BY EDWIN E. VINEYARD
Dark, slimy creatures on occasion creep from the toxic political swamp pits to prey upon the unsuspecting, innocent turnip patch kids. This is such a time.
A colorful phrase has been attributed to those who are gullible, naïve, unsophisticated, or just plain stupid. Usually it is used in a defensive manner, to wit, “I didn’t just fall off a turnip wagon, you know.”
Sad to say, America is full of turnip patch kids who just came to town and fell off the turnip wagons. How else may we account for their gullibility to lies, distortions, scams, con games, and other political gimmickry?
Never was there a time when there has been more slick, slimy types emerging from the political swamps to prey upon simpleton citizen victims. Maybe simpleton is a harsh word, but politically naïve turnip patch kids abound among our voters. They represent a lush market for the lies and distortions of political hacks and crooks.
For a supposedly educated citizenry, we display an inordinate sum of gullibility for every lie and distortion that comes along. Conspiracy theories are our thing.
Some of us believe in flying saucers, and that there is an alien body stored in New Mexico. Some of us have for years been convinced by some mysterious sources that Americans never landed on the moon. All this was just a big theatrical hoax perpetrated on the country and the world by our government and the media. Hearing this for the first time 15 years ago, this writer could not fathom such. But it is going around again.
We have a group now called the “birthers.” Since before the election they have been claiming that Barack Obama was not born in the United States, but rather Indonesia, Africa, or some other such place. It does not matter that his birth certificate has been publicly displayed, nor that officials from Hawaii vital statistics have stated over and over again that the records are complete and accurate.
Some people would rather believe some sort of malicious rumor than acknowledge the truth in front of them. Even worse we actually have Republican senators and congresspersons who refuse to correct lies, rumors, and distortions that they know full well to be wrong. We have seen this occur in candid TV cameos this week.
In fact, in some instances Republicans have deliberately spread falsehoods from the rostrum of their chambers. This week a Republican congresswoman said before the TV cameras in the House chamber that the new health bill would result in “government bureaucrats killing old people.”
This writer has been told the last few days by other seniors that the new bill will deny medical treatment to seniors. These ideas are termed “euthanasia” by neglect or by rationing. This new round of euthanasia rumors is ostensibly the result of speculation that treating old people will not be termed cost effective. Also, this may have come from efforts of the last 10 or 20 years to have “living wills” executed so that personal preferences may be followed in terms of extensive, drastic life support procedures.
A Republican National Committee advertisement is running on television now with a new version of Harry and Louise actors. The story line is that the man is being refused his needed surgery by a government bureaucrat while he is being forced to pay for Planned Parenthood and for abortions. Another ad claims the bill will take away your choice of doctor, usurp your doctor’s choice of treatment, take away your present insurance, support senior euthanasia and other distortions. What slime!
Independent media researchers of the bill are reporting that there are nine falsehoods and distortions in these two latest Republican ads. Would you say, “There ought to be a law about such?” Apparently, free speech includes the freedom to lie.
To their dishonor it seems that some politicos know no shame when it comes to defeating something which is being pushed for the public good. One cannot but believe that most intelligent people will be offended by such advertisements. The problem is those turnip patch kids, gullible enough to see, hear, and believe lies to the detriment of their own good.
The insurance companies are putting up big bucks to defeat the health care bill. Big bucks! Unfortunately, the Republican Party, in its zeal to defeat President Obama on anything, has joined into an axis of evil alliance with the insurance companies to rob the American people of decent health care they can afford.
Many senators and congresspersons have already been bought off by insurance company campaign contributions and personal favors from their lobbyists. Blue Dog Democrats have been tainted with the swamp slime of fund raisers sponsored recently by health care and insurance lobbyists.
Now the media blitz is being turned directly on the turnip patch kids who are most vulnerable to such toxic tripe from the political swamp.
Sadly to say, and sadly for the citizens of our country, they are gaining ground among the gullible.
– Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate, lives in Enid, OK and is a regular contributor to The Oklahoma Observer
