"Bad American" nightmare

This is one of those conservative chain letters circulating that I get the impression that those who forward it don't necessarily read them that carefully. The person who sent me this one is a well-education professional who does complex finance work and is very good at it. This one came to me with the title "Bad American". This is the full text, interspersed with my comments:

I Am the Liberal-Progressive's Worst Nightmare.

I am an American.

Do conservatives really believe that the people who vote for Democrats - a majority - hate America? Most Americans hate America? How does that work?

I ride Harley Davidson Motorcycles and believe in American products.

Did I miss some new laws that prevents Democrats from riding motorcycles? Something tells me Harley doesn't want to market only to Republicans.

I believe the money I make belongs to me and my family, not some liberal governmental functionary, Democratic or Republican!

This sounds more anarchist than conservative to me. But couldn't we say the same thing with equal meaning (or lack thereof) about interest we pay on loans to private lenders, or obscene profits to insurance companies that provide lousy products, and many other such outrages in the "private sector"?

I think owning a gun doesn't make you a killer; it makes you a smart American.

I've met some real doofuses who own guns myself. But since no liberal I know of is calling for banning all private gun ownership, I'm not sure how this has anything to do with "liberals" or "progressives". Many of whom own guns and know how to use them.

I think being a minority does not make you noble or victimized, and does not entitle you to anything. Get over it!

The problem is, nobody whines about how victimized they are more than conservative white guys.

I believe that if you are selling me a Big Mac, you should do it in English.

McDonald's is a worldwide corporation. They typically have salespeople using the home language. But then businesses of all kinds in areas where they have lots of Spanish-speaking customers generally make higher profits if they have some Spanish-speaking sales staff available. Businesses making profits is something un-conservative now?

I believe everyone has a right to pray to his or her God when and where they want to.

Who disagrees?

My heroes are John Wayne, Babe Ruth, Roy Rogers, and Willie G. Davidson, who makes the awesome Harley Davidson Motorcycles.

So...???

I don't hate the rich.. I don't pity the poor.

Who's asking you to?

I know wrestling is fake and I don't waste my time watching or arguing about it.

I guess I missed the great debate in Congress over the authenticity of wrestling. And, actually, there are events like college and Olympic wrestling that are not fake.

I've never owned a slave, or was a slave. I haven't burned any witches or been persecuted by the Turks, and neither have you! So, shut up already.

Which has what to do with what? If you're Kurdish or Armenian, though, you might actually have been persecuted by Turks. I'm just sayin'.

I believe if you don't like the way things are here, go back to where you came from and change your own country!

This is AMERICA. We like it the way it is!

If you were born here and don't like it you are free to move to any Socialist country that will have you.

What about Glenn Beck's Tea Party crowd, who seem more upset than anyone these days about "the way things are here" in AMERICA. Where do they go? They say that don't like socialism, even though I'm not sure they know what that is.

I want to know which church is it, exactly, where the Reverend Jesse Jackson preaches, where he gets his money, and why he is always part of the problem and not the solution.

Can I get an AMEN on that one?

I'm sure you can e-mail Jesse Jackson and ask him to recommend a congregation to you.

I also think the cops have the right to pull you over if you're breaking the law, regardless of what color you are.

Who doesn't?

And, no, I don't mind having my face shown on my driver's license.

I think it's good.... And I'm proud that 'God' is written on my money.

I apparently missed both the campaign against having photos on driver's licenses and the deep connection between that and have God mentioned on currency. I'm kind of out of it, it seems.

I think if you are too stupid to know how a ballot works, I don't want you deciding who should be running the most powerful nation in the world for the next four years.

If owning a gun is a sign of being smart, that should be pretty easy verify whether someone is smart enough to vote. There might be downsides to having everyone show up at the polls packing heat. But I guess freedom isn't free, as they say.

I dislike those people standing in the intersections trying to sell me stuff or trying to guilt me into making 'donations' to their cause.

Get a Job and do your part!

Lots of people would like very much to do that and can't. And those selling and canvassing gigs are jobs for quite a lot of people.

I believe that it doesn't take a village to raise a child, it takes two parents.

I just did realize anarchy was so popular among conservatives. But it's not exactly encouraging to single parents, many of whom vote Republican and are generally conservative.

I believe 'illegal' is illegal no matter what the lawyers think.

Not necessarily good advice to follow if you're ever accused of a serious crime.

I believe the American flag should be the only one allowed in AMERICA!

No state flags? No Christian flags? No Confederate flags? That's not likely to be too popular among today's Republicans.

I'm kind of partial to the notion of having a law like this, or one that bans burning the American flag, as long as it's accompanied by a law making it a felony to display the American flag unless you can document that you voted in the last election in your precinct.

If this makes me a BAD American, then yes, I'm a BAD American.

If you are a BAD American too, please forward this to everyone you know.

We want our country back!

Wait, I thought if you were a malcontent, then you should move to some other country. I'm confused.

WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE,

ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE!

A sentiment no politician these days would likely argue with. But it is a sign of the idolatry of all things military of which we see far too much in the US. (This type slogan typically refers to the military protecting the country. You know, the military paid by tax dollars that rightly belong to the people earning their money in the first place and should never ever be taken from them by the gubment.) Along with the military, things like the Constitution, the courts, elected legislatures and, yes, citizen activists collecting money for causes also play indispensable roles.

So does a functioning press, although we hardly have that at the moment here.

Unfortunately for these malcontents, I'm just not sure there's any other country where you can go to where parents have complete control of their children and the only ejjication you need is owning a gun. Afghanistan, maybe. The badlands of Pakistan, maybe. But I'm pretty sure you won't be able to order in English at the McDonald's there!

Tags: republican party, republicans