Or so says Robert Kolker in his New York Magazine article, The Grief Police, about the Take Back the Memorial fight.
Overnight, the families became a conservative cause célèbre, and Take Back the Memorial was formally established. From the start, the group had right-wing connections. Its Website, takebackthememorial.org, was created by Robert D. Shurbet, a Californian who also runs a conservative blog called Lime Shurbet; this past September, Lime Shurbet chided Tom DeLay for not being enough of a fiscal conservative.
So chiding Tom Delay for not being a fiscal conservative is a bad thing? Only in New York, apparently (and likely San Francisco too).
Yes, I chided Tom Delay for stupidly proclaiming “there is simply no fat left to cut in the federal budget.” Can you say “bridge to nowhere?” I also took a few moments out of my year to blast Pat Robertson, but Mr. Kolker must have missed that one.
For those of you that may be venturing here for the first time based on that article, let me also articulate 15 things about me that the writer of the article left out - because he didn’t bother to ask me to participate.
1. I am pro-choice.
2. I am for gay marriage.
3. I am for the decriminalization of marijuana.
4. I am for treatment programs instead of prison sentences for non-violent drug offenders.
5. I believe the “War on Drugs” cannot be won and is a colossal waste of time and money.
6. I want a fence along our border with Mexico to keep the terrorists and illegal aliens out.
7. I don’t want religion (ANY religion) taught in public school as “science.”
8. I think atheist Michael Newdow (of “Under God” and “In God We Trust” fame) needs to take a chill pill.
9. I was for and remain for our actions in Iraq.
10. The first Republican I ever voted for was Arnold.
11. The second was George W. Bush (and I would do it again if John Kerry represents the best the Democrats could offer up in a time of war).
12. I DO question their patriotism.
13. I would defintely vote for Guiliani/Rice in ‘08; I defintely will not be voting for anyone named Clinton.
14. I am for less government regulation and entitlements and more personal responsibility.
15. I am a big “MO” - that’s short for HO-MO (gay) to you hetero types.
And that is just the tip of the iceberg. That’s the problem with labels - they never tell the whole story.
Most of these positions can be verified by reading the archives on this blog. But, if you want to know why I became a Republican, I suggest reading one of my earliest posts, Failure of Imagination. Definitely not my best writing, but it gives you an idea of where I came from and how I got here.
So there you have it. All the little juicy details about me that were left out by Mr. Kolker in what amounts to nothing more than a hit piece against some of the finest, bravest, and most persistent people I have ever had the pleasure of being associated with.
These are some of the few people that look at ground zero and are not smitten with dollar signs. They have fought tooth-and-nail to make sure that their loved ones are respectfully remembered and people like myself will be able to visit that site and find what I came for - the story of 9/11.
This isn’t just some piece of real estate in Lower Manhattan - this is the site of the most horrific attack on this nation in our history and it is the site where America’s memorial to that event will be built. I for one am eternally grateful that they have the fortitude to stand up to powerful politicians and numerous scurrilous attacks by some members of the main-stream press.
If you would like to read more of the facts, don’t forget to visit www.takebackthememorial.org to read for yourself how we handled this fight. I am proud of what we accomplished and how and I am grateful to the 9/11 family members for the opportunity to have played a part in their struggle.
