Ahira's Hangar

The mark of a true leader is someone willing to against the popular will of the people to stand up for the better good. Like Wilberforce and the other MP's who wanted to ban the slave trade in Britain, or other reformers through the years - especially those who stand up for the rights of minorities in the face of overwhelming opposition from the majority. Truman integrating the US armed forces. The judges who ordered schools in the southern US to be desegregated. The judges who have found that gay people have the right to marry the adult consenting partner of their choice.

By direct democracy you mean referendum-style?

(Only 2 weeks to go in the US election...thank gods...)

--A

I dunno...I tend to like referendum style. The only possible argument against I could consider would be "tyranny of the majority."

--A

Given American history - such as the removals and gencides against the First Peoples, race based slavery and segregation, and the roundup and detainment of Japanese Americans in concentration camps in WW2, and the current dehumanization and demonisation of gays by people from the far right - I would be terrified of what might happen with the tyrany of the majority in this country.

Just watch the news and see the Klan Rally atmosphere at Palin rallies, and you can see exactly what I mean.

At least this election has brought some of the nastiness out from under the rocks and into the open air, so the rest of us can see how ugly some areas of the country still are with racism and religious intolerance.

I actually know some white Americans who think...well, used to think...that racism is something unpleasant from the past. They thought that blacks have had plenty of opportunity to catch up and get ahead with other groups. And it is true that in some areas of the country, such as the Ann Arbor area, if you were to be or say racist things publicly, you would be shunned and shamed by people of all colors and beliefs.

Everyone who watches the news knows better now. And we who think that the "real America" is a place of tolerance and inclusion, with valuable additions to our culture from all races and ethnic groups and religions - well, we have out work cut out for us, don't we?

LMAO!!!

--A

Duchess and everyone else,
It's been awhile now, perhaps since the Reagan years, but the GOP has claimed God belongs to them and our national virility belongs to them, too. The original campaign against Michael Dukakis in 1984 was that he was too effete and limp wristed to be a national leader; FYI, in 1984 I was supporter of John Glenn. And they've taken popular culture images that protray intelligence, and thoughtfulness as signs of lacking virility and strength; let's remember that in 2004 the GOP's spin masters changed the image of a genuine war hero from one of strong masculinity to one of something else. Could it be said that IMO the political rhetoric has corrupted our culture at large, maybe?

Direct answer to Duchess, do you remember that earlier in this election season Dobson called for the formation of a third political party if McCain was to win the GOP nomination.

I do not remember that, Taras - but I would certainly welcome a split between the hardcore religious right and the "old school" small government socially moderate Republicans.

I think they might be an extinct breed now, but when I was growing up we had some very good socially moderate small government Republican governors here like George Romney and Bill Millikin. Gerald Ford is another example of an "old school" Michigan Republican. In this political climate it is hard to believe - but all three of those guys could be characterized as True Gentlemen.

If guys (or gals) like that still exist in the Republican party, their voices are being drowned out by the religious right.

Here is something a lot more cheerful:

Love it!

regardless of which party you plan on voting for, this is a very historic election

If he wins anyway.

--A

Even if he loses. We will still have had the first nonwhite Presidential candidate from either party - and if the Republicans win, we will have our first woman vice president. I cannot stand Palin due to her extreme religious views and high levels of personal corruption, and wish that McCain could have picked a more qualified female candidate like Senator Olympia Snowe - but nonetheless, she would still be out first female vice president, and perhaps might break some cracks in the glass ceiling for more qualified female politicians somewhere down the line.

So no matter which party wins, it will be history being made. And as I said, just the fact that Obama and Palin (not to mention Clinton) were serious candidates might open doors for other qualified woman (more qualified than Palin, please!) and minorities in the future.

It has taken many long years to get another female candidate on a major ticket (the first also being a vp candidate about twenty years ago in Ferarro), and we have never had a nonwhite. Hopefully this will be a turning point for us as a country in opening up the political process for a greater variety of voices being heard.

It still bothers me that we have so few nonChristians on the national scene - we need voices from other religions and agnostics and atheists as well. Not to mention more representatives from other ethnic groups (such as Native Americans and Asians).

But damn, this election was a huge step towards inclusion of nontraditional faces and voices. And I see that as a marvelous thing. most hope I have had for the future of my country in a long long long time.

Let's hear it for REAL American values like inclusion and tolerance!!!!

Go moderates! Go!