Susan Schroeder
A Letter To The People in The Red States
Tue Nov 16, 2004 11:17
64.140.159.142

A Letter To The People in The Red States

by Susan Schroeder
http://www.opednews.com/schroeder_111204_red_states.htm

I am writing this letter to the people in the red states in the middle
of the country -- the people who voted for George W. Bush. I am writing
this letter because I don't think we know each other.

So I'll make an introduction. I am a New Yorker who voted for John
Kerry. I used to live in California, and if I still lived there, I would
vote for Kerry. I used to live in Washington, DC, and if I still lived
there, I would vote for Kerry. Kerry won in all three of those regions.

Maybe you want to know more about me. Or maybe not; maybe you think you
know me already. You think I am some anti-American anarchist because I
dislike George W. Bush. You think that I am immoral and anti-family,
because I support women's reproductive freedom and gay rights. You think
that I am dangerous, and even evil, because I do not abide by your
religious beliefs.

Maybe you are content to think that, to write me off as a "liberal" --
the dreaded "L" word -- and rejoice that your candidate has triumphed
over evil, immoral, anti-American, anti-family people like me. But maybe
you are still curious. So here goes: this is who I am.

I am a New Yorker. I was here, in my apartment downtown, on September
11th. I watched the Towers burn from the roof of my building. I went
inside so that I couldn't see them when they fell. I had friends who
were inside. I have a friend who still has nightmares about watching
people jump and fall from the Towers. He will never be the same. How
many people like him do you know? People that can't sit in a restaurant
without plotting an escape route, in case it blows up?

I am a worker. I work across the street from the Citigroup Center, which
the government told us is a "target" of terrorism. Later, we found out
they were relaying very old information, but it was already too late.
They had given me bad dreams again. The subway stop near my office was
crowded with bomb-sniffing dogs, policemen in heavy protective gear,
soldiers. Now, every time I enter or exit my office, all of my
possessions are X-rayed to make sure I don't have any weapons. How often
are you stopped by a soldier with a bomb-sniffing dog outside your office?

I am a neighbor. I have a neighbor who is a 9/11 widow. She has two
children. My husband does odd jobs for her now, like building
bookshelves. Things her husband should do. He uses her husband's tools,
and the two little girls tell him, "Those are our daddy's tools." How
many 9/11 widows and orphans do you know? How often do you fill in for
their dead loved ones?

I am a taxpayer. I worked my butt off to get where I did, and so did my
parents. My parents saved and borrowed and sent me to college. I worked
my way through graduate school. I won a full tuition scholarship to law
school. All for the privilege of working 2,600 hours last year. That
works out to a 50 hour week, every week, without any vacation days at
all. I get to work by 9 am and rarely leave before 9 pm. I eat dinner at
my office much more often than I eat dinner at home. My husband and I
paid over $70,000 in federal income tax last year. At some point in the
future, we will have to pay much more -- once this country faces its
deficit and the impossible burden of Social Security. In fact, the areas
of the country that supported Kerry -- New York, California, Illinois,
Massachusetts -- they are the financial centers of the nation. They are
the tax base of this country. How much did you pay, Kansas? How much did
you contribute to this government you support, Alabama? How much of this
war in Iraq did you pay for?

I am a liberal. The funny part is, liberals have this reputation for
living in Never-Neverland, being idealists, not being sensible. But let
me tell you how I see the world: I see America as one nation in a world
of nations. Therefore, I think we should try to get along with other
nations. I see that gay people exist. Therefore, I think they should be
allowed to exist, and be treated the same as other people. I see ways in
which women are not allowed to control their own bodies. Therefore, I
think we should give women more control over their bodies. I see that
people have awful diseases. Therefore, I think we should enable
scientists to try to cure them. I see that we have a Constitution.
Therefore, I think it should be upheld. I see that there were no weapons
of mass destruction in Iraq. Therefore, I think that Iraq was not an
imminent danger to me. It seems so pragmatic to me. How do you see the
world? Do you really think voting against gay marriage will keep people
from being gay? Would you really prefer that people continue to die from
Parkinson's disease? Do you really not care about the Constitutional
rights of political detainees? Would you really have supported the war
if you knew the truth, or would you have wanted to spend more of our
money on health care, job training, terrorism preparedness?

I am an American. I have an American flag flying outside my home. I love
my home more than anything. I love that I grew up right outside New York
City. I first went to the Statue of Liberty with my 5th grade class, and
my mom and dad took me to the Empire State Building when I was 8. I love
taking the subway to Yankee Stadium. I loved living in Washington DC and
going on dates to the Lincoln Memorial. It is because I love this
country so much that I argue with my political opponents as much I do.

