It seems like everywhere I go, I'll see at least one bumper sticker or hear at least one person say, "We want our country back!" These people are typically conservative Republicans. Whenever I see or hear this, three questions immediately spring to mind: 1) Is this a regular occurrence for people on the opposite side of the political spectrum as the president?, 2) How far back do they want to go exactly?, and 3) Would they rather alter the phrase to, "We want to change our country's direction"?
I think it would be perfectly understandable for Republicans to not be fully on board with a Democratic president's policies just as it would be perfectly understandable for Democrats to not be fully on board with a Republican president's policies. It's also understandable that, due to this, these disgruntled voters would want a change in direction in the Oval Office, and with that, the policies leading this country forward. However, the phrasing of "We want our country back!" suggests that those whom spout such language are seeking more than just a slight shift in Washington (D.C.), and with that, the rest of the country. The phrase suggests that through drastic changes which have been made in this country, the United States of today almost feels like a foreign nation, and it needs to be brought back to what it had been previously. So, if that's the case, again, the question remains, "According to these individuals, how far back would we have to travel in order for the United States to truly feel like the 'United States'?"
That answer probably differs at least slightly for most everybody, but there seems to be at least two common reasons for some to feel their country has been taken from them: 1) Religion and 2) Talking points (I suppose I could condense the list to one and label it "forms of brainwashing").
For as ridiculous as it may sound to Muslims and atheists in this country (as well as other religious or nonreligious groups), many Christians truly feel like their rights are being trampled. Not only has the LGBT community seen a surge in their rights the past few years, it's now being frowned upon to criticize homosexuals for their orientation, much like it was to criticize women for their gender or blacks for their skin color years back. Also, with the growing diversity with regard to ethnicity in this country, so too has the diversity in this country grown with regard to religious beliefs. Due to that, we've continued to try and more clearly separate the church and state on a national level ("Happy Holidays" versus "Merry Christmas," the holiday tree versus the Christmas tree, etc.). These trends have led many conservative Christians to lay claim that this country is moving away from God, from its so-called Christian principles, that our country is suffering as a result, and if we want our country to improve, we'll have to "take it back" to the way the Founders supposedly envisioned it - an unapologetic Christian nation. The major problem with this rationale, as I've touched on before, is the fact it's not that Christians are losing rights; it's that other religious and nonreligious groups are gaining equal rights. Ironically enough, granting different groups of people equal rights under the law seems to be more closely in line with how the Founding Fathers envisioned this country than to set one religion as superior to all the others.
Largely with the help of right-wing talk radio, Fox News, and a host of conservatively-slanted websites (perhaps conspiracy-slanted is the more proper term), talking points has also played a large factor in some conservative Christians believing this country has been taken from them.
- "Tax and spend liberals!"
- "Gun-control nuts!"
- "They want to take away your guns!"
- "Anti-Christian!"
- "Anti-American!"
- "Unpatriotic!"
- "An America apologizer!"
- "Obama is a Muslim!"
- "Obama was born in Kenya!"
- "The global warming/climate change hoax!"
- "They want to punish success!"
- "Baby killers!"
- "Evil liberals!"
- "Godless!"
- "Moochers!"
- "It's a government takeover!"
Sure, these bumper sticker slogans and talk show host catch phrases may be untrue, but as the mere-exposure effect suggests, the more a person hears something, the more likely it is they'll believe it to be true. So even if the facts suggest otherwise, many of these far-right conservative Christians truly believe this country has been taken over by an almost foreign regime, hellbent on destroying America and her ideals.
I've got news for these very individuals; change is inevitable. Through our growing population, changes have to be made in order to adjust and adapt. This is also true with regard to our expanding technology. New scientific breakthroughs are continually being made, and with each such discovery, we'll have to learn, adjust, and adapt. Change isn't always a pleasant transition, but it's not the end of the world either as some make it out to be either. It's time for these far-right individuals to remove their conspiracy goggles, stop taking these bumper sticker slogans and angry talk show rants to heart, and instead think with their minds and attempt to move this country forward, along with moderates and progressives alike, into a nation we can all feel proud about. Honestly, what is truly terrifying about the following?
- Equal pay for equal work
- Equal marriage rights for all
- Reducing abortions through comprehensive sex education and contraceptive coverage included in women's healthcare plans, but without stripping away a woman's reproductive rights
- Ending the war on drugs so fewer become incarcerated for nonviolent crimes
- Retraining police and placing body cameras on them so they become less susceptible to abusing their powers
- Providing more affordable universal healthcare coverage
- Attempting to stabilize or reverse the global warming/climate change trend by treating our environment with more care (and a better future for our kids)
- Decreasing the wage gap between the richest and everybody else, so we can have a more stable middle-class, less poverty, and be less prone to turning into an oligarchy
- Reversing the Citizens United decision so election day becomes less about billionaires/corporations buying votes and more about the peoples' voice
- Making education more affordable, so students and their parents/families don't have to sacrifice years of debt for the hope their degree(s) will pay off for them in the long-term
- Closing tax loopholes for the rich and certain corporations
- Closing gun show and Internet sales loopholes for gun purchasers (background checks)
- Granting persons equal rights and opportunities under the law, regardless of their age, gender, race, creed, or orientation
Like every other country, the United States has never been perfect, but also like with every other country, change is inevitable, and we can either adjust and adapt to these very changes or simply try to do the impossible, which is live in the past. While some conservative Christians adamantly declare, "We want our country back!," I simply respond with, "I want my country better," and I hope they one day agree.
