Why I Haven't Commented on Egypt

The news out of Egypt just keeps coming. There's so much going on that I can't even manage to link all of it here. Admittedly, I've never been much of a follower of the Middle East news happenings. It's just all so complicated and difficult to figure out.

What I do know is that the citizens of Egypt want Mubarak out, and they want a change in their government.

Our nation was founded on this very premise. We wanted freedom from England, and instead of fighting on our own shores to overthrow the powers that be, we left to make our own way. Ultimately, we couldn't run from the confrontation. The war came to us, and we fought to stay free.

Everyone simply wants to live free. This is human nature. We don't want to be ruled and overpowered or disenfranchised from our society - to have our control taken from us.

Freedom, though, is subjective. Tyranny, likewise, is in the eye of the beholder.

The Egyptians want to be free and to overthrow a government they see as tyrannical. The American in me, that lives at the core of me, sympathizes with this desire. What I see though as an affront to my freedom may be very different from someone else's. The Obama administration isn't tyrannical. Under Obama, I have seen freedoms obtained that wouldn't have happened under a Republican political leader (DADT repeal, health care reform, etc.). It's my view and personal opinion that Democrats give and expand rights for all, while Republicans take them away. Earlier today, in fact, I saw a news story about Republicans, instead of working on creating more jobs if they got the majority in Congress, are filing bills to redefine rape in order to limit access to abortions. Yes, because apparently controlling my body and what I do with it is freedom in their book.

Strangely enough, I have hidden a few friends on Facebook because they are annoyingly conservative, but I still check out their profiles sometimes out of curiosity. Just today I saw one commenting on Egypt and a friend of theirs pondered how things would go down if the same thing took place here against the current administration. Another commenter lumped "liberals" with Islamists (i.e. you know, terrorists) and communists.

See, the reason I haven't commented on Egypt isn't because I don't feel strongly about the situation or that I don't empathize with the human desire to be free. It's because what we view as freedom and tyranny and a worthy justification for revolution is all subjective. Conservatives, Tea Partiers, and Republicans tend to see themselves as being under tyrannical rule by Obama, liberals, and Democrats. If there was a chance to do as the Egyptians have done, they'd gladly take it and feel justified. A few years back, I wouldn't have had a problem with protesting in the street to get rid of Bush. I used my fair share of phrases that called Bush and Company tyrants and fascists.

I haven't commented because I don't want to be misinterpreted by the conservatives I know. They are identifying with the Egyptians right now, seeing God at work in their dreams of democracy as they define it. That is, a democracy that only allows their beliefs to exist. And I don't want them to think that I believe as they do. I don't see Egypt as the next great opportunity for conversion to a Christo-fascist state like Iraq or Afganistan, or that America must do its Godly duty and overthrow the godless tyrants of the world so we can fulfill His plan.

No, the tyrant is already there. A tyrant who is far more like the Republicans of our country than the Democrats, and the people are fighting a government that I fear we'll have if Republicans gain the presidency again. But see, that's just my view...my belief. And it's as right and as real as those held by my conservative friends.

So, I don't comment because there's no way to win this. There is no right or wrong because each of us believe we are right and everyone else is wrong.