be held up as role models ... it's a simple question ... it's not "angry" ... it's not "extreme left dogma" ... it's not even attacking Dr. Dean ... it's just this simple question: does Dr. Dean believe that people who are not people of faith should be held up as role models?

it's not knee jerk politics .. i haven't said what my religious views are ... i haven't said he offended me ... and i'm certainly not "getting so damn perfect on every thing" ... i highlighted that Dr. Dean sees people of faith as role models and i'm simply asking his views on those who don't fit that description ... if you prefer not to answer, that's certainly your right ...

[janx]

33. I'm sure the Guv finds role model qualities in a lot of people.

As I said before, it's not an either/or situation.

The key is to stand and fight!

[janx]

22. It's not an either/or situation.

Read the rest of the line:

...but it will also be one where those who seek to use religion as a wedge issue to teach intolerance and hate are treated as the sinners which they are.

[InvisibleBallots]

23. "treated as the sinners which they are"

Damn, Dean, those are fighting words. :)

[janx]

25. Sometimes he calls them Pharisees. n/t

[Cha]

28. Moving to a Country that respects the People

is mighty tempting but since I don't have the wherewithall anyway..I'll will stay and fight.

And the fascists would love it if all the progressive liberals would just get the hell out..but it's our Country and we love it..it's so beautiful..too bad the government is overtaken by the destroyers.

This is very inspiring by Dean..but I think the election was a disappointment and beyond by 51% or more of the People!

[janx]

32. Stay and fight!

Damn right!




Edit: WHICH OF THESE SOLDIERS IS THE MOST HANDSOME?

[janx]

34. kick

for the handsome soldiers

[hansolsen]

35. No use moving to Canada - we'll just annex Canada one day soon. N/T

[bklyncowgirl]

37. Inspiring vision and a nice summary of liberal values.

Thanks, Doc, I needed that.