It seems as though it goes from democracy to tyranny of the majority to fascism, in two easy steps. I'm not sure how you draw the line between those stages, but it's probably an irrelevant question. We are still somewhere in the middle, but even the teetering is frightening.
The KKK parallel is an apt one. In both cases you have a comfortable majority being led to believe that their comfort is under dire threat, on the basis of spurious evidence. Whether the leadership of that majority believes the evidence, or is simply making use of it, I haven't figured out yet. Well, actually, I lean towards the latter explanation, at least recently. Our government's attitude of faith-above-mere-evidence, and apparent ease with dishonesty, fits much better with cynical manipulation than pure-minded zealotry.
Jim,
There are so many other people arguing far more eloquently than I about the abortion debate; here's a link to a very good one, in my opinion. I swiped the link from Rivka's blog, Respectful of Otters.
If that doesn't convince you, may I ask why? Primarily for my own education; if there are holes in the argument, please show me.
Jim:
I'm honestly baffled by your statement. You say you dislike Bush, that you're "disgusted" by him. Yet one issue--the possibility of ending foetal life--is so important that you'd be willing to vote for him?
How did this issue become so important? I really can't grasp it. What's your goal? And by you, if you feel qualified to speak for the broader anti-abortion movement, go crazy. Do you want to reduce the numbers of abortions occurring in the US? If you do, there's some good hard numerical evidence that I'll be happy to dig up if you like, that outlawing it is a rather counterproductive way to behave. Higher levels of education, economic status, and access to reproductive health care for women are all far more effective.
Why is the (undefined, but a point I will stipulate for the sake of discussion) life of a foetus more important than the life of an adult human? How many abortions have been performed in the US in the last year, as opposed to civilians murdered in Iraq? What about early, protracted, painful, and economically draining deaths due to cancer, clearly linked to industrial and nuclear runoff?
Buried in my complete and utter disagreement with your position is an actual question, and one that's open to anyone who'd like to educate me. How on earth did the issue of abortion become so polarizing that it can make quite-possibly-otherwise-moral humans sign on to the contemptible vileness that is our current president?
short reply, gotta dash:
Xopher, good point. The psych system for helping TG people is screwed anyway.
Roz, your post rocked.
Xopher, I hate to pick nits--and I agree with you in most of your postings on this subject--but I'm not sure it's fair to criticize calling TG or TS issues a "psychological disorder". I don't think it is, but from what I've read or discussed with TG friends, it's more or less required that TG people *call* themselves "psychologically disordered" to begin receiving hormones, name change, or eventually surgery. It's a contentious issue; some activists are very against that, for reasons I can agree with, and some are very protective of that DSM-IV status. It's not an issue I for one feel real qualified to have an opinion on, but it's not quite raving transphobia to refer to it the way Jim did. "Lacking in compassion" might cover it better.
Catherine--
It's Roz, not Rob; I hope that slip was accidental.
I think I'm confused about your point. As I understand it, Church doctrine more or less prohibits gays and transsexuals who haven't "seen the error of their ways"--i.e. people who love themselves because of who they are, rather than despite it, from receiving communion; I don't know the details of their policy on excommunication. You say that GLBT folk aren't excommunicated for who they are, but if instead they're excommunicated for being who they are and liking it, the distinction is a little too fine for me. I've heard too much of the "we'll still love you as long as we never have to think about your 'lifestyle' and you don't flaunt it in our face" rhetoric in my life, thanks.
Patrick, this didn't fit in with my other post at all, so I'll stick it over here. It has nothing, zippo, nada, zilch, precisely zero to do with Electrolite. It's sheer fannish sucking-up, with extra cherries on top.
So I checked out Starlight 2 from the library yesterday. Short story anthologies are my favorite form of literature anyway, but that one...glowed. Best word I can find for it. Incredible.
Made *my* week, I tell you what. Thanks.
Teresa:
Good lord, I'm sorry that happened. I know single voices can't counteract the statistical nastiness. But I'd still like to share something...maybe it'll help, maybe it won't.
My last year in college, I went on a spring break retreat sponsored by our Chaplain's office, to spend a week in Washington State meditating on religion, spirituality, and what we wanted to do with our lives. Sixteen students, two chaplains, and the people who ran the retreat center. I think the religions represented were mostly Christian, two Jewish students, two atheists, a UU-Christian, and me as a pagan.
I've always known that my spirituality is more or less identical to what I do with my life, the ways I live my life, and the things I'm working toward. What was amazing was to hear so many other people say the same things. It's so obvious, and yet so completely fails to occur to so many people--if you believe that strongly, it's not just a "part" of your life, it is inseparable from your life. It was incredibly beautiful, faith-affirming, wonderful, to interact with fifteen other students who felt the same way.
The chaplain from my school is who keeps coming to mind when people decry so idiotically that there are no true Christians on the left--or no place for Christians *in* the left. She's an incredible woman; was a fire-and-brimstone Southern Baptist in her youth, and through some (mostly unexplained) life experiences has become a still-passionate, but also compassionate, loving, open-hearted liberal campaigner. That woman is an inspiration to anyone who takes the time to get to know her.
Anyone who wants what I want, has a place at the table. Anyone who fights the same fights I fight, has a place at the table. I don't care if your passion comes from spirituality or from some inspirational speech by Harry Houdini. If it's there, it's there, and we are working out of the same book, and towards the same goal, and I have more in common with some passionate Christians I have met in my life than with half of the "liberal" students I went to college with.
Sylvia, I think you're very right about some of the averse reactions to blatant religiosity--and I also had a thought after reading Kevin's original post. He commented that it's rude to mock unless you're a member of the group, but I don't think mainstream Christianity is so foreign to most of us (and by "us", I should clarify, I mean some value of stereotypical white vaguely middlish-class American whose parents loosely attended a Christianish church, not "liberals") that we would treat it as most would, say, Taoism or Shintoism or something "exotic" like that.
Speaking for myself; I wouldn't mock anyone of a "different" religion...but I feel like I know enough about, oh, different varieties of paganism to give my roommates crap about artsy-fartsy New-Ageyness. Likewise with Christianity; it's not foreign. Which means it doesn't get any instinctive politeness.
Also, speaking as a vaguely stereotypical white vaguely middle-classish liberal, I think some of my reflexive yarking at Christianity is because I'm still trying to distance myself from the Christianishness of my youth. It wasn't traumatic or scarring and I'm not violently opposed, or even bitter & angry; but I do feel uncomfortable with strongly Christian settings. I wonder if there aren't more people like that than Pentecostals in revolt.
I suppose I could edit this for readability and post it over at PA, but the comments section at that site is icky. Thanks, everyone at Light Enterprises, for maintaining a fantastic comments section :).
| Year | Number of comments posted |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 10 |
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