The other Muslim cartoons

I live in Martin County Florida; a county that is often described as solidly Republican; an understatement akin to saying that the Pacific Ocean has a lot of water in it. Expressing any kind of dissatisfaction – in fact questioning the transcendental nobility of Republican theory and practice here is usually met with dumbfounded amazement or murderous hostility. It’s simply taken for granted that Ronald Reagan was taken up to God in a golden chariot and that George Bush walks on water. Only child molesters have a worse reputation than Democrats.

Absolute confidence that everyone agrees with your prejudice does strange things to people. I would imagine that in most public eateries it would be rare to find the walls plastered with malicious ethnic and religious or political cartoons. It would most of us might imagine, be more rare in one of the wealthiest counties in America, but when the head of the Democratic Party of Martin County entered the clubhouse at the Martin Golf and Country Club last week in response to complaints from party members, he noted offensive cartoons posted prominently by the door.

"If you were religious or a Muslim or a Democrat, you couldn't help but be offended," Dave Dew said. "This is not a Republican golf course. This is a public golf course."

But in Martin County, which owns the premises, public and Republican are taken to mean the same thing. A letter of protest published in the local paper drew responses in support of using public facilities to promote mockery of Democrats and Muslims. An on-line reply forum, to which I contributed, immediately handed me the title of “typical candy-ass Democrat.”

It’s becoming harder and harder to believe our American future holds more than a descent into bigotry, superstition and economic failure. There simply aren’t enough asses with enough candy to make a difference.