Triumph of Literalism and Lunacy: Petty Complaints About the +óGé¼+ôBorn Fighting+óGé¼-¥ Metaphor

Some of the complainers see themselves as morally superior.  They think people who spend their time trying to make a difference are +óGé¼+ôjust so mean.+óGé¼-¥  They erroneously think anyone who dissents or uses strong language is +óGé¼+ôtoo aggressive,+óGé¼-¥ even when strong language is more than called for.  Those who courageously stand up when we most need them get a condescending finger pointing, while real evil is perpetuated in our names.  Others call politics the +óGé¼+ôart of the possible.+óGé¼-¥  I believe it+óGé¼Gäós much more.  It+óGé¼Gäós how we demonstrate patriotism; exercise our citizenship, as we are morally required to do; get things done; and assure that things either remain the same, or change. Surely, there needs to be some passion in that.  Could these critics conjure up enough passion to write a letter to the editor about what's really wrong in our country?  Or speak out?  Do anything constructive to bring sanity back to Washisngton?

I am a feminist who+óGé¼Gäós not crazy about the slogan.  But it, along with everything else, belongs in context, post-modernist deconstruction notwithstanding.  I do agree that we should visit and revisit the words we chose, but do so without the sanctimony and shooting ourselves in the foot. 

+óGé¼+ôBorn Fighting+óGé¼-¥ is the title of James Webb+óGé¼Gäós book on the Scots-Irish.  And though Webb has been a soldier, and, even a boxer in the past, he means +óGé¼+ôborn fighting+óGé¼-¥ as +óGé¼+ôfighting for the underdog, fighting for what+óGé¼Gäós right, fighting for a better America and a better way of leading it, and standing up when the going gets tough."  One example is his support of mineworkers in Southwest Virginia some years back. 

Language can indeed create its own reality.  We see evidence of it every day: Slogans like +óGé¼+ôyou+óGé¼Gäóre with us or against us;+óGé¼-¥ profuse attacks on patriotic dissent in the media; or assertions that it+óGé¼Gäós +óGé¼+ôWorld War III.+óGé¼-¥  The latter is my idea of truly immoral, plunder-headed opinion-leading that needs to be confronted.  The neo-cons would bring the world down upon us for fun and profit.  Where are these same opponents of the +óGé¼+ôBorn fighting+óGé¼-¥ metaphor?  They+óGé¼Gäód quibble with a Webb sign, but not with the warmongering Newt Gingrich, Bill Bennett, or Bill O+óGé¼GäóReilly?  Another radical conservative pundit has repeatedly called for violence against liberals, including +óGé¼+ôassassination+óGé¼-¥ of some Democratic leaders.  Where is the outrage about that? 

More benignly, our own Democratic Congressman refers to our +óGé¼+ôFighting 9th+óGé¼-¥ Congressional District.+óGé¼-¥  That+óGé¼Gäós OK, evidently.  But a generally more diplomacy-oriented candidate even than Boucher can+óGé¼Gäót use the metaphor?  Watch for GOPers to play upon such pumped-up concerns.  They+óGé¼Gäóve already begun trying to portray Webb as pugnacious, specifically to turn off women.  But, if anything, Webb is the candidate of peace, diplomacy, a strong defense, but war only as a last resort.  Webb will resist neo-con aggression and hegemony.  Allen never knew a war he didn+óGé¼Gäót sink his teeth into.  George Felix Allen, Jr. had a lynch noose in the Virginia governor+óGé¼Gäós office.  Recall Allen+óGé¼Gäós claim that +óGé¼+ôwe+óGé¼Gäóre going to shove their (liberals+óGé¼Gäó) teeth down their whiny throats.+óGé¼-¥  Also, read the book by Felix+óGé¼Gäós sister to see what zero competence in the peacemaking department looks like.  Then recall how James Webb opposes our widening militarism; how he+óGé¼Gäós brought healing good will to South East Asia, where he once served in war; and how even his ex-wife endorses him!!!!!! 

Right now we hear a lot about +óGé¼+ôproportionality.+óGé¼-¥  We could use a little of that in our decisions about candidates.  Democrats allowed  themselves to be convinced to abandon Howard Dean because the media maliciously used an engineered video clip (which eliminated the background noise of 3,000 cheering so loud, Dean had to shout to be heard).  They believed the vicious ads by Dean+óGé¼Gäós own fellow Democratic candidates, who equated him with Osama Bin Laden.  Democrats dumped Al Gore in 2003 because the media says +óGé¼+ôhe+óGé¼Gäós too wooden.+óGé¼-¥  Then they refuse to consider him a viable candidate when he actually won the presidency. Were any of these trivialists to hear him now, they+óGé¼Gäód be impressed more than ever.  But they are not listening.  They let the media sink John Kerry with undue circulation of false charges against him.  They lost war hero, Max Cleland to the Senate because ignorant voters listened to the malignant Saxby Chambliss, who equated Max Cleland to Osama Bin Laden.  Yes words, and images out of context, or falsely fused, can create unspeakable mischief. 

Lest anyone think I+óGé¼Gäóm taking just my own gender to task for trivializing, there+óGé¼Gäós more.  One of the most absurd reasons for voting against a candidate emerged when a man confronted me at the Democratic booth at the Steppin+óGé¼Gäó Out Festival in Blacksburg.  I was a just a low-level local volunteer, who had a Webb-for-Senate t-shirt on.  So the guy erroneously thought I was from the Webb campaign.  He blamed me for the fact that one of Webb+óGé¼Gäós large signs was +óGé¼+ôstill up.+óGé¼-¥  The last time I checked, there was still a campaign on, but he claimed it was a +óGé¼+ôstretch+óGé¼-¥ to still have signs up.  The sign was placed on private property with permission of the owner.  The guy was in-your-face mad that it wasn+óGé¼Gäót removed after the primary.  And for that, he was going to vote for - can you believe it - George Felix Allen, Jr., you know, the guy who is so environmentally friendly (that would be sarcasm). 

BTW, I did have something to do with the small Webb signs placed only at the Blacksburg polling poling places on primary day.  And they were removed, as required, by 8 PM primary night. I know that because my husband and I personally took every one of them down.  That+óGé¼Gäós more prompt than the requirement!  Meanwhile, the man would vote against his own best interests because of a bogus sign +óGé¼+ôissue.+óGé¼-¥ 

Whatever their issue, women and men who celebrate the trivial are part of the reason why constructive change doesn+óGé¼Gäót happen.  We can create a new reality by changing who+óGé¼Gäós in Washington.  Support people with an agenda focused on economic fairness, sound foreign policy, and justice for all.  Pick one who doesn't buy into deceit of the populace.  That+óGé¼Gäós all it would take.

James Webb may be behind in the polls, but he+óGé¼Gäós on the move.  Previously, others with his candidate strength have moved to front-runner.  For a time, it looked like Tim Kaine wouldn+óGé¼Gäót win, but he did.  Ned Lamont is now ahead of Joe Lieberman.  James Webb will gain more momentum too.  But this race shouldn+óGé¼Gäót even be close.  There+óGé¼Gäós a candidate, Allen, who stand for everything most Virginians and most American oppose, and then there+óGé¼Gäós James Webb, who is an outstanding Democrat and candidate.  Allen+óGé¼Gäós voted 97% with the Bush agenda.  His popularity should be more in sync with Bush+óGé¼Gäós puny approval rating.  And anyone who gets mired in the petty and ridiculous, well, they are part of the problem as surely as George W. Bush and George Felix Allen, Jr., are.

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