Lest anyone be tempted to "forgive and forget" at any time in the future....

[InvisibleTouch]

...I know it's unlikely that there's a lot of reconciliatory sentiment around here right now, but I can just imagine how it will go in upcoming weeks: here we are, we won, we're happy and looking toward a hopeful future - we want to get down to work rather than wasting our energy wallowing in the past. The days of darkness and fury and despair are behind us, or at least rapidly receding into the distance. The mind recoils automatically from dwelling on past horrors; at least, I know mine does. At the same time, it's absolutely vital that we don't forget - because as soon as we go soft and sympathetic on the other side, as soon as we lose the clarity of our edge, they'll sense it as a weakness and use every dirty trick they have to overrun us again. We've got to keep very clearly in mind that we're not dealing with an ideology that understands normal respect, consideration, cooperation, or reason; they don't wish good things upon the world or see any value in alleviating suffering - the only suffering that touches them is their own, and the only thing that drives them is greed and lust for power.

So now, while it's still fresh in our minds, let me ask that we write up a detailed list of all the monstrous crimes that have been committed by the Rethugs in power in the last 6 years - the horrors perpetrated upon the country and the world. Give vent to your outrage one last time, and post about the incident(s) that angered, shocked, and frightened you the most. Write it down so we have it as a permanent record - write it all out as a catharsis - and then you can store it in the back of your mind, so it's not poisoning your day to day existence. Then we can use that freed-up energy to move forward into the future. But let's have the record available for consultation - maybe have it accessible somewhere on this site - any time we're tempted to be cooperative, sympathetic, or otherwise give in to the delusion that in the radical Rethugs we're dealing with people of reason and integrity who just happen to hold opposing ideals. They hold opposing ideals, alright, but none of them are reasonable or honorable.

So, who's up for it? Just off the top of my head I would list: lying us into an illegitimate war that murdered tens of thousands; manipulating 9/11 for political gain while truly not giving a damn about anyone that died; ongoing smear campaigns against Democratic candidates and leaders, replete with lie after lie; shamelessly stolen elections in 2000 and 2004; relentless attempts to destroy ANWR in order to line the pockets of Big Oil; suppressing climate research that clearly showed global warming and damage to the planet; attacks on the Endangered Species Act; attacks on reproductive rights and mighty attempts to relegate women barefoot and pregnant to the kitchen; denying gay people the simple right and dignity to marry whom they choose; trampling all over our most basic civil rights; forcing a theocracy on the nation without regard to freedom of or from religion, making a mockery of the separation of church and state; sowing fear and suspicion in order to keep the populace cowering in their basements and obedient to "authority" ... I know there's much more, and the list goes on.

Please add your own, or feel free to elaborate upon any of the above in greater detail. I'd like to see the facts in all their ugly truth, spelled out for posterity - so, lest we ever be tempted to forgive and forget, to feel a twinge of sympathy for the poor pathetic rethugs who are now crawling to us for reconciliation - we need only look at that list and refresh our memory and say "This is what your kind did to us, to the country, to the world - damage that in many cases can never be undone, lives that can never be restored. Forgive and forget? Don't make me laugh."

[brentspeak]

1. JFK said, "Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names."

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. It is time for truth and justice

and people who participated in Bush's crimes against humanity should and will be punished appropriately.

[bobbie]

3. How can we forgive someone who hasn't apologized anyway?

They got beat; they're not sorry.

Even if they did, I draw the line at forgiving nazi fascists. One can't apologize effectively for mass serial murder.

Also, don't be under the illusion that the real powers that be are gone. This was just a setback for PNACers and bankers. They're very much in charge.

[InvisibleTouch]

4. They're too arrogant to even fake an apology.

Remember Dubya and his "Gee, I can't think of any mistakes I made"?

[bobbie]

5. Ohhhhh, I wish they ask him that *now*

:evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin:

[Batgirl]

6. Liberals don't have a great innate capacity for sustained anger IMO

Look how many here have expressed a sense of relief about not having to be angry anymore after the election. The pathological rightwingers not only revel in their anger, they're addicted to the stimulation. Look how they pathetically kept dipping their buckets into the well of Clinton hatred in order to drink of it's restorative waters, during the 6 years of their unbridled political power when there really wasn't much for them to be enraged about.

One of the things I looked forward to most during the last presidential campaign, was that I believed I'd be able to put down my anger and life could return to normal. Life could return back to the days before nakedly evil predators were in charge. How naive I was. The 2 ensuing years have shown me that they're even worse than I'd thought. They never stop scheming. They are like a nasty virus that goes into hiding periodically, waiting for the next activating event that will release them to wreak havoc on the organism that harbors them.

I've never hated anyone just because they happen to have a more conservative viewpoint than me, since I feel most are just average humans who share basic values of decency and honor. I believe it's healthy to have a variety of opinions. I believe that people of good will can disagree about policy. I absolutely don't believe in one party rule and the strong stink of authoritarianism is my bottom line issue.

"These people" -- the ones who have been the source of my anger for 6 years now and counting -- are pathological schemers, they are authoritarians who have demonstrated time and again how little regard they have for basic human values. And I expect they don't need our sympathy or conciliatory gestures. I expect their ground troops, the shrieking head punditry, is eagerly planning to escalate the volume of their shrieks now that they have to deal with the dreadfulness of checks and balances.

[InvisibleTouch]

7. That's true - who wants to poison themselves with rage?

But at the same time, if we let the gruesome details fade into history because it feels so bad to keep rehashing them, they'll do it to us again. That's why I want to write it all down, so the facts are there in black and white, for easy reference, without having to carry it in mind all the time. That way we can enjoy our well-earned relief from anger, but still never forget.

[Batgirl]

11. I don't forgive or forget the rightwing maniacs who caused this

Although the election results are obviously heartening, I think it's a mistake to think the evildoers have been vanquished.
But I don't think we'll have to make much of an effort to keep reminding ourselves about what they've done in order to stay vigilant.
If anything, their propoganda efforts and manipulation of public opinion will probably escalate. As long as there is one dollar left in the Treasury for them to steal, they're open for business.

[porphyrian]

8. People are exhausted and celebrating. Give it a month.

They'll be pissed off again, guaranteed.

[InvisibleTouch]

9. Yeah, but they'll be pissed off at different things by then. :)

Probably their fellow Dems with whom they hold minor disagreements, if history is any guide.

[porphyrian]

10. Oh, it's already on over impeachment... - n/t