http://thedailybanter.com/2014/07/yes-take-back-country-racist-republicans-say/
I think it would be perfectly understandable for Republicans to not be fully on board with a Democratic president's policies just as it would be perfectly understandable for Democrats to not be fully on board with a Republican president's policies. It's also understandable that, due to this, these disgruntled voters would want a change in direction in the Oval Office, and with that, the policies leading this country forward. However, the phrasing of "We want our country back!" suggests that those whom spout such language are seeking more than just a slight shift in Washington (D.C.), and with that, the rest of the country. The phrase suggests that through drastic changes which have been made in this country, the United States of today almost feels like a foreign nation, and it needs to be brought back to what it had been previously. So, if that's the case, again, the question remains, "According to these individuals, how far back would we have to travel in order for the United States to truly feel like the 'United States'?"
That answer probably differs at least slightly for most everybody, but there seems to be at least two common reasons for some to feel their country has been taken from them: 1) Religion and 2) Talking points (I suppose I could condense the list to one and label it "forms of brainwashing").
For as ridiculous as it may sound to Muslims and atheists in this country (as well as other religious or nonreligious groups), many Christians truly feel like their rights are being trampled. Not only has the LGBT community seen a surge in their rights the past few years, it's now being frowned upon to criticize homosexuals for their orientation, much like it was to criticize women for their gender or blacks for their skin color years back. Also, with the growing diversity with regard to ethnicity in this country, so too has the diversity in this country grown with regard to religious beliefs. Due to that, we've continued to try and more clearly separate the church and state on a national level ("Happy Holidays" versus "Merry Christmas," the holiday tree versus the Christmas tree, etc.). These trends have led many conservative Christians to lay claim that this country is moving away from God, from its so-called Christian principles, that our country is suffering as a result, and if we want our country to improve, we'll have to "take it back" to the way the Founders supposedly envisioned it - an unapologetic Christian nation. The major problem with this rationale, as I've touched on before, is the fact it's not that Christians are losing rights; it's that other religious and nonreligious groups are gaining equal rights. Ironically enough, granting different groups of people equal rights under the law seems to be more closely in line with how the Founding Fathers envisioned this country than to set one religion as superior to all the others.
Largely with the help of right-wing talk radio, Fox News, and a host of conservatively-slanted websites (perhaps conspiracy-slanted is the more proper term), talking points has also played a large factor in some conservative Christians believing this country has been taken from them.
- "Tax and spend liberals!"
- "Gun-control nuts!"
- "They want to take away your guns!"
- "Anti-Christian!"
- "Anti-American!"
- "Unpatriotic!"
- "An America apologizer!"
- "Obama is a Muslim!"
- "Obama was born in Kenya!"
- "The global warming/climate change hoax!"
- "They want to punish success!"
- "Baby killers!"
- "Evil liberals!"
- "Godless!"
- "Moochers!"
- "It's a government takeover!"
Sure, these bumper sticker slogans and talk show host catch phrases may be untrue, but as the mere-exposure effect suggests, the more a person hears something, the more likely it is they'll believe it to be true. So even if the facts suggest otherwise, many of these far-right conservative Christians truly believe this country has been taken over by an almost foreign regime, hellbent on destroying America and her ideals.
I've got news for these very individuals; change is inevitable. Through our growing population, changes have to be made in order to adjust and adapt. This is also true with regard to our expanding technology. New scientific breakthroughs are continually being made, and with each such discovery, we'll have to learn, adjust, and adapt. Change isn't always a pleasant transition, but it's not the end of the world either as some make it out to be either. It's time for these far-right individuals to remove their conspiracy goggles, stop taking these bumper sticker slogans and angry talk show rants to heart, and instead think with their minds and attempt to move this country forward, along with moderates and progressives alike, into a nation we can all feel proud about. Honestly, what is truly terrifying about the following?
- Equal pay for equal work
- Equal marriage rights for all
- Reducing abortions through comprehensive sex education and contraceptive coverage included in women's healthcare plans, but without stripping away a woman's reproductive rights
- Ending the war on drugs so fewer become incarcerated for nonviolent crimes
- Retraining police and placing body cameras on them so they become less susceptible to abusing their powers
- Providing more affordable universal healthcare coverage
- Attempting to stabilize or reverse the global warming/climate change trend by treating our environment with more care (and a better future for our kids)
- Decreasing the wage gap between the richest and everybody else, so we can have a more stable middle-class, less poverty, and be less prone to turning into an oligarchy
- Reversing the Citizens United decision so election day becomes less about billionaires/corporations buying votes and more about the peoples' voice
- Making education more affordable, so students and their parents/families don't have to sacrifice years of debt for the hope their degree(s) will pay off for them in the long-term
- Closing tax loopholes for the rich and certain corporations
- Closing gun show and Internet sales loopholes for gun purchasers (background checks)
- Granting persons equal rights and opportunities under the law, regardless of their age, gender, race, creed, or orientation
Like every other country, the United States has never been perfect, but also like with every other country, change is inevitable, and we can either adjust and adapt to these very changes or simply try to do the impossible, which is live in the past. While some conservative Christians adamantly declare, "We want our country back!," I simply respond with, "I want my country better," and I hope they one day agree.
http://thedailybanter.com/2014/07/yes-take-back-country-racist-republicans-say/
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