Let It Be A New Day

Tags

911, Alvaro Uribe, Asteroids, astronomy, Cedar Rapids, Columbia, Detroit, Facebook, Flint, fundamentalism, Georgetown, GOP, Iowa, Islamic faith, journalism, Muslims, Qur'an, religion, right wing, tea party, tolerance, urban renewal, voters

Praise be to whatever Goodness speaks in your heart this day! In response to hatred, there is love being expressed, tolerance overflowing and men and women of good will gather in friendship.

A couple of important notices:

First, for those living near the environs of Cedar Rapids, IA, please take note that an interfaith “Day of Remembrance, Unity and Respect” is scheduled for 9/11 at 1-2:30 pm at the Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids, 2999 1st Ave NW, Cedar Rapids, IA. Members of the Islamic faith, Judaic faith, and Christian faith will gather for a few words and prayer. Please come if you can to show your support for tolerance, and unity in recall of our time of tragedy.

If you cannot attend, please consider this Facebook call for unity and tolerance. Dr. James McGrath has created a FB page called, “read the Qur’an day.” Please go and sign up. We cannot remain silent in the face of the hatred being expressed by a tiny minority. We must speak out. We are a nation of immigrants. Tolerance is what defines us.

I caught this over at National Catholic Reporter. Fr. John Dear, SJ, has written a post on the sad but true fact that what can only be described as dictator, Columbia’s former president, Alvaro Uribe, has accepted a teaching position at Georgetown University. Fr. Dear has a good history of both Uribe and Georgetown’s questionable dealings with the American war machine in the past. This is truly sad to hear. I certainly don’t deny that Uribe has a right speak his piece about whatever, but I surely think there were better choices for teaching our youth than one who has had such a close connection to warlords and other murdering types.

I was born in Flint Michigan and lived a considerable number of years in Detroit, so I know of what I speak. Both are ugly decrepit cities and nothing much can save them I suspect. Both largely grew to magnificence (or some semblance of that) through the age of the Automobile, now both rust away as the heyday of automotive power wanes.  The Boston Globe has an interesting article on how these declining cities deal with this. How to downsize? (Note: recently Detroit decided to go forward with wholesale demolition of old neighborhoods long abandoned–thousands of homes are involved so I understand) A truly innovative look at a problem.

To those of us who pay attention, the Teapartiers have always been an anomaly. A conglomeration of mostly uninformed folk, who rant about “our freedoms” while having little or no clear thinking about what the Constitution says or means. Ironically they are often “for” things that are in-opposite to long-standing constitutional norms. In essence, they are often willing to eviscerate the Constitution in the name of upholding it. DeWayne Wickham at USAToday has a great article about the new KnowNothing Party.

Oh and before I forget, let my say this: This refusal of most of the “high-ranking GOP leadership (read Palin, Boehner, Gingrich et al) to condemn the Qur’an burning is disgusting and amounts to an endorsement. They are willing to allow their hate spewing followers to believe they favor it rather than have the guts to stand up for what is right. So much for ethics. But then who ever assumed they had any?

And we see that John Sidney McCain is criticizing the President for allowing the tax cuts for the rich to expire. Oh but, darn, McCain voted against them when Bush proposed them? How to reconcile this old fart? Just another one of your vengeful acts isn’t it John? You hated Bush for beating you, and you hate Obama for beating you. You need to go sit in your chair and muse about the dust bunnies in the wind.

If I hasn’t come to you yet, it will. Which came first: the insipid vapid (id words you see) moronic lack of intellect of the average American, thus requiring constant feeding of irrelevant nonsense, OR the increasing laziness of the journalistic working man and woman, who has traded actual journalistic skill for a few tips from Entertainment Nightly. Huh? Well, D-Cap tackles this one.

Christian Beyer is a fine writer and thinker and knows fundamentalist Christianity from the inside. See his blog entry today: It’s time for Christians to declare jihad against Fundamentalism. Just an excellent read.

