Compassion?

by Glenn Littrell

REPOSTED from January 2015

I remember when criticizing the right wing or republicans as lacking compassion for the poor who were on welfare or getting government aid would result in being rebuffed as promoting 'classism' or even socialism. But now it is apparent that the criticism was understated. The right wing republicans lack compassion for anyone!  The working poor, unemployed WORKERS, senior and 'almost' senior citizens, teachers, 9/11 first responders, non-stock holders, and those of their own 'kind' who fit into these categories. Even their co-opting of the fundamentalist leaders and televangelist has not softened their hearts for those less fortunate. And now it appears as if the fears of Rev. Graham are being realized everyday as religious leaders seem to be turning the keys to the temple over to the moneychangers (corporate America) via their far right-wing friends.    

The quote below from Rev. Billy Graham and the one above from Barry Goldwater demonstrates the historical mistrust and disdain for each other that the conservative right and the religious leaders held for each other. So what happened?

Several things:

1. The ‘Southern Strategy’ of appealing to the fears of white middle class southern males increased the Republican appeal in the south. Pulling Democrat voters as well as Democrat politicians into the party through defections. The Republicans took advantage of the split between the northern liberal Democrats and the traditional southern Democrat who was more loyal to their region than their party. Today’s average conservative republican does not resemble the republican of 40 years ago as much as some would suggest. But the agenda and tactics of the leadership in the republican party greatly resembles the southern democrats of the civil rights era and the reconstruction democrat, harsh. The current republican leadership has no problem with pushing up against those long held fears of the southern white male to attract the extreme elements on the other side of those boundaries. Which gives them an energized and forceful constituency.
2. Roe v. Wade gave Religious leaders  a rallying cry for reinventing the ‘fire and brimstone’ rhetoric that had energized religious revivals for centuries. Where in the past it was cries to go to war to fight the ‘godless invaders’, or the the temperance movement, communism, etc. Even now, as abortions and unwanted teen pregnancies are at their lowest since Roe v. Wade, we see the anti- abortion fervor taking a back see to the “Muslim Jihadist” rhetoric.

“I don’t want to see religious bigotry in any form. It would disturb me if there was a wedding between the religious fundamentalist and the political right. The hard right has no interest in religion except to manipulate it.”  --Rev. Billy Graham, Parade, 1981

 

"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are...a few...Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid," wrote Republican President Dwight Eisenhower to his brother in 1954. Unfortunately, this splinter group is now in charge of this once-respectable political party.

The Surprisingly Progressive Republican Party Platform...Of 1956

                              GlennDL

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