Selling democracy has never been so easy

Liberals are quite a ponderous breed.

Following President George W. Bush's reelection victory last Tuesday came shouts of dissent from all parts of the Democratic Party. These shouts are testament to the fact that people have forgotten what it is to be a democratic nation. In fact, it led me to ponder the following question: why is it easier to sell democracy in Afghanistan than it is in Southern California?

According to an Associated Press report from Nov. 4 regarding the outcome of the monumental Afghani general election, rivals of newly elected President Hamid Karzai — second place finisher Yunus Qanooni, Ethnic Hazara chieftain Mohammed Mohaqeq, and running mate of ethnic Uzbek strongman Abdul Rashid Dostum — all declared they would accept and, perhaps more importantly, recognize Karzai as the winner of the election. "For me," Qanooni said, "Afghanistan's national interests are the most important. If we didn't accept the result, the country would go toward a crisis."

Imagine that. The people of Afghanistan, who had been oppressed for years by the Taliban as well as the country's infamous drug lords, exercised their new right and elected their leader.

Furthermore, the losers actually accepted the fact that their man did not win. I can remember what that used to be like here in the United States: if your man didn't win you realized that your party would have another chance in four years, and in the meantime you supported the winner, happy that you exercised your civic duty and helped to make a difference. Why is it that the Afghans can understand that but many of us here in Southern California (and the rest of the nation) cannot?

I am appalled by the lack of support and, dare I say, unAmericanism, demonstrated by so many living here in this great country. One of the most disturbing displays of disrespect that I heard came the day after the election, when a classmate of mine proudly declared that she hoped "George W. Bush is assassinated" and that "Dick Cheney dies of a heart attack." I expected to hear a fair amount of disgust regarding her comment, and I hoped that nobody would actually agree with her, but low-and-behold another misguided girl vocally shared her hopes of the same. It is sickening that one who actually considers oneself an American would say something that vile about their leader. I realize that is an extreme stance that many liberals would not agree with, but the simple fact that the girl who made that utterance does not support her president or country is a feeling that is shared by way too many. You don't have to agree with the president, but at least show some support for your country and its leader, and accept that Bush won fair and square.

Democracy has made the United States the envy of the world since 1776, and is the hardest lesson for non-democratically conditioned people to learn, but the Afghans got it right the first time around. Here at home, though, many Democrats are tearing their hair out, suffering massive depressions, swearing never to vote again, making plans to move out of the country and promising that four more years of President Bush will result in the extinction of the U.S. as we know it. How dare you consider this a democracy when you are only happy if the results are on your party's terms?

All the naysayers and doomsday prophesiers need to realize their candidate lost. In other words, get over it. It is time for you to buck up, show some pride in your country and act like a true American.

Gerry Wachovsky is a senior broadcast journalism major at CSULB and the Diversions editor of the Online 49er.