Speaking Truth to Power

I can hear the right-wing radio hosts cranking up their next trite, predictable, toxic batch of sound waves signifying nothing - talking heads armed with talking points. How dare a Reverend stand up for the poor in front of President Bush? Looking out for the poor is from that other Bible - the one President Bush doesn’t care about. The quaint one. Standing up for the poor in this climate of might being right? How dare you? Just because it’s part of the religion the President used to get in office? The religion he used to justify his vile deeds? I don’t think so. Not as long as there’s a water-carrying bunch of right-wing talk-show suck-ups there ready to jump in.
How easily they vouch for this man. How quickly they rush to his side. Not even Barney, the White House dog, is this glad to see him. Take our liberties, torture people in our name, destroy our reputation in the world. He alone decides how and when - but they can't wait to go along. They can't wait to sell out America for their cuddly, blundering king. They can't wait to forgive.
In fact, that’s another part of the Bible this man chooses to ignore. The part where you beg for forgiveness for your sins. For he is the law, he is the messenger of God, and he decides what is right. If he did it, it is legal, and if he did it, it is going well. He is his own policy. He is his own reverend. He is his own God. But even impudence like this sometimes has to sit still while a real Reverend tells you what time it is.