Sad to say, but perfectly predictable, the right-wing and GOP are using the upcoming 9/11 date to raise money and spread hate. They have been doing it for years, and plan to continue it seems.

Ya know there is just plenty of crap to worry about. I worry a lot about that seething mega volcano just waiting to erupt in Yellowstone. That will take most all of us out. I worry about the state of our magnetic field, without which we will all be toast in days. Well, now I gotta worry about asteroids again! I thought we had that one all taken care of with an array of telescopes all searching for any misdirected balls of iron. (Jupiter with its super-massive gravity well is largely to blame–just so you know where to direct your ire.) Turns out NASA which runs this safety program is RUNNING OUT OF MONEY.

So I figure, we should perhaps set up a citizens brigade or something. You can leave your name and number and the night you would like to take your watch. Don’t push. Sharp eyes and a pair of field binoculars are required.

What’s on the stove: chili today. Oh I know it’s early, but I was hungry for some, and I made it really good and hot, and with some fresh corn bread. HA!

Related Articles

• Islamophobia After 9/11: Enough, Already (beliefnet.com)

What’s Up? 06/02/10

Tags

abortion rights, astronomy, big bang, Catholicism, DODT, feminism, Israel, lifestyles, Michaelangelo, Middle East, mind-body, oil spill, Palestine, right wing nuttery, Sarah Palin, Sistene Chapel, tolerance, What's Up? news

It’s another gorgeous day in the meadow. Alas I remain indoors, afraid to step out and be assaulted by the bug that bites me and leaves me itching for a week.

In ten years I’ve never been able to see a bug on my skin, and thereafter find that as the site of intense itching. I assume it is a mosquito, but never feel any bite from the critter and thus have no clue. But  a full week of itching ensues.

I’ve tried every manner of itch cream and calomine lotion I can find. Nothing works but temporarily. I am fine, and then brush against it and it flares up again. I cannot locate my OFF and so am indoors until I can get to the store tomorrow. Then it’s full coverage from head to foot for all of June. By July it seems whatever it is moves on.

Feeling sorry for me? Good! That makes me feel better.

***

A good editorial from the NYTimes on Sister Margaret McBride, excommunicated for signing off on an abortion in Phoenix. All those pedophile priests of course were NEVER excommunicated.

I confess to not knowing as much as I should about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This set of essays I think help us to work our way through a complicated history. Thanks of course to 3quarksdaily. (Do you think I’m over using this site or what?)

Just me, but since BP has asked for any suggestions in plugging that leak? I’d skip the tennis balls and tires, and send down some Rethugs ( I have a whole list I could give them of unnecessary air-users up top here). All that hot air might do the trick ya know. Just sayin’. It’s the patriotic thing to do doncha think? And the GOP prides itself on being patriotic.

Scientific American has a fascinating post on Michaelangelo and the Sistene Chapel. Seems that the great artist and renaissance man was quite the anatomist, and left some fine illustrations buried in the ceiling painting. Such work is now being described by Ian Suk and Raphael Tamargo, both experts in the field of neuroanatomy from Johns Hopkins. Some interesting speculation as to what it all means.

Mystical Seeker has some valuable insights into tolerance in our world today. It never fails to thrill me to see that bloggers read one another, read other articles, and new ideas sprout. Some thoughtful ideas here.

Who doesn’t believe in the big bang? Oh, your usual suspects, southern Republicans. What is it about these people that they are so fearful of reality?

Something like 70-80% of all Americans support repeal of DODT in the military. The right has raised new arguments every day it seems. First, it would increase gay rape, then we have to worry about tainted “gay blood,” then it would destroy military chaplains “rights” but the newest one is the best–It will enrage Muslims who will try to kill more of us. Right Wing Watch has to story.

If you like your news tart and saucy, then you better try out Black Magpie Theory. Brought to us by OKJimm!

Is Sarah Palin entitled to call herself a feminist? Do words mean anything? A terrific must read post at Jezebel!

