SICK OF ANDREW SULLIVAN

As a social conservative, I'm the type of person that seems to send Andrew Sullivan into true hysterics. I lead such a threatening lifestyle, you see, that he feels he must demonize me and my fellow travelers--all 20 million or so of us--each and every last chance he gets. Well, I'm sick of it. No more Mr. Nice Guy. The gloves are coming off.

Sullivan's an overrated blowhard who only became "proud" of his status as America's leading gay conservative when he was outed against his will. But that's not the point of this post. Sullivan often says with glee that the number of social conservatives is swiftly dwindling. Oh? Then why is the party we support with our dollars and our votes the ascendant party in America? Why are evangelical churches--our churches--the fastest growing, not just in America, but in the world? Why are evangelicals sweeping South America, South Korea, and Africa like never before? And while all other Christian churches are having trouble filling the pews. Our growth outpaces every sector of every other religion, too, wherever it is allowed to flourish.

We're dwindling? Even if it were true, why would this be a good thing? Evangelicals are the backbone of this country. We work hard, pay our taxes, stay out of trouble and promote strong communities. We get divorced less, raise well-adjusted children, pursue responsible lives, give generously to charity, and we're the very first to defend this country in time of need. Unlike the libertines, we can organize a society. Unlike the liberals, we can keep it organized. Unlike the extremes on right and left, we can do so without resorting to unspeakable violence.

We're dwindling? Even if that were true, we'd still outnumber the gays, and we'd outgun them financially, and in the end we should have a bigger voice in politics because there are just more of us--and there always will be. Get used to it.

Sullivan likes to decry our "intolerance." This, while calling us names, impugning our motives, and casting curses our way. If we were even half as intolerant as Sullivan himself is of us, this country would be in a world of hurt. Because we're everywhere. We're farmers, soldiers, cops, firemen, lawmakers and judges, writers and thinkers and preachers and teachers. If we were as bad as Sullivan makes us out to be, this country would look like Taliban Afghanistan. But it doesn't. Because we're not as bad as Sullivan dreams we are. We're just not, and no amount of demagoguery from him will change that.

We're not the marching types, us 20 million or so "dwindling" social conservatives. We don't spit on or burn the flag or go out of our way to offend anybody. We know we're not perfect, and we don't expect perfection from anyone else. What we do expect is to be treated fairly, given the respect due our positions and our numbers, and to be free to live and worship according to our conscience. We expect to have a say because this is our country too, and we're a sizable and important part of it. We defend life because it is sacred. We oppose most of the gay agenda because it's destructive to society as a whole. Sullivan seems to be incapable of affording us the rights he demands we all give him. He plays identity politics--the very politics he often claims to dislike--to the hilt whenever it suits him. It's identity politics for me but not for thee in Sullivan's world.

Let me end this screed on a positive note. I don't think social conservatives will run out on President Bush in 2004, no matter what Marc Racicot did or didn't say to HRC and no matter what the Family Research Council says. Racicot isn't the president. George W. Bush is, and most of us social cons trust him to lead this country through the dark times ahead as he has during the dark times behind us. We might leave for some other reason, but honestly I don't think Bush will give us any such reason. He's a smart man; he knows where the numbers are, and they aren't with Andrew Sullivan.