http://www.thousandreasons.org/opinion/0704b04.html

July 4, 2004

Earlier this week John Kerry broached the subject of values, and now
in a near panic George Bush and ***** Cheney are claiming they're the
ones with values.

Kerry, according to Cheney, is "out of touch with the conservative
values of the heartland."

But just what is it that Cheney values?

Among several hot-button topics sure to re-ignite the culture wars,
Cheney cited "partial birth" abortion, flag burning, and -- get this
-- tax cuts.

We understand how flag burning can be a "values" issue, since it
invokes patriotism and one of the strongest symbols of our nation.

But many value the right to free speech even more highly than any
symbol of love of country.

Who would love a country without free speech?

Similarly, abortion is one of those divisive issues certain to inflame
Bush-Cheney supporters and get them to the polls next November.

We assume the value at the heart of this argument against certain
abortion procedures -- "partial birth" to opponents -- is that of life
itself.

And who doesn't value life?

But like all good arguments, this one has another side to it: what
about the right of a woman to control her own body, her own
reproduction?

Don't we also value freedom, or is forcing a woman to have a baby
something we value even more?

But this is not about flag burning or abortion, since we understand
that these really are just distractions designed to agitate the "base"
of conservative voters so they will reject Kerry, who Bush and Cheney
are trying to push into a liberal corner.

Instead, this sudden discover of "values" by Bush-Cheney is really
about money.

We have been watching the Bush-Cheney team from the beginning, and we
know where their true allegiance lies: with corporate America.

They have consistently favored corporate profits over all else -- the
environment, the jobless, the rich-poor gap, Social Security solvency,
even our health.

Whenever a choice has presented itself to them, they have chosen
corporations.

Privatize Social Security.

Privatize the military.

Privatize Medicare.

Reduce environmental regulations for logging and oil exploration.

Allow more mercury in the air, more arsenic in the water.

And the winner in each of these choices?

Corporations.

So when ***** Cheney lists tax "relief" as a core value, we don't know
whether to laugh or cry.

Has America sunk so low that we will allow our liberty and freedom to
be reduced, while making the Bush tax cuts permanent?

That seems to be the wish of Bush-Cheney, that we will overlook the
PATRIOT Act, the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, the War
Powers Act, and embrace tax cuts for the wealthy.

But we suspect that Americans in the hearland -- wherever that is --
have a different set of values, and that they are smart enough to know
that Bush-Cheney are once again showing their true colors.

One Thousand Reasons http://www.thousandreasons.org/

________________________________________________________

Harry

http://www.thousandreasons.org/opinion/0704b04.html

July 4, 2004

Earlier this week John Kerry broached the subject of values, and now
in a near panic George Bush and ***** Cheney are claiming they’re the
ones with values.

Kerry, according to Cheney, is "out of touch with the conservative
values of the heartland."

But just what is it that Cheney values?

Among several hot-button topics sure to re-ignite the culture wars,
Cheney cited "partial birth" abortion, flag burning, and -- get this
-- tax cuts.

We understand how flag burning can be a "values" issue, since it
invokes patriotism and one of the strongest symbols of our nation.

But many value the right to free speech even more highly than any
symbol of love of country.

Who would love a country without free speech?

Similarly, abortion is one of those divisive issues certain to inflame
Bush-Cheney supporters and get them to the polls next November.

We assume the value at the heart of this argument against certain
abortion procedures -- "partial birth" to opponents -- is that of life
itself.

And who doesn’t value life?

But like all good arguments, this one has another side to it: what
about the right of a woman to control her own body, her own
reproduction?

Don’t we also value freedom, or is forcing a woman to have a baby
something we value even more?

But this is not about flag burning or abortion, since we understand
that these really are just distractions designed to agitate the "base"
of conservative voters so they will reject Kerry, who Bush and Cheney
are trying to push into a liberal corner.

Instead, this sudden discover of "values" by Bush-Cheney is really
about money.

We have been watching the Bush-Cheney team from the beginning, and we
know where their true allegiance lies: with corporate America.

They have consistently favored corporate profits over all else -- the
environment, the jobless, the rich-poor gap, Social Security solvency,
even our health.

Whenever a choice has presented itself to them, they have chosen
corporations.

Privatize Social Security.

Privatize the military.

Privatize Medicare.

Reduce environmental regulations for logging and oil exploration.

Allow more mercury in the air, more arsenic in the water.

And the winner in each of these choices?

Corporations.

So when ***** Cheney lists tax "relief" as a core value, we don’t know
whether to laugh or cry.

Has America sunk so low that we will allow our liberty and freedom to
be reduced, while making the Bush tax cuts permanent?

That seems to be the wish of Bush-Cheney, that we will overlook the
PATRIOT Act, the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, the War
Powers Act, and embrace tax cuts for the wealthy.

But we suspect that Americans in the hearland -- wherever that is --
have a different set of values, and that they are smart enough to know
that Bush-Cheney are once again showing their true colors.

One Thousand Reasons http://www.thousandreasons.org/

________________________________________________________

Harry