Jeffrey Quick=20
Liberty =
has faced=20
dark times before. In 1940, during the Battle of Britain, the =
witches of=20
England gathered, as they had for Bonaparte and for the Armada, =
and=20
worked their spell, chanting "Can't cross the sea! Not able to =
come!"=20
After that, the weather got bad for flying. Goering got stupid =
and=20
rerouted the Luftwaffe from RAF bases (which they were close to =
knocking=20
out ) to civilian targets, the German Naval Staff got cold feet, =
and=20
Hitler decided to pick on his fellow mass-murderer Stalin =
instead.=20
Coincidence?
In 1787 =
as the=20
Constitutional Convention bogged down, Benjamin Franklin =
suggested that=20
each session should open with a prayer, as had the Continental =
Congress.=20
Hamilton said that the Convention was not in need of foreign =
aid;=20
Williamson observed that there were no funds to pay a clergyman. =
Only 4=20
of 55 delegates showed any interest, and the proposal was never =
acted=20
on. We see now just how badly that Constitution has protected =
our=20
liberties. Coincidence?
In 1918, =
the English=20
magician Aleister Crowley had his students meditate on the =
number 11.=20
The Armistice was signed on November 11 at 11 AM.=20
Coincidence?
All =
creation begins=20
with thought, and thought in itself is creative. One can believe =
in the=20
power of prayer, meditation, magick or whatever you wish to call =
it,=20
without believing in a Higher Power, though many of us do. To =
ignore the=20
spiritual dimension of the battle for liberty is to fight with =
one hand=20
tied behind one's back. "For we wrestle not against flesh and =
blood, but=20
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of =
the=20
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high =
places."=20
(Ephesians 6:12) It follows logically of course that to =
only=20
focus on the spiritual dimension is also to fight with one hand =
(and=20
both feet) tied behind one's back. But it is possible for =
everyone to=20
set aside a regular time for prayer, without taking energy from =
mundane=20
activism.
What to =
create with=20
our thoughts and how to create it is a complex question. Those =
of us who=20
accept the Non-Aggression Principle (and I hope all =
readers here=20
do), will apply that to our prayer life, seeking as little harm =
to=20
others as possible; visualizing colorful and fitting ways for =
our=20
enemies to be smitten does not help us. Our work will be based =
on what=20
we believe is possible; some of us think that it's too late to =
work=20
within the system, that catastrophe is inevitable, and will pray =
for a=20
soft landing. We should not specify the mechanism by which our =
prayers=20
should be answered; the universe has possibilities beyond our =
imagining,=20
and why should we limit it?
There =
are people who=20
focus on praying for peace. Often their God is the guy who said, =
"I came=20
not to send peace, but a sword."(Matthew 10:34) To pray for =
peace=20
without freedom is to pray for exactly what the enemies of =
freedom want.=20
As the neo-pagans say,"Be careful what you ask for; you might =
get=20
it."
The best =
reason for=20
a regular spiritual practice is to preserve your own sanity. =
When the=20
cause appears hopeless, prayer affirms hope, either in the power =
of your=20
own mind or in the power of God. Most religions believe that God =
wants=20
us to live like God. And God, by definition, is not a =
slave.
[top]=20
[bac=
k=20
to archives main page] [home]=
Originally posted from =
07-24-02 to=20
08-01-02
A Modest Proposal =
for Slave=20
Reparations
by Jeffrey Quick
OK, =
accept that=20
we're going to have some form of reparations for the descendents =
of=20
slaves. Not because their cause is just, but because American =
thinking=20
has been thoroughly collectivized through the press and public =
schools,=20
and because most Americans can't tell the difference between =
paying off=20
living Japanese-Americans who survived government internment =
camps and=20
paying off the multi-great-grandchildren of privately-owned =
slaves with=20
the incomes of the multi-great-grandchildren of people who were =
nowhere=20
near the scene of the crime. So how do we have reparations in a =
way that=20
avoids race war and maximizes justice for all =
concerned?
Black =
slaves were=20
unjustly bought and sold by African slavers, unjustly and =
cruelly=20
transported to this country, and unjustly deprived of the fruits =
of=20
their labor. Any reparations program should deal with all of =
these=20
injustices.
