National "Healing"

I attempted writing new, bitter lyrics for Marvin Gaye's classic "Sexual Healing" here, but I am afraid that I failed.  You may count yourself lucky.

Lately there's been a lot of talk about the need for and desirability of "national healing" in the aftermath of November's disastrous election.

This healing seems to generally take the form of "getting behind" "President" Bush, and to roll (read: bend) over for his policies, right-wing nutball appointees, etc., as if he were merely carrying out the will of the people, rather than heading an administration that only exists because of voting irregularities in a single state.

Bush stole the election fair and square; he deserves a bit of respect for that.  But, ultimately, more people in the U.S. voted for left-wing (ish) nutball Al Gore than for Bush; how does it follow that we should stand idly by while Bush installs his authoritarian thugs in Cabinet positions?

How does it follow that we should treat him as a legitimately elected official, just for the sake of the stability of the government?

I'll grant that that stability of the United States government is a desirable thing, and that we (and the rest of the world) will probably be better off with Bush as president for the next four years than we would be if he were deposed by popular ridicule.

But the "healing" that everyone's advocating seems to be analogous to, say, a family quietly pretending that Daddy is "tired" when he gets home from the bar, and that it's okay if he then beats the children for being "brats'.

Sure, the family depends on the stability of Daddy's presence and income, just as our society depends on the stability of the government.   Daddy might not even kill or seriously injure Mommy or the kids, if they tiptoe around him enough.

Is that a good idea, though?  Is it a good idea to pretend that Daddy is not a drunk, and that our government is not out of our control?

I would say no.  Forcing Daddy to admit to face his problems -- or forcing the GOP to face theirs -- would cause short-term turmoil.  But letting the government go on drinking every night and slapping us around will, in the end, cause far, far more turmoil and larger problems down the road.

George W. Bush will shortly become President of the United States.  But he was not elected President.  As a nation, we must not let him forget that; he must not be allowed the latitude the national (faith) healers are advocating.  He might even make a good president if he's kept on a short enough leash; but if we as a nation give him his head, we'll most likely wind up regretting it.