If you need an attitude adjustment, and we all do from time to time, Atticus at StatesofMindz, has 21 “If’s” you might want to think about.

Hope you find a thing or two that strikes your fancy here.

Who is a Christian?

Tags

religion, Sunday Editorial, tolerance

Last night was Johnny Depp night and we chose Chocolat as our featured movie. As I watched this wonderful story unfold of repressed desires, pitted against rigid morality, I, well, got to thinking.

Since it’s a 2000 movie, I’ll assume a basic knowledge of the plot. A lovely lady and her young daughter arrive in a sleepy French village, one wherein everyone knows everyone and life has changed little in perhaps centuries.

The town is firmly in the grasp of the town Mayor, Comte de Reynard who sees that everyone toes the line in piety and morality. His wife has left him, but he continues for months the facade that she is simply away on holiday. He stands guard each Sunday as the parishioners enter the Church for Mass, and nods approvingly as the new priest reads his homily, one that the Comte has himself prepared.

Enter into the scene Vianne and her young daughter who have rented a small shop in the town and begin to get it ready for opening. When the Comte learns that she intends to open a chocolate shop, well, things go badly. How dare she do such a thing when Lent has just arrived. To make it worse Vianne refuses to attend Church and quickly makes it clear that she herself is no widow, but an unwed mother. Most of the townspeople are afraid to indulge in the chocolate and the priest makes it clear upon Comte’s urgings that such delight in sensuous chocolate is worthy of much penance.

Depp arrives in the guise of a Welshman who is a river rat, traveling the world by boat with a group of friends. They seem innocent enough, but they are not conforming of the rigid morals that Comte has laid down in his town.

Vianna is non plussed and little by little she gets most of the citizenry to enjoy her wares. A battered wife, Josephine finally takes refuge with her, and blossoms as a true human being in her own right for the first time in her life. A small boy and his grandmother played by Judy Dench are reacquainted against the wishes of a overbearing mother who wishes to control both her son and her mother. Depp, playing Roux is welcomed as well, and a grand party ensues celebrating Dench who is dying by her own neglect from diabetes.

Eventually even the Mayor capitulates after unknowingly encouraging Josephine’s husband to burn the boats of the river rats. He goes on a spree of destruction at the chocolate shop and ends with stuffing his face with chocolate before collapsing into an exhausted sleep. All is forgiven, Vianne elects to stay in the town and Depp returns a few months later.

What we have is a display of official Christianity against unofficial Christianity. The mayor demands this perfect piety of his townspeople. Vianne represents the natural Christian, who does the right thing, the loving thing without need of ritual or dogma. The Mayor of course steeped deeply in both, manages to miss the real point of Christian living and helps to work distrust, unhappiness, and repression everywhere he goes. Of course, the religion makes no difference. One could easily substitute any religion into the plot.

I find this phenomenon happening a lot today in America. There is the ultra right wing of religion which is hysterical on the issue of following the rules. Of course it’s their version of the rules that count.  There is the ultra left wing of non-religion. They are just about as hysterical in trying to show the insanity of faith at all. What cannot be proven cannot be as they see it. Both work horribly harm on the rest of us.

Rigid morality is simply Pharisaidic. It is what Jesus rejected again and again. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath he retorted when asked why his disciples gleaned corn from the fields on the Sabbath. When rules become the end all and be all of faith, then we have lost the point itself. We are engaging in meaningless ritual and going away feeling so self-satisfied that we can then preach AT others of their sinfulness.

Many in the Christian faith have the audacity to claim that someone like Gandhi cannot enter heaven simply because he died “unsaved.”  Gandhi thought Christianity was a rather nice faith, but he claimed he never met many Christians. In that I agree with him.

The only two issues that the ultra right religious like to discuss is abortion and homosexuality. They are hysterical on these issues. While I agree that abortion is a terrible thing, and I would support every and all means to avoid its use, I am not prepared to jail anyone for what I consider their right to decide this matter in the privacy of their own mind. As to homosexuality, I’m more than convinced that it is a genetic issue, and a loving God does not condemn those so created to a life of imposed celibacy.

