Tale of Two Sons
Well, it looks like the upcoming GOP convention is going to have to do some counter-programming. Ron Reagan Jr. is going to be addressing the Democratic Party Convention in prime time. The topic? Stem cell research.
Like Ron, Jr., I have a vested interest in the topic. One of my parents suffered from the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease for quite a few years prior to passing away. Both of my wife’s grandparents eventually succumbed to the disease as well. So in that sense, our genetics (and perhaps more importantly, that of our children) don’t bode so well for avoiding the same fate. Stem cell research represents my family’s best current hope going forward.
Fundamentalists have been extremely successful in linking stem cell research to the abortion issue. If you’re interested in reading a couple of arguments that de-link the issue from a standpoint of both religious ethics and philosophy, click here and here.
In announcing his intent to speak at the DNC convention, Ron Jr. was quite clear that his message was not going to be an anti-Bush rant. It would be ludicrous, however, to expect the RNC to respond “in kind”.
It’s almost axiomatic that the RNC convention intends to expend a great deal of airtime extolling the virtues of Saint Ronald of Reagan. You can expect one or more of the Reagan progeny to show and tell (most likely conservative foamer Michael) – but most certainly, not in the “issues oriented” manner to which Ron Jr. has already committed.
You can bet that Michael won’t be talking about stem cell research. Michael will be linking his father to George Bush, and doing everything possible to cast the Kerry / Edwards ticket as the second coming of Hitler / Mengele, with the Democratic holocaust being perpetrated you-know-where.
The difference between the two sons? Ron’s an intellectual, to a degree. He can make a cogent argument without resorting to code words and inflammatory statements. Michael can’t do that. While slander and innuendo are the stock-in-trade of the usual neocon megaphone crowd (Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter, Savage) there’s a reason that Michael Reagan isn't in their league.
And I think you'll see why during the Republican convention.
