I’m not especially proud of having reduced this election to smart versus stupid, but no rebuttal to my opinion leaves it standing. I’ll go ahead and complete the scenario of mortal sins by including myself among the smart ones. It follows, then, that stupid people are not reading my posts and that smart people are. Between now and November 4 my comments are intended only for smart people. Those who do not read and agree are stupid. (I’m beginning to understand how the world must look to W).
Stupid people, even those who are witnessing perhaps the greatest financial and economic crisis since the Great Depression, are not apparently being affected. For years I have raised the issues of selfishness, greed, and immoral consumerism, and the ultimate end result of such intent, but was only preaching to the choir. I see little hope for those who are experiencing this phenomenon first-hand and yet persist in supporting the McCain-Palin ticket.
Therefore, those of us who are smart enough to comprehend what’s going on and what caused it are going to have to be more single-minded than we ordinarily are. That the election of Barack Obama to the White House this November is the last best hope for this country we love is now painfully obvious, and from now until that victory we must forego trying to make smart the stupid among us. We can return to compassionate assimilation and education after the election is over, but right now we have to accept the reality that there are people out there so challenged in every way that they are willing to vote for a continuation of the last eight years.
It should not be that hard to encourage smart people to register and vote. We don’t need to tell them how to vote because they are smart. We simply need to make sure that smart people are registered and that they vote. We cannot have a genuine democracy by not allowing the stupid to vote; that is their right and I will defend it. There just have to be more smart people voting to offset the negative impact of stupidity in order to restore sanity and reason to our government. Vote Obama! It’s the smart thing to do.
Very interesting, Mark. I have resisted responding to your posts, because I think it is important to maintain harmony and peace when possible. I like you, Mark, and respect you as the good man, husband, and father that you are. However, I have to wonder what you are thinking when you assume that those who do not agree with you are stupid. I do not agree with you at all, Mark. I especially do not agree with you labeling an obviously accomplished, intelligent woman as a “talking vagina”. This is probably one of the most chauvinistic comments I have ever heard, yet. I know you to be far above that.
ReplyDeleteJust think, Mark, of how you would react to someone who called your wife, who is articulate as well as beautiful, a “talking vagina”, just because they don’t agree with her politics. Wouldn’t you wonder what they were thinking? Every time, one of your beautiful daughters has not agreed with you, do you call her, or even think of her as a “talking vagina”? I must say that I am shocked. I did not respond earlier, because I know of your illness and thought perhaps you were not feeling well - I did not want to aggravate the situation. However, I do not want anyone to think that my lack of comment is a sign of agreement with you, because that is not the case.
Have you ever noticed, Mark, that often those who have the loudest anti-war cries, are the ones who are most inflammatory in their remarks and even actions? To me, that is much more revealing of their character, and I am less likely to be influenced or persuaded by those type of people. So, I guess I should ask, Mark, are you looking for an argument about politics? I know you to be a minister, a good Christian man, and yet you are spewing such hatred and vileness with your words. This is so below what you know to be right. It is such a contrast to what I know about you.
I think you know that being an example of Christ is to be so in all areas – this would include politics. That means you can disagree with people without hating them, or thinking that they lack brain cells. If “peace” is what you seek, then be peaceful in all areas, including in your disagreements. I do not support Obama in anyway, shape, or form – and yet, I appreciate him as an intelligent, accomplished, articulate man. I just don’t agree with his policies…. However, in no way do I think of him as “stupid”, just because we have different views. Obviously, I also totally disagree with you about politics, but I do not consider you stupid just because of our differences.
I do know we CAN agree on the need for strong faith, strong families, and strong country. I think we just disagree as to how to go about getting there. I also know we agree that our Lord is our Savior – so even religiously we can agree. See, there’s lots to agree on, Mark. Please remember that a difference of opinion does not mean someone is stupid. I still like you, and your beautiful family, who reflect the good man that you are. If I were stupid, how would I recognize the qualities of goodness in you? No matter how the election turns out, I look forward to seeing you again. However, in the interest of peace and harmony, and to avoid WW III, we probably should avoid discussing politics. :-)
Tamara Jankoski Gaisford
Tamara,
ReplyDeleteFirst, I thank you for commenting. My attempts to incite comment, as you know, usually fail.
Second, you don’t qualify for my definition of “stupid” because you read my blog; the little jab at those who don’t agree with me was (I thought) simply a parody of fundamentalism.
Speaking of parody, I consider Sarah Palin’s absurd nomination for vice-president nothing less than neo-conservatism’s mockery of the democratic process. We both know the kind of mudslinging the Republicans would have mounted were she the Democratic nominee.
