-Caveat Lector- Online Journal - http://www.onlinejournal.com 04-29-01: Let the media and the right "get over it," we're not "moving on" By Carah Marie Helwig April 29, 2001 -- Liberals are running scared (so the mainstream media would have you think). They're bitter. They're reactionary. They need to suck it up, learn to deal, and get over those piddly little electoral mistakes of the past. Whiners, they are. They also need to stop protesting. Demanding political change is uncouth. Loud, crowded demonstrations are a sign of a democracy in serious disarray. The state must have control. Complete and total. Without exception. Otherwise there would be anarchy. We cannot have that. Our republic should not settle for less than unquestioned loyalty and passive obedience. In the current political climate, all of these remarks are now made with a sneer (there must be some sort of Reaganesque trickle-down from Dubya to his minions when it comes to facial expressions). It's a bit of a nyah-nyah game; the conservatives are back in power and the voices that most desperately need to be silenced are those of the spirited left. All of the disgruntled right wing kids may be just as disgruntled as they were before, only now they haughtily shroud themselves in the shaky security blanket afforded them by their cohorts at the helm. They've got their Second Amendment, their pieces of the True Cross, and their Confederate flags, and that's all that matters. The guv won't be running rough shod over their interpretation of the Bill of Rights any time soon. The life of a progressive activist is not without its challenges. You may be arrested. You may be physically harmed. Even if you are able to escape the two most hazardous byproducts of your hell-raising, you will invariably be subjected to snide derision from fools who live to mock their ideological opponents. They rarely see the irony in harassing liberals, many of whom would protect the First Amendment rights of their detractors as fiercely as those of their allies. The pious stewards of tradition have always been reluctant to acknowledge appeals for social progress, no matter how compelling the cause. American women had to toil for 80 years to win the franchise. Labor organizers had to sneak around the letter of the law and stare down the barrels of company-owned guns in order to unionize. Civil rights activists were beaten, mauled by police dogs, attacked with high-powered hoses, and yes, killed for the totally unreasonable demand that the southern states enforce the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. While it is not surprising that the status quo has yet to evolve with American progressive thought, they have not even attempted to take lessons from their many mistakes. They don't even make a customary half-assed effort to pander to us anymore. While watching several hours of coverage of the Quebec City protests on CNN, I did not hear one positive reference to the 30,000 protesters that peacefully championed workers' rights, socially responsible private enterprise, and environmental preservation. I did, however, listen to a continuous condemnation of the very few who were breaking down barricades and (as a result of their actions) were tear gassed into oblivion. It was almost as if the nonviolent progressives did not exist. Should we expect anything less? The Battle in Seattle was characterized in the same manner. The IMF demonstrations in Washington were an offshoot, a continuation of the anarchistic jamboree masterminded by the perpetually unfocused and under-ambitious. The inaugural protests were just another pity party for the frustrated anti-capitalists who had marched before. Same bat time, slightly different bat channel. Apparently there are very few left wing radicals remaining within our borders, and they all carpool and compost their way to the same kooky events. They also love to break things and loot coffee shops. Those of us who huddled in the rain and yelled until we were hoarse on January 20 know full well that the understated portrayal of our historic gathering was inaccurate. This we anticipated. Yet we were somehow under the delusion that the ignorance of the mainstream press would eventually become intolerable to its readership. We perhaps (ahem) underestimated the ripple effects of irresponsible corporate journalism. It has only been a few months since the chad hit the fan, but both the Beltway Establishment and Middle America are telling us fringefolk (in thoroughly exasperated tones) to "move on." It's over, they say. Which is entirely true. It is impossible to rewind the clock and change anything that has happened since November. Al Gore won't magically appear to take the presidential oath and adopt what may well be his rightful place at the head of the federal table. George W. Bush won't be having an original thought any time soon, nor will he let go of that seemingly self-deprecating cluelessness that the press and public find so endearing. Bizarre as it may be, the spiteful victors have still declared a permanent open season on the Big Dog and the junior senator from New York. But, "move on?" How does one "move on" after one of the greatest acts of injustice in American history? Why are we not allowed our First Amendment right (or dare I say, duty) to expose the truth and pester Shrub at every turn? Did the Republican Party "move on" and let go of their ridiculous eight-year hyper-moralistic fervor to destroy William Jefferson Clinton? And in asking that question am I only revealing my own acrimony? It is quite maddening to be the better person and to let things go for the greater good. We liberals have often taken this position. We may do it to preserve our consciences, or to quietly hold the moral high ground, or to demonstrate that if turnabout is indeed fair play, then fair play should likewise be turnabout. But in this surreal case, many of us have been unable and unwilling to "move on." I will never completely recover from the painful lessons of Election 2000. It can no longer be simplified into one cause, effect, or consequence. It's not about the merit and/or leadership potential of Al, Dubya, or even that pesky Ralph. It's not about the populism of the Gore campaign, the decision not to bring President Clinton into the fray, the corporate media's convenient sidestepping of Smirk's many skeletons, or the spoiler factors of certain third party candidates (who remain suspiciously silent on Bush II's evils as of late). It's about emancipation, enfranchisement, freedom, legality, truth, justice, the American Way, apple pie, and Mom. The magnitude of this travesty should transcend individual personalities and erase party lines. So why are some otherwise conscientious Americans and dreadfully opportunistic Democrats calling on us to "move on?" A few isolated opinions do not adequately represent our national mentality, but some members of the press seem to think that episodic journalism can effectively replace substantive investigative reporting. One very popular cure-all tactic is to find a few rattled former Dems, confused mugwumps, and pleased-as-punch GOPers, flash their sunny, jolly faces on the television screen, and hope that we will again feel a warm and fuzzy nostalgic longing for "Morning in America" take two. Mmm, love that panacea. It's a delicious little booster shot of visual and rhetorical morphine, courtesy of the Fourth Estate. They wish to hearken back to when things were going fairly poorly for anyone who wasn't in the top 1 percent of all wage earners, but folks still felt a disturbing sort of honor in the way in which their lives were going fairly poorly. Brandish the stars and stripes, pump some Lee Greenwood over the airwaves, provide a few kickbacks to the big time donors, ignore the massive layoffs and the long-term economic, environmental, and cultural costs, and you've got yourself a swell American pridefest. Isn't that what we're supposed to desire? Or should we want to muddle through the hazy, arsenic-laced mist that envelops our democratic process, regardless of what may result? Knee-jerk liberals have been told to quiet down before. We have been forced to temporarily retreat only to resurface again, stronger and better prepared to fight another round. The progressive movement has struggled through some difficult times, and this most recent roadblock will certainly not be the last. It may be easier to acquiesce and give in to the dominant paradigm, but nothing worth doing is ever easy. Our labors may go unrewarded today; nevertheless, history will someday smile upon us. The reports of the death of the Democratic Party, its liberal base, and the idealism of millions of left-wingers have been greatly exaggerated. But we must take a solemn vow to ensure that the rest of the country questions the validity of such hyperbolic fallacies. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. 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