Beck to the future

If you watched or read enough news today to be properly informed on the happenings of the day, you likely saw coverage of the conservative and libertarian tea parties in the nation's capital and other cities across the country.
Today happens to be Sept. 12, the namesake of the 9-12 Project -- an effort fronted by Fox News commentator Glenn Beck -- whose members range from the basic anti-Obama crowd to the populist "vote out the incumbents" movement that is ready for 100-percent turnover in Congress based on issues such as the stimulus bills, the auto bailouts, et al.

But at the heart of the project are the nine principles and 12 values used as a framework for moving forward. The values? Honesty, reverence, hope, thrift, humility, charity, sincerity, moderation, hard work, courage, personal responsibility and friendship (Note that civility is not one of them; I'm looking at you, Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina).
You can read the entire manifesto on the project's web site. My issue isn't with what they're putting in words for the public; I have an issue with the invisible subtext they're playing with here.
Take this passage, for example:

"The 9-12 Project is designed to bring us all back to the place we were on Sept. 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States or political parties. We were united as Americans, standing together to protect the values and principles of the greatest nation ever created."

That sounds nice on the surface, but think about it. First of all, I still don't understand why anyone needs to invoke the Sept. 11 attacks for any political purpose. It's important to remember what happened to our country on that day and how the United States changed as a result, but even issues such as counter-terrorism and national security can be debated without using the Sept. 11 terror attacks as a basis for any policy or platform. Eight years have passed, and while the lives of thousands of people have been changed because of the attacks, the reality of America's fight against terrorism and struggle to secure our borders, interests and livelihoods have changed. Rudy Giuliani was exposed as a presidential candidate (beyond his failure to campaign in the early caucus and primary states) thanks in part to Joe Biden's "noun, verb and 9/11" jab, calling out a politician's reliance on appealing to our fears and the nationalist, xenophobic leanings of many to gain favor. Again, we will always remember; for that reason, let's leave Sept. 11 out of the debates, as it serves no purpose.
Furthermore, I'm not sure who is still "obsessed with Red States (and) Blue States." Did they not pay attention to Barack Obama's keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention? He ascended to national prominence (and eventually the White House) based on the resonance his message had with Americans sick of partisan divisions. And if anything, the actions of 9-12 Project members and their affiliated causes have escalated tensions regarding politics in America. Do you remember anyone bringing weapons to President Bush's rallies? (And don't tell me these people are doing so just because it's within their rights... these people may not be wannabe assassins, but they most certainly are provocateurs. Sound like anyone you know, Glenn Beck?)
Which brings me to my biggest concern: The real feelings being stirred by conjuring images of Sept. 12 (and Sept. 11, considering Sept. 12 is bereft of meaning without it). People were scared on Sept. 12. They were angry. They were in the early stages of shock that eventually allowed the Bush administration launch a war in Iraq that never should have occurred. It's that brand of fear, angst and blind loyalty that gave George W. Bush a second term (well, that and a tremendously weak campaign by John Kerry) and put America in position to overspend on fighting an unnecessary war while maxing out its credit, pushing the housing bubble into a position to burst and starting the downward spiral that led to the worst economic strain since the Great Depression.

Is that what we should be doing? Inciting those kinds of emotions is not the way to cultivate civil discourse over the future of our democratic republic. We are so close to moving past the idea that the loudest, angriest voices are correct without giving thought to the substance of what is being said. I can also guarantee that any use of the iconography of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis in comparison to any politician's ideas immediately disqualifies you from being taken seriously in my eyes.
Bill Maher says we're a stupid nation. I disagree; we've just become accustomed to accepting the worst in others as the status quo. I don't make a point of quoting President Obama, but at least on face value, we must "choose our better history."