New York conservatives: Get out!

By Jim Killebrew

[January 23, 2014]  Frankly, I'm glad I live in "flyover" country. I can't remember when a governor of one of our great Midwestern states ever got up in front of people and targeted a group of those people he didn't agree with regarding lifestyle, faith, beliefs or worldview and told them point-blank they have "no place in" the state they governed. Not so with New York's governor, Andrew Cuomo. During an interview on the radio a few days ago, Gov. Cuomo of New York essentially told perhaps millions of people in "his" state they are not welcome.

During his radio interview he said of those who see themselves as "conservative": "Who are they? Are they these extreme conservatives, who are right-to-life, pro-assault weapon, anti-gay? … Because if that is who they are and if they are extreme conservatives, they have no place in the state of New York."

I wonder how many people for whom he is speaking call themselves New Yorkers? Is he such an elitist that he can now pick and choose whom he can stamp out? Has the state of New York, those outside New York City, become so enamored with their self-importance that they can call to task those whose beliefs differ from the traditional, liberal Democrat? Is the governor going to call out the National Guard to eject those who believe a conceived human baby should have the right to be born and live in a country that guarantees the right to pursue life and liberty?

Is there anyone else the governor has taken a disliking to? Perhaps he would round up each NRA member and put a yellow armband on them, eject them from their homes, confiscate all their possessions for the state and herd them into a ghetto to be fenced in until he can determine their ultimate solution? Perhaps the governor could rustle up all those New Yorkers who believe in the Bible and attend the church of their choice each Sunday and throw them in jail for professing their faith.

How outlandish can a politician be? How far into the personality of narcissism can a politician sink before common citizens' heads pop up from the sand and say "Huh?"

Rather than banning all the people the governor apparently doesn't like, those whose beliefs are not exactly like his, perhaps instead of those people being the ones who are wrong, maybe New Yorkers should consider that maybe, just maybe, it is the governor and his beliefs that might be wrong. If they should decide that, I hope their handling of him is much more gentle than his handling of them.

Isn't it interesting when the self-proclaimed most tolerant people begin to talk and make their pronouncements and begin to demonstrate speech and behavior of the most intolerant people around.

Like I said, I'm glad I live in flyover country.

[By JIM KILLEBREW]