We're Sorry
I voted Democrat this election. The results were a terrible disappointment, though not much of a surprise.
About ten days ago, I learned of a website called “Sorry Everybody” at sorryeverybody.com. Ten days later, it's still on my desktop. It is a collection of 5000+ pictures and growing, mostly apologies from Americans to the world for the re-election of George Bush. Some of them are quite moving, especially the ones from anti-Bush Republicans and the messages of support from outside the country.
(If you feel yourself likely to be angered by this site, hey, don’t go. It’s not meant to generate anger or divide anyone any further into hostile camps. If you absolutely must go, at least read the FAQ first. That should go a long way to defusing any rancor.)
I’ve spent a lot of time lately surrounded by like-minded voters, at Fiddler’s Green, among my gaming friends, with my writers’ group, with my wife, and through the media I frequent. While wary of the danger of climbing into an “echo chamber,” reflecting my own political views back at me, I am reassured that so many Americans are aware of the larger world, and refuse to sacrifice the world’s welfare to American pride. I don’t know what picture to submit, but I do know what I’d like to say. These statements don’t cover all my thoughts on the election; they just cover those sentiments which would be appropriate to the site, condensed to a manageable – or almost manageable – size.
I’m sorry that so many of us mistake aggression for patriotism.
I’m sorry that so many of us mistake self-righteousness for morality.
I’m sorry that so many of us mistake tyranny for security.
I’m sorry that the right to choose must include the right to be terribly wrong.