http://www.myspace.com/presidentialpledge

To the pledgers in this video:

Where were you for the last eight years?  Where were you when we were attacked on 9-11?  Where were you when the world agreed that Saddam had WMD’s?  Where were you when the media was lying about our President?  Where were you when the Iraqi’s were suffering?  Where was your compassion for them?  Where was your desire to be amicable with people you disagreed with these last eight years?  Where was your “Understanding”.  Where was your friendship?  Where was your bipartisanship?  Where was your hope?  Where was your restraint?

For eight years I’ve seen hatred, loathing, anger, ignorance, violence, suppression, oppression, blacklisting and all together a bunch of meanies.  I’ve seen Bush called a Nazi.  I’ve BEEN called a Nazi.  I’ve been told that I support blood for oil, that my beliefs are archaic and that I’m a racist.  I’ve seen my God spit upon.  My beliefs mocked.  My heroes destroyed and my integrity impugned.  I’ve seen my country’s soldiers used and spit out for political gain.  I’ve seen marches and been told that dissent is the highest form of patriotism.  I’ve been told that everything I stand for and believe in is murder, greed and fascism.

And now.  After all this YOU are pledging to me that you will change because of one man?  One man will make you different and cause you to be reasonable and you fully expect that I should and will reciprocate?  You expect us all to come together after this and act like the last 8 years didn’t happen?  As Obama steps forward and has the same reactions to Gitmo & Iraq and NOW you understand the complexities?  Now you can have intelligent debate without insulting everything I stand for?

I will make a pledge to you.  I pledge to spend every free moment working to counter your efforts.  Not simply for the sake of countering them, but because they are not what our country stands for.  They are not less government.  They are not liberty.  They are not justice.  They are not FREE.  I will not, I cannot allow compromise on these issues.  There IS no compromise for me on abortion.  There IS no compromise for me on Terrorism.  There IS no compromise for me on socialism.  There IS no compromise for me on much that you stand for.

Unlike you I will not fight unfairly.  I will not lie about you.  I will not toss insults carelessly and endanger my country and it’s brave soldiers.  I will not hope for a bad economy.  I will not invest myself in my own defeat.  I will not call our President a Nazi, or a Stalinist.  I will be a person of reason.  But I will be relentless and unforgiving.  I will use my mind and my faculties and everything at my disposal to squash this ideology that your anointed one has brought to bear.  I will work to protect this country’s ideals and prevent the destruction of our morals.

You created me these last eight years.  I pledge that I will become your worst nightmare because of it.

Ben Howe