This book does not appear on any of the lists of best or banned books. It was, however, on the bestseller list and is one of my many contemporary choices.
This book was a continuation of the story of President Kerry Kilcannon and his wife, Lara. It takes a pointed swipe at the political right. It zooms in on the 2nd amendment nuts, the religious right and the anti-abortion groups. I must digress for a moment. I cannot call these people "pro-life" for two reasons. 1. Who is not pro-life? Other than sociopaths, would anyone be classifies as not being pro-life? I am all for life, but I consider myself pro-choice. That does not make me anti-life. It makes me anti babies in dumpsters and left to die in alleys and abused and drug addicted because they are born to parents who don't want them or care for them. 2. Many of the people who are anti-abortion have no other "pro-life" feelings. Once you were denied an abortion, they could care less what happens to you or your unwanted child. So, as I see it, the designation "pro-life" is just a trap, a set up to make everyone else seem like they are heartless.
Okay, off of my soapbox. Well, not really. This is one of those books that has me jumping right up onto the old soapbox. I see the injustice and the perils of politics. the back stabbing and dirty dealing that goes on. The need for people to destroy other people, just because their beliefs differ. Sadly, the powers that be are not the moral liberal force in Richard North Patterson's fictional USA (this was written in the GWB era, folks)I think the gun activists and the religious zealots were right on cue here. They exude that sense of "I'm right and therefore I can be the most vile creature on the planet with no respect for honesty, decency or my fellow human beings, and that's okay." Even worse, they act like this and they are dead wrong. Just because you translate The Bible and The Constitution to fit your agenda, does not make you right. It does not make your point of view reflect what was intended by either of those documents. I am pretty convinced that this book is not very far from the things that happen everyday.
But, due to the better leadership in the form of Kerry Kilcannon, I got to see an idealized version of how the US could be. Good, fair people pushing the crazed right wing freaks into their place and keeping them there, where they can't do any more harm. The best defense is not an offense. A better man does not deserve to be destroyed by his political foes. That is just a nasty show of insecurity. Men who have no redeeming qualities to share, have to lie and demean people who are, as human beings, their betters.
Well, I'm sure mine are controversial words. But, this is my 'blog and I stand by my opinions. I stand by my belief that the way things are done is not necessarily the right way. People who want improvement should always speak out until changes are made.
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