Blog Center: Kurt's Blog - Archived Entry

I’ve been fortunate to have good health and a consistent workout program most of my life. Recently I’ve heard quite a bit about the latest trend in fitness training, something called “core training”. Core training focuses on strengthening your core trunk muscles and building strength from the inside out, providing better overall physical health. I was thinking what a wonderful thing it would be to develop a similar program for the Bush administration and their ardent supporters….something called “Democratic Core Value” training.

This Democratic Core Value training will feature only one muscle, the Heart, and will also feature the Eyes, Ears and Brain. Of course it would not feature the body part that most Republicans like to use the most, the Mouth. By the way, clinical testing done by Bush scientists over the past four years has proven that there is no direct correlation between the thinking part of the brain in a right-winged person and his or her mouth. Just a few minutes with Fox News is all the proof I needed.

The Democratic Core Training will involve what is referred to as compound exercises. Those are exercises which affect multiple targeted areas at the same time. One good exercise would be to send someone, President Bush for example, to the family of a young man or woman who has just been killed in Iraq to inform them of their loved one’s death. As he heard, saw and comprehended their unbelievable grief, one would hope his Heart would be rendered more feeling and compassionate and his brain more thoughtful before he ever invades another country under false pretenses again.

Another would be to spend a week in a local homeless shelter. Not just a photo op feeding some holiday meal but actually working with the dedicated volunteers who sacrifice so much for those that have so little hope and so much despair. He of course would be provided the same clothing, food and facilities as everyone else. No silver spoons available at that place!

The last exercise I’ll offer up is taking away all the assets from a typical Republican and turn him into a person of color, let’s say Attorney General Ashcroft for example. We would place him in the middle of the inner city, without food, healthcare, or shelter and see how long it would take him as a person of color to work his way out of that situation. Of course he would always have No Child Left Behind to provide all the opportunity he needed. I would bet his brain and heart would change very quickly.

These are all I’ll offer for now….I’m sure you can think of many others. As Democrats let us never forget our most important exercise…walking a mile in the other guys shoes!