New York's Democrat darling and self-described Socialist, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, aka AOC, the great theologian and sacred Goddess of wokeness for whom the world and, it seems now, the Gods have also turned to for moral and spiritual guidance, tweeted Sunday that "Something tells me Jesus would not spend millions of dollars on Super Bowl ads to make fascism look benign." Her latest grievance appears to be with Hobby Lobby, some wealthy anonymous donors, and the pro-Christian group "He Gets Us" because they, in a free-market capitalist society, spent $20 million on two Super Bowl LVll commercials, the first titled "Love Your Enemies" with the caption "Jesus loved the people we hate," and the second, "Be Child Like," with the message "Jesus didn't want us to act like adults."
If AOC's tweet left you scratching your head and feeling a little bemused and confounded, don't worry, you're not alone because I, too, failed to see the connection or understand what she meant by "Fascism" in reference to both of these commercials, as they were clearly created and funded by private corporations and not-for-profit, non-governmental entities. Each ad was intended to stir emotions and provoke some desperately needed introspection and soul searching in a well and good-intentioned effort, in an increasingly divided country and world, to help people look past and ultimately overcome the pervasive, infectious political hate, rot, rage, and anger that is plaguing society, in the hopes that divisions heal and people come together, but, unfortunately, AOC just couldn't help herself; she couldn't manage to shut her, oftentimes overbearing, nonsensical, and annoyingly divisive loud mouth and be quiet for a quarter of a second to allow people to be moved and feel united and good about something for even just a few minutes.
It's not a surprise to anyone that I am a partisan Republican, or, rather, a Constitutional Conservative with a plethora of political opinions and deeply held beliefs that, as most know, even to the destain of some, I'm very open, vocal, and proud of because I know they are coming from a place of goodwill that is rooted in Conservative altruism, not to mention, a lot of reading and research to boot. Still, at times, I, like everyone else, can lose sight of the fact that there are more things that unite us than those that divide us. I believe that for most people, regardless of which side of the political aisle you stand on, the 2023 Super Bowl Sunday "He Gets Us" commercials, along with Chris Stapleton's powerful rendition of our National Anthem and then Johnny Cash's profound and moving "Ragged Old Flag," tribute to Old Glory, was a gut check; a reminder of a time not too long ago when people didn't hate America or each other. A time when patriotism mattered and was, in point of fact, a big deal. A time when people didn't dare disrespect our flag or kneel for the anthem and a time when sports, the flag, and the anthem actually brought people together and united us rather than divided us.
When you live in "The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave," a country that's proud of itself, where people protect and respect Old Glory, fly it above all other flags and never let it touch the ground, where the National Anthem can bring you to tears because America is not about a place but rather a feeling in your heart, where people, regardless of race, color, sex, creed, and religion, respect each other despite and in spite of their differences, and where people understand that irrespective of our storied and sometimes painful history that began with a small group of Colonies that banded together to fight for our Independence from British Colonial oppressors in the Revolutionary War, to Slavery, the Civil War, Women's Rights, fighting Hitler in World War ll, to plagues, epidemics, pandemics, and 9/11, and so much more; you see, there's good, there's bad, there's really bad, but then there is also really really good, too. We, as a young Nation, have come a long way; we are trying every day to be better and to do better, not perfect, but perfectly imperfect, striving for perfection and the better good in an imperfect world. Understanding that, to me, would go a long way to bridge the political divide and unify our country. However, unfortunately, it seems every time we get close to getting back to that America, some far-left Democrats like AOC, for example, will always find a way to ruin it, to be a killjoy, to rain on everyone's parade if anyone dares to waver from her ultra-leftist Socialist orthodoxy, but I hope, and I have to believe that the great American experiment is not dead, or doomed, and although damaged, and in some, or, rather, a lot of distress, still a beacon of hope for the world because truth be told, people don't like AOC's vicious, disrespectful interpretation of America where burning the American Flag, defacing and destroying our Monuments, Memorials, and Statues, where kneeling for our anthem and dubbing our Military heroes as terrorists, and where attacks on our brave men in blue have become the norm; it's a negative and divisive version of America that has real-world consequences, and it leaves you feeling hopeless because it has shown to have dangerous, frequently deadly, deleterious repercussions on society, in our communities, our homes, and in our personhood. It forces people to either react and act out of and in anger or withdraw and tune out because, after all, it's fight or flight; it's human nature, but it's also natural for people to want to heal and to want to come together!
Regardless of one's political affiliation, and setting partisanship and biases aside, the Super Bowl 2023 "He Gets Me" commercials surely gave people pause, a moment to reflect and reassess, while Chris Stapleton's rendition of the national anthem and Johnny Cashes tribute to old glory were both beautiful and moving, it still genuinely makes me wonder why AOC and her ilk spend so much time being hostile, angry, and outraged, spewing hate and deliberately looking for reasons to divide people and to find the bad in every single solitary situation; attempting to ruin events like for example, Super Bowl Sunday, an annual tradition that like all sports, tends to bring Americans together and instill a sense of camaraderie, and to what end? How is what AOC tweeted helpful? How does it bring people together, heal society, create peace, and make the world a better place?- It doesn't!
AOC's intolerant behavior and inability to park her grievances and sit this one out for a few minutes during what was a time for unity, where televised presentations of love, kindness, and understanding were succinctly expressed to a nationwide audience, in actuality, revealed a side of her character that, I am quite certain, many on her side of the political fence may not have been aware of, a side of her that I venture to guess, she would rather keep hidden!
Linda Genzel editor @ Wecu News
Opinion.
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