Rod Dreher, author of Crunchy Cons and blogger over at beliefnet, had an editorial on NPR's All Things Considered this afternoon that was excellent. He and I are the same age (he's got me by 6 months actually) and he relates his experience growing up as a Conservative, his first awareness of politics being Carter and the Iranian hostage crisis, Reagan as his political hero of sorts, his lack of understanding the hippies of the 60's and more.
I can totally relate to his experience, from being a full blown conservative believer all the way up to Bush's election (well, almost) to the (ironic) disillusionment with the administration and the war in Iraq. I can't do it justice, go give it a listen (the button at the top of the page).
Although I can't relate to Rod as much as you do (I've always kind of liked the anti-war protesters and hippies of the Vietnam era, I'm sure I would have been in their number if I had been old enough), I empathize with his feelings toward this war in Iraq. It has saddened me to see so many supporting a war that we were destined to lose, and to lose badly. And what has especially disappointed me is seeing how many who confess Jesus as Lord have so unquestioningly supported this war. It is good to hear of peoples growing need to question authority rather than just going along with the propaganda that is being dished out for mass consumption.
Hmm... Now that I think of it... I think I'll look up the next anti-war protest going on here in Salt Lake and exercise some of my first amendment rights.
Thomas, good to hear from you.
My parents did not support the protests and 'hippies' of their generation and so I didn't either. Like Rod, I just didn't understand it. I'm not sure I'm going to be signing up for any protests now, but I have a lot more sympathy for the protesters.
Unlike Rod, I've ever been a gung-ho supporter of Bush. I voted for him twice, but that was at least partly due to the lack of an alternative candidate that stood for anything but "not Bush", particularly in '04.
This last policy from Bush has sealed my disappointment in him. Faced with a failed election, a nation decidedly unhappy with his performance and advisers in the Iraq study group recommending new ways in Iraq, instead he decides to do more of the same. Isn't the height of lunacy doing the same thing over again and expecting different results?
I didn't listen to the NPR interview, but your post inspired me to check out his book from the library. I've just read the intro and first chapter so far, but it really resonates with me. I'm an independent who doesn't feel quite at home in either party, but more often votes Democratic than Republican. So I must say I'm surprised at how strongly I agree with him so far. I guess there's a hidden crunchy con in me. :-)
Daughter, Although it sounds good, I haven't read the book, and doubt I will. I just don't read that much and I've got a few books already on my plate.
You might be interested in the post on Crunchy Cons at Cerulean Sanctum from a while back as well. It really resonated with Dan and it spurred him to write a multi-part series that dovetailed with the book called "Unshackling the American Church".