The last =
is the easy=20
part, the part most reparations activists are fixated on. "Give =
us 40=20
acres and a mule, or their cash equivalent". That was an =
emergency=20
measure by General Sherman, and not an official government =
promise. But=20
it's a talking point. They want 42 grand each; I have no problem =
with=20
this, or even more, as long as all the injustices are=20
corrected.
One of =
those was=20
bringing them to America to begin with, ripping them away from =
their=20
culture. To make them whole requires returning them to Africa. =
One of=20
the conditions of accepting any reparations settlement must be =
to=20
renounce US citizenship for yourself and for any minor children, =
and to=20
leave for Africa within 90 days of the check being cashed. Any =
children=20
born in Africa would be eligible to immigrate under whatever =
limits=20
currently apply, but former US citizens would be permanently=20
excluded.
The =
advantages to=20
both America and Africa would be many. We'd be rid of a bunch of =
whiners=20
who think that the world owes them something, while retaining =
black=20
Americans who want to contribute to their country. The skills =
and=20
capital of the =E9migr=E9s might go far to improve the economies =
of the host=20
countries. $42,000 is 191 times the annual per capita gross =
national=20
income of Burkina Faso. Even the average gangsta drop-out has =
more=20
schooling than the typical African, and often has experience =
retailing=20
agricultural commodities, and in free-market contract =
enforcement. The=20
=E9migr=E9s might even foster democratic institutions, though =
that's a more=20
questionable assumption; the difference between Jesse Jackson =
and Robert=20
Mugabe is largely one of opportunity. The development of Africa =
would=20
help foster world peace, and give us a reason to quit shipping =
foreign=20
aid over there.
This =
leaves us the=20
problem of how to pay for it, without creating a parallel =
injustice to=20
those not responsible for slavery. Lo, the solution of the first =
injustice solves this problem. Since there is no right to sell =
human=20
beings, the Africans who sold their brothers into slavery took =
the white=20
man's money under false pretenses, and owe us reparations for =
having=20
cheated us. The coastal sub-Saharan countries from which most =
slaves=20
were sent have many natural resources, and could be occupied and =
looted=20
for several years, long enough to cover the slave reparations as =
well as=20
reparations for tragedies subsequent to slavery (such as both =
sides'=20
expenses in the War for Southern Independence, costs of race =
riots,=20
etc.) It might be argued that the current inhabitants of those =
countries=20
had nothing to do with the slave trade, but then, neither did =
the=20
current US government. And it's our right, as a wronged race, to =
collect=20
what we are owed. Isn't it?
[top]=20
[bac=
k=20
to archives main page] [home]=
Originally posted from =
07-17-02 to=20
07-24-02
Pretending Not to=20
Notice
by=20
Louis J. =
Goldberg
The =
debate over=20
racism cannot be put to bed because the debate is inherently =
dishonest.=20
Economics are at the heart of the racism issue, but not in the =
way one=20
would think. We are told that racism causes poverty, yet it =
would seem,=20
from a greater perspective, that the opposite is the case. =
Racism tends=20
to be inflicted on those minorities who are in poverty and =
spared from=20
those who are not. Case in point being Asians, who, in general, =
arrive=20
in this country ready to apply themselves to get ahead as fast =
as they=20
can. Their perspective is entirely different from native =
minorities.=20
Escaping the bonds of affliction in the present tense gives one =
a=20
tenacity for freedom when they get a shot at it, while those who =
have=20
freedom from birth don't have the first idea what it can do, or =
has done=20
for them.
The =
predominant=20
liberal academic culture plays on the collective shame and guilt =
of the=20
nation's mostly white Christian population. We don't like to be=20
perceived as being on the wrong side of social issues. Such an =
image=20
presumably leads to lack of acceptance by conscientious peers, =
which=20
thereby may limit career and social progression. The power of =
shame and=20
guilt is such that it masks truth, preventing it from reaching =
open=20
debate. Matters of truth are discounted out of hand, and the lie =
becomes=20
policy.
