A Request

OK. So Republicans won big last night. Well, I have one request of those who are pleased with last night’s results: Over the next two years, please treat the Republican majorities the same way that Democrats were treated over the last two years. In other words, require the Republicans to be “bipartisan” in the same way that you wanted Democrats to be bipartisan (which I think meant, “roll over, play dead, and do what the minority wants”); require them to “listen to you” in the same way that you wanted Democrats to do so (I think that means screaming at them at town halls when the don’t do exactly what you want); demand that they represent you and not special interests as you demanded of Democrats; print posters calling for John Boehner or Rand Paul to be lynched or comparing them to Hitler (or should that be Marx or Che? I get confused…); be sure that you “properly” refer to pro-business Republicans as fascists (or some other overly hyperbolic term) as you referred to Democrats as socialists or Marxists; and most importantly, be sure to disbelieve any “facts” that you may hear from Republicans as you disbelieved the facts that you heard from Democrats.

In places like Indiana, where Republicans now control both the executive and legislative branch (with a super-majority in the Senate), please be sure to refer to any legislation that is passed as being “crammed down your throat”.

And most importantly, please start screaming that you want your country back as it is handed over, piece by piece, to corporations and other special interests.

Thank you.*

In all seriousness, all of our elected leaders must be held to high standards and the name-calling, screaming, and fear-mongering must stop. But, in equal seriousness, we need to be sure that we don’t apply a double standard of what we expect from our politicians and leaders. If you held Democrats accountable, but sure to hold Republicans accountable, too.

I don’t actually advocate any of this kind of nonsense. For those who are sarcasm-challenged, this post was intended to be read in a sarcastic tone and was not meant as an endorsement of any of the tactics employed by the right over the last two years. I continue to support civility in politics, even if civility appears to have been dealt a near fatal blow by the rise of the tea party and the near-deification of Limbaugh, Beck, and Hannity.