#An Open Letter to the Republican Liars Club
6019 Dead, 1162 since 1/20/09
This morning I got up at 4 AM to walk across the street to congratulate
my Marine son (now home safe with his wife and two little children after
5 years service and war) on having been a small link in the chain of
service that hunted down and killed bin Laden. I wanted to thank someone
who wore the uniform of the US military. I also sent up yet another “up
yours!” to the so-called “Real American” conservative critics of our
president; those liars like Donald Trump, Michelle Bachmann, Sarah Palin
et al who have nurtured the racist-motivated attacks on our first black
president.
Was the SUCCESSFUL hunter of bin Laden a “secret Muslim”? Was he “born in
Kenya”? Was he “soft on terrorism” or as far right religious leader/
birther Franklin Graham put it giving radical Islam a “pass”?
I used to be a Republican until the party became to be the mouthpiece of
not just “Birther” nuts like Trump but home to the loony conspiracy-
driven far right “Death Panel” loons.
Unlike the neoconservative shills that drive us to war after war my son
actually volunteered and served.
While the war-loving “neocons” pontificated on American "exceptionalism"
and power and went to parties in Washington DC hosted by the defense
industry I stayed up at night worrying while my son was shot at. He came
home safe, but no thanks to Fox News and the other perpetual war shills
who talk “patriotism” while other people’s children – mine for instance –
do all the heavy lifting.
While in Afghanistan my son John worked in signals intelligence, went on
secret missions looking for bin Laden and did his part with thousands of
other heroes. Meanwhile back home liars and racists took over the
Republican Party and told us our commander in chief wasn’t a real
American. Outright lies were leveled again and again and the Republican
“leadership” did nothing to shut the Birthers, Death Panel blatherers up.
A lunatic “Tea Party” was largely a reaction of white people unable to
stomach the sight of a black man smarter than them sitting in the White
House. That black man is leading our country out of a failed economy and
also had the will and guts to kill our sworn enemy.
I know who the people are who aren’t “Real Americans” they are the
unpatriotic liars wrapping themselves in the flag my son fought for and
that they use to sell books, reality TV shows and their racist ideas with.
Today the American right wing phony patriots look smaller than ever,
about as stupid as Trump's hair.
Frank Schaeffer is a writer. His new book is Sex, Mom, and God: How the
Bible's Strange Take on Sex Led to Crazy Politics--and How I Learned to
Love Women (and Jesus) Anyway