Reps do NOT have a monopoly on MORAL VALUES

[liveoaktx]

I was reading the NYTimes article about the Missouri guy who said he was going to vote due to his values (ie, abortion, gays). The same position from the Democratic party for it to be individual choice did not stop him in 2 previous elections from voting Democrat.

But this idea needs to be stopped, and right now, the idea that these 2 values only define the rightness of a vote.

What about the value to be law-abiding citizens? If so, then what about the President's decision to deliberately allow inhumane treatment of prisoners by declaring that the Geneva Convention did not have to be followed?

If the value is respect for life (ie, no abortion), then how can the US still be in Iraq slaughtering innocent people now that the pretext for war has definitely been proven false?

What about the value for being responsible for one's decisions? Don't we teach our children to own up to mistakes and fix them, rather than attempt to hide all trace of their misdeeds?

The Democrats are not, by insinuation, the IMMORAL party that has no values. I value building up citizens here by not shipping our jobs overseas, showing respect for other's personal decisions that do not affect me, helping the elderly among us by providing reasonably priced healthcare, and assisting the poor, handicapped, or otherwise disadvantaged through no fault of their own.

I am proud of my values, they are MORAL and ETHICAL values and I dang well refuse to allow another group of people to infer that they have them and I do not.

[Cary]

1. What about the Ninth Commandment?

The Pukes' values are selective. They have no room for a prohibition against bearing false witness against their neighbors.

And then, of course, they have no room for the truth either. In their minds the ends justify the means.

[CBHagman]

2. Joe Conason pretty much debunked this one.

I'm referring, of course, to Conason's book "Big Lies."

Heck, the HEADLINES debunked this one. We have Newt "Shtup the choirgirl" Gingrich conducting an affair while married to his second wife; Henry "Youthful Indiscretion" Hyde; Larry Kudlow's embezzlement, substance abuse and multiple marriages; John Fund and that sordid mess with the mother and daughter. It's simply rubbish for the Republicans to prance around proclaiming themselves the party of family values. Nice try, GOPers.

Besides, being a person of faith does NOT mean telling everyone in the world how superior you are to others. Why do they think we have tings like a day of atonement and confession? It shows a horrible misreading of faith on their part.

America's in huge trouble if it's allowing this sort of nonsense.

[SheilaT]

3. It's important to understand

that very many of those on the political right are truly single issue voters. Especially the opponents of choice. Recently when a voter told me he only votes for pro-life candidates, I told him I assumed he was also opposed to the death penalty. That startled him, and after a fumble, he said yes, he is opposed to the death penalty. In truth, I don't think he'd ever made that connection before.

Back to my point. Many on the right wing will vote for "pro-life" candidates with utter disregard for their other policies. And they see no contradiction between seeing abortion as murder but the death penalty as not. Or that there's anything wrong with thousands of innocent Iraqis dying for a lie.

Meanwhile we on the left carefully weight this and that candidate and too often vote for a one because he's okay on some issue or another. Case in point. Here in Kansas Nancy Boyda is a Democrat challenging the right-wing incumbent Jim Ryun in the second Congressional District. But she thinks marriage is strictly a union between one man and one woman and would vote for a gay marriage ban amendment. I was at a group of women Democrats several months ago when she was STRONGLY challenged on this. She's lost a lot of support and even more financial backing because of her adamant stand. I myself tried to make her understand that her position creates divisiveness where none need exist. But she's convinced she must take this stand, which is the same as Ryun's, if she's to win her race. In which case, as I asked her, what's the difference between the two.

All over the country the right wing is carefully placing candidates in office who rigidly work for one thing, such as outlawing abortion or defunding schools or teaching creationism, with complete disregard to any other important issues. And they're winning.

It's scary.

Thins are probably going to get much worse over the next few years before they can get better. We're still in the early stages of a long and dramatic decline.

[doni_georgia]

4. What the republicans don't realize is there are DIFFERENT moral values

They act like their beliefs and values are the ONLY correct American values. We saw the same thing back in the 1850s-60s over the slavery issues. Both sides had moral positions on slavery. Both sides used the Bible to support their positions. If you look at the arguments today, it is clear who had the moral authority - those who opposed the enslavement of other humans.

I consider myself very moral and ethical. I believe that it is my duty to help those who are less fortunate than me. I believe that every person is worthy of dignity and respect as a creature of God. I believe that this earth is not a resource for us to use, but rather a gift for us to treasure and protect. I believe that there are never truly any winners in a war, and as such war should always be an absolute last resort. I believe that liberty means accepting the beliefs, convictions, and life choices of others whether you agree with them or not. I believe if you truly value life, you should do all you can to help and protect those who are already living. I believe it is the ultimate hypocrisy to call yourself "pro-life" yet cheer when someone is executed. I believe that to claim we are giving democracy to Iraq, yet to ignore that self-determination is the core of democracy requires mental gymnastics. I believe that a fundamentalist Muslim has just as much right to his/her beliefs as does a fundamentalist Christian, Buddhist, or myself, but any of these rights end when they inhibit the rights of others.

[rock]

5. Hell, they don't even have a consession!