While watching the Democratic Primary Debate and reading comments on DKos I felt pride for the Democratic Party. As the discussion continued to the fourth diary it grew to pleasure, dare I say it...happiness.
Followed by a hard slap-down by guilt.
Why? Why now? I do not feel guilty when I am happy with family or feel the simple pleasures of life. Then a Republican talking point about Democrats always feeling guilty faintly echoed in my mind. This worried me.
More after the fold.
The source of the guilt was not new. It was the blood on my hands, the blood on all my fellow countrymens hands, the deaths of our troops and innocent Iraqis. My pride for the Democratic Party and in extension the Government that allowed this unprovoked war brought on and deservedly so, guilt.
Can I not feel pride for the Democratic Party without guilt?
The answer is found in the source of pride in our Party and candidates. It was not just their ability to lead and their ability to communicate. It was hope. Hope that we will not allow our troops or Iraqis to die unnecessarily. Hope that truth, justice, honor and transparency will return to the federal government.
That is something to be proud of, something to be happy about. But the guilt will always stain our souls.
There is a song about everything having its own time. A time to be sad, a time to be happy..win..lose. Hope.
There is nothing wrong with being happy, untarnished by guilt, we are bringing hope to this country and the world. There is nothing wrong with contemplating and feeling sad for what this nation has done in our name. It is healthy and keeps us mindful to end it and not repeat it.
Guilt will and should have its time, but so should happiness...especially happiness.