Viva California

Pride goes before destruction
a haughty spirit before a fall

Proverbs 16:18

I have never been so pleased to live in California.

The electorate has spoken loud and clear. Enough of the Republican mean-spiritedness. We have sat back while the Republicans tell the rest of us that we are godless communist sinners and that they are the experts on morality. We watched their arrogance as they justified their idol’s stoop to low-brow insults that his opponents are “Girly Men.” We watched in horror as they attacked the people we need the most in our every day lives -- teachers, nurses, firefighters and policemen. We got sick of being called moonbats, kool-aid drinkers, stupid liberals, immoral and all the other brainless insults O’Reilly, Coulter and Malkin tell them they should use against those who disagree with them (whether they apply or not). And we got up out of our apathetic stupor and voted to shut them up.

Voting is always family-bonding time in these parts. I am still registered at my parents’ address (as a Republican), so I go over there, we bat around the issues and head over to the polling station. Since I renounced Republicanism a few years ago, my die-hard Republican parents and I typically disagree on the issues, but yesterday was different. As I walked into the house, my mother declared that the family was voting “no” on everything. She repeated it to my father (who has certificates of appreciation from the RNC in the home office) for emphasis.

Surprisingly, dad agreed. How dare Arnold claim to care about California’s budget and then waste our taxpayer money on an unnecessary election? How dare he attack the same people who respond to our 911 calls and educate our children? How dare he attack public unions, while leaving corporate unions (in which he is a member) unscathed? How dare he use us as a pawn in a vendetta, dog-fight he is having with the public unions? He abused the initiative process and my Republican parents refused to reward him for that. You can't convince people to vote for you or with you by insulting them.

The spin machine is already at work, but the Republicans only have themselves to blame. I can’t wait to hear Pat Robertson speak for God as he likes to do and tell us who is being punished for what. Maybe he’ll convince the Republicans they weren’t Christian enough. Or maybe, just maybe, Robertson’s insanity will reveal itself for what it is and remind Republicans that Jesus’ admonition to love your neighbor as you love yourself applies to everyone.

Jesus got followers by being an example of humility and love, something the Republicans sorely lack. Perhaps they should pay more attention to the God they claim to worship instead of blindly mimicing the false idols of the party.