Rally to Restore Sanity: Politicians Make Crappy Doctors

by Alex DiBranco · 2010-10-27 14:09:00 UTC
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This Saturday, swarms of people who approve of sane, rational discourse will descend (politely) upon the National Mall for the Rally to Restore Sanity. The event, just a few days before election day, is being orchestrated by Jon Stewart of the Daily Show and Comedy Central, who are well-versed in the problems of insane political discourse, since they mock it on a daily basis.

On a regular basis when I pick a topic to write about, I think: whoa, that's insane. Earlier this morning, it was a Rand Paul campaign coordinator who stomped on a defenseless woman's head as she was restrained against a curb. I mean, seriously, he stomped on her head? And let's not forget the protesters that scream "baby killer" at an already traumatized woman aborting a deformed fetus with no chance of survival or who try to blow clinics up. Violence against and harassment of women definitely does not count as sane political discourse. It's safe to stay that head-stomping will not be welcome at the Rally to Restore Sanity.

Of course, even a Rally to Restore Sanity wouldn't be a real sanity without the three S's: signs, stickers, and slogans. Huffington Posts has a collection of sign suggestions, with reasonable messages along the lines of "I don't agree you you, but I'm pretty sure you're not Hitler." Because nothing says crazy extremist like comparing your opponent to a genocidal maniac. Some are solidly in-the-middle statements of proper etiquette, while others are a bit more targeted political statements: "The Religious Right Is Neither."

NARAL Pro-Choice America has decided to jump on the Sanity Bandwagon by holding a contest for a sanity sticker slogan. And the winner is: "Vote Pro-Choice: Politicians Make Crappy Doctors." Okay, not quite as light-heartedly humorous as "Obama is a Muslim" or "God Hates Hommos!! It's Too Garlicky!" But sane? Yeah, I think it qualifies.

After all, should politicians be making decisions about women's health rather than doctors? Doesn't that seem just a little bit crazy? Are anti-choice laws that require doctors to parrot a politician-mandated script, often disseminating medically inaccurate information, seem sane to you? Seems to me we should let the doctors do some honest doctoring. Can't everybody agree on that as sane and reasonable? We don't even need to bring up the far-right candidates who want abortion banned in all cases, even rape and incest.

If you can't make the Rally to Restore Sanity this weekend because of totally reasonable other commitments, how about joining our Virtual March to Restore Sanity? It just takes a click of the mouse to add your voice to the request for sanity. And then you can make your support of sanity speak even louder next week by voting for candidates who demonstrate that they're not going to bring the crazy.

Photo credit: Antonio Zugaldia

Alex DiBranco is a Change.org Editor who has worked for the Nation, Political Research Associates, and the Center for American Progress. She is now based in New York City.
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