Shame =
and guilt mask=20
the truth behind so-called hate-crimes. When was the last time =
someone=20
killed or assaulted someone they truly liked? All violent crimes =
are=20
hate-based because they reflect a basic disdain for civility and =
order.=20
In remembering an assault, which took place a few years ago, of =
a white=20
couple and their son in front of a downtown restaurant, it was =
not=20
billed as a hate crime, because in that case the law functioned =
as it=20
ought to have. The perpetrators were brought to justice, which =
is the=20
best result anyone could have expected. During that same month, =
there=20
were other cases of violence, of the white-on-black variety, and =
they=20
were immediately billed as a hate-crime. The media and judicial =
circus=20
then kicked in, thereby ensuring that fair and impartial justice =
would=20
not be served.
Shame =
and guilt=20
cover up the reason that whites, in general [and Jesse Jackson, =
in=20
particular,] fear black male youths walking down the street. =
There is a=20
greater percentage of blacks in the prisons than whites [in =
relation to=20
total population by race] because more blacks turn to crime to =
solve=20
their problems, not because the police pick on them unfairly. =
Racial=20
profiling stems from real police experience, not bigotry. A =
police=20
officer would be incompetent if he did not apply previous =
experience to=20
his police work.
Shame =
and guilt=20
prevent us from confronting race-card dealers like The NAACP. =
This=20
organisation, more than save perhaps Jesse Jackson's syndicate, =
is=20
responsible for more racial strife and misery in the last decade =
than=20
the last century of Klansmen. Outrageous statement, you say? =
"Hey, like,=20
didn't the Klan lynch people, man?" Well, yes they did...maybe a =
handful=20
in the early part of the last century. How many hundreds of =
thousands of=20
blacks have died due to violence and drug addiction - the =
product of=20
marginal lifestyles supported by the NAACP and other =
organisations that=20
profit from keeping a good percentage of their people poor, =
illiterate,=20
and stupid? I'd take my chances with the Klan, thank =
you.
Our =
nation's=20
government and institutions try to play along with the =
feel-good,=20
multi-cultural rhetoric and policies that dominate public =
discourse on=20
matters of race. Our elected representatives are committed to =
this=20
strategy, despite the fact that it has never been shown to =
improve race=20
relations for anybody, anywhere, at any time. In fact, the more=20
attention we call to race, the more racism we create. How can we =
ever be=20
a color-blind society if we don't stop counting people by the =
shade of=20
their hide? How can Dr. King's dream of his children being =
'judged by=20
the content of their character and not the color of their skin' =
ever=20
occur if we avoid honest assessments of character when =
discussing race=20
relations?
The best =
and=20
brightest minds have worked to combat racism for the last 35 =
years or=20
longer, all with little or no success. We can set up all the=20
'sensitivity training seminars' and 'race-relation task forces' =
in the=20
world, but it will not make a bit of difference as long as =
racism is=20
treated exclusively as a 'white problem.' People can and do =
change, but=20
they have to be won over one at a time, and on an interpersonal =
level.=20
That means that if black people want to be treated better by =
employers,=20
police, and Denny's=99 managers, they need to present their best =
image to=20
the public and work with their enslaved brothers to bring them =
out of=20
their hatred for whites. Maybe some sensitivity training is =
needed on=20
the other side?
Lewis =
J. Goldberg=20
is an internet columnist and editor of The=20
Patriotist.
[top]=20
[bac=
k=20
to archives main page] [home]=
Originally posted from =
05-24-02 to=20
05-30-02
On Pork=20
Patrol
by=20
DracoDei
I'm=20
chubby, and I know it. I have been so most of my life, including =
in high=20
school when I played soccer, running my ass off chasing the ball =
(not to=20
mention the daily practices, etc.) Even with all that =
caloric-burning=20
exuberance I had a bit of a pot-belly, and was always soft on =
the edges.=20
I've gotten a little older now, and admittedly am not in as good =
a shape=20
as I was then.
I try to=20
eat right but it doesn't always happen. I also know that I need =
to=20
exercise. I have the best intentions to lose weight and get in =
shape,=20
but they haven't happened yet. And whose fault is it? Mine. Not=20
society's, not the food industry=92s, not anybody's fault but my =
own.
