I thought this piece (Weineg, 2004) was so “on the money”, four years ago, that I am reposting it again this election year…and again on my mom’s birthday 🙂
Happy Birthday, Mom!
“Growing up as an upper-middle class, Jewish boy in New York City, I had almost no other choice than to pretend to be a liberal. My high school was a hippie nest. Instead of Fs, I got hugs if I didn’t know how to spell my name. I was given detention if I didn’t smoke pot in the park between classes. And did you know that Rush Limbaugh and Daddy Bush actually are spawns of Satan? And what’s worse, I bought it. Well, I mean, why not? I’ve gotta tell you, being a liberal is cool!
When I was liberal, I didn’t pay any taxes. No way, baby. That’s a job for the rich. I was all for a severe cut, if not complete elimination of taxes. Besides, we could afford to cut costs on some of the wasteful government programs around today, like the military, for example.
When I was liberal, I didn’t have to pay for anything. I mean, come on. I’m an American citizen. I should be getting free health care, free education, free room and board, whatever I need.
What else? When I was a liberal, I used common-sense on matters of national security. I mean, who needs this “war on terror” when I am way more likely to die from a car crash than from a terrorist attack?
However, and not for lack of effort, I caved. I wanted so badly to live in your utopia, where capitalism and communism share meaning, and free speech reigns as long as it is not exercised by the likes of such filthy rich, bigoted white guys as Rupert Murdoch and Rush Limbaugh or used to print the evil Northwestern Chronicle. However, this is when I started to think that maybe I’m beginning to head down the wrong path. I realized that instead of praising the foundation that has created this great country, I was being taught to fight against it.
According to liberal idealism, it should be the job of government to provide a good economic environment for each and every member of society to protect our citizens from making bad economic decisions or choices. Capitalism is the seed that made this country what it is today, but from a liberal viewpoint, capitalism is inherently evil because it leads to an unequal distribution of wealth. I think you get where I’m going with this …
In any case, after a lifetime of living on the Left, I now find myself as an editor for the Chronicle and therefore one of the few public, outspoken conservatives on campus. That said, I’m still an upper-middle class, Jewish boy from New York City. It’s just I can no longer believe liberal lies that socialism is right and America is wrong.
I’m sorry, Mom; I’m a Republican. I can’t exactly say where you messed up. However, my ballot is going to differ from yours come November. But still, how do I justify that I’m voting for Bush? I don’t criticize our president because he suggested Americans should put food on their families. Instead, I realize how much better off we are as a country, how much safer we are because of the Republicans.”
Reference:
Weineg, J. (2004). Sorry, Mom, I’m a Republican. _Northwestern Chronicle, _May 2, 2004. Retrieved October 5, 2004 from http://www.chron.org/tools/viewart.php?artid=931