|
Since becoming
eligible to vote I have regularly voted Democratic, even though
on occasion, when I have felt that the best candidate was a Republican,
I have voted Republican. I have not been an active member of either
party, other than to vote, until recently. I have now become so
disturbed by the rhetoric and actions of the Bush administration
that I have become more active in the Democratic Party. In addition,
I have publicly protested the Iraq war on the streets of Boone and
in Asheville, and I have written a number of letters to the editors
of several newspapers expressing my views with regard to the overall
policies and practices of this administration.
I have been
particularly distressed with regard to the concept of "pre-emptive
war" and the keeping of "enemy combatants" in Guantanamo
Bay and other places for long periods of time without benefit of
legal counsel and without charges being brought. And I have been
very disturbed at the torture of prisoners in our care at Abu Ghraib,
Guantanamo and other places, done with disregard for the rules of
the Geneva Convention of 1949 and apparently with the approval of
the administration. As Senator John McCain has so rightly said,
"It is not about them. It is about us."
There are other
concerns which have caused me to become more active in politics.
I believe this administration has used the phrase “War on Terror”
to manipulate Congress and the American people as a whole into a
state of fear in order to get laws passed which are not in keeping
with Democratic ideals and the best traditions of America. The manipulation
of intelligence to justify the Iraq War is one example. The push
to use torture as an intelligence-gathering technique is another.
A disregard for the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty of 1970 is
another. Pulling out of the ABM Treaty of 2001 is another. The rush
to pass the Patriot Act, some parts of which are unpatriotic (like
the investigation of American citizens without proper warrants or
authority) is another.
As a former
combat engineer officer who proudly wore the American uniform, I
am offended that on numerous occasions those of us who question
the policies and activities of this administration are called "unpatriotic"!
President Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican, said that one of the most
important things an American citizen can do is to question his government.
The Bush administration
has also, with its head in the sand, neglected the research of the
majority of the world’s scientists -- research which shows
that global warming is a serious problem and that the United States
is a major contributor to the pollution which causes global warming.
The rejection of the Kyoto Accords is illustrative. Also there is
ample evidence that the administration has ordered the "doctoring"
of scientific evidence to make the information come more into line
with its ideology and policies. I usually vote Democratic on environmental
issues because I believe Democrats do a better job of facing up
to the truths of good science and taking action that benefits the
American people as a whole.
The unilateralism
of this administration, confirmed by the appointment of John Bolton
as our ambassador to the United Nations, is imperialistic and dangerous.
The "Bring ’em on!" attitude of President Bush has
caused our country to lose the support of a number of nations we
once considered our strong allies and in many cases rules out any
kind of intelligent diplomacy. There can be a tough-minded approach
to diplomacy without being imperialistic. I believe that, in general,
Democrats do a better job when it comes to diplomacy.
America is not
a monarchy. Neither is it a theocracy. The First Amendment to our
Constitution, in my opinion, prohibits the establishment of any
official state church; at the same time, it forbids the passing
of any laws which might interfere with religious freedom. So ours
is a democracy in which there is at least an implied separation
of church and state. This does not mean a divorce of religious beliefs
from public service. It does mean, however, that political leaders
should not use government to impose their beliefs on others. In
recent years a number of Christians, often called "the Religious
Right," have developed a lot of political power through such
groups as the Moral Majority and the Christian Coalition and have
used this political power in such ways as to impose their beliefs
on other.
Government interference
in the Terri Schiavo case is illustrative; Republicans have so strongly
identified with the Religious Right that they have become the political
arm of a religious movement. (Former Senator John Danforth, a Republican
and an ordained minister, said as much in a New York Times
article in 2005.) Church and state should be able to cooperate with
one another without "getting into bed" with each other.
From a genuine Christian perspective, if the church gets too cozy
with the government, who speaks truth to power? I believe Democrats
do a better job of following Jesus’ admonition, "Render
to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things
that are God’s" (Matthew 22:21).
As a basis for
becoming more active in politics, I have talked about matters of
war and peace, civil rights, care for the environment, unilateralism,
and church and state. I could go on to discuss at length gun control
(the Assault Weapons Ban was allowed to lapse in 2004) and health
care (more than 40 million Americans still uninsured), but one must
be selective in articles such as this.
I wrap up by
saying that all my concerns come out of the background of my Christian
faith. I am familiar with the teachings of both the Old and New
Testaments and can cite biblical texts to support most of my positions
with regard to most of the concerns I have mentioned. I believe
Christians are called to be peacemakers and to respect every person
as someone for whom Christ died. I believe Christians are called
to be good stewards of the God-given environment we have. I believe
Christians are called to be good citizens with high moral standards.
I believe Christians are called to be citizens of the Kingdom of
God and of the kingdoms of this world -- with priority to be given
to the Kingdom of God (and we should never confuse America, nor
any political party, with the Kingdom of God). If believers put
the Kingdom of God first, especially as outlined by Jesus (Luke
4:16-20 and Matthew 22:34-40), the outcome will be what is
best for America and the Kingdom of God. Whatever party, whatever
faith, we must all work for the common good of America.
Herb Hash
is a retired Baptist minister and former chaplain at the Watauga
Jail Chapel. He teaches theology and ethics at Appalachian State
University and lives and votes in Brushy Fork.
|
