A Liberal's Pledge to Disheartened Conservatives ...by Michael Moore

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November 15th, 2006, 01:10 AM
maddercow

I thought this was a great piece. What a great example of an American!

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Tuesday, November 14th, 2006
A Liberal's Pledge to Disheartened Conservatives ...by Michael Moore

To My Conservative Brothers and Sisters,

I know you are dismayed and disheartened at the results of last week's election. You're worried that the country is heading toward a very bad place you don't want it to go. Your 12-year Republican Revolution has ended with so much yet to do, so many promises left unfulfilled. You are in a funk, and I understand.

Well, cheer up, my friends! Do not despair. I have good news for you. I, and the millions of others who are now in charge with our Democratic Congress, have a pledge we would like to make to you, a list of promises that we offer you because we value you as our fellow Americans. You deserve to know what we plan to do with our newfound power -- and, to be specific, what we will do to you and for you.

Thus, here is our Liberal's Pledge to Disheartened Conservatives:

Dear Conservatives and Republicans,

I, and my fellow signatories, hereby make these promises to you:

1. We will always respect you for your conservative beliefs. We will never, ever, call you "unpatriotic" simply because you disagree with us. In fact, we encourage you to dissent and disagree with us.

2. We will let you marry whomever you want, even when some of us consider your behavior to be "different" or "immoral." Who you marry is none of our business. Love and be in love -- it's a wonderful gift.

3. We will not spend your grandchildren's money on our personal whims or to enrich our friends. It's your checkbook, too, and we will balance it for you.

4. When we soon bring our sons and daughters home from Iraq, we will bring your sons and daughters home, too. They deserve to live. We promise never to send your kids off to war based on either a mistake or a lie.

5. When we make America the last Western democracy to have universal health coverage, and all Americans are able to get help when they fall ill, we promise that you, too, will be able to see a doctor, regardless of your ability to pay. And when stem cell research delivers treatments and cures for diseases that affect you and your loved ones, we'll make sure those advances are available to you and your family, too.

6. Even though you have opposed environmental regulation, when we clean up our air and water, we, the Democratic majority, will let you, too, breathe the cleaner air and drink the purer water.

7. Should a mass murderer ever kill 3,000 people on our soil, we will devote every single resource to tracking him down and bringing him to justice. Immediately. We will protect you.

8. We will never stick our nose in your bedroom or your womb. What you do there as consenting adults is your business. We will continue to count your age from the moment you were born, not the moment you were conceived.

9. We will not take away your hunting guns. If you need an automatic weapon or a handgun to kill a bird or a deer, then you really aren't much of a hunter and you should, perhaps, pick up another sport. We will make our streets and schools as free as we can from these weapons and we will protect your children just as we would protect ours.

10. When we raise the minimum wage, we will pay you -- and your employees -- that new wage, too. When women are finally paid what men make, we will pay conservative women that wage, too.

11. We will respect your religious beliefs, even when you don't put those beliefs into practice. In fact, we will actively seek to promote your most radical religious beliefs ("Blessed are the poor," "Blessed are the peacemakers," "Love your enemies," "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God," and "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."). We will let people in other countries know that God doesn't just bless America, he blesses everyone. We will discourage religious intolerance and fanaticism -- starting with the fanaticism here at home, thus setting a good example for the rest of the world.

12. We will not tolerate politicians who are corrupt and who are bought and paid for by the rich. We will go after any elected leader who puts him or herself ahead of the people. And we promise you we will go after the corrupt politicians on our side FIRST. If we fail to do this, we need you to call us on it. Simply because we are in power does not give us the right to turn our heads the other way when our party goes astray. Please perform this important duty as the loyal opposition.

I promise all of the above to you because this is your country, too. You are every bit as American as we are. We are all in this together. We sink or swim as one. Thank you for your years of service to this country and for giving us the opportunity to see if we can make things a bit better for our 300 million fellow Americans -- and for the rest of the world.

Signed,

Michael Moore
[email protected]
(Click here to sign the pledge)
www.michaelmoore.com

P.S. Please feel free to pass this on.
November 15th, 2006, 02:20 PM
senorina

Someone sent it to me this morning.

I find it hateful and sad.

I am glad that there is a better balance in Washington right now, but I do not like the hate.
November 15th, 2006, 03:22 PM
Jeeperrr

I think it's a good reminder of the things we have to avoid going forward.