Over and over we are patiently told that those of the URR (Ultra right religious) don’t hate the sinner, just the sin. Yet their speech is peppered by words like “un-natural, disordered, disgusting lifestyle, murderous agenda,” and the like. You see, I plainly don’t buy the “we just hate the sin” mantra. It is like immigration and Arabs, who are okay to hate and revile today.

This is religion which is used as a mask to express one’s own personal hate. Plain and simple. I don’t know why it seems to be part of the makeup of so many that somebody must be below them to point at and ridicule. It changes over time. Somethings are in and some are not at any given moment. It’s not okay to bash blacks now, and women, well its hard to say, some is okay, if it’s Hillary I guess. It’s definitely okay to bash Latinos and Arabs.

It’s okay to bash the homeless, feminism, the working poor. They are lazy and/or uppity in case you hadn’t noticed. And when pressed to defend such claims as to why we don’t need universal health care, women’s rights, or any of a plethora of other human rights, the answer is to hide behind the Bible, or Church dogma, based on some personal interpretation. You see the real poor are to be helped, but that number is really small. Most are just lazy.

In my talks with fellow “Catholics” I get a lot of flak about the abomination of abortion and the nearly as great abomination of homosexuality. When the subject turns to the death penalty, war, women’s rights, universal health care, and other poverty issues, the tenor changes dramatically. Now the Church, in their view, condones their stance. The bible makes it clear that women are not equal, the bible makes it clear that we are to support the “widow” and orphan” not the healthy man scarred to the bone by his experiences in combat. The Church allows the death penalty (although a fair look at this suggests to retain that position, one must split the finest of finest hairs), and the Church has not officially declared the Iraq war unjust, though it has come mighty close. Thus, one is still allowed to support either. Doesn’t this smack of personal issue shopping just a little?

When you witness this strange split, you realize that this is not “following Church teaching” so much as it is picking and choosing as one wishes, and splitting microscopic hairs in order to finding a logic one can live with. The sad thing is that I am sure that many of this persuasion truly don’t see it that way at all. They are secure in their sophistry, which they cannot see. They cannot see it any more than the Comte could, as he and the rest of the town turned a blind eye to the suffering of Josephine at the hands of her husband. Marriage is for life after all, what is to be done? Vianne knew what needed to be done, and she did it.

Many Catholics (these new breed URR) claim that it is required of the faithful to admonish the sinner. Indeed that appears in the bible. But it appears alongside the following words of Jesus, which i liberally paraphrase. We are told that we should cast that first stone if we are without sin. Now who would that be?  We are told to remove the plank from our own eye before attempting to draw out the splinter from our brothers. This might suggest to the rational mind that we might think twice before admonishing anyone, let alone running to priests and bishops to report that someone might not be technically allowed to receive communion, or might be “living in sin.” 

Some in faith argue that no one not of faith can act morally. They define them out of the picture. Morality requires an understanding of good and bad, right and wrong, and the atheist, they claim cannot know these. They can only know prudent or not prudent, successful or non-successful, as if such playing with words changes the picture. The ability to understand the moral concepts of right and wrong can, these super religious tell me, only come from God and thus the atheist/agnostic is forever doomed.

I don’t buy such hogwash. I know plenty of morally upright atheists. They work just as hard for important causes. They support charities, and do good works around the world and in our own country. They care for the environment, they pay their taxes, they do as I and other believers do in all respects. They are simply good citizens. Morality is the ability to empathize with another person and act accordingly. It knows no religion and no faith.

Vianne, shows us that basic goodness is tied to no religious dogma or ritual. It may well be God given, but this God requires no mantras in order to bestow his largess. And chanting and ranting  perfect obeisance to one’s understanding of one’s chosen faith is sure not a basis for claiming one is righteous either. It’s time to accept goodness where we find it, and stop peeking under everyone’s door demanding some orthodoxy that is no indication of goodness at all.