Finally, if my selection of words has offended you, I apologize (not for my choice, but for offending you). Perhaps others will choose to comment on whether or not it is actually the Republicans who have objectified and demeaned womanhood.
Since I was a small child I have been aware of strong women. Both my Grandmothers were single mothers for a significant time in their lives; one by death and the other by divorce. My Grand Aunt was one of the first female legislators in Utah. I have had the privilege to observe additional women, my own mother and many like her, who shaped the lives of young people as mothers, teachers, and mentors. Most of my teachers in school and at church were women. I have lived long enough to see the fruits of their labors, in the lives of their children and students.
ReplyDeleteAs the next generation has matured and taken over the roles of teacher and leaders, I have observed individuals and families committed to serving others, respecting others, and investing their time and energy in the lives of others. They do this as unpaid volunteers without thought of compensation, except for the satisfaction in making a difference in the lives of others. These people are also generous with their means, believing that charity is a responsibility not to be left to government.
I was also blessed to be surrounded by strong men. One of the interesting characteristics of these men was their high regard for women. I don’t remember disparaging remarks or jokes belittling women. I do remember the example set forth by these men and husbands, and their respect for women. Interestingly, most of the people I grew up with were Republicans. I had the privilege of voting for Margaret Hance, the first woman Mayor of Phoenix. I did not vote for her because she was female… I voted for her because of her policies.
As a side note, regarding examples of men respecting women, I never saw my mother mop a floor. My Father had decided early in their marriage that he would do that task. One day in my youth, when asked by my Mother to perform a certain task, I made a casual remark “that’s women’s work”. Unbeknownst to me, my Dad was standing right behind me. He told me in a firm tone that “She is your Mom. Not your maid”. That set me straight.
My point is that regardless of anyone’s political belief, ALL people deserve respect. Those that speak disparaging remarks reflect their own inner being far more than they describe the person they are speaking of. Regardless of political or any other opinions, Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton, and other intelligent, accomplished women deserve common courtesy and politeness. It is possible to disagree without demeaning ourselves by our own words.
Just so you will understand, Tamara was not offended personally by your words at all. However, she does hold you in high regard and was surprised that you would make that kind of comment about any woman.
So I probably shouldn’t jump into the fray, but at this point I feel like I must. And as long as Senator McCain is able to reframe “fundamentals of our economy are strong” as meaning the ingenuity of the American workforce, I’m going to do my own reframe on the phrase “talking vagina.”
ReplyDeleteAfter Senator Obama won the primary and selected Senator Biden as his running mate, there was a void left by Senator Clinton’s presence in the election. Middle-aged to older white women who despearately wanted to see a woman in the White House had lost that opportunity. Therefore the McCain campaign seized the opportunity to pull in a Vice Presidential candidate who would draw in this demographic. This candidate didn’t have to be the most educated, the most experienced, or the most all-around well qualified. This role simply needed to be filled by a “talking vagina.” The McCain campaign thought women were so stupid, they would vote for one of their own regardless of her history or policies.
Because I choose to believe that Governor Palin has some level of self-awareness, she must know that she is not entirely ready to be second in command of the United States. Even the campaign that selected her shows their doubt in her abilities by refusing to let her do any live interviews with national media – a task that ANY MALE CANDIDATE would be expected to perform. Therefore, based on simple logic, Governor Palin willingly accepted the role of “talking vagina” - a role which the McCain campaign misogynistic-ly created when they decided to fill one of our most important national offices based on the criteria of a uterus, and maybe a little bit of a political history.
I hope that in my future, many opportunities are made available to me because of the person that I am, the education I have received, the experience I will gain, and the quality of my character. If I ever become aware that I am offered an opportunity simply because of my sex (or even worse, my religion, but that’s another topic for another time), I hope that I have the dignity to refuse. I won’t be a “talking vagina” – or a puppet for any organization that has no faith in my abilities, only my ovaries. If I do accept that role, I think that name is the least of what I deserve for setting back the entire feminist movement.
If I had any doubt that Dad would refer to someone as a “talking penis,” I might be offended. But I have no doubt that he would if he hasn’t already. And I am a big proponent of equality.
Finally, I have a simple request: maybe you should direct some of your righteous anger about disrespect to women to the politician who made this joke on national television:
“Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno.”
Think about HIM saying THAT about YOUR DAUGHTER while you're filling in that bubble next to his name at the polls.
Methinks there's been a talking penis in the White House for eight years now :-)
ReplyDelete