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Off The Rail - Dec 28, 2005 - Printable Version
- Where's the Shame?
by Mike Bohling
Let’s say, hypothetically, your child became well known in the neighborhood for his acts of malfeasance and cruelty. Everyone on your block knows that little Johnny is a bad apple. Many of the other parents in the neighborhood won’t allow their children to play with Johnny because of his bad behavior. As a parent, how would you feel about that? Now, let’s take a closer look at Johnny’s behavior. Johnny spreads rumors and lies about the other children. He’s a bully, starts fights and kicks other kids when they’re down. He bribes the other neighborhood kids to tell lies about what a good boy he is, trying to fool as many as he can into believing it. When confronted with proof of his misdeeds, Johnny changes his story and takes the high moral ground in an effort to disgrace you into accepting that his atrocities are for the greater good of the neighborhood. Many of his friends are in trouble with the law. He goads other kids into taking sides and fighting amongst themselves in order to distract from his own misdeeds. He sees no immorality in breaking the law in order to get even with his enemies. He doesn’t trust his friends. Johnny doesn’t trust his family either. He’s worried that they might learn the truth and stop him from pursuing his wicked ways.
Wouldn’t you be ashamed to have a child like Johnny? After all, he is the product of your best abilities at raising a child.
By now you should know that Johnny isn’t the evil spawn of one of my neighbors. It’s much more significant than that. Johnny represents the Bush White House and we, fellow Americans, represent his parents. Johnny behavior is his parent’s responsibility, just as our leaders behavior is our responsibility. We created the government we have, gave power to it’s leaders, and just like Johnny’s parents, we have an obligation to lay down the law and correct our child when he misbehaves.
As one parent to another I have to ask you, why aren’t you as ashamed of our child as I am? I mean it, if I were travelling abroad I wouldn’t tell people that I’m American, not because of any safety concerns, but because it’s too embarrassing. Each and every one of us is responsible for allowing little Johnny and his delinquent pals to bring this shame upon us. You, me, and every American who permits this abhorrent administration to sully our good name is at fault here.
I know that right now many of you are thinking “Now wait a minute, I didn’t vote for them, how is this my responsibility”. That would be like Johnny’s father absolving himself by saying “It’s not my fault that Johnny bullies, lies, steals, cheats, and kills, he only listens to his mother”. No matter what our political affiliation is, no matter how we voted, you and I are just as responsible as Johnny’s father is. You wouldn’t cut him any slack would you? So, why should you expect any from our neighbors?
So, again I ask, are you ashamed?
Ashamed that our little Johnny lied to us so he could start an unnecessary war? Ashamed that when he got caught red handed in his deceit, he changed his story and lied to us again? Embarrassed that those lies cost upwards of 100,000 lives? Are you ashamed that we’re are still fighting a war that has no end in sight, even though we now know the truth about those lies? Do you feel that torturing POW’s is a moral thing for Americans to do? Ashamed that the U.S. uses white phosphorus and depleted uranium in combat areas populated by civilians? Ashamed that nuclear weapons are an option that is “on the table”? Do you feel degraded by a government that spies on it’s citizens?
Are you ashamed?
Maybe it takes more than that, let’s hit closer to home. Do you find it disgraceful that 12% of the people in the richest country in the world have no health insurance and can’t afford even basic medical needs? That the number of people living below poverty level has steadily increased over the past five years while the richest have gained by an order of magnitude? Are you ashamed that your government has been caught bribing the “Free Press” to promote it’s agenda? That the same “Free Press” has been used by your government to retaliate against detractors and endangered our national security? Are you ashamed that the minimum wage is $5.15? That we have the largest prison population in the world? Did you enjoy watching our government denigrate it’s philosophy of “by the people, for the people” to “by the Multi-National Corporation, for the Multi-National Corporation”? Does cronyism at the highest levels of office offend you?
Are you ashamed?
Does it bother you that we have placed ourselves above the rules of the Geneva Convention? That we’ve snubbed our noses to the rest of the world on Kyoto? Are you ashamed that we told the United Nations they could kiss our red, white, and blue ass when they objected to our illegal invasion of Iraq based on lies and manipulated evidence? Do you find it humiliating that our government still won’t acknowledge Global Warming? Are you ashamed that we’ve turned our backs at the ongoing genocide in Darfur?
Are you ashamed yet? Is it getting to you? I hope so, because I feel as though I’ve been doing all of the heavy lifting in the shame department, and I’m starting to get tired. I’m still waiting for the day that the rest of the country gets tired too, and that the weight of our shame will bring about change.
So, where’s the shame? I really need to know.
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