Anyone for some Chocolat?

This Butt’s for You!

Tags

Afghanistan, American History, Barack Obama, baseball, birds, chicken, crafting, crochet, Desserts, Election 2008, environment, fundamentalism, Iraq, pasta, pie, quilting, religion, science, tex-mex, tolerance, War, weather, world history

I Just got a kick out of this chalk drawing by Vincent van Gogh called “The Carrot Puller.” I wonder if the poor lady was amused by the position or by the appellation. It was done in 1885 and is located at the Institute of Art in Chicago.

On the homefront. We got the Bronco. The Contrarian was very impressed by how nice it was both inside and out. Some rust around the wheel wells and that is about all. It’s a super big engine, with plenty of power. We pulled the truck out slick as a wink when we got home. I’m about 3/5 done cleaning the living room. Got the windows all done today. It’s a big bay with six big panes and got my biggest plant put out for the summer. A bit early, but I really would be surprised if we get any more frost. Let’s get to it, Monday is always a super busy day.

In the news today:

~~~^^^~~~^^^~~~

Today, May 5 is the anniversary of America’s first person in space. Alan Shepard Jr. went on a 15 minute flight. This was back in 1961, and I do remember it. America was a bit shaken because the Russians had beat us, and the Cold War was then in full swing. We really did expect a nuclear war back then. Thanks to American History Blog for the information.

Sally’s Crochet Blog has some ideas about making a small bag or enlarging it to a purse. See her ideas about yarn and get the free pattern. It’s really quite cute I thought, and I think an enlarged one would be perfect as a delicate summer bag. Not the kind you haul everything under the sun in, but for an evening out.

If you would like a look inside the world of John Hagee and fundamentalism, read this excerpt from Matt Taibbi’s new book, “The Great Derangement.” He went to Church “school” in Texas and I promise you, what he discovered is well worth the read. I of course believe that we all need to be aware of what is going on in these bizarre sects. And i can assure you that what you see in public is but the tip of the iceberg as they say.

I don’t know if you caught this, but we are sending more troops into Afghanistan again, mostly due to “shortfalls” from NATO. That is code for, our allies are not supporting the effort like they should and so we have to shore up the forces. Of course, all of this is necessary because we have more or less ignored that war as we got bogged down in the never-ending quagmire that is Iraq. Where these troops are coming from is anyone’s guess, perhaps from the minor draw downs expected in Iraq, which of course is already beginning to heat up again. Sigh….this is like finding the pea in the shell game isn’t it? Read all the sad facts at Blue Girl, Red State.

Britannica Blog has a great look at religious freedom in America. Looking back to our earliest colonial times this post explores what it was like to be a religious minority in America. I’ve learned a lot about this recently, and I must say, it’s a far cry from the pablum that I learned in public school education. It makes it crystal clear just why our founders determined to set up a clear distinction between our political and religious life.

Okay it is Cinco de Mayo after all, so perhaps a Latin inspired dish should be on your radar today, or sometime soon. I thought this recipe was a real winner and perfect for the summer to boot. TryCinco de Mango: Chicken Mango Burritos from Coconut & Lime.

CopyCat Restaurant Recipes has a couple of winners today. One is a delightful pasta recipe, the other a pie which is Derby inspired. Try Chicken Tequila Fettuccine, and while you are at it, try Derby Pie. Both look excellent to me.

Free Sample Forager has a slew of new offers, from magazines to new mom stuff, to fabric softener, to feminine hygiene. Enjoy.

Given that I just spoke of a relationship between Adlai Stevenson and Barack Obama this weekend in my Sunday Editorial, I thought this post at History News Networkmost apropos. We are, as I have argued, a nation that has a strange and antagonistic relationship with the intellectual. Does this pose a problem for Senator Obama? Read the post and see what you think.