I am not safe. I never feel safe. My in-laws live in a small town in
Ohio, and that town has received more federal funding, per capita, for
terrorism preparedness than New York City has. I take subways and buses
every day. I work in a skyscraper across the street from a "target." I
have emergency supplies and a spare pair of sneakers in my desk, in case
somethng happens while I'm at work. Do you? How many times a month do
you worry that your subway is going to blow up? When you hear sirens on
the street, do you run to the window to make sure everything is okay?
When you hear an airplane, do you flinch? Do you dread beautiful,
blue-skied September days? I don't know a single New Yorker who doesn't
spend the month of September on tip-toes, superstitiously praying for
rain so we don't have to relive that beautiful, blue-skied day.

I am lonely. I feel that we, as a nation, have alienated all our friends
and further provoked our enemies. I feel unprotected. Most of all I feel
alienated from my fellow citizens, because I don't understand what you
are thinking. You voted for a man who started a war in Iraq for no
reason, against the wishes of the entire world. You voted for a man
whose lack of foresight and inability to plan has led to massive
insurgencies in Iraq, where weapons are disappearing into the hands of
terrorists. You voted for a man who let Osama Bin Laden escape into the
hills of Afghanistan so that he could start that war in Iraq. You voted
for a man who doesn't want to let people love who they want to love;
doesn't want to let doctors cure their patients; doesn't want to let
women rule their destinies. I don't understand why you voted for this
man. For me, it is not enough that he is personable; it is not enough
that he seems like one of the guys. Why did you vote for him? Why did
you elect a man that lied to us in order to convince us to go to war?
(Ten years ago you were incensed when our president lied about his sex
life; you thought it was an impeachable offense.) Why did you elect a
leader who thinks that strength cannot include diplomacy or
international cooperaton? Why did you elect a man who did nothing except
run away and hide on September 11?

Most of all, I am terrified. I mean daily, I am afraid that I will not
survive this. I am afraid that I will lose my husband, that I will never
have children, that I will never grow old and watch the sunset in a
backyard of my own. I am afraid that my career -- which should end with
a triumphant and good-natured roast at a retirement party in 2035 --
will be cut short by an attack on me and my colleagues, as we sit
sending emails and making phone calls one ordinary afternoon. Is your
life at stake? Are you terrified?

I don't think you are. I don't think you realize what you have done. And
if anything happens to me or the people I love, I blame you. I wanted
you to know that.

Susan Schroeder is an attorney in NY City.


Some responses to the article:

*jackie feulner* says: Though I am from a red state, I did not vote for
Bush. I did not vote for Republican congressman Beauprez (right-wing
Bushie puppet). Most people I know voted Democrat. Please, do not forget
that most red states had a large percentage of voters who voted for
Kerry. Many people in red states are horrified by the results of this
election. I cannot even come close to understanding how anyone, other
than a complete idiot, would have voted for the Bush regime. To be
honest, I cannot believe that the majority did vote for Bush, and that
is why I think that the election must have been stolen! I am
contributing to Bev Harris and the group blackboxvoting.org because she
is working very hard to demand recounts in the most suspicious looking
counties.

*Gene W. DeVaux* says: I have never felt so alienated in my home state.
So many of us worked so hard to oust George W. Bush that we have been
completely overwhelmed by the feeling of hopelessness. How can the
people of Missouri have become so ignorant?

Bush held a televised press conference, or meeting with the press, a few
weeks before 9/11. During the question and answer session of the
meeting, reporters asked questions about the Israeli/Palestinian
conflict that Bush had totally ignored. After the press conference, but
before Bush could escape reporters, a reporter asked him, 'When will you
do something to stop the killing?' Bush answered, 'When enough people
die.' I was outraged that his answer was so callous; others who saw it
had the same reaction.

The comment was never covered by the press or broadcast media. It was a
significant statement that gave us some insight into how he viewed one
of the most dangerous situations in the world. When the terrorists
struck our country, the first thing that I thought of was his outrageous
remark on live television. Could he have known these attacks were
coming? Could his callous attitude have triggered the attacks?

Bush is a dangerous, heartless man, but his supporters are ignorant of
what he has done, how he has lied, how he has destroyed old alliances,
how he is bankrupting our country, and how he is viewed by those of us
who are well informed. They just won't accept anything that is negative
about the man in whom they have placed the welfare of our country and of
the world.

Ignorance rules in Missouri and in the United States. I fear that this
election may signal the end of our democracy.

(one of the more "intelligent" responses from the "other side":)

*steven ward* says: Dear Ms Schroeder:

I have read your letter to the Red States and I, as a member of that
voting bloc to which you addressed your letter, and as a fellow
attorney, I want to help you understand why we voted for President Bush
and why we believe you completely misunderstand us, and apparently WANT
to misunderstand us.

First, I don't believe that you are an anti-American anarchist. Noam
Chomsky is an anti-American socialist-anarchist. There are actually few
people in this nation who believe the way he does, and I certainly hope
that you are not one of those. Anarchy indicates a lack of government
control and, quiet frankly, I suspect my views, at least on the domestic
side, are closer to anarchy than yours. You simply appear to be a proud
leftist. You like government to use our money to equalize conditions
that you perceive as unfair, regardless of how that might affect liberty
and personal responsibility. If that is not your view, then I offer my
most humble apologies.

Now, on to the election. First, this election was about more than gay
marriage, regardless of what you might think. This election was about
more than Christian conservatives, no matter what the media tells you.
This election was about two different views of the world and how our
nation, the United States of America, fits in those world views.

You made a very telling statement when you said, 'I see America as ONE
NATION IN A WORLD OF NATIONS.' I have found that view to be typical of
Kerry supporters and leftists in general. You see nothing about the
United States that makes it more noble, more moral, or better equipped
to be that 'shining city on a hill'. In your world view, America is
merely another nation. No different from Cuba, Chile, Belgium or even
Saddam's Iraq. We in the Red States do not share that view.

We see the United States of America as the one nation that that has had
true power and has used that power more morally and more nobly than any
other similarly powerful nation in history. No, we aren't perfect, but
we do have a better track record than the other nations that have been
considered historical world powers.

Yes, we recognize that there is a big world out there with nations that
have their own interests and views, but we refuse to sacrifice our
security and our sovereignty on the altar of consensus. We welcome any
nation that wishes to join us face the evil of Islamofascism, but we
will not support weakening ourselves in order to make other nations feel
important.

France was being bribed by Saddam Hussein. That is why it refused to
join in the coalition. It's that simple. I'm sure you are aware of the
Oil For Food scandal. It is a real scandal and simply points out the
immorality of the United Nations. I would much rather trust American
politicians than trust proven corrupt foreign politicians. Why wouldn't you?

You seem perplexed by our rejection of the concept of gay marriage. As
an attorney, Ms. Schroeder, you should understand clearly. You say that
gays should be treated the same as other people. They already are.
Marriage is something different entirely. If gay marriage is a RIGHT,
then what is the compelling state interest in prohibiting polygamous
marriage or even incestuous marriage by adult siblings? There isn't one.
The basic structure of the family unit and the state devolves into chaos.

Now, regarding your allusions to stem cell research. President Bush has
not outlawed stem cell research. Private funds can be used and should be
used. You see, you and I have basic disagreements about the role of
government in society. Government has proper functions and quite
frankly, supporting private scientific research, unrelated to defense
issues isn't really one of them. That is a philosophical difference that
goes deeper than your fears about us allowing religious views to control
government policy.

I am sorry that you do not feel safe in your city. However, that should
make you support our efforts to eliminate the scourge of Islamofascism
completely. This isn't a war against merely Al Qaeda. This is a war
against the fascist ideology of Islam which is separate from the mere
religion of Islam. I suggest you look how interconnected groups like Al
Qaeda, Islamic Jihad, Hamas and others are. Islamofascism is no
different than Naziism or Bushido in Japan. It is an ideology that
demands total submission and total conquest. It must be defeated.

Your candidate, John Kerry, is not the man for the job. John Kerry
didn't believe we should confront the Soviet Union in the 1970s and
1980s. He was a cheerleader for both Ho Chi Minh and Daniel Ortega. He,
like you, sees the United States as merely one of many nations. In a
clash of civilizations, where only one can win, that is not the man we
need leading us.

These are the reasons that we voted for President Bush. These are the
reasons that we don't trust liberals, or as I call them, leftists. No,
you don't understand us. No, I don't expect this letter

How The 9/11 Commission Report defrauds the nation — Whitewash as Public Service, Tue Nov 16 11:24
• (Cont'd) How The 9/11 Commission Report defrauds the natio — Harpers, Tue Nov 16 11:28
• (Cont'd) How The 9/11 Commission Report defrauds — Harpers.org, Tue Nov 16 11:30
• RE: BRAVO! At last - mainstream begins to speak — Karl W. B. Schwarz, Tue Nov 16 21:03
• UL CONTRIBUTES TO 911 INVESTIGATION — 9/11 RESEARCHER, Tue Nov 16 18:20