I've had a blog post brewing in my mind for some time now but I kept putting it off. I can't do it any longer.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I don't know who really reads my blogs. I only "publicize" on Facebook and maybe Twitter and most of my friends, many of whom are conservative politically, probably just scroll past. I have to say this. This is mainly directed at people my age, generally referred to as "Generation X".
We have been lied to our whole lives.
I'm not just talking about Santa Claus and the Easter bunny, I mean the political party that calls itself the "Grand Old Party".
I've blogged previously about my conservative past. How I went to elementary school with the son of Carroll Campbell, who ran for Congress when we were in school and years later would become Governor of South Carolina. I didn't see him or his family after elementary school, but the Republican Governor of South Carolina knew who I was.
I remember Jimmy Carter being the butt of our jokes. I was part of the Reagan revolution. There's still residue from the Reagan/Bush '84 bumper stickers on the door to mine and my sister Katie's old bedrooms in my parents house.
We were told that if we cut taxes on the wealthy and ended regulations, it would magically trickle down to everyday Americans.
We were raised to hate Communists, Socialists and those big scary "Tax and Spend" Democrats.
The Republican party was the financially responsible party. The party of freedom, justice and liberty for all.
I came out of the closet as a gay man in the spring of 1991. It became clear that liberty and justice for all promised by Republicans only applied to white, heterosexual Christians. I became involved in the Libertarian Party, still not wanting to join those "wacko liberal" Democrats.
I still drank the cutting taxes and regulations kool-aid. I don't think I was ever 100% sold on minimum wage laws causing unemployment but I went along with it.
Then I joined Facebook. And started getting different perspectives on things. I saw how deficits went up under Republican administrations and fell during Democratic ones. For all the negativity hurled at the Clintons....Bill had a budget surplus. He lead this country through one of the greatest economic recoveries ever.
I've watched how Republicans try to blame social security and Medicare for the deficit but those are paid with a separate tax, it has nothing to do with the deficit.
I've watched as state legislatures across the country try to gerrymander legislative districts so despite Democrats getting more votes, Republicans still get more seats.
I've seen Republicans, namely "Moscow Mitch" block legislation that would better protect our elections and make it easier for people to exercise their right to vote.
And today I'm reading posts on the internet on how the Republican legislature in North Carolina took advantage of Democrats attending a 9/11 memorial ceremony to override the Democratic Governor's veto and pass a budget that strips 500,000 North Carolinians of health care.
That is downright evil.
I used to believe that Republicans were just being financially responsible. They opposed social security and Medicare and other social services because they were just too expensive. I was wrong.
Our Republican leadership in South Carolina is still pushing the "lower taxes and ending regulations " agenda. If this was the answer, South Carolina would be one of the richest states in the country, but it's the opposite. Instead of lifting people out of poverty, they oppose any social programs that will better our lives. They want you to believe that if you're a Christian, you can't vote for those "Godless" Democrats. You have to hate gay people and immigrants and you have to oppose women's reproductive rights.
Anyone who knows me or follows me on Facebook knows I'm not religious. I'm suspicious of organized religion. I know, however, I was raised with "love thy neighbor", "do into others as you would have done unto you" and "judge not lest ye be judged".
As far as I see it, it's not the Republicans who are fiscally responsible, protecting freedoms or following Christ's example.
I've seen the light. It's not Republican Red....it's a big blue Democratic one!