If you want to get started on a quilt and haven’t yet, it is best I find to take a trip to Inspired by antique quilts. This lady is both talented and prolific in her production of absolutely stunning quilts. I think I’ve shown this before, but it was at the beginning. Look how far she’s progressed. This is truly inspirational, at least to me.

Live Science has an essay on the great dust bowl of the 30’s. There are not a lot of us alive who remember it still. I was born a good well after it, and I lived in Michigan, so it was not a topic around our table. I’m sure some here in Iowa have family who lived through it. New science has helped to uncover exactly why it was so bad.

Oh Dave Barry has another of his so-funny little posts that just tickle the bejesus out of me. Read it now or you will be sorry! “Bad Driving: It’s just not for Old People.”

The Republicans are at it again. Tax credits on new energy technology are about to expire, and Democrats have had no luck in getting them through, since Big Oil is screaming and Bush is threatening to veto if Big Oil doesn’t get its way. Politics Plus picks up the NYTimes editorial and adds his two cents which are always worth a read. And where was McCain, Mr. Environment? Oh he missed the vote.

Now this may seem silly to you, but it raises some interesting questions I think. None of us can go back in time, at least at this point, but we assume that antiques made of marble and such were the natural colors that we find them in today. Yet there is evidence, which some now use in historical docudramas, that many of our ancient  monuments were painted and quite gaudily painted at that. Yet Hollywood always portrays them in their greenish, whitish hues. Are we getting an accurate picture? Read Rogueclassicism‘s post and see what you think about the new idea of painting up the antiques.

Those of us in the country always suspected it: dozens of beady little eyes following us the minute we stepped from the porch. Gazes that noted every step, every pulling of every weed. Yep, those birds are not always doing “bird” things it seems. They are watching us.

It seems that whenever I think of John McCain these days, I cannot get that picture out of my head. You know the one I mean, the one  featured in the latest Moveon.orgad, the huggy bear photo which can only be described as McCain’s hug of utter adoration of Dubya. I predict that photo will haunt Mav all through the coming months, and he will never divorce himself from that sweaty embrace. But in case you are even a tiny bit unsure of where the Truthless one is coming from, read American Prospect’s article entitled: Does John McCain stand for anything?”

The Artful Crafter has a roundup of crafting sites withdifferent crafts, many with how-to’s. I saw a couple that looked a bit interesting. How to recycle a ketchup bottle for one. Hmmm, perhaps into a bird feeder? I think it has to do with cats though. Take a look around and see if you find anything you might like to make.

If you want to know what my “recipe box” looks like, take a gander at Baking Beauties post today. That is about what mine is like, and I don’t like it one little bit. She has some wonderful ideas for making a nice box one that you can use easily and looks great as well. She’s really collected a lot of links for you as well, so there are tons of ideas. Surely one will grab you and you can create something great, or–use as a gift to a new daughter-in-law perhaps.

I believe that last week I mentioned the NYTimes report that generals were sent off to the networks as “experts” to basically tout the Pentagon’s line. I know that I have seen like zilch on the networks about this, well at least none on ABC,and the Contrarian checksCNN, MSNBC, and Fox fairly frequently. Only PBS has bothered to talk about it. Urantian Sojournhas the story for you, and links so that you can learn more. Seems we have to dig out some of our own news these days. Somebody’s ox is gored you see.

I think I might have mentioned that I don’t care much for baseball. Too slow for me. I’m a football, hockey person. But I thought Russell might appreciate this link so if you would like to learn about Lou Gehrig who ended his “streak” of something on May 2, 1939, just follow the bouncing ball as they say. My thanks to the US History Blog!

