Jim Ellison, an delegate from Oregon at the Republican National Convention, told C-SPAN that he doesn't agree with the decision to curtail events at the Republican convention due to Hurricane Gustav.... "The fact is," said Ellison, "hurricanes happen. We didn't stop anything for Florida, and New Orleans has certainly been through it. President Bush in his wisdom has put qualified FEMA people in place. They're ready for it.".... Ellison continued, "I don't think we should have interfered with our convention because we already do a lot for the people of New Orleans."
I realize that the GOP stands for many things- some positive, most thoroughly distasteful. Sadly, compassion isn't one of them, as amply demonstrated by Jim Ellison...whose views represent more of the GOP than you might think. At a time when much of the northern Gulf Coast is being hammered by Hurricane Gustav, Republicans of all stripes are gathering to...bemoan the aid and assistance given to those who suffered, and continue to suffer, in the aftermath of 2005's Hurricane Katrina.
I can understand the collective antipathy towards the residents of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Most of them are poor and African-American...and would sooner vote for a ham sandwich than a Republican. You'd think they'd be grateful for all those fine FEMA trailers...well, except for that little formaldehyde thing...that Gulf Coast residents got at no cost to them. Well, OK, so they lost everything...which is why they needed the trailers, but it's not like they were out of pocket for the trailers. They were handouts, after all...and we all know how Republicans feel about handouts, don't we??
BECK: Why are we spending all this money in New Orleans? We shouldn't spend a single dime of taxpayers' money in a place where -- I don't care where it is -- where it is in a flood zone. Move out of the place that, you know, you're below sea level.
No one who's hung 'round these parts for any length of time at all could ever reasonably accuse me of being a fan of Glenn Beck. Outside of being the Dumbest (&^%$#@ Human Being on the Face of the Planet ©, he's also renowned for believing that everyone less fortunate than himself and not fortunate enough to be White is lazy, shiftless and a drag on the American body politic. There's no better example of this, at least to Beck's way of thinking, than the people of New Orleans, who wouldn't know a job if it bit them on the @$$.
Look, I can understand that the GOP isn't exactly the "Big Tent" party they've tried so hard to portray themselves as. Once you get past well-fed White Folks, though, the GOP is filled with...well, I'm not quite sure what, really. Yes, these affluent, well-bred White Folk have worked hard to get where they are...or, at least their trust funds have. Then again, when you're to the manor born, sometimes it's easy to look as if you were born with a silver foot in your mouth (apologies to the late Ann Richards).
Come on, people; is it so hard to give a hand to those who've suffered setbacks beyond anything you have or ever will? Can you break out of your gilded tower mindset long enough to show some genuine kindness and compassion?
No? All right, then. Party on, Garth....
