Month: January 2011
Toxic Society: It’s What We All Put in the Pot
Posted on January 23, 2011 in Abuse Civic Responsibility Compassion Terminology
With Utah Senator Bob Lee’s declaration that if we stop the violent rhetoric “the shooter wins” — for starters — I realize that National No-Name-Calling Week is going to be tough for me. But I do see value in holding my temper and refraining from short-cutting reasonable arguments against — there, I almost did it. I stopped myself. Let’s just say that Bob Lee is wrong in the extreme and doing little more than trying to find an excuse for continuing to be a — damn. I told you this wasn’t going to be easy.
These are terrible times. We confound the right of being able to say what we want — even that which is rude — and draw from that the confused notion that being offensive and divisive is an obligation. So we jump to the worst before we rise to the best — if we ever bother to rise at all. This week, I am going to try to mark a better course. If Lee persists in defending violent rhetoric, I will point out the act without adding an epithet. We have enough bullying going around (and Lee’s statement is as bad a defense of bullying as I have ever seen), so for one week, let’s try to find the better place of considered discussion. This week, let us refute and rebut the logic without resorting to the shorthand of abusing the messenger. Democracy is not for the lazy: we must work to gain agreement and consensus.
People not to think about this week: Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, John Boehner, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, Bob Lee.
It is what we all put in the pot that makes for a toxic social atmosphere.
I promise you this: I shall do my best to argue the issues not diss the person. If I fail, I shall pick myself up pronto and set myself to the spirit once more. Wish me luck.
Ignore Sarah Palin Week Is Coming!
Posted on January 20, 2011 in Scoundrels
You’ve grown sick to your stomach watching her whine. She’s the Voice of the Tea Party, the lady who put gun-sights on Gabrielle Giffords and other Democrats she didn’t like. She’s a glamor girl set to become the President. She’s nauseating and she’s hungry for attention.
Don’t give it to her.
From February 28 to March 4, 2011, this blog will not mention Sarah Palin. No matter what she does, no matter what incidents her hatred engender, her name will not appear in any blogs posted during this time.
You can:
- Change the channel if she comes on TV
- Surf to another page if she pops up on the web
- Turn to another article if she appears in a newspaper, magazine, comic book, etc….
- If a friend mentions “Sarah Palin,” reply as if he or she said, “Para Sailing.” And keep doing it. Para sailing is way cooler.
- For your dose of gossip, consider switching to someone far less annoying. Like Snooki.
- Visit “Telling Sarah Palin She’s Full of Crap” on Facebook, and join 100,000 other people who will be talking about everything else BUT Palin.
- Refer to her as “she who shall remain nameless” for the duration of the week
- Have other conversation topics ready to go
Give this boy my dog
Posted on January 17, 2011 in Dogs Encounters Hikes and Trails
I know they would have got on famously.
The Beauty of Wikipedia
Posted on January 17, 2011 in Folly Watch InterNet Debates
Check your facts. We have Wikipedia for a reason.
Do I Engage in Violent Rhetoric?
Posted on January 16, 2011 in Accountability Terrorism Violence
So here is your challenge: catch me doing it.
The Extreme Right’s Plan After Tucson
Posted on January 14, 2011 in Accountability Civic Responsibility Insurance Stigma Terrorism Violence
The plan is no plan. Just run on automatic knee-jerk
Diagnosing Jared Lee Loughner for Political Gain
Posted on January 10, 2011 in Accountability Campaign 2010 Civic Responsibility Hatred Stigma Violence
Lightning probably did not strike in Arizona, but hatred did.
Executing Christiana Green
Posted on January 10, 2011 in Hatred Liberty Propaganda
What Tina King has said about Christina Taylor Green reeks worse than the bio-waste of any abortion
Listen to Keith Olbermann
Posted on January 9, 2011 in Terrorism Violence
Listen to Keith Olbermann tell it like it is about violence and violent rhetoric in America.
Laughner and His Cloud of Unknowing
Posted on January 8, 2011 in Accountability Civic Responsibility Propaganda Scoundrels Terrorism Violence
Laughner may be as crazy as a fox.
The Death Squads Arrive
Posted on January 8, 2011 in Accountability Civic Responsibility Hatred Scoundrels Terrorism Violence
Progressives, it is time to rise like you have never risen before.
Cheap Love
Posted on January 4, 2011 in Agnosticism Morals & Ethics
As an agnostic, I can allow myself to trolley back and forth between atheist and religious thinkers. I’ve been reading a biography of [amazonify]1595551387::text::::Dietrich Bonhoeffer[/amazonify], paying special attention to the notion of “cheap” versus “costly” grace.
Just as in the years before Hitler’s rise, we see a lot of cheap grace in our Christian community. All you have to do is say “Jesus has saved me” and you can go on being the same person you always were. You can continue to be selfish; vote for right-wing candidates; hate women and minorities of all stripes; and generally live a life against the principles of Christ because God loves everyone and it doesn’t matter what you do. You bought a Bible, said you were saved, and so you are.
Costly grace is based on the Epistle of James where it is said that it is your works that count the most. You won’t worship the rich as the epitomes of Christian life in the world, you won’t turn your back on the poor and the sick, you won’t twist the words of and declaim against those attempting to build a compassionate society. Costly grace entails sacrifices including being less than wealthy, being seen as unheroic by a society obsessed with violence, and working in your spare time to help others.
I think a fine example of cheap grace is the line “I don’t like what {group x} does, but I still love them.” Yes, just sit back in your easy chair and insist on your love. It’s easy to come by: you just say that it is so. But how many people in America “love” the poor and then vote for politicians who raise taxes on the underclass and solve their health problems by incarcerating them? How many people say that because of their Bible they can’t allow homosexuals to marry, but they still “love” them?
The Bible tells us to do many things, but Biblidolators love to overlook the stuff that it downright vile and barbaric when it comes to their own lives and impose the worst on others. How many of them apply the repeated Biblical mandates against greed to their own lives? I think one of the functions of the űber-rich for middle class Americans is to give themselves the feeling that they are poor — even though by the standards of most of the rest of the world they are wallowing in specie. “Blessed are us,” they say and “blessed are those who allow a little to trickle down to us.” The rich are, to us, idols.
But cheap grace and the cheap love that comes from it allows them to say “I’m on my path, so I can be forgiven for what I do. I’ll get into heaven without any effort on the greed front.” So they go on despising the poor, Muslims, homosexuals, women confident that no matter how egregious and unChristian the spirit of their actions, they can just call it love and be forgiven.
God help them if there is a God. God help the rest of us whether or not there is one.