~~~^^^~~~^^^~~~

“In politics, absurdity is not a handicap.” Napoleon Bonaparte

“People are, if anything, more touchy about being thought silly than they are about being thought unjust.” E.B.White

“When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not.” Mark Twain

“What if nothing exists and we’re all in somebody’s dream? Or what’s worse, what if only that fat guy in the third row exists?” Woody Allen

“If it weren’t for Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of television, we’d still be eating frozen radio dinners.”  Johnny Carson

~~~^^^~~~^^^~~~

Oxymorons:

Same Difference

Taped Live

Peace Force

Pretty Ugly

Butt Head

Microsoft works

~~~^^^~~~^^^~~~

According to the latest CNN poll, President Bush’s disapproval rating — 71 percent That’s unbelievable, isn’t it, that 29 percent still approve? Jay Leno

So it’s the 30thbirthday of email spam. Guests at the birthday party will include an Irish sweepstakes winner, a hugely endowed man and a Nigerian prince. Paul Seaburn

Yesterday was the five-year anniversary of President Bush’s speech in front of the “Mission Accomplished” banner. Yeah, to celebrate, today, President Bush gave a speech in front of a banner that said “Economic Recession Over.” NBC latenight

Political Correctness Going Awry?

Tags

Politically correct, Sunday Editorial, tolerance

I’ve begun to ponder the issue of political correctness. Is it synonymous with tolerance? Is it a first cousin perhaps? Has it gone too far or not far enough? I have begun thinking about it, and as you know that can be dangerous.

A good deal of what we defend as political correctness is well correct no doubt. Most of us do well not to repeat a lot of stereotypes any more. It helps us, I hope, divorce our minds from such untruths, as we feel the repercussions of such ill-conceived statements that are meant to define whole groups of folks. Defining groups as having group characteristics is almost always wrong and faulty. There are just too many exceptions and finally you are left with the stereotype applying increasingly to a minority within the group.

I’m not talking about that of course. I’m talking about phrases that are termed “code.”  Code is a phrase that seems fairly innocuous in and of itself, but stands for the normal stereotyping that is no longer permitted in polite discourse. A couple of people have been accused of such recently as I recall. Joe Biden was called on the carpet for saying that Barack Obama was articulate and well educated. That is presumably code for “he isn’t like your normal black person, he’s more like us, and perhaps he is thus okay, maybe.”

Such was certainly not Biden’s intent at all. Of that I’m firmly convinced. He meant it in the same way that people said that about Adlai Stevenson back in the 50’s. He meant that he was a fine candidate. Not all candidates are well spoken and well educated as we most certainly now know. Some cannot speak without sliding their foot but to the other side of their mouth, so poorly do they speak in public.

We have been alerted that we cannot say anything like that about Mr. Obama. And that is a shame, for indeed Senator Obama is a very articulate and well-spoken human being who engenders hope in people, energizes their passions, and motivates us all. Bill Clinton had that same capability. To some degree it is undoubtedly a gift.

The reason I got to thinking about it again, is the reaction of the Jeremiah Wright remarks. Certainly some just don’t understand the Black Church. They do not understand how it has developed as the safe haven where black folks can and could vent their anger, frustration and pain and the unfairness of life in a white-controlled America. In part, there is legitimate dispute about some of the things Rev. Wright said. I’m not convinced as he is that the government has spread drugs throughout the black community in an attempt to destroy it.  To be fair, he backtracked a bit and said he felt the government was capable of such a thing, not that it necessarily had. I can agree, it might be capable, but I’m also quite sure in my own mind that it did not, thus there is no point to the statement.

Such a statement, by the way, is not new news in the black community. Such claims have existed for many years, and I’ve heard them spoken before. I can assure you that few blacks agree with Rev. Wright on this. Most of the other things he spoke to, I can pretty much agree with.

One that really sends me for a loop was his reference to the fact that the tragedy of 9/11 was in some part brought on by our foreign policy of the past several decades. This brought the usual firestorm. I believe that Bill Maher said something similar and got his head handed to him as well. You see, it is not politically correct to assign any blame for 9/11 to our country.

Now before you stomp off in disgust or start looking for the comment button to fire off a passionate objection, listen for a moment. Neither Wright, nor Maher meant that America was responsible for what happened. There is no defense for what happened. None at all. You do not attack “innocents” because you have a legitimate gripe with a countries foreign policy. What both Wright and Maher were saying, in my opinion, is that given our foreign policy of the last 50+ years, such a response, wrong as it is, was intellectually understandable.

