Reject the Neo-American "Insurgents"
on November 2nd

By Scott Galindez, Reader Supported News

21 October 10

Reader Supported News | Perspective

n November 2nd Americans will be going to the polls in a very important election. Despite what the Republican Party and their misinformed followers in the Tea Party tell you, President Obama is not on the ballot.

No matter who wins this November, Barack Obama will still be our president. We will still be a nation at war. We will still have high unemployment. Millions of Americans will still be losing their homes. Bigotry based on race, religion, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation will still divide us.

On November 4th, 2008, millions of Americans rejoiced at the election of our nation's first African-American president. Below the surface, a racist segment of our nation didn't share in our joy. Instead, a fuse was lit that led to the ugly political climate that we now face.

Let us face the ugly truth: It is not the policies of Barack Obama that fuel much of the hate directed at him, it is the color of his skin. Two years ago a majority of Americans rejected racism at the polls, we should be proud of that. In just under two weeks the "insurgents" will attempt to turn the clock back and return us to an America ruled by fear. I intend to use the word "insurgent" in the same negative light that the warmongers use it to describe Iraqi and Afghan people resisting change in their country. They too believe they are doing the right thing. The "insurgents" in Iraq and Afghanistan are fueled by strongly held beliefs that are not that different from those who believe Obama is a "Muslim," or is not an American. Thank god (or whatever higher power you believe in) they have not resulted to violence to achieve their goals.

While many of us are disappointed at the pace of change, it is not an excuse for staying home and letting the forces of hate win this November.

The "insurgents" will not end the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. The wars have not ended as fast as we would like, but the next time Congress takes up the issue do we want John Boehner setting the parameters for debate?

Do we want Elizabeth Warren to lead the new Consumer Protection Agency? If the Republicans control Congress there won't be an agency for her to lead. The "insurgent" leaders support the banks, even though they spout their populist rhetoric against them.

Do we want people all over America stopped by police because they look Latin and might be here illegally? The "insurgents" do.

Do we want gays and lesbians to continue to be discriminated against both while serving our country in the military and when trying to start a family with a loved one? The "insurgents" do.

Do we want our children to continue to be bullied for being gay, or brown, or black? The "insurgents" do.

Do we want sick people to lose their health insurance, or be denied altogether because of pre-existing conditions? The "insurgents" do.

Do we want women to make less money than men for the same work? The "insurgents" do ... well, not all of them, but I'm betting the Koch Brothers didn't like the Lilly Ledbetter Act. Of course the mama grizzlies might have liked it, but I'm betting their right-wing husbands wish they were still at home, barefoot and pregnant.

Do we want Muslims, or anyone who looks like a Muslim, to live in fear? The "insurgents" do.

Do we want to abandon the unemployed, who struggle to find work while the companies that we bailed out make huge profits? The "insurgent" leaders do.

I could go on and on, and I urge you to add to this list. No, I am not saying that all the "insurgents" are bad people, but they are being led and used by people who do not have their best interests at heart. The Rush Limbaughs, Glenn Becks and Sara Palins of the world want us to turn back the clock.

The Democrats have a long way to go, and many of them continue to be part of the problem, but if we let the "insurgents" return to power things will only get worse. Say "no" to the Republicans on November 2nd, and then turn the heat up on the Democrats on November 3rd.

Scott Galindez attended Syracuse University, where he first became politically active. The writings of El Salvador's slain archbishop Oscar Romero and the on-campus South Africa divestment movement converted him from a Reagan supporter to an activist for Peace and Justice. Over the years he has been influenced by the likes of Philip Berrigan, William Thomas, Mitch Snyder, Don White, Lisa Fithian, and Paul Wellstone. Scott met Marc Ash while organizing counterinaugural events after George W. Bush's first stolen election. Scott will be spending a year covering the presidential election from Iowa.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.