My=20
employer - indeed, most full-time employers these days - have =
fitness=20
centers for people who want to work out at lunch, or before or =
after=20
work. Many employers have health fairs, devoted to giving =
dietary and=20
other health-related advice. Healthy workers are better workers; =
they=20
take fewer sick days, and though I don't know if there's proof, =
I'd=20
suspect there's a study somewhere showing that a fit worker is =
more=20
productive. But obesity lurks, fat nightmares stalk the streets =
of our=20
communities, just waiting to pounce on unsuspecting persons =
deciding to=20
finish off the last french fry or contemplating dessert. To save =
me from=20
this horrible nightmare, anti-fat crusaders want to reach into =
my life=20
to make sure I do what they know is best for me. After all, =
we're in an=20
"obesity crisis", an epidemic of porkers, pot-bellies, and =
cellulite=20
thighs.
We know=20
this because of a new method of calculation, called the Body =
Mass=20
Indicator (BMI) released in 1998. This method of calculation has =
resulted in making "...30 million Americans fat overnight," =
according to=20
Mike Burita of The Center for Consumer Freedom. But the =
newfangled=20
obesity crisis is caused by a standard few can meet. Burita adds =
that=20
the BMI is so misleading that actors like Russell Crowe and Tom =
Cruise=20
are considered obese, while sports stars Cal Ripken Jr. and =
Michael=20
Jordan are classified overweight. But because of the =
=93crisis=94, doctors=20
and others who are concerned about this alleged epidemic have =
decided=20
they must take action for my own good, and are planning to=20
act.
Because=20
being overweight is a health issue, there are calls for adding a =
"fat=20
tax" to foods they deem unworthy. They want to see soda machines =
ripped=20
from their locations, menus downsized rather than supersized, =
and some=20
have even proposed making sure exercise walkways and other =
things are=20
built into communities. This is the issue of the day, the =
rescuing of=20
the fattening America.
But there=20
is a deeper issue - the for-your-own-gooders completely miss the =
fact=20
that most problems are a matter of personal responsibility. If I =
fail to=20
exercise, eat right, etc., I accept the greater health risk. =
That's my=20
choice. Nobody forces me to have a bacon double cheeseburger or =
to=20
finish the piled-high portion at a restaurant. Nobody bars me =
from the=20
exercise room. I'm sick and tired of do-gooders constantly on =
the=20
lookout to protect me from myself.
Heaven=20
forbid I make that decision the wrong way! After all, if I =
choose poorly=20
there is a chance that the public might be forced to spend more =
money;=20
thus is the basis for intrusion into my life formed. And this =
rationale=20
is truly insidious, for there are few things not touched by it.=20
Overweight? Let=92s enact =93fat taxes=94 and other incentives =
to make sure=20
people eat better. Coming soon: mandated diets and =
doctor-approved and=20
supervised exercise plans. Too tired due to lack of sleep? =
Monitored=20
sleep periods to make sure you get the requisite eight hours, =
and=20
enforced nap times besides (wait, come to think of it, I might =
go for=20
this one). Even sex would not be immune, for the =93Protection =
Police=94=20
would be authorized to check to make sure you and partner are =
properly=20
equipped. After all, diseases or unwanted children could cost =
public=20
money!
Some will=20
laugh at my examples, but only a few years ago the idea of a =
"fat tax"=20
topped the giggle scale. And there will doubtless be more to =
come. The=20
for-your-own-good nazis will never stop, for they justify their=20
anti-freedom lunacy with the noblest of intentions, soothed by =
their own=20
conscience that their unprecedented - and likely unending - =
meddling=20
with peoples' lives is the right thing to do, freedom and =
personal=20
responsibility be damned.
[top]=20
[bac=
k=20
to archives main page] [home]=
Originally posted =
from=20
05-16-02 to 05-24-02
Chief Wahoo on the =
Trail of=20
Tears?
by=20
Jeffrey Quick
On April=20
30, the Anaheim Angels slaughtered the Cleveland Indians 21-2. =
The next=20
day, I read that the legislature of the People's Republic of =
California=20
is considering a bill to ban mascots and team names deemed =
derogatory to=20
any racial or ethnic group from all K-12 schools and colleges =
(click here for the story). While the bill =
would not=20
affect professional teams, it's still interesting =
timing.
