I have rolled a question around in my head for months; why are Republicans so mean? I have concluded that it is not meanness, it is fear. The fear of betraying the religion of Trump and fear of being called stupid. Having a point and blind devotion to a point is different. Conservatives conflate saying I was wrong with acknowledging stupidity, thereby betraying what has turned into a pseudo-religion—Conservatism. Realizing that one may have been fooled and conceding a point to more information, more thought, and more reason is to one’s credit, but that seems to be anathema to modern conservative doctrine. Small government and personal rights have morphed into an overt invasion of a woman’s womb—although, the gay community would tell you conservatives have long been in their bedrooms.
It has to be so confusing to be a conservative these days; is pro-law enforcement, now defending people who beat members of the thin blue line at the Capitol, calling it tourism? Members of the F.B.I. have spent four and one-half years defending themselves against accusations of being the Gestapo for the “deep state” and now it is the military’s turn. I am old enough to remember when Republicans staunchly defended Colonel Ollie North’s lies to defend the presidency but now General Milley is under constant attack for trying to save the world from a would-be mad king’s potential nuclear annihilation of the world. If you watched any of the Senate hearings Democrats made attempts to find solutions by asking questions to enlighten themselves and the public. Conversely, almost every question from a Republican Senator was tinged with contempt for President Biden and General Milley. The questions from the Conservative side of the aisle to Milley echoed Rudy Giuliani's mantra of a noun, a verb, and 9/11. Nearly every conservative utterance was a noun a verb and resign Gen. Milley.
If one is to believe the conservative position, pro-life is an unassailable value, notwithstanding rape or incest, in that equation, pro-life-quality is ignored. Things that would care for the fetus, after birth, like food supplements, early childhood education, daycare, and affordable housing for the mothers forced to carry babies to term are derisively labeled as “entitlements” or a “free ride.”
If it were not so serious it would be funny to see anti-vax (anti-masks) conservatives carrying signs that read, ‘my body my choice.’ The self-imposed stupidity of conflating pregnancy and vaccinations is mind-blowing. A little information, a little thought, and a little reason would strike most of us carrying such a sign as lacking common sense, for the sake of a stubborn point. Standing next to a pregnant woman will not impregnate you but standing next to a Covid-19 carrier could kill you. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) is a decorated former Navy Seal and an American hero, yet he decided to abandon his commitment to his fellow Americans and disobey the rules. He decided he would enter the House Republican cloakroom without going through the metal detector and was fined five-thousand dollars. Mr. Crenshaw, as a former Seal, certainly understands the needs and requirements of security but apparently, he too chose to make a point instead of using common sense. It is not betrayal or stupid to admit you are wrong, but it is enlightening.
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