We're the Patriots

[marmar]

from OurFuture.org:



We're the Patriots
By Bernie Horn

June 29th, 2008 - 7:47pm ET


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Liberals, lefties, Democrats, environmentalists, unionists, consumer advocates—all progressive types—suffer from negative stereotypes. Some of these stereotypes were invented by the right-wing messaging machine, and others are self-inflicted. The stereotype that we progressives are unpatriotic is a product of both.

It is true that the right wing has been engaged in a concerted campaign to persuade voters that progressives “hate America.” As far back as the 1984 Republican National Convention, Americans were told that progressives are the “blame America first” crowd.

Here’s the right wing apostle of hate, Ann Coulter, on the show Hardball:

MIKE BARNICLE: But do you believe that—do you believe that liberals hate America and the flag? Do you believe that?
ANN COULTER: Yes. In fact, I have documented it and written columns about it. They hate it much more than I had imagined.
BARNICLE: What about Bob Kerrey? What about Bob Kerrey? He’s a liberal. Does he hate the flag? Does he hate the flag?
COULTER: The anecdotal evidence is just, is just preposterous in this regard. I have footnotes. I do back this up. I have quotes in the book.

More recently, conservatives tried to smear Barack Obama on the grounds that he attended a “hate America sermon” preached by Reverend Jeremiah Wright. You can bet that the right wing will wave their “Democrats are unpatriotic” banner this fall—because they’ve got little else to say.

It should be easy to rebut this attack. The problem is, we progressives often lean into the punch.

We do hate injustice in America. We are eager to make our country better, and fast. Sometimes undecided voters hear our frustration and take it to mean that we don’t love America. And it is awfully hard to persuade those Americans to join us if they don’t think that we’re on their side. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/were-patriots