When You Have Nothing to Offer, Offer Fear

I could not understand why so many of my email and Facebook postings spewed hate and fear about the Obama presidency. It could be that I am a dumb Ozark boy and don't recognize reality when it is staring me in the face. Or, it could be that some of my friends are either (a) racist or (b) suffer from the Chicken Little syndrome: The sky is falling!

I truly doubt that my friends are card-carrying racists. I acknowledge that a tiny racist resides in many of us, more so than we may want to admit. It's like that little male chauvinist that continues residency somewhere in the guts of most men. They may not recognize it but you can be sure their wives and female friends do. Likewise, I suspect that black people, who admittedly may be supersensitive on the matter, recognize racism more acutely than members of the white community.

Just the same, I will give my friends the benefit of the doubt and declare that they are not racists and, therefore, are not among those badmouthing President Obama because he is black. I prefer to believe (there's that Ozark boy naiveté again) they have some reasons based on fact for their fear.

Unfortunately, I never get to know those reasons. What I get in my email and in postings on Facebook are statements like, I do not believe that he is doing anything good for this wonderfull (sic) country. I believe what he is doing is doing for himself.

I have no idea the basis for that statement, but it comes from another Ozark boy and longtime friend.

I must ask of my friend and anyone sharing this view: How will what the president is doing benefit him? If what he is doing is so bad for the country won't the voters see this and correct the balance of power in Washington during the mid-term elections? It has happened to other presidents. But my first question remains unanswered: How will what he is doing benefit him?

As I pondered these statements of fear from various sources, I began to realize that aside from predictions of fear or outright expressions of fear, they offered nothing else.

If they register as members of the Republican Party, they would do the Party a favor by leaving.

The Republican Party has a number of good, wise statesmen who, unfortunately, have abdicated their statesmanship and leadership to the far right wing of the party. This right-wing contingent would not support John McCain for president until he selected one of their kind for vice president. And as with Bob Dole before him, McCain, a good man, was held back by his lack of religious righteousness and never allowed to campaign on his past accomplishments or his vision for the country. He was kept off message while defending his right-wing vice presidential running mate.

The religious right has no solutions to pressing national concerns, they have no interest in furthering our position in world affairs. They just want God to be our leader. Lacking solutions, they offer fear -- much like a lot of what is found in the Bible they love to quote.

The Republican Party would do well in the next presidential election to let the religious right go its own way and form a third party for all those who think we must be governed by religiously-oriented politicians. I prefer leaders (politicians, if you desire) who understand world and national affairs, economics and modern security matters, and are ready to deal with the real world in which we live. Meanwhile, Republican party leaders, those with some idea of how the world works and what we must do can return their attention to constructive debate about national issues and world affairs. They can help address the issues instead of always just being opposed to any proposal from "the liberals."

Fear operates in the absence of information. We are afraid of what we don't know. Isn't it time we insist that our political leaders provide us with facts rather than fear, with solutions rather than religious sophistry?

What do you think?