Arnhem

George W. Bush mikt op de stemmen van zeer conservatieve christenen in de Verenigde Staten. Vier jaar geleden keerde deze groep de Amerikaanse Politiek massaal de rug toe. Met ferme standpunten tegen homohuwelijk en arbortus en voor 'family values' probeert George jr. ze weer binnenboord te halen. De steun van deze groep kan nog wel eens de doorslag gaan geven in de verkiezingen en daarmee is hun invloed weer aan het toenemen.

Tijdens de regeringen Reagan en Bush sr. had Christelijk Rechts al het nodige in de melk te brokkelen en er lopen verschillende lijnen tussen de omstreden TV-dominees en de meest conservatieve vleugel van de Republikeinse Partij.

De zwaar gelovigen, waaronder de omstreden TV Dominee Billy Graham, zien zichzelf als "de uitverkorenen" ("the Chosen Ones") die er rotsvast van overtuigd zijn dat zij na het spoedig (ze verwachten het bij wijze van spreken elk moment) vergaan van de aarde ("armageddon") als enige toegang krijgen tot de hemel op aarde (...de rest zal uiteraard branden in de hel...) met aan het hoofd een door Jesus Christus zelf geleide regering.

Nu een van de beruchte TV dominees heeft opgeroepen Bush te stemmen "als enige hoop voor Amerika" wordt het nummer wat Amerikaans componist Frank Zappa in de Jaren 80 schreef opeens weer helemaal actueel:

FRANK ZAPPA: JESUS THINKS YOUâRE A JERK

Thereâs an ugly little wasel âbout three-foot nine
Face puffed up from cryinâ ân lyinâ
âcause her sweet little hubbyâs
Suckinâ prong part time
(in the name of the lord)

Get a clue, little shrew
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Jesus thinks youâre a jerk

Did he really choose tammy to do his work?
Robertson says that heâs the one
Oh he sure is,
If armageddon
Is your idea of family fun,
Anâ heâs got some planned for you!
(now, tell me that ainât true)

Now, what if jimboâs slightly gay,
Will pat let jimbo get away?
Everything weâve heard him say
Indicated that jim must pay,
(and it just might hurt a bit)
But keep that money rollinâ in,
âcause pat and naughty jimbo
Canât get enough of it

Perhaps itâs their idea
Of an affirmative action plan
To give white trash a âspecial breakâ;
Well, they took those jeezo-bucks and ran
To the bank! to the bank! to the bank! to the bank!
And every night we can hear them thank
Their buddy, up above
For sending down his love
(while you all smell the glove)

Jim and pat should take a pole
(right up each saintly glory-hole),
With tar and feathers too --
Just like theyâd love to do to you

(âcause they think you are bad --
And they are very mad)

âcause some folks donât want prayer in school!

(weâd need an ark to survive the drool
Of micro-publicans, raised on hate,
And âjimbo-jimboâ when they graduate)

Conviced they are âthe chosen onesâ --
And all their parents carry guns,
And hold them cards in the n.r.a.
(with their fingers on the triggers
When they kneel and pray)

With a ku-klux muu-muu
In the back of the truck,
If you ainât born again,
They wanna mess you up, screaminâ:
âno abortion, no-siree!â
âlifeâs too precious, canât you see!â
(whatâs that hanginâ from the neighborâs tree?
Why, it looks like âcolored folksâ to me --
Would they do that...seriously? )

Imagine if you will
A multi-millionaire television evangelist,
Saved from korean combat duty by his father, a u.s. senator

Studied law --
But is not qualified to practice it

Father of a âlove childâ
Who, in adulthood, hosts the remnants
Of papaâs religious propaganda program

Claims not to be a âfaith healerâ,
But has, in the past,
Dealt stearnly with everything from hemorrhoids to hurricanes

Involved with funding for a âsecret warâ in central america
Claiming ronald reagan and oliver north as close friends

Involved in suspicous âtax-avoidance schemesâ,
(under investigation for 16 months by the i.r.s.)

Claims to be a man of god;
Currenty seeking the united states presidency,
Hoping we will all follow him into --
The twilight zone

What if pat gets in the white house,
And suddenly --
The rights of âcertain peopleâ disappear
Mysteriously?

Now, wouldnât that sort of qualify
As an american tragedy?
(especially if he covers it up, sayinâ
âjesus told it to me!â)

I hope we never see that day,
In the land of the free --
Or someday will we?
Will we?

And if you donât know by now,
The truth of what Iâm tellinâ you,
Then, surely I have failed somehow --

And jesus will think Iâm a jerk, just like you --
If you let those tv preachers
Make a monkey out of you!

I said:
âjesus will think youâre a jerkâ
And it would be true!

Thereâs an old rugged cross
In the land of cutton --
Itâs still burninâ on somebodyâs lawn
And it still smells rotten

Jim and tammy!
Oh, baby!
You gotta go!
You really got to go!