How the Left and Right are wrong

October 10, 2005 —

Do liberals hate America? According to many people, they do. Yet, I know many liberals who love our country and it is unfortunate that such claims are made. But it is the Left's responsibility to refute them.

While we all agree that the Constitution is the nation's founding document and that it legitimizes our government, the Right insists that it is acceptable to ignore or change the Constitution simply because it is not consistent with their particular beliefs. They often contradict themselves and set double standards. The hypocrisy should be the focus of the attack on the Right, but the Right does a better job of pointing out the flaws of the Left who, apparently, have no moral values.

The Left prefers a more secular government in which individuals may practice religion without infringing on the rights of others. The problem with the Left is that they allows the Right to paint such a damaging picture of them. Instead of ignoring issues of religion and morality, the Left should propose their own moral standards. Granted, there are a few Democrats who already do this, like Illinois Senator and future president Barack O'Bama, but one person is not enough to regain control of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Most other Senators will still be in their seats until they retire or die.

Is it morally wrong to deny people equality and freedom? Is it morally wrong to let poor people suffer, go uneducated, and die? Is it morally wrong for the government to sanction the murder of innocent people? These are questions that should be asked, and answered, by the Left. But the Right is successfully convincing that such actions are done for the right reasons and that it will ultimately satisfy God.

It is the Right's rhetoric that makes it okay for Americans to lead crusades in the Middle East or right here on campus if they choose to do so. It is because Christian Americans supposedly believe in a different God, a more righteous God, than other crusaders. It is why a student organization can take the letters "CRU," turn it into a fish, slap it on a piece of paper, and promote themselves as a positive entity. It's why some punk on Facebook can purchase an advertisement that states "Liberals Hate America" and get away with it. The Right has no respect for the Left.

Even though the Right has a monopoly over morality and the current government, they still claim to be threatened and actively work to accumulate more power. Does this scare anyone? The Leadership Institute is just one umbrella organization trying to lead "grassroots" campaigns of conservativism on college campuses across the United States. They disseminate their message by spreading lies about liberals. They say that socialists (a.k.a. liberals) want to "make God illegal" or "Save the environment. Kill off all the people." Most intelligent people, regardless of ideology, know these statements are false. Yet, they would not use these tactics if they were not proven to be successful. Soon, this organization could be infiltrating SVSU.

I doubt all people on the Right are like this. I even doubt that all Christians fit into this hateful group mentioned above. There are plenty of people who vote Republican because they are fiscally conservative, and there are plenty of people on the Left who are devout Christians. But even these people need to take a step back to realize what they are doing to this country if they vote for Republicans or do not criticize the extreme right. If they endorse a Republican or remain quiet, they are approving of the lies about the Left.

If one is a student on this campus and they feel threatened by the lies, then they should speak up. If one is moderate, independent, or simply not involved, they should consider finally doing something to stop the extreme right. Dissent, not apathy, is the way to make a difference, which is what being liberal is all about. Conservative organizations have a right to be at SVSU and they have a right to say whatever they want, but everyone else has a right to reject them and their hateful message.