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Bluer
than Blue
This is supposed
to be a comedy site, but after the election it hurts too much to laugh.
Here are some words to consider as we blue staters grapple with defeat.
Red and Blue
by Teddi Bullock
Everybody says there is a great divide in our country between
red and blue states and red and blue sections of states and
boy are they right! This division was effectively used by
the Republicans to win the election and with a clear majority.
Now we are told to unite, we “blues” and “reds”
and bridge the gap across what is said to be a great cultural
divide.
In the meantime those of us who are “blue” are
really blue. How could it be? How could those of us who support
John Kerry live in a nation where the majority of people voted
for George Bush? We just can’t figure it out. Despite
the spin the GOP puts on the economy, the war, environmental
concerns, we think it’s obvious that things are going
very badly. That’s before we even get into anything
philosophical like protecting the rights of individuals while
we fight a war on terrorism.
Well here’s what I think happened, folks - there was
a shell game going on and it was very effective. We were looking
off to the side when the switch was made. The Bush campaign
bet the bank on one issue: homosexuality. We have heard that
the leading concern of voters (over 20%) in this election
was morality. Since we didn’t have an unfaithful husband
running this time and it’s just us liberals who equate
capital punishment and preemptive war with morality - what’s
left - abortion and homosexuality.
Karl Rove says the Christian Right did not come out as projected
to support the Born Again George Bush in 2000. How to get
them to the polls this time? In eleven states across the country
(including the crucial Ohio) propositions to ban gay marriage
drew Fundamentalist Christians to the polls in record numbers.
The Democratic candidates saw this coming and tried to deflect
this by pointing to Mary Cheney; it didn’t work and
perhaps it shouldn’t have.
But why the divide between red and blue? Why do those of us
who live in the blue states seem to be more immune to anti-gay
tactics than those who live in the red states? Why do so many
of us find homosexuality as perfectly acceptable and not an
“abomination”? Are we just more liberal by nature?
Are fewer of us churchgoers? Are we “value” less?
That doesn’t make too much sense to me. Is geography
destiny?
You know what I think the answer is - there are just more
gay people in the blue states - certainly more openly gay
people. Obviously it doesn’t mean that blue state mothers
give birth to more lesbians and gay infants. It means that
for many generations now, gay people from the “red”
heartland have moved to the “blue” coastal states
or to large cities in the middle of the country. They moved
so they could live their lives more openly and escape the
condemnation of their family and friends back home.
In
the blue states we've come to accept and love
the gay children of the red states. Now it's your
turn.
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As a result of this migration, those of us east and west
coasters and Midwest city folk who at one time were also afraid
of and repulsed by gay people came to know them as members
of our communities and accept them as friends. In New York
City and Boston and San Francisco, transplanted red state
gay and lesbian sons and daughters, brothers and sisters and
even husband and wives are now embraced and celebrated by
their straight neighbors, co-workers and church congregations.
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We want the folks in the red states to know that it didn’t
happen overnight and certainly wasn’t an easy transition
for many of us, but we can’t go back to where we were before
we got to know your kids. That’s why we can watch pictures
of newly married gay couples kissing on the news and smile while
it is unbearable to you. It would have been unbearable for us
at one time too, but your children ran to our cities to escape
and turned our hearts around and that’s that.
So that’s how the election of 2004 was won, and winning,
as we’ve been told, is everything. It wasn’t about
the war or Osama or deficits. It came down to what is done in
bed between consenting adults.
Who knew?
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My State is Blue
by Adam Wasson
Today you are joyous while I'm filled with rue
Your state is red; my state is blue
I canvassed, I voted, what more could I do?
Your state is red; my state is blue
I want diplomacy, you like a coup
Your state is red; my state is blue
You protect companies I want to sue
Your state is red; my state is blue
You promote abstinence; I like to screw
Your state is red; my state is blue
You say "be strong" and I say "be true"
Your state is red; my state is blue
I said "invasion" and you said "rescue"
Your state is red; my state is blue
I say "homophobia," you say "value"
Your state is red; my state is blue
My pets go "meow" and your pets go "moo"
Your state is red; my state is blue
I like rights (say, free speech) you want to undo
Your state is red; my state is blue
You like the Cowboys, I side with the Sioux
Your state is red; my state is blue
You think that crap in the Bible is true
Your state is red; my state is blue
You're killing health care and I've got the flu
Your state is red; my state is blue
I fought the good fight, did all I could do
Your state is red; my state is blue
There are millions of me, and yet more of you
Your state is red; my state is blue
Oh Rove and Cheney, you bastards, I'm through
Your state is red; my state is blue
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Who's Blue?
by Daniel DeFabio
We're blue. We're liberals, progressives, factory workers,
intellectuals, jews, gays, non-whites, people who are different or can
tolerate those that are. You've seen on far too many blue and red maps
that we gather in bigger cities. The cities aren't bastions of evil. But
in them we're exposed to a lot of different things. Different people,
different ideas, world views, lifestyles. We think our ways are best for
the country because they tolerate and protect our differences. You think
your ways are best because they are "right" based on your traditions
and beliefs. We think tradition must give way to change and progress.
At first you think this sounds awful but you did fine adopting the cell
phone.
Many in the red states think "liberal" is a dirty
word. Yet pride themselves on their Christian charity and compassion.
Here's what liberal really means:
1. a. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox,
or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
b. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and
tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
Sound pretty good doesn't it? It even sounds like a good moral person.
Like you many of us have deep faith. Ours is no less deep
if we also consider science when making up our minds on important issues.
Our faith is no less deep if we recognize this country was founded on
a separation of church and state. The pilgrims set sail for the new world
to ensure a life with religious freedom. This means not only the freedom
to choose your religion but to choose no religion. The list of acceptable
religious choices is very long. It is not limited to branches of Christianity.
As today's Christians exercise the power of being the American majority,
we hope you'll remember the time when the Christians were the minority.
America is built on majority rule but it has to ensure the rights of the
minority as well. This would become supremely important to you if say
jews or muslims gained a majority in this country. Suddenly deprived of
your "right" to eat pork because it is clearly against God's
will, you'd beat loud the drum of separation of church and state.
We "blues" have been arrogant at times. This very
essay may be arrogant. (Sorry about the cell phone crack.) You criticize
us as "thinking we know better". We're probably guilty on that
one. We need to be mindful of the difference between advocating the search
for a better way and appearing as if only we can understand that better
way. The better way is often complicated and can't be summed up in a tag
line or a campaign promise. To serve a nation of millions and remain respectful
of their unique needs is often a complex undertaking.
Our president likes to keep things simple; good and evil,
right and wrong. But it isn't a simple world we live in. We know how reassuring
it sounds to have an issue boiled down to two clear opposite choices but
this is seldom realistic.
So as it is now clear the blue state-types are the new minority
in American, we have a simple plea: don't forget our rights. It's easy
to forget the rights of the minority until the minority is you. As the
Christians lead our nation here's hoping these traits of the faithful
move to the fore: tolerance, mercy, love, charity.
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