Point of View - September

By Gerard Meister

A friend of mine telephoned to describe an incident that happened to him in a strip mall parking lot a couple of weeks ago. What transpired saddened him greatly, as it did me, but frightened me even more. Here's what occurred: my friend, who is in his late seventies and served in the Army Air Corps during WWII, flies a small American flag from his car.

As he parked a woman passerby spotting the flag fluttering from his car's rear window remarked, as she pointed to the flag: "I hope this doesn't mean that you're voting for Bush!" My friend did not dignify the taunt with a response and walked away, but remains puzzled as to why an American flag should show support President Bush. And conversely, he asked as we discussed the matter, "would the absence of an American flag show support for the Kerry/Edwards Democratic ticket?"

Clearly, that shouldn't be; Kerry and Edwards are loyal Americans and as patriotic as my friend or me or any of my readers, but that's not the point. The point is, why does that woman (and so many other voters) believe an overt display of patriotism to be a Republican symbol? Why should Democrats be seen as closet patriots?

Here is what I think happened: all the people who run around bashing America every chance they get - the likes of, Michael Moore, George Soros, Noam Chomsky, Ramsay Clark, Gore Vidal, Lynn Stewart and Howard Zinn, to name a few - have one thing in common, they all back the Kerry/Edwards Democratic ticket. Michael Moore is on record saying that he is "rooting for Iraq to win," yet his movie grossed over a hundred million dollars. Ramsay Clark has been in Iraq for weeks helping with Saddam Hussein's defense. Does anyone know this? Shouldn't everyone care?

Still, as we approach having to make a choice in the coming election, it is important that we understand the difference between "Bush Bashers" who dissent with the president's policies - Barbra Streisand, Maureen Dowd, Al Franken, Whoopi Goldberg, etc., and Americans who actually hate their country. Dissent, Jefferson said is the "highest form of patriotism." But the people enrolled in the Michael Moore/George Soros' school of thought aren't dissenters, they don't just disagree with the president, they believe that the United States represents the biggest threat to world peace. Knock America off its high horse, they believe, and all will be right in the world. It's not al Qaeda that concerns them, folks, it's us!

And that's what frightens me. Every single one of the people in America who are actively seeking to sink our ship of state is vigorously supporting John Kerry! If this scares you too, it is in your power to do something about it.

And may God continue to bless America.