Yet, the politically correct Nazis come out and no one has the guts to stand up and say, wait, there is something important that we need to both think about and discuss. It is simply true that Europe and now America has exploited and used many areas of the world peopled by millions of people for a very long time. We have treated Arabs and other Middle Easterners as if they were not quite as intelligent as us. We have done the same (and again I use We in the European/US sense) in India and the Far East. In America we have done so in Latin and South America. We have equated less-developed as less intelligent. We have used and abused whole nations for multiple generations. We have equated physical power with intellectual right.

Today, we in part see the fruits of such policies. Religion in some cases has been the focal point for joining vastly different regions of the world under a common banner of hating the West. Other nations have acquired through natural resources sufficient wealth to oppose us on their own. So I see Maher and Wright’s comments in that light, and don’t find them “out there” as many claim.

Political correctness also takes the form of requiring that all views, no matter how loathsome or well, silly, deserve an equal hearing. This is the extreme form of tolerance that many on the Right, I think, legitimately call the Left on. In religious terms, it’s called moral relativism. It’s the idea that, well I don’t agree with this, but I don’t have a right to tell you not to.

That is simply incorrect in my view. I have every right to say you’re opinion is simply wrong, stupid, idiotic, and the product of a brain that has never matured. (Well, perhaps, that’s a bit much.) But I do have a right, and an obligation to say, you are wrong, and here’s why. To simply, smile, and walk away so as not to offend, does no one any good. You have given up any chance to change any mind, enlighten anyone, or even point out flaws. That is not tolerance, that is capitulation. When you cower in political correctness, you give the wrong-headed both a head of steam and evidence that the wingnut opinion has validity.

Tolerance means that you have the opportunity to speak your mind. You don’t thereby get the right to equal time, equal forums or any of that. If you opinions are worthwhile, that will come naturally. I can allow that the KKK has the right to congregate on a street corner and spew their junk. I cannot allow that their candidate has a right to speak at a candidate’s forum where real issues and ideas are being debated. You can publish your rag of a newspaper at your own expense, but I don’t have to sell it at my store. Get what I mean?

I’ve been reading recently about our history with religion since the founding of the colonies. What I have learned is quite shocking. it seems that indeed, most of the original colonies were set up as Church/state bastions of faith. The Puritans were in the north, Anglicans were in the middle colonies. No one else was tolerated, period. Banishment, taxation for Churches, being charged with witchcraft, no right to vote, own property, or hold office was the common boat of Jews, Catholics, Quakers, and Baptists. As more came to our shores, that group enlarged to Lutherans, Unitarians, and a whole host of others.

In part our religion clause in the 1st Amendment was the result. So very shocked and dismayed did our “founding fathers” find this that they made sure that they and others like them could freely practice their faith. They saw all such Church/states as dismal failures. They felt that they did the best they could for religion by keeping the state separated from it. Much of this thought was engendered by the Continental Congress which had the most widely disparate group of Christian denominations probably ever assembled until that time. They realized something important, that ideas were not the enemy, repression was. Freedom of consciousness became the phrase of the day. They had faith, faith that in the arena of ideas, the bad ones would fall naturally away.

It just seems to me that we are at a dangerous place today. One where some ideas are deemed dangerous to speak, and thus politically incorrect. This, I would argue, is why we continue to fail to address the issues that have occurred historically that drive the violence we find ourselves embroiled in today.  On the other hand, ideas not deemed dangerous, but which are supercilious to all but a fringe are given equal footing with all other ideas in the marketplace, with little attempt to define them as such. This gives them a credence they do not deserve.

So, these are two difference things, political correctness, and tolerance, and we need to approach them differently. I know the difference, however inarticulately I am able to express them.  And I’m not afraid to tell you what I think. But hey, don’t be afraid of me. I still love Polish  and blond jokes. 🙂 But beware, I might bite your head off if you make another pantsuit joke! Are we clear?