So I was Wrong....REAALLY Wrong. Such is life....now on to Angry Commentary.

So, it seems that the reason that Bush carried those important swing states was not because people thought he was doing a good job fighting terrorism, nor was it because people thought the economy was in good shape. In the end what really swung the election Bush's way was the "moral values" (i.e. anti-gay) point. A HUGE percentage of the electorate in those crucial swing states came out and voted for Bush because of their fear and loathing of homosexuals. This honestly shocked me. I really thought that this election would be decided on issues like the war on terrorism or the war in Iraq or even the economy, but thats not what the polls seem to indicate. Had the election been decided by those real issues and Bush won, I would still be dissapointed but I would not be as angry as I am right now. With the 10 of the 11 gay marriage bans passed by huge margins and Bush elected because of "moral values" those Evangelical Christian voters have sent a loud and clear message to me: "We hate you, we don't accept you, and we'll do anything to stop and/or repress you." With that cleared up, it seems that John Kerry's hope for "unity" and reconciliation is pretty much down the drain. How can we reconcile with people who would stop at nothing to take away your civil rights? How can you negotiate with fundamentalists? The fact is, you can't.

Those evangelical Christian voters drew a line in the sand with their votes . They don't intend to reconcile, they intend to conquer. They don't intend to cooperate, they intend to shove their own particular bigoted view of the world down the throats of other Americans. This makes me furious at the states they occupy, and has convinced me that we, as liberals, gay people, libertarians etc., should not continue to help or be concerned for these people, as they have been so dead set against our rights. The next time someone tries to convince you that steel tariffs or farm subsidies are a good idea, remember that you will be hurt by the higher prices and higher taxes caused by such things AND that the people who the tariffs and subsidies help are the exact people who place more weight on fucking over gay people than having a job when making a vote. The next time one of those 10 states that voted to ban gay marriage by huge margins calls out for your support, remember that they elect politicians who sneer at liberals as "traitors" and gay people as "hedonistic." The next time you plan to give to a church or go to a church, ask yourself if they actually support your values all the time. Some places preach love and kindness when asking for money, but once they get that new steeple up, they bring down the hammer on your civil rights. You should not help your enemies, no matter what flag they fly or how much they may smile at you on the outside.

We on the side of liberty must realize that we are at war with fundamentalists, both at home and abroad. One side seeks to take our lives, the other side seeks to take our freedom. What we also must realize is that both sides are winning in the "hearts and minds" department. Why? Because at home we have fought fundamentalism wimpily, afraid to engage the enemy for fear of offending people at the center. The reasonable people in the middle of the American political spectrum would support our side if we told them why these people are actually dangerous. When fundamentalists and evangelical Christians tell us that they believe in certain ridiculous things we cannot say "Well, I respect your believes but unfortunately the Constitution says X." We must say "Your views are not valid, and are ridiculous. You are hurting the country, you are an enemy of free people everywhere, and you need to be stopped." We do not treat terrorists, who seek to take our lives, with kid gloves or terms of respect. Why, then, should we treat people who want to take our freedoms with a modicum of respect? They are intellectual terrorists gathering their forces together on talk radio, on the pulpit, and soon on the United States Supreme Court. They are more dangerous to us than the terrorists armed with bombs, because terrorists can only kill and destroy physical things. There is no bomb in their possession strong enough to bring down the secular state, to take away a woman's right to her own body, or to rob a person of their right to recieve equal treatment under the law no matter what their sexual orientation is. The religious fundamentalists CAN DO THIS. Call a talk show, write your senator, protest when you can, and make it clear to your friends neighbors and relatives that these people need to be stopped!