And it=20
suggests a thought: the real problem behind Native American =
names of=20
sports teams is not that they are ethnically insulting, but that =
they=20
idealize Indians as some kind of big fierce savage unbeatable =
fighting=20
machine. I mean, come on, the Indians got creamed. Not even the =
Jews or=20
blacks were so thoroughly subjugated. And with both the =
Cleveland=20
Indians and Atlanta Braves in freefall, it might be time for =
baseball to=20
embrace the true reality of native life.
We can=20
start with promotions. Why not offer free blankets and smallpox=20
vaccinations to the first 1000 purchasers of season tickets? (I =
mean we=20
can't offer the smallpox on the blankets... there are terrorists =
out=20
there.) Or genuine Sand Creek-style tobacco pouches for dipping =
snuff.=20
Let's redo Chief Wahoo's teeth, to reflect the change from a=20
hunter-gatherer diet to the crappy sugar and starch meals on the =
rez. A=20
couple nice black cavities ought to do it. Maybe a antique =
Gatling gun=20
in the Atlanta stadium to hose down the fans when they start =
that=20
tomahawk chop. After all, it's what we did the last =
time.
And let's=20
redo the concessions. Why is it you can't get a good chunk of =
pemmican=20
or bowl of succotash in any major-league ballpark? Hell, you =
can't even=20
get fry bread. Get rid of that yuppie food like sushi. And =
forget beer.=20
What chief ever traded land for beer? Good cheap rotgut whiskey, =
that's=20
the stuff, with fans puking all over each other and being even =
more=20
abusive than they are now. Anything that encourages fan =
alcoholism will=20
foster identification with the team mascot.
Let's=20
change the names of some of the other teams. We can leave the =
Yankees=20
and the Mariners alone; they did their part to kill Indians. But =
the=20
National League really needs help. The Cincinnati Custers, the=20
Pittsburgh Firewater, the Montreal Mounties could all keep the =
Braves in=20
their place.Get rid of modern technological safety equipment. =
Make the=20
batters swing wearing a Plains war bonnet. Let the guy with the =
highest=20
batting average call the pitches. Let the strategy of the game =
reflect=20
the strategies of the Indian wars. And ditch the organ and =
accompany the=20
national anthem with a drum.
If the=20
Indian teams do their best to act like Indians, they'll lose =
like=20
Indians. And when fans realize that Indians are losers, they'll =
desert=20
their teams. The owners will have to switch names and image =
voluntarily,=20
without government coercion, not because it's politically =
correct, but=20
because nobody wants to be on a losing team. And the Atlanta =
Shermans=20
will again claim their place in the sun.
[top]=20
[bac=
k=20
to archives main page] [home]=
Originally posted from =
04-26-02 to=20
05-03-02
An Open Letter to =
Elton=20
John
from=20
Morgan =
Freeberg
My dear=20
Sir Elton John,
Congratulations on a =
successful=20
appearance on your part, by all accounts, before my United =
States Senate=20
last week, during which you demanded=20
"the richest nation" immediately end the AIDS =
epidemic.
I=92d like=20
to discuss with you your purpose in doing this, whether it was =
to make=20
impassioned arguments that would resonate with the American =
people, or=20
force our hands by using your celebrity status to pressure our=20
lawmakers. You appear to have thought you were meeting with a =
slice of=20
Americana under the Capitol Dome. Nothing could be further from =
the=20
truth. Generally, when a senator is re-elected, he has convinced =
his=20
constituents that their problems are caused by some among the =
other=20
ninety-nine senators; he himself is blameless. We have a tough =
time=20
relating to senators. No senator has successfully completed a=20
presidential election campaign since 1968.
No, you=20
did not see Americana at our nation=92s capitol. Americana is =
what you are=20
reading now. If you are interested in explaining to us why we =
should=20
spend more money on AIDS, instead of simply forcing us to do so, =
you=20
should keep reading.
America=20
is the most generous nation on earth. We believe in charity by =
choice,=20
not by mandate. To our way of thinking, the height of human =
existence is=20
to willingly sacrifice what we have salted away, to help someone =
less=20
fortunate. Simultaneously, the nadir of human failure is to =
require such=20
a thing through statute. To Americans, charity is voluntary, or =
it is=20
nothing.
