Guest article by Virginia Beach resident Donna M. Gray.
As an extremely concerned and independent American citizen, I must take issue with the endless rhetoric being spewed by the ignorant minority still dedicated to the Republican party as it exists under President George Bush. The total misconception that those not aligned with the Republican wannabe dictatorship are not truly Americans, that they are not truly Christian, and that they are less than educated people is surely a sign that this country is in deep trouble.
Any individual with the freedom of thought, with any amount of formal education, has learned that America is based on a two party system (3 party ?). That intent was to keep America from becoming a dictatorship or a Monarchy from the very beginning. Now, it seems that our illustrious president is trying to overthrow the concept on which this great nation was built. He wants to change the constitution to express only his views on issues that he personally does not agree with. He would like to make decent, God-faring Americans feel un-American if they do not agree with him or are affiliated with any party other than the Republican party. And in spite of the fact that many of his closest associates are distancing themselves from him, there are still the few stead-fast “Bush Clones” who are calling their fellow citizens un-American simply because they have a mind of their own.
It is my personal thought as well as that of a great many true Americans that to hold on to our freedom is the most important issue we face today. That means, freedom to be truly independent voters. It means the freedom to not continue voting totally Republican or Democratic, and the freedom to pick candidates from various factions of our political system so that we place the most intelligent and capable people in leadership positions regardless of their political association.
Our current president has some serious personality flaws such as his stubbornness to not face reality, his refusal to admit error in judgment, his really snotty attitude toward the American people in general, and an illusion of grandeur beyond that of any leader in past history of our country. These are not the qualities needed for the leader of our great nation. It really has nothing to do with being a Republican. It has everything to do with the lack of ability of one individual to recognize that they are capable of making wrong decisions and being unwilling to cooperate with others to correct them.
President Bush has done everything in his power to convince Americans that there are only two choices when it comes to the war in Iraq. One is to “stay the course” (of inevitable failure); the other is to “cut and run” (as in cowardice). As a point of interest, he refuses to see there are workable alternatives. The term “cut and run” is one of his favorite scare tactics. He has put the country in a position where we know there is absolutely no way we can simply leave Iraq. But getting out of Iraq does not mean cut and run, it involves a gradual backing off with a time frame for complete withdrawal. To “stay the course” will only lead to more debt, more death, more time wasted in solving the real problem. No matter how long we stay the course, in the end, Iraq will not resolve their problems, nor handle their own freedom. And so, to stay the course continues to be a permanent situation for us. That is unacceptable.
Where have the rational people in politics gone? Why are we willing to play follow the leader when we readily recognize that our leader is wrong in so many areas? And why do most of the candidates running for important offices refuse to tell us what their platform is? It appears they can only dig up dirt on other candidates and tell us what their opponents cannot do, while failing miserably in letting us know what it is they themselves stand for and how they will accomplish these things.
I ask that you sit back and think about what it is you would like to see happen to benefit our country. Ask yourself if there is truly an honest politician in any party, holding an office, that does not have something to hide, or has not, sometime in their past suffered an indiscretion. Ask yourself if you truly believe that you, yourself, have never said or done something in your distant past that may compromise your current situation. If you feel you have not, then perhaps you ought to consider running for office. Otherwise, you must learn to be more tolerant of other people’s transgressions. This does not mean that we should tolerate behavior of a criminal nature. Just be a bit more forgiving for the things that young people do before they mature into adulthood.
Again, as a concerned American, I would encourage you to consider the idea that to think for yourself is far better than blindly following an ideal that may lead us astray. Mud slinging only leads to planting doubt in the capabilities of the mud slinger. Most of us don’t care what you did in college. Most of us don’t care what your religious affiliation is. Most of us don’t care about the color of your skin. What most of us do care about is whether or not you are trying to convert us to you own personal beliefs, or are you trying to do what is best for the American population in general? Are you encouraging tolerance among our diverse population of citizens, or are you trying to discriminate against some of our citizens?
