Demos must not let Bush stake claim to 'freedom'

BOSTON — This is for everyone who has ever heard a rival doing their act. It's for everyone who has heard an opponent saying exactly what they think.

The odd, and oddly infuriating, experience of agreeing with an enemy is often followed by an impulse to disagree, an urge to poke holes in the argument, or to dismiss the honesty of the arguer. Anything not to nod in approval.

I have been thinking about this ever since the president delivered the inaugural address that will go down in history, or down in flames, as the Freedom Speech.

I have read it twice in the past week, separating the speech from the speaker. Try these words on for size:

"America's influence is considerable, and we will use it confidently in freedom's cause."

"America will not pretend that jailed dissidents prefer their chains or that women welcome humiliation and servitude or that any human being aspires to live at the mercy of bullies."

"When you stand for your liberty we will stand with you."

My sentiments exactly.

But in editorials, blogs and e-mails, many to the left of Bush have declared themselves either skeptical or cynical. They question the reality behind the rhetoric, the devil in the details, or the devil in the deliverer. Counting the number of times the word freedom was used — 27 — those who distrust the president sounded like defenders of the status quo.

Do they actually disagree with the "ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world"? Or do they just mind that the president took the words out of their mouths? Again.

On Monday, abortion opponents held the 32nd "March for Life." We barely notice the way the word "life" was hijacked and locked in the right-wing dictionary. "Life" now means fetal life; life begins with conception and ends with birth.

Then of course, there is the word "God." In politics, God has also been hijacked by the religious right. To be considered "godly" now you have to worry about the sexuality of SpongeBob SquarePants and oppose teaching evolution in schools.

Life, God and now Freedom. If the right wing ever gets a lock on Love, it's a grand slam.