Must we=20
prove our generosity? While Ground Zero was burning in =
Manhattan,=20
America flew over to the country from where the attack =
originated, and=20
dropped =96 food! Food and money! Have you ever heard the like? =
If I were=20
you, I wouldn=92t bother checking English history for a=20
precedent.
To your=20
credit, before asking us to eradicate AIDS, you established a =
$35=20
million foundation to do likewise. Some American celebrities =
could learn=20
a thing or two from this. I respect that. At the same time, =
examples=20
abound of your penchant for lavish and frivolous spending. They =
are not=20
consistent with someone overly concerned about funding a health =
crisis:=20
=A3293,000 for flowers, =A3357,353 for a picture, =A3120,000 for =
your own=20
birthday. "I could find a shop in the Sahara desert," you =
boasted in a=20
BBC=20
Times article.
When you=20
sued your former manager and accountants a year-and-a-half ago, =
it was=20
revealed that you whittled through $43 million in 20 months from =
1996 to=20
1997. That works out to half a million every week of lavish, =
needless,=20
excessive personal spending. You seem to be cognizant that this =
is your=20
right. You were quoted =
as saying, "I have no one to leave the money to. I'm a single =
man. I=20
like spending my money."
Sir=20
Elton, the spirit of America champions your defiant defense. It =
is the=20
one place on earth where such an argument will enjoy the =
greatest=20
momentum. In our culture, individual choice is what life is all =
about.=20
People here are expected to prosper and to suffer from the =
efforts they=20
put out, and the decisions that they make.
My beef=20
with you concerns your inconsistency. You emerged from your =
mountain of=20
clothes, jewels, flowers =96 and lawsuits you started once you =
belatedly=20
realized your purse was getting light. Living large by personal =
choice,=20
you came to the place where personal choice is most-treasured, =
and=20
evacuated your bowels on that concept of personal choice. You =
infer we=20
have these obligations because we=92re so "rich," "nobody else =
comes=20
close," etc. Well, that offends the hell out of me.
Where is=20
all this money? Our state governments are, with few exceptions, =
awash in=20
red ink year after year. Our federal government would be =
bankrupt, were=20
it not exempt from accounting standards incumbent on everyone =
else. Some=20
say if you want to get technical about it, our country has been=20
voluntarily bankrupt since March 9, 1933.
Do our=20
richest citizens possess this money? We have the most generous =
rich=20
people on the planet. They set up foundations just like you do. =
They=20
donate to AIDS research, Cancer research, at-risk youth =
programs. They=20
"gave at the office," as it were. Do you know of any wealthy =
Americans=20
who do not contribute to charity? Point them out. I=92d be =
interested in=20
seeing such a "miser" list, but I doubt it will be very =
long.
I hope=20
you don=92t have the cojones to infer that this wealth is in the =
standard-of-living of our more modest citizens. If you do, I =
must be=20
part of this; there are more Americans making less than me, than =
those=20
who make more. My head spins when I compare my weekly personal =
expenses=20
to your $537 thousand. What I spent in the seven days before you =
showed=20
up at my nation=92s capitol, is dwarfed by your own weekly =
budget by a=20
factor of, oh, where=92s my calculator =96 Twenty-Three Thousand =
Six Hundred=20
Fifty-Eight Times! No flowers or pictures that week. A little =
gas to get=20
to work, some Kleenex and eye-drops, a co-pay for my doctor=92s =
visit,=20
that=92s about it.
America=20
spends enough money on AIDS, as it is, to match 500 Elton John =
clones=20
shopping 'til they drop. On a per-patient basis, that blows all =
other=20
disease research away. I believe more lives could be saved, not =
with=20
more cash, but with better oversight from your new friends in =
the Senate=20
regarding where=20
the money goes. Seminars on masturbation, flirting classes =
for gay=20
men, tickets to Disneyland, luxurious hotel rooms at $329 apiece =
=96 it=20
sounds more like a page from Elton John=92s diary than =
extirpation of an=20
epidemic.