I am not going to quote any of the historical wrong doings of any political party. They are all very well known, and have no relevance to the upcoming elections. They only serve as more scare tactics. They are past history of both major parties. It doesn’t matter “who struck John” back when…! It only matters that those being considered for election today be aware that we expect more from them, and will hold them, not their party, for any wrongdoings. This is not suppose to be a kindergarten game of “Did too! Did not!” If you are running for office, stand up and face the nation with your own thoughts and ideas on the future. Believe me, we already know what each of you has done in the past and whether or not we can believe you will lead us in the most beneficial direction for all citizens in the future.
These are the thoughts and feelings of an individual American citizen. One who truly votes Independent. One who will not cast a vote for someone who is evasive, who tags along on anyone’s coat tail, or who does not have the guts to voice an opinion that may not be in line with the top dog in his/her party. Be brave! Give me credit for knowing what I look for in my government officials and to know the difference between a snow job and a good job!
IF YOU TRULY FEEL YOU ARE A GOOD AMERICAN AND ARE TRUE TO YOUR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, YOU MAY WANT TO PASS THIS ALONG TO YOUR FRIENDS!
If you have been convinced that thinking for yourself is “Un-American” and that not agreeing with the “Christian Coalition” makes you an atheist, perhaps you ought to just ignore this, forget about freedom of choice and stick your head back in the sand!
The views expressed herein are those of the author. Should you like to have your article posted on my blog, feel free to email me ~ vjp
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
I assume the quote below from your piece was about Mr. Webb? You couldn’t have described Webb’s campaign better if you were a paid Friend of George Allen.
“And why do most of the candidates running for important offices refuse to tell us what their platform is? It appears they can only dig up dirt on other candidates and tell us what their opponents cannot do, while failing miserably in letting us know what it is they themselves stand for and how they will accomplish these things.”
No, it was not intended to specifically describe Mr. Webb. It was intended to describe just about all of the candidates, including George Allen.
If you had been paying attention, you would have seen that each candidate has slung a bit of BS during the campaign. I know folks don’t like to admit that their candidate of choice is guilty of any of these tactics, but unfortunately, that is the case. If the mud slinging sounds bad enough and folks don’t check out the incidents, they just believe everything they hear. That is so unfortunate. It tends to bring a large number of uninformed voters to the polls.
As I said, I’m strictly an independent voter. I have not made any decision as yet on any of the candidates, and intend to hear what all have to say. They could make it much easier for everyone if they would just each talk about themselves. That is what I am really interested in hearing.
There are lots of things you can say you don’t like about Allen. You can say he’s racist (although the Voice, Black Farmers, Lambert, et al disagree). You can say he has a bad position on Iraq (although the VFW disagrees). You can say he’s run a negative campaign (although it hasn’t been nearly as negative as the one run by Webb and his subordinates). However, you can NEVER say you don’t know where Allen stands on the issues. He has a multi-decade voting record to tell you where he stands. He has a thorough website detailing where he stands. You may not agree but he certainly isn’t hiding the ball.
The most interesting relevant statement I’ve heard that goes to your point was in the WaPo’s recent endorsement of Webb. Even in endorsing him they had to admit that:
“Mr. Webb, a fine writer, remains in many ways a political work in progress. His impressionistic grasp of domestic policy generally and his passing acquaintance with Virginia issues in particular reflect his meager experience in electoral politics. His diagnosis of America’s widening disparities in wealth and income is on the mark, but his fuzzy-headed attacks on free trade are the wrong prescription. As a candidate, Mr. Webb has had a steep learning curve; to his credit, he has acknowledged it.”
Not what you’d call a “ringing endorsement.” Ultimately, I don’t care who you vote for. However, if your vote is based at all on knowing where the candidates stand, there really isn’t even any question that Allen is the only one to actually enunciate positions on the important issues to our country and Commonwealth.
Although George Allen seems to be upfront with where he stands, I feel that Mr. Webb has also made his views clear. Allen does have an advantage in that he has time spent on the books, but then we must look at the voting record.
Often I get the feeling that Mr. Allen is “parroting” the administration’s views on everything. It is almost as though he doesn’t have an original thought of his own. That is, until very recently when he seems to be distancing himself from the president. That in itself may help him in the long run. However, I find it strange that his views on Iraq changed at about the same time the president announced that he was thinking of exploring other options.
I do admire any politician who, in the heat of serious conflict, can stand up and disagree with the current administration, or with their own party.