Others vs. Self

Today I heard that a firefighters local in New York City was endorsing Bush for re-election. It is a local that covers the September 11 sites in New York. One might understand that especially since the President was there with them in their saddest and lowest moments of despair.

I don't like that, but I do understand why that could happen. What really angered me was the comment of one of the firefighters, Steve Cassidy, who said "The president [Bush] said he would take the fight to the terrorists, and he has done that." In that statement I see, so very clearly, the underlying difference between Republicans and Democrats.

My personal belief is that Republicans put what they need and what they want first and whatever anyone else needs second or lower. Many Republicans feel that because our country and more importantly our people were attacked that we must retaliate. The need to sooth the pain and anger they feel is more important than being right about who we are attacking.

There is a bravado and a false pride because we wiped out the Iraq army and took over their country. We all know that Iraq is not a sponsor of the terrorists nor were they a threat to America. But hey, someone needed an @$$ whippin' and one was given so some people could feel better. Osama Bin Ladenis the terorist who did it. Al Qaeda is the organization that did it. But they continue to be more difficult to find so we found someone else the Bush administration didn’t like, blamed them, and took it out on them.

I am not one that believes we should be pacifists, nor do I think Iraq was in anyway a good country. I think we need to retaliate. The difference is that Republicans want to retaliate period. Democrats want to retaliate against the people who attacked us. If you compare this moral decision to a murder and the death penalty, the Bush/Republican policy is someone, anyone must pay the ultimate price for this crime. Democrats are saying that the guilty parties, after being judged by the jurists, (the other countries of the world) should pay the ultimate price.

Democrats believe in the moral strength of being right. Republicans believe in the physical strength of fear.

When you look at other issues in the race, look at where the Republicans and the Democrats are and I think you will often find that Democrats are looking towards the welfare of others while Republicans are looking out for Number 1.