I'm Guilty

For eight long years I railed against the Bush administration and his policies. I railed against the Republican controlled congress. I’m guilty. I sent e-mails and forwarded e-mails with the best of them. I laughed, joked and sent cartoons of Bush, Cheney and the rest. I’m guilty. What I did was to help divide our nation into US vs. THEM. I helped create the divisive climate we have today. And now that the “shoe is on the other foot”…I do not like it very much. Yes, dear brother, I am a hypocrite. I’m beginning to understand how much it hurts this country when we show a lack of respect for our ELECTED leaders. I do not regret that I disagreed with former President Bush and his policies, but I regret the lack of respect due the office of the President and the officers that served him. I’m guilty and I was wrong.

I am on the receiving end of a lot of FORWARDED e-mails making fun of President Obama and his policies. While I felt justified in attacking Bush and Cheney, I have never seen such a malicious campaign against a sitting President as that being waged against Obama. Many of these e-mails are flat out lies and misinformation and they have been reported as such by internet sites like www.snopes.com and www.factcheck.org yet they continue to be sent out as jokes or the absolute “truth” over and over again. Eventually people come to believe their veracity even though there is nothing to back them up.

It finally dawned on me that I was a part of this ongoing and escalating campaign of hate, disrespect and mistrust. It really hit home last week with the President of the United States of America being shouted at and called a “liar” during his address to Congress. It hit home when news reports of parents keeping their children home from school and school districts not allowing the broadcast of a speech on the importance of education by the President of the United States of America. It hit home when town hall meetings to discuss national healthcare reform turned into violent shouting matches by people with other agendas. It hit home right here in Texas when our own Governor made references to Texas seceding from the Union at several “Tea Parties” around the state. I had a hand in all of this with my own lack of respect.

As some of my friends and family know by now, I started attacking these divisive and untruthful e-mails with sarcasm and humor and doing my best to debunk those using internet fact checking sites. I admit that sometimes it was fun and some of the stuff was funny, but what I see happening to the mood of the nation is no longer… funny. If we do not ALL lower our voices and find a way to cooperate and get along, despite our differences, then I fear for the country I love. I see us tearing this country apart over partisan political issues and flat out racism. The one common denominator in all the shouting, e-mails, signs and protests is…FEAR. We continue to be a nation held hostage by our fears. It’s the FEAR that divides us into US and THEM.

Recently, I sent an e-mail to my family and friends to help ME deal with the volume of hateful lies and divisive material I have been getting online. Here is what I sent:

Dear Friends and Family,

I have been getting so many forwarded e-mails that are politically partisan and or thinly veiled racism passed off as jokes, cartoons and the absolute truth. I realize I can't stop them and the more I try, the more I get. So for my own sanity, if your e-mail or forwarded e-mail falls into this category, do not be surprised to receive this reply:

Dear Sender:

The nature of this e-mail offends me. When did America become so hateful, so divisive and so disrespectful? I want to believe that America is better than the petty partisanship and / or thinly disguised racism these e-mails often reflect. Do you really want to keep this going out into the Internet? Please think about it. By continuing to send these e-mails you reflect those destructive views and values on yourself.

"A house divided cannot stand." It is time to stop tearing down our country and our elected leaders and begin to come together with respect, cooperation, dialogue, healing and get things done. We have much to do. Let us roll up our sleeves and get to work. America deserves better than this. I hope you agree.

Food for THOUGHT.

Steve Ortman
San Antonio, Texas

America DOES deserve better than this. We ARE better than this. At the same time, I do not want to shy away from honest dialogue and discussion with my friends and family and others when we have different opinions. I, personally, cannot hide my head in the sand and will not. We do not all agree on all things. That’s life. But, we must, as a nation, find a way to deal with our differences and our fears. We…I must find a way to tone down the rhetoric and search out ways to cooperate and be more civil, if we are to get anything done.

I am sick to death of the extremists on the right and the left trying to destroy and discredit each other! We have much to do and things cannot wait. We all have a choice. We can continue with fear and divisiveness or we can choose to find ways to work together…with RESPECT and heal our Nation’s wounds. Each of us has a part to play.

Will you be a healer or a divider?

Food for THOUGHT…