Our American churches may condemn us, but they don't murder us outright.
Let's not, however, take much pride in this one higher rung on the ladder of civilized behavior. If the extreme homophobes in our churches thought they could get away with murdering us, as do the Islamic extremists who, according to the report, in the course of just this year, have murdered at least 130 gay men in Iraq, they would do the exact same thing. Here, we have police protection and legal recourse against homophobic religious extremists. Without it, we would probably have been tortured and murdered as were these men. It's a chilling thought.
"Perge modo et qua te ducit via dirige gressum," said Venus to Aeneas.
12 comments:
I agree with you 100% I haven't felt so vulnerable for decades. Fatal shootings are now taking place in churches and ministers are advocating the death of the President--as they hate us openly, surely their followers know what their ministers would have them do.
I see the veneer of civilization and rule of law thinning out like the ozone layer.
Will,
My husband agrees with you 100%. Earlier today he said that he felt that we were on the edge of something big happening. Something that would significantly alter the world.He fears that assassination of the president would bring about a chain of terrible events worldwide. I who usually tend to greater optimism had to agree, and whenever Obama makes a public appearance like the one he did in Minneapolis recently, I am afraid to watch it live for what I may see. I think our country is going to "play out its hand" in a disastrous way but that we will, in the long run, survive ourselves.
You two are echoing my stepdad's comments to me recently. He is a political columnist still, after 47 years as a newspaper editor. He doesn't scare easily, but he anticipates chaos if something doesn't change soon.
We were talking about the television political commentators that are recklessly stirring up emotions on both sides of the fence. These news analysts don't just comment, they ramp up the anger and fear exponentially. O'Reilly, Beck, Limbaugh, Olbermann, and Maddow, et al, are to varying degrees polarizing the populace. Yes, some of what they say is true; and some are guiltier than others in their vitriol. The manner in which information is presented is divisive and polarizing, and it shows no sign of slowing. We all have reason to fear.
Reporters and editors need to just start telling the truth and calling out the liars and haters as such. The last year or so has been a remarkable time. I used to respect the Washington Post- now it is trash that publishes puff pieces praising the National Organization for Marriage.
Very difficult times for our country and the world. Decorum is dead, and the people sitting wake are throwing food at one another, while screaming obscenities. I fear an outbreak of violence in the name of cultural cleansing. Birdie has made an excellent point concerning the talking heads on television. Vitriolic pontificating on both sides of the aisle leave little room for compromise or empathy. When things become starkly black and white, it is much easier for people to rationalize violence and murder against those who hold opposing viewpoints.
Gee, and here the thought was that Obama was going to better represent all of us. I do not foresee danger to his person at all. I also do not envision Obama doing anything for us and am not surprised countless others different from me feel the same way with regards to their own issues. If he is not a corporate puppet then we should drop the term altogether. A manufactured PROP. If there is any feelings of anguish, it is toward a government chipping away at our rights and our concerns should not be concentrating on a figurehead that is allowing it to continue. There is no empathy on my part for political elitists who happen to be charismatic speakers. Nothing is going well because the average citizen is paying for corruption to continue and the money for it is essentially being robbed from their pocketbooks. Don't tell me you cannot get a damn healthcare plan approved that accomodates the uninsured in less that a thousand pages of loopholes and legal muck and shit. Put it to a vote and move on already. There is nothing wrong with disagreements. These scream matches are vital to individual freedom. People are only waking up and beginning to change the fact that those elected to represent us are not representing us. And as Martha Stewart always said "that's a good thing." yes indeedy. No offense but this particular thread is full of unnecessary anticipated doomsday scenarios.
I was just thinking about this in the elevator this morning. We have a small TV screen that flashes news tidbits on the ride up and down. One item was Kayne's comment at the MTV Video awards last night re Beyonce.
And I thought, "have civility and discretion disappeared from public discourse such that two outbursts in the space of a week have become the norm?"
It almost makes me wonder if I'm on the right planet.
No offense Ewe, but the worst atrocities committed throughout history have all started with this same sort of vitriol and intolerance. It is the dehumanization of people whose values or beliefs are in opposition, which allows their foes to make the leap from talk to violence. Slaughtering someone you come to view as less than human, is seen as justifiable. All one has to do is look at the previous century to see undeniable historical evidence of this phenomenon.
Tater: I happen to value enforcing the law that differentiates between vile speech and violence. I see the blurring of it and that is what concerns me. I think we need to step outside of fear. People do not feel heard. That is what is disrespectful.
ewe, I stand with Tater on this. language has historically been used to demonize those who were to be marked for slaughter or marginalization. Language was used by the last administration as a bludgeon,l and is being used by the religious Right to identify their targets--like the abortion doctor gunned down in his church or those of us who are gay and lesbian.
The constant barrage of speech used against the president led, I am convinced, to the incident of Mr. Wilson shouting out during the president's address the other night in total violation of the protocol of the House and Senate. They've insulted and belittled him so long that Wilson must simply have felt there was no barrier or respect and courtesy left.
One reason courtesy and respect don't exist is because they have been identified with manners which have been shouted down as "elitist"--a word used as a weapon.
If people aren't being heard, perhaps it's because of the constant roar of trash talk that now exists everywhere, that has eroded our ability to communicate in a civil and productive manner.
Will: i agree with you. The only problem is that someone out there is saying the exact same sentiment as you are but with an opposite opinion. If you take away the rights you deem appropriate to deny someone, you better start with yourself first. I am not concerned with vitriolic speech until it manifests itself as violent behavior. We cannot place all these people in the same category as a murderer of an abortion doctor and then talk about manners in the same breath. That is just as fanatic as me saying i equate all gay men with Jeffrey Dalmer. I refuse to be intimidated by loud stupidity and that includes democrats who think their guy is untouchable. Our president lied to our faces. What makes you think it is not a chronic behavioral trait? That is a valid question. There is not one darn thing wrong with what Wilson said. We screamed the same thing about Bush and were irate that few representatives spoke on our behalf. It is also hysterical for anyone to equate the entire religious right as marking people for slaughter because they paint Hitler moustaches on Obama for example. I remember much more than one same image plastered on posters of NY Mayor Rudy "Adolph" Giuliani. Not a peep out of the self appointed intellectual rant i am supposed to believe is the voice for my benefit. Good for the goose, good for the gander. Shaming people into silence for expressing their feelings is ineffective. Pumping fear by predicting physical attack of life and limb is the reason you may be feeling vulnerable. You are essentially dictating what is appropriate behavior and I am shocked. This entire debacle is because of a manipulative insurance industry, not frustrated people you think of as Trash. oy. I am exhausted. I hope i don't sound like i am attacking you but i am sick to death of hearing everyone blaming the powerless. They are misguided not evil.
ewe, one thing you need to learn about me fast is that I don't consider ANYBODY trash. I don't think of them as trash and I don't treat anybody as trash. As long as you think that of me, you will be way of base assuming anything else about me.
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