2004 Soap Box Archives

Healing 11/05/04

Anybody who reads this column with any degree of regularity knows that I am ecstatic about the election. I thank God that George W. Bush was reelected.

However, I don’t feel like gloating or rubbing it in. This country is divided by ideology. Hate and downright myths and it’s time for the healing to begin.

I blame a lot of our division on politicians whose self-serving rhetoric and downright lies proliferate dissension and class envy. Some of the blame can also be laid at the feet of some minority leaders who do more disservice than good to the people they are supposed to be serving by embracing the fallacy that the government should take care of them from cradle to grave and that all their troubles are caused by another race.

The mass media in this country is also responsible for much of the turmoil between the left and right, endlessly pitting one side against the other resulting at times in vitriolic hate and often times the perpetuation of vicious lies.

I don’t believe that George Bush went to war for the benefit of Halliburton or for oil. I don’t believe that John Kerry, if he had been elected, would send our sons and daughters off to war for such a shallow reason. It’s unthinkable that anybody short of an Osama Bin Ladin would sacrifice their children just to increase an oil supply or make the price of a company’s stock rise.

I believe in the basic good of the American people and feel that politicians woefully underestimated the morals factor in this election proven by the passing of a resolution defining marriage as being between a man and a woman which passed in all eleven states where it was on the ballot. Partial birth abortion also played a role in this election.

There will never be a time when all Americans will feel the same way about every issue. But I feel that we have more common ground than we realize.

We desperately need to find that common ground and emphasize
It. We all want what’s best for America; we just have different ideas as to what that may be.

We can’t leave this to the politicians. Although there are good men and women in government, there are others whose interests are better served by the dumbing down of America, by keeping us at each other’s throats.

The Michael Moores of this world who seek to destroy good men with groundless insinuations and gross lies are dangerous. As dangerous as the Nazi propaganda machine which played a role in the German’s blind hatred for the Jews.

I reach out to all Americans to begin the healing process. We may not agree on the issues but the least we can do is show each other a little respect.

If your candidate lost remember you’ll have another chance in
four more years, that’s the American way.

Pray for our troops.

What do you think?

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels