There comes a time...

I don't live in Ocean County, so I don't really have a voice in how they run things down there. However, shit like this truly offends me. The continuing story of Ms. Laurel Hester and her treatment at the hands of the Ocean County Freeholders is beyond disgust. The only possible answer to these ignorant, stupid men is to vote them the hell out of office at the first opportunity. If there is a chance for a recall which would put the out on the street sooner than next November, that would even be better.

This type of small, evil thinking is the direct legacy of the fundamentalist Christian conservatives who back George Bush. No, this type of thinking typifies conservative fundamentalists of every religious stripe. The fools in Ocean County are like the mullahs who manipulate the poor jerks who go out and blow themselves up in the middle east. They are the truly dangerous ones; the ones who continue to spread their corrosive poison over the years.

The late Robert Heinlein once wrote, "When the need arises—and it does—you must be able to shoot your own dog. Don’t farm it out—that doesn’t make it nicer, it makes it worse." I take that to mean that sometimes we have to do things that are hard; do things that are even repugnant but that are necessary. Translated into our current political/social milieu, I think this means that the moderates and liberals need to stand up and emphatically reject the fundamentalist conservatives of all religions. Here at home, that means getting them the hell out of office. That also means not letting the rightwing talking heads drown out our message in the media.

Damn! One of the great tensions in the early years of our Republic was the conflict between the institution of slavery and the concept embodied in our constitution that all citizens are equal. (Sure, slaves weren't considered "citizens", but that was part of the tension.) Well, we fought a particularly bloody war to resolve that tension, but there are still people in this country who want to see a tiered citizenry: on the top we will have a bunch of wealthy whites who will do almost anything to preserve their power and privilege. Then we will have the sturdy yeomanry/proletariat who produce the goods and services which maintain the elite in their lifestyle of material excess. And finally we will have the underclasses at the bottom of the social pyramid: in the minds of the ruling elite, social inferiors who deserve whatever harsh treatment they get.

This is simply not acceptable. The good people of Dover, PA managed to oust a very conservative school board that was trying to elevate Intelligent Design to the same level as real science (which it is not). The good people of Ocean County need to do the same to this board of Freeholders. Unfortunately, it will probably be too late for Ms. Hester and her partner, but, if her legacy is a more humane and compassionate government, then, at least, a small measure of good will come of this.