I see that he is pointing out all the GOP mistakes and policies with which a liberal would disagree, and he is promising not to do the same things. I also read into it a promise not to be vengeful.

Are you offended because he is highlighting GOP positions, or because he has pointed out that there have been mistakes and corruption since they took power? It's just a sad fact, and an outcome that I'm sure everyone hopes we will avoid in the future, both GOP and Dems.

[ November 15, 2006 12:04 PM: Message edited by: Jeeperrr ]

[ November 15, 2006 12:07 PM: Message edited by: Jeeperrr ]
November 15th, 2006, 03:53 PM
funkycamper

Senorina, I see nothing hateful there. Just an extension of an olive branch. Could you be specific and point out the hateful statements? I'm really curious how we could both be reading it so differently.
November 15th, 2006, 09:07 PM
senorina

Quote:

Originally posted by funkycamper:
Senorina, I see nothing hateful there. Just an extension of an olive branch. Could you be specific and point out the hateful statements? I'm really curious how we could both be reading it so differently.

there is no way that can be seen as an olive branch. it is sarcastic, condecending, and accusatory.

Some examples:

Quote:

3. We will not spend your grandchildren's money on our personal whims or to enrich our friends. It's your checkbook, too, and we will balance it for you.

this accuses the previous congress of spending money on their personal whims and enriching their friends. maybe you agree that they did tat, maybe not. but you can't argue that its a nice statement

Quote:

6. Even though you have opposed environmental regulation, when we clean up our air and water, we, the Democratic majority, will let you, too, breathe the cleaner air and drink the purer water.

please.

Quote:

10. When we raise the minimum wage, we will pay you -- and your employees -- that new wage, too. When women are finally paid what men make, we will pay conservative women that wage, too.

Women are paid as much as men. We are not victims. When you compare the same job with the same experience the pay is equal. What liberals try to do is compare "typical" women jobs to "typical men jobs, and that is comparing apples to oranges. If women want to make more money, they shouldn't get a "typical" woman job, they should get a job that pays better. This statement is again condescending that we are better than you, and fairer than you, when the truth is, both sides just disagree on what is best for the economy and the country.

Quote:

12. We will not tolerate politicians who are corrupt and who are bought and paid for by the rich. We will go after any elected leader who puts him or herself ahead of the people. And we promise you we will go after the corrupt politicians on our side FIRST. If we fail to do this, we need you to call us on it. Simply because we are in power does not give us the right to turn our heads the other way when our party goes astray. Please perform this important duty as the loyal opposition.

cough cough BULLSHIT cough cough.

there are corrupt politicians on both sides, and politicians who are bought and paid for by the rich on both sides. are you serious that this was a nice olive branch?

that's a few.
November 16th, 2006, 01:09 AM
feelinggreat

I don't see anything hateful.
November 17th, 2006, 01:04 AM
Stormyskies

I would say that is a bark beetle infested olive branch. It's dripping with in-your-face, f*** you sarcasm.
November 17th, 2006, 12:15 PM
senorina

Quote:

Originally posted by Stormyskies:
I would say that is a bark beetle infested olive branch. It's dripping with in-your-face, f*** you sarcasm.

So true.

I see it as MM being a mean bully, as usual.
November 17th, 2006, 03:13 PM
funkycamper

Senorina, if you would have responded with equal disgust in the thread "So, is this his idea of bipartisanship?" I would take your comments here more seriously.

Why is Bush always given a pass even though his positions and actions directly effect us all yet you get so outraged over mere words that have no effect on anything?

[ November 17, 2006 11:19 AM: Message edited by: funkycamper ]
November 17th, 2006, 05:27 PM
senorina

Quote:

Originally posted by funkycamper:
Senorina, if you would have responded with equal disgust in the thread "So, is this his idea of bipartisanship?" I would take your comments here more seriously.

Why is Bush always given a pass even though his positions and actions directly effect us all yet you get so outraged over mere words that have no effect on anything?

[ November 17, 2006 11:19 AM: Message edited by: funkycamper ]

I didn't think I had anything to contribute to that thread, if I have nothing different than whats already been said I sometimes don't contribute.

Post about Ann Coulter, you'll see how I feel about her too.

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