News and commentary on Religion, especially Southern religion.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Health care uproar aims to reignite old, racist passions

Baptist writer Bruce Gourley traces the history of Southern reactionary conservatism back to Civil War opposition to the abolition of slavery, and finds those sentiments reignited in the opposition to health care reform:

The white anger over Obama's presidency and health care reform, in the words of protesters, ultimately rests in claims that the federal government is plotting to take away their freedoms and liberties. Video clips of this month's town hall meetings across the nation include angry senior citizens living on socialized medicine (Medicare) ranting against ... socialized medicine. The video clips also reveal claims that the government "outlawed prayer and legalized abortion" and now wants to take away the right to decide one's own health care, and "we're not gonna take it anymore!"

The social engineers who are exploiting those old grievances know they're trafficking in untruths.

Like Ralph Reed, who used Christian conservatives in his promotion of Indian gaming interests and other causes, these groups want to use Christian conservatives for their own purposes.

Reed was out beating the drum again last week, singing what for him is a lucrative old song.

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