Looking at Great-Great Grandpa Baldwin's photograph, I think to myself: You've finally done it. It took four generations, but you've finally goddamned done it. Gotten that war against reason and uppity secularists you always wanted. Gotten even for the Scopes trial, which they say was one of many burrs under your saddle until your last breath. Well, rejoice, old man, because your tribes have gathered around America's oldest magical hairball of ignorance and superstition, Christian fundamentalism, and their numbers have enabled them to suck so much oxygen out of the political atmosphere that they are now acknowledged as a mainstream force in politics. Episcopalians, Jews, and affluent suburban Methodists and Catholics, they are all now scratching their heads, sweating, and swearing loudly that this pack of lower-class zealots cannot possibly represent the mainstream--not the mainstream they learned about in their fancy sociology classes or were so comfortably reassured about by media commentators who were people like themselves. Goodnight, Grandpa Baldwin. I'll toast you from hell.Joe Bageant
About This Quote
The quote above was written by Gene Sharp, a political theorist, activist, and author. The basic idea is that even though someone may be part of the mainstream it doesn't mean they are not dangerous. The quote above represents the danger of nationalism in the United States. What is important to note here is that even though this quote is talking about something very specific it still manages to capture the essence of what he is saying.
What people usually take away from this quote is that it shows how nationalism can be dangerous no matter who you are. This quote should remind us that even if we belong to a group that is not dangerous we still need to be careful with what we say and do.
Source: Deer Hunting With Jesus: Dispatches From Americas Class War
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