Why I'm Getting Less Liberal All the Time

I just happened to be looking through my NOW calendar (That's National Organization for Women, if you happen to have lived under a moon-rock all your life). It's full of pictures of people (mostly women, of course) protesting one injustice or another. Some of the picket-signs echo my sentiments entirely, while others do not. But some of them are just plain entertaining.

"STOP RACISM NOW" screams one. "STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN" is emblazoned on another.

Now of course I find both of these entirely worthy sentiments. I can add my own "ditto" to them both. But other than showing everybody what the bearers of these signs think, what on earth can they expect to accomplish with them?

How many racists are going to happen by, spot the admonition to "STOP RACISM NOW" and undergo an instant revelation on the issue? "Uh, okay," I can hear our racist say, as he goes on his way a racist no more.

Likewise, is it even remotely possible that a wife-beater will catch sight of the "STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN" placard and undergo a dramatic change of heart? "Honey, I'm sooooo sorry," he'll splutter when he gets home with a dozen red roses, "I'll never do it again!"

It would, admittedly, be very nice if it worked that way, but everybody who isn't totally tripped-out on acid knows that it doesn't. Putting something that "no, duh" on a picket-sign is nothing but gratuitous exhibitionism. "Look at me," its bearers tell the world. "I'm a good person because I don't like racism or violence against women!"

If you don't like racism, then work for a greater understanding between races. If you want to stop violence against women, then volunteer as a victim's advocate or at a shelter for battered women. Holding up stupid picket-signs is worse than doing nothing. It's doing nothing when you could, at least theoretically, be doing something. What could be more typically liberal?

Liberals think it's all about themselves, and about their feelings. Who cares whether you've ever actually set foot in a homeless shelter to serve as a volunteer? You want to "end homelessness" -- it says so on your bumper-sticker!

Ted Kennedy is one of your heroes. You wish he'd run for President again! Damn all those meanies who keep bringing up Chappaquiddick -- don't they realize Ted Kennedy is womens' best friend?

I don't think he was Mary Jo Kopechne's best friend. I doubt if her family thinks so, either.

It is utter hypocrisy to call for Dick Cheney's head on a pike because he got careless (and very possibly drunk) on a hunting trip and blasted birdshot into his friend. At least he didn't just walk away and leave him there to die. Ted Kennedy let a young woman drown without doing anything whatsoever to try and save her. If he were anybody BUT a Kennedy, he would have gone to prison. To react in annoyance when somebody mentions this is worse than stupid.

Many libertarians care about the same things liberals do. The only difference is that we believe that ACTUAL PEOPLE should ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

The Democrats in Congress are doing all they can to burden businesses with more and more legislation. So that more companies can go out of business, more jobs can be lost and more people can be poor. Then they'll bat their lashes at us and assure us, once again, that they FEEL THE PAIN of the poor. Bullshit. I'd like to show 'em what pain feels like. Is there a nice horsewhip handy?

Liberal politicians WANT there to be as many poor people as possible, because when times are tough economically, that's when they stand better than a snowball's chance in Hell of getting elected. As a matter of fact, those are just about the ONLY times.

Passing laws against nebulous bogeybears like "homelessness," "terrorism," "racism" or "drugs" does absolutely nothing to get rid of them. It's doing nothing when you could, at least theoretically, be doing something. Might as well stand around with a thumb up your ass and a picket-sign in your hand.

It used to be that liberals were the only ones guilty of such mummery. Now it's just as likely to come from the conservatives. Which is why, though I'm a lot less liberal than I used to be, I haven't really become much more conservative.

Thank the Lord, there is another option. I only wish it wasn't the best-kept secret in the land.