Tag Archives: politics

Out of Left Field or Out of Touch With Reality?

33 Replies

I’m less enthused about Jesse Jackson’s public support of Terri Schiavo than Jerry is. The reverend is, in my opinion, a media whore and skipper of the "rent a mob" crew and Al Sharpton is his first mate. Want to present a lot of angry faces and voices for the cameras? Need someone to yell "Oppression!" with you? Is your bombast not bombastic enough? If you’re not concerned about nitty-gritty details like respectability, credibility, and sincerity, they’re your men. If I found out either of those clowns supported a cause dear to me, I’d ask God to grant them the good sense to keep their mouths shut, at least when reporters are present.

Right Out of Left Field

4 Replies

Some folks have wondered what the Terri Schiavo case will mean for the conservative
cause, including Ales Rarus regular, DLW
(see March 28, 2005); perhaps we should pay a little more attention to leftists
like the Rev.
Jesse Jackson and Nat
Hentoff before labeling Terri’s cause a right-wing one. Or even those disability
activists that get mentioned from time to time, but have largely been ignored in
media coverage. (Maybe they don’t fit in with this left-versus-right template that
the media chose?)

Broadening Horizons

26 Replies

Due to my connection to the Blogdom of God and other similar groups, I have access to more conservative blogs than I care to read. There seems to be a high degree of correlation in the orthodox Christian sector of the blogosphere to political conservatism and support for the Republican party in particular. That’s not my bag. That’s not to say I’m hard-core Democrat, either. Call me a Casey Democrat if you must label me. I prefer to call myself "extreme center", or as my new quip says, "stuck in the middle with you" (i.e. most ordinary Americans).

Can any of my readers recommend some good moderate or liberal Christian blogs? I’m part of Unright Christians, but what I’ve encountered thus far seems to be liberal across the board. That’s just as undesirable to me as uniform conservatism. I’m looking for blogs that support traditional, orthodox (heck, call it conservative if you wish) Christianity and moderate or liberal politics (within reason). Think along the lines of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Vincent de Paul, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, or Dorothy Day.

Politicizing Terri

5 Replies

“And those of us who read liberal blogs also know that this grandstanding by
the congress is a purely political move designed to appease the religious right
and that the legal maneuverings being employed would be anathema to any true small
government conservative.” – Hullabaloo

Since when does someone have to be a conservative Republican to look out for the
underdog? I’m getting really sick of the Left accusing the Right of grandstanding
and manipulating people by supporting pro-life causes. Heaven forbid they accept
the idea that SOME PEOPLE ACTUALLY GIVE A RAT’S BEHIND ABOUT RESPECTING THE SANCTITY
OF LIFE FROM CONCEPTION TO NATURAL DEATH!. Are some Republicans using Terri’s
condition, the fight over abortion, and the stem cell debate to get votes? Probably.
Are they all? There are probably as many of them doing that as there are Democrats
spinning gay rights and environmental issues into votes. When are Americans going
to wake up and realize both sides are corrupt and self-serving?

Anyhow, I am not a conservative. Most of my good buddies are not conservatives.
Stop labeling us as such on account of life issues! While you’re at it, stop accusing
all Republicans of being evil soul-sucking wet blankets who only care about money
and power. Sometimes watching the news and reading blogs is like watching immature kids fighting at recess. “You’re a booger head!”, says the Lefty to the Righty. “You smell like poo!”, responds the Righty to the Lefty.

Then again, abusus non tollit usus. Sometimes criticism is deserved:

“By now most people who read liberal blogs are
aware that George W. Bush signed a law in Texas that expressly gave hospitals
the right to remove life support if the patient could not pay and there was no hope
of revival, regardless of the patient’s family’s wishes. It is called the Texas
Futile Care Law. Under this law, a baby was removed from life support against
his mother’s wishes in Texas just this week. A 68 year old man was given a temporary
reprieve by the Texas courts just yesterday. ”

After this Schiavo business calms down, Dubya ought to be taken to task for his hypocrisy. However, just because Bush was wrong to sign that law in Texas doesn’t make a cruel death for Terri Schiavo right, either.

Two wrongs don’t make a right. Three lefts do. And three lefts make a right. Keep that in mind the next time you hear extremists from both sides calling each other names.