Oh, grow up 

Last week, a story that generally sailed under the public radar said a lot about the state of conservatism these days. A group of apparently desperate parents in Massachusetts sued to exempt their children from being told in school that gay marriage exists in that state. They claimed that, somehow, their right to exercise their religious beliefs were being violated because the state was informing their children of things that they, the parents, disapprove of. To almost no one's surprise, a U.S. District Court judge threw out their lawsuit.

It's hilarious the way many conservatives, particularly the Limbaugh/Hannity crowd, often call progressives "whiners" who can't accept life as it is. That's not just a pot calling a kettle black, it's more like the stove itself doing the calling. These days -- after the GOP setbacks in the November elections, followed by the public tipping point on acknowledgment of global warming's causes -- American conservatives seem alternately to be in a funk or a panic. Either way, they have become some of the biggest whiners on earth. This is a group that's essentially been running the government since 2000 and still control two of the three branches, but still manage to routinely discuss things in a tone of aggrieved injury -- as if they were a persecuted minority whose views haven't had a fair shake in the public arena, much less controlled the reins for lo, these six long, disastrous years.

Don't expect rightwingers' whining to fade anytime soon. In fact, since we're nearing tax time, we should probably get ready for one of the more entertaining groups of conservative whiners: the no-taxes contingent.

Some of these taxaphobes think all taxation is theft of private property, no one should ever have to pay taxes, the government is the enemy, and so forth. Which is fine as long as you can find a way to live in the old Wild West. For the rest of us, stuck here in complex, modern societies where we drive on publicly funded roads and expect the fire department to come if we call them, taxes may not be any fun, but they are how we fund government efforts to ensure the common good.

Other anti-taxers go along with taxation as an idea, they just don't think they should have to pay for programs they don't believe in, such as Social Security, environmental regulation, or, in some cases, public education. Hey, I'd like to be able to remove programs I don't like from my tax bill, too. For instance, I don't like paying for big corporate subsidies, or that stupid "Star Wars" program that everyone knows will never work. But, if everyone cherry-picked their favorite government actions, not much would get done for the overall public benefit -- think the Bush administration and Katrina, but on a national scale.

The point is that many conservatives who, as they never tire of telling everyone, stand for responsible behavior, often act like children who pitch a fit when they can't have their way. It's time the conservative agents of "responsibility" grew up. As a British guy with big, pouty lips once sang, "You can't always get what you want." You know we're living in strange times when the Rolling Stones are more grown-up than many who call themselves "conservative."

• War vs. Community: What is the Iraq war costing us, in addition to the tragedies of killed and wounded soldiers and an international reputation that's disappeared down the toilet? A lot. Recently, a think tank called the National Priorities Project issued a report that details how much money the war is costing each state, city, and congressional district.

NPP says the city of Charlotte has thus far paid nearly a billion dollars -- $994,500,000 -- for Bush's folly. That's over $1,800 for every person in the city. Feel like you're getting your money's worth? I didn't think so. According to NPP's report, the dollars sent to the war just from Sue Myrick's and Mel Watt's congressional districts, combined, could have provided health care for around 260,000 children; built 15,000 affordable housing units; or constructed 213 elementary schools. For more information, go to www.nationalpriorities.org.

• Readers Talk Back: Response to a recent request for your ideas on congressional Democrats' priorities was sizeable and gratifying. Here's a summary.

Most readers who responded want Congress to act quickly to get the United States out of Iraq; some specifically mentioned cutting off funding, while others were less specific. A substantial majority, about 65 percent, thought something drastic needs to be done about health care access and costs; most agreed with a proposal for universal health care, while others wanted to reform the insurance companies. Global warming was named as a big issue by nearly all the responding readers, with some offering specifics on how to reduce carbon emissions. A surprising number of readers also called for the impeachment of Bush and/or Cheney. Thanks for your responses and suggestions; we'll do it again.

• Thanks for the laughs: Finally, a special thanks to the spelling-challenged reader who let me know he hates this column so much, he now "scropously" avoids it every issue. Don't know why, but I was chuckling about that for days. So, scropously yours, until next week ...