My Soapbox Moment, a.k.a. November Third

First of all, I'll just add my voice to the chorus -- Kerry will win, polls look good, turnout is key, blah blah blah.

But for some reason today, I remembered a speech President Clinton gave in late November 1999. It was just after "major combat operations" in Kosovo had ended, the US-led coalition was victorious, and Sean Hannity was looking stupid after giving aid and comfort to the enemy by criticizing Clinton on that war at every opportunity.

Clinton was speaking to a group of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, who as you may recall were being slaughtered in Milosevic's round of "ethnic cleansing." There, US soldiers really were treated as liberators, the war was managed well enough to limit casualties, and there was a good plan in place to win the peace. The crowd, despite what they had been through, was very happy to see the President.

"You can never forget the injustice that was done to you," Clinton said to the crowd. "No one can force you to forgive what was done to you. But you must try."

Clinton's words were not easily received, as he suspected. But they were the right ones.

I look at how polarized and how angry this country has become -- D's vs. R's, libs vs. cons vs neocons, doves vs. chickenhawks, blah blah blah. I look at how hateful and spiteful people act toward one another. We all hear it and we get wrapped up in it and we spin it and it gets worse. I readily admit that I'm as guilty of it as anyone.

I'm not saying, "go hug a freeper." But I am saying that the burden is on us, win OR lose, to understand that our country can't continue on its current course of division and spite. We have to reach out to those who don't agree with us and tell them we know this is their country too, and yes, their opinions matter, and the only reason we can't work together to solve tough problems is we don't try hard enough. I'm not saying we should cave on our principles, not even a bit. But progress begins with a single step, and I say our side should take it.

Why is the burden on us? Because we're better than all this. This shouldn't be about eye for an eye. It shouldn't be about stooping to someone else's level. It SHOULD be about healing the divisions that happened after 2000. Some would say after 1992. Some would say 1968. Whenever it started, it has to end. We have to heal.

I honestly think George Bush can't heal this country. The decisions he's made -- and the unilateral nature of them -- have just poisoned the well too much. If he wins (and no, I don't think he will, blah blah blah), I sincerely hope I'm wrong. I think, I hope, I pray John Kerry still has a chance to. I honestly feel he wants to.

No one can force us to forgive the Republicans for all the shit they've pulled. But on November third, we must try. Seriously, if you have a problem with that, go to Kosovo.