Your=20
speech came days before American tax returns were due. Could you =
enlighten me on the mindset? Brighter =
minds=20
than mine have already pounced on you for spending half a mil a =
week on=20
bull-squeeze, boasting about it, and then haughtily intoning to =
my=20
country that it=92s our job to end AIDS because we=92re rich. =
Did you not=20
see the criticism coming or did you simply not care?
Regards,
Morgan K=20
Freeberg
AMERICAN TAXPAYER
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Originally posted from =
04-19-02 to=20
04-26-02
Witch Hunt=20
2002
by Jeffrey Quick
I and my =
sweetie,=20
She Who Is Not Fooled (SWINF), were discussing the latest loca=
l=20
eruption of the Catholic sexual abuse scandal. A priest was =
put on=20
furlough because he was accused of giving a 12-year old a bare =
bottom=20
spanking, even though he wasn't even serving in that parish in =
that=20
year. I don't think spanking is a priestly function, myself. But =
officials of my public school were giving out bare-bottom =
spankings in=20
the 60s, and nobody considered it sexual abuse then. And anyone =
now who=20
thinks that corporal punishment of children is a sexual act is =
twisted=20
beyond any help.
"But =
what about this=20
one?" I asked. "This woman said she was spanked for something =
she said=20
in confession, when she was in her early 20s. That's not =
discipline;=20
that's kink."
"A 20 =
year old=20
let herself be spanked?!" SWINF said. "That's consensual. =
Or more=20
likely, she's just nuts, and wants her 15 minutes of fame." =
Later in the=20
day, I read about accusations in LA, brought by a paranoid=20
schizophrenic, and knew she was right, and Hell was out for=20
recess.
As a =
Wiccan, I must=20
admit to a touch of Schadenfreud that the sponsors of Sprenger =
and=20
Kramer are getting a dose of their own medicine. But witch hunts =
are=20
destructive and wrong, no matter whose foot the shoe is on. The =
gay=20
community may be breathing a little easier now that it seems =
that not=20
all priestly pedophiles are queer. Still, mass hysteria is=20
unpredictable, and nobody knows where this generation's version =
of the=20
McMartin=20
Preschool case will lead.
But it =
might be=20
worth asking "Qui bono?" and "Why now?" It's not like priests =
have=20
suddenly developed itches in their britches, after all. They've =
been=20
regularly falling from grace for two millennia, and the Church, =
like any=20
other major political institution, has always engaged in damage =
control.=20
Granted, that's not moral leadership, but it's to be=20
expected.
In the =
Satanic=20
ritual abuse scandals of the 80s, it was the Evangelical Right =
and=20
psychologists with dubious theories who were the pushers and =
chief=20
beneficiaries of the myth. The goal was to defame the newly =
resurgent=20
and competitive pagan religions, as well as scaring mothers away =
from=20
rejoining the workforce and keeping them home with the kids. =
There was=20
also fame, money and glory for a few Christian hucksters, of =
which the=20
most notorious was Mike=20
Warnke, finally exposed as a fraud by his own =
co-religionists. In=20
this round of scandal, the chief agents seem to be the news =
media and=20
trial lawyers, both practically arms of the Democratic Party.=20
How does =
the Left=20
benefit from damaging the Catholic church? Painting the church =
as a=20
dangerous place for children drives a further wedge between =
ethnic=20
Catholics (who traditionally vote Democratic but have been =
drifting=20
right) and the Church which has been leading them Right, largely =
through=20
the abortion issue. But more importantly, the Church is a threat =
to the=20
New World Order, in spite of the Marxism which infects it, =
because it is=20
a separate power base. John Paul II is to the Church what Reagan =
was to=20
America: one who put the brakes on the downward spiral and =
pulled the=20
organization back to traditional values, through force of =
charisma and=20
will. In either case, it may have been too little, too late, but =
it has=20
definitely thrown off the timetable. And now that the old Pole =
is too=20
feeble to boldly combat the scandal, there's an opportunity for =
the Left=20
to influence the church. It would be interesting to analyze the =
politics=20
of those priests and bishops who have been discredited or driven =
from=20
office, in comparison to those of the church as a whole, and the =
effect=20
on the next conclave.
"Do you =
think this=20
will bring