I know many of you are on Alan Grayson’s email list. Grayson does such a great job articulating what many of us feel. Easter is the time of renewal of the earth – when new beginnings bring new hope. To do that we often must reflect on what needs to be changed and what needs to be cultivated. Below is a list of current American myths that need to be removed so growth can be renewed. Happy Easter all.

A month ago, I wrote a note called “The Myths That Are Killing Us” – the hard myths that no Republicans, and very few Democrats, ever challenge. Here was my list:

1) The Government can’t create jobs. (Tell that to FDR, who created four million jobs in three months.)
2) Tax cuts reduce the deficit. (Doesn’t it bother them that a man named “Laffer” came up with this one?)
3) A fetus is a baby.
4) The poor have too much money.
5) Cutting the federal deficit will end the recession.
6) The rich are incentivized by tax cuts, while the poor are incentivized by lower wages, no benefits, an end to the minimum wage, and unemployment.
7) An unwanted child is God’s will.
8) Everyone who wants health insurance has it.
9) The problem with education is the teachers.
10) The “free market” satisfies every human need.
11) There is no discrimination in America anymore.
12) The distribution of wealth and income are irrelevant.

Well, this list seems to have provoked a lot of thought among us. Since I regard what we do as a collective endeavor, I want to share with you some of the best of this crowdsourcing by our audience – 20 more destructive myths:

1) One gender is better than the other, one race is superior to all others, and there is only one true religion.
2) You can get any medical treatment that you need, for free, in any hospital emergency room.
3) Ronald Reagan won the Cold War.
4) The environment can protect itself.
5) It is better for America to be feared than loved.
6) Only the wealthy create jobs.
7) America is a Christian nation.
8) Human beings are not the cause of climate change.
9) Minority women have children in order to qualify for welfare.
10) President Obama wants to take away our guns.
11) The more we spend on the military, the safer we are.
12) Corporations use tax cuts to hire people.
13) The unemployed are lazy and stupid.
14) Rich people are smarter than everyone else.
15) We will never run out of oil.
16) Invading foreign countries wins hearts and minds.
17) Science is a matter of opinion.
18) Instigating unnecessary wars shows your support for the troops.
19) Corporations are people.
20) Money is speech.

Every one of these myths is fascinating in its own right. You could write a whole book about each of them. So to the supporters who contributed to this list, thank you. I’m listening and learning.

And if we could just get past all of these myths, then think about what a great place this would be.

Courage,

Alan Grayson