What If?

What if right wing, conservative Christians are not really in the majority in America? What if adherents of other belief systems tend to remain silent because they think they're overwhelmingly outnumbered? What if there is another kind of morality that has more in common with people of all faiths? I believe all of the above is true. How can it be? Those who would have us believe that the overwhelming majority of Americans are "God fearing," puritanical Christians are organized. The Church has wealth, contacts and a variety of local chapters in almost every town in the country. It wields its interpretation of how things should be with the strong arm of certainty, abetted by the threat of eternal punishment for disobedience, even "wrong thinking." It's a tough force to deny. It pervades our everyday life, and has for centuries. It's become so much a part of our culture that one must really look to see it. When you think about it, you will be amazed at the number of American laws, and customs having the effect of law, whose origins can be traced directly to the Church. Sunday closing laws; tax exemption for church property; practically all laws relating to marriage and the relations between the sexes - including country-wide rule permitting only monogamous marriages, and laws against fornication and other taboo sexual relationships; all laws of censorship, for moral reasons, of the press, stage, radio, or speech; certain taboos of word and speech forms; laws prohibiting certain parts of the body being exposed to view, laws prohibiting recreational drug use, laws against smoking cigarettes; anti-gambling laws; any law which takes a paternalistic attitude toward citizens with the purpose of ensuring his moral perfection rather than regulating his conduct to prevent him from damaging other persons and vice versa, prevent others from damaging him. Look at sayings and figures of speech. "God bless you." "Oh my god!" "Jesus Christ!" It's everywhere. I've even heard very young children speak authoritatively of God to their classmates, in a public school classroom. It's easy to imagine the majority would approve of Christianizing America. It ain't necessarily so. Think about it. Today, everyone knows at least someone who is fed up with radical Christian elements trying to intrude further into our private lives. In cities, the most densely populated areas of our country, everyone knows lots of people who truly understand a need for the separation of Church and State, and our numbers are growing in small town America, too. Even moderate Christians cannot get behind today's radical right wing agenda. Don't be fooled. Wealth and power are tough to fight against. In America today, we have already lost much of our free press. Most newspapers and t.v. news are so heavily biased that it's impossible to learn the truth without hunting for it. We're being fed the administration's (read as the radical Right's) spin on events which chooses to leave out much of the information that the Left is so gravely concerned about. They are trying to play us as if we were an audience attending a magic show, "watch our right hand while the other implements our true, extreme agenda." We are absolutely left with the feeling that, even though we are disgusted by what we see, the majority accepts it. But, do they really? As I meet and interact with others I have to say, "NO!" I live in a small, red town and yet I continue to meet more and more people who feel as I do. I even know older, long term, dyed-in-the-wool Republicans who are deeply ashamed of their party today. I am constantly being hit with evidence that says a small minority is really running the show. Look around yourself. What does your research show? How many people do you know who really support the radical right-wing agenda? But, Americans voted Dubya into office... Did they? Did they really? The amount of controversy concerning the last two presidential elections is enough to make thinking people say, "Hmm." As this administration progresses, it is plain to see that they are supported by (and beholden to) unbelievable levels of wealth and power. It is also apparent that this administration will go to any lengths to achieve it's goals, which (based on results) seem primarily concerned with the security and prosperity of itself and it's cohorts, as opposed to the welfare of average Americans (who really are the overwhelming majority.) As time goes by, I feel (not just think) more and more certain that the majority of Americans did NOT vote for George W. Bush. If it's possible for him to control the media, then why couldn't he manipulate an election (or two?) In each, issues and concerns were raised surrounding the one area they chose to recount. How many other areas across the country had discrepancies that weren't even examined? A little interference in several key states would really add up and also insure that a thorough examination of any one area wouldn't make enough of a difference to change the overall outcome. So, what can we do? Fight back! We must make our numbers known. We must organize and go public in every way we can to resist the will of the minority. We must use every right and tool at our disposal to reclaim our country and our freedoms. Speak up! Let people around you know that you do not approve of the radical Right's agenda. You may not convince those who do approve, but you will give hope and encouragement to others who feel as you do. They will feel more confident to speak their own conscience and encourage still more people to do the same. Get involved! I know you're busy, we all are. But, if we leave matters like this to others, you see what can happen! We must pay attention and we must take action whenever possible. Here are some of my favorite online activist groups: http://www.truemajority.org http://www.pfaw.org http://www.moveon.org http://www.impeachbush.org http://www.now.org Check them out, subscribe for their action alerts and add your voice to the millions of other voices that are crying out for change. Support election reform! It's a topic that Democrats want to address and Republicans don't, so it's be relegated to the bottom of the priority list, way below the "important" stuff like giving more money to the richest top 10% of the population. Public pressure could change that. We need a fully accountable system that will let us verify the results and we need it before any more elections are held. Talk to people and write letters to the editor of your local newspapers. Write letters to your Senators and Representatives in Washington, too. Vote! Again, we've got to pay attention. We can't just watch t.v. ads for candidates and make our decisions based on them. We must look into their records and see how they acted before they were being considered for an important office in order to get an idea of what we can expect from them in the future. And remember, president isn't the only one that counts. If we had a Democratic Congress, Dubya wouldn't be able to get away half the stuff he's trying to pull. It's up to us to make our government work. We really need to pay attention at every level, including the local level. Use your power! You know you've got it. What you focus on comes to be. Thoughts become things. Use your power for good.