10/02/2004 We are Citizens, not Subjects

http://hunterbyrd.blogspot.com

We are Citizens, not Subjects

The debate between so-called 'progressives' (label of late) and 'conservatives' rages unabated in these lead-up days to yet another 'most important in our lifetime' election. It's between the government-must-do-more-to-solve-our social-and-political-ills types versus the gun-nuts and social troglodytes. With some reticence, I include myself among the latter. I offer myself up to be stamped and stereotyped as 'insensitive', &c.

I know better than that. I am quite sensitive to the needs and problems of individuals of all walks, and I am well-attuned to the ills of greater society. Problems are problems. It is as simple as that. I do not loathe or despise John F. Kerry, but I want to see him defeated. On the other hand, I don't put George W. on any pedestal. I just know he's better for this country in the next four years, very important years.

My favorite world-wide writer, Mark Steyn, once again sounds off. Today, he speaks to a British audience on the significant differences between liberal and conservative mindsets. As always, I encourage you to read his thoughts. They are among of the best on the globe.



Three years ago, I got a flurry of emails from Yorkshire, Oslo, Marseilles and elsewhere recounting incidents of gangs of Muslim youths enthusiastically celebrating the glorious victory of 9/11 by swarming around cars, banging on the windows, intimidating the drivers, yelling Osama’s name. If you tried that in Texas, the guy would reach in his glove box and blow your head off. Second Amendment conservatism is more secure and better integrated with the bespoke mainstream than it’s been in years. The government can’t tell you you’ve got to be on full alert and at the same time announce new restrictions on the right to defend yourself and your home.

That's plain, common sense where I come from. We take stock in level-headedness. It is a much talked about scenario. Doubtless, there won't be many terrorists in my part of the woods, because they will not get away with anything if their presence is ever known. Bank on it. We will not wait for permission from on high to act .


If I wasn’t a conservative before 9/11, I’d certainly be one now. On one side I see decayed, self-absorbed passivity: citizens reduced to junkies with government as the pusher. On the other stand the gun-crazies, the religious Right, the home-schoolers, the flat-taxers and all the rest: you don’t have to agree with them on everything to appreciate that, in a new war which not all of the West will survive, they have an advantage over the Swedes and Belgians. A self-reliant conservative citizenry is a better bet than the subjects of an overbearing state.

That's a succint a statement. There are many people in America who pooh-pooh people in fly-over country. They see my ilk as not far along the social, political, and religious evolutionary line than (over-maligned) proverbial neanderthal. Still, the heart of a conservative is a special, driving force that keeps the United States strong in the dynamic of a world gone crazy.

I am of the firm opinion that John Kerry has a natural inclination to view the electorate more in terms of 'subjects to be governed by my wise hand' than of 'free citizens who have placed their trust in me.'

// posted by HunterByrd @ 8:29 PM


Comments:
you said that young muslims intimidated cardrivers and celebrated the 9/11 attact. True, they did celebrate, they were enthusiastic. Like me when I heard of the shooting of a Dutch politician.

When people are stressed with so much information about an USA who harm their allies together with the conviction that the USA is their enemy in the religious point of view, nothing much is needed to get an explosion on such a magnitude.

Bush is taking care of an islamic threath which is, in distance, far away. For Europe it's very close, The Middle East and Europe are neighbors.
You (with you I mean Bush) made it worse by starting this war. Instead fighting OBL you went to Iray an created some new OBL's. You got to change your policy. Thats not about being cowardly, that's facing reality. You went to war with a wrong cause, with wrong reasons, wrong justification. And most important (maybe) you lied about it. We (in Europe) had to believe you. (remember "if you are not with us, you are against us").

The USA support Israel and in a way fight the Palestinians. In Iraq the USA started a war which on false information must be a deadly sin of President WB in the eyes of puritan Americans!