By Dan Lenard
Buffalo, NY – Vision. That's something I really appreciate. The ability to remain positive and see innovative ways to solve problems, not just criticize the present with put downs and distortions without offering solutions.
In this space each month, it seems that I never get the last word. Following my "Looking Outside The Box" commentaries, a small group of people traipse across this frequency, one after another and simply call my ideas and me names.
Who are these people? They may say they represent the mainstream liberals who make up a majority of the electorate in Western New York. However, in reality they are a tiny, but vocal fringe of society. I think of them as Euro-Socialists. These are the people you see on local TV ranting and raving on Elmwood Avenue about the injustice of the war in Iraq or ranting nonsense at Kleinhan's when President Bush came to Buffalo a few weeks ago. Some are self- proclaimed "intellectual elites" who hide their Leftists political activity behind a PhD and the guise of academic freedom.
They are real life Marxists and Anarchists who are members of the WNY Peace Center. They're animal rights activists, environmentalists, Green Party members, a tiny group called "Women in Black" and activists in local public employee unions.
Let's get back to that vision thing. Does anyone know what this group of elites stand for? We know what they are against: the war in Iraq, capitalism, economic development, multi-national corporations and globalization. They are anti-Bush, anti-industry, strongly anti-religion, anti-Israel, and even me. Do they have anything positive to say about anybody or anything?
The reason they talk about what they are against so much is because they can't tell you what they for. If you knew what they truly believe in, you'd be scared, very scared. So what do they stand for? I think that it's time for them to step outside the box of their leftist playbook rhetoric and share with all of us what their vision of Amerika is.
I'll tell you what I stand for, liberty and freedom. The freedom to speak my mind; the freedom to chose my own destiny; the freedom and power of individual initiative; the wonderful concept of individual choice in charity; the freedom to send my children to the school of my choosing; a woman's right to freely make choices about her own body; and the freedom to practice my spiritual beliefs without mockery, intimidation or persecution. I also understand and accept my personal responsibility not to infringe on the rights of others while pursuing what John Locke called, my natural rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of property. I also believe that it is the constitutional responsibility of our government to defend these freedoms from, as the presidential oath says: enemies, both foreign and domestic. I talk about these concepts every month.
Listen for the Euro-socialists response to this commentary and you be the judge. I only request that they keep it positive, that they keep to the subject and refrain from name calling, as Barbara Jezorio did two weeks ago when she called Middle East expert Daniel Pipes an Islamaphobe. A racist, vicious lie of a Jew-baiting name.
So, what will it be? Will they stand up and share with us their vision? Or, will they do like always, just treat you and me with derision?
"Looking Outside the Box" with veteran Buffalo radio broadcaster Dan Lenard is a monthly feature of WBFO News.