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November 16, 2005

Confessions of a Repentant Republican

I'm not a conservative and I'm not a Republican. I've never been a Bush supporter (none of them: 41, 43, Jeb..take your pick). It's difficult for me to relate to those that are.

It's heartening however to see that there are at least some Republicans and conservatives who recognize that our nation is careening out of control. They awknowledge the damage that their Bush vote has done to this country:

Confessions of a Repentant Republican:

I supported George W. Bush in the presidential election in 2000, believing then that he best reflected my love for America and for our tradition of liberty. I supported the war in Afghanistan. In March of 2003, I believed that the invasion of Iraq was justified based upon pre-war revelations presented to Congress and to the American people. Accordingly, the indictments contained herein apply, first and foremost, to myself.

Many Americans whom I know and love, including many current supporters of President Bush, remain conflicted over both his ultimate intentions in Iraq as well as domestic curtailment of civil liberties.

Many have given the benefit of the doubt to President Bush, and, in a misdirected spirit of unity, have supported, as did I, Administration policies that conflict with our essential values.

This essay explores many of the issues that led me personally to the recognition that the policies I was supporting in Iraq were not consistent with the justifications made for the invasion in the spring of 2003, that implicit in our post-invasion actions was the goal of permanent occupation, which would ensure endless war and the resultant degradation of our liberty, our security, and our moral authority.

For me, recognizing that I could no longer support the President for whom I voted, and the occupation of a land we had invaded, remains personally painful.

I have learned that while it is difficult to admit being wrong, such recognition is a prerequisite for redemptive action, necessary both for individual growth and for the healing of our nation.

It is in this spirit that I submit these reflections.

William Frey, M. D.
November, 2005

While Dr. Frey and I likely have divergent ideological views in many ways, I respect the fact that he sees beyond the party loyalty. He sees what many of us on the left have seen for years: an erosion of public discourse and a corrosion of the political process largely led by the current Republican leadership structure. His reflections on the Iraq War and the way that the Bush team has led America astray are an aching realization.

Go read what he has to say.

Posted by Carla at November 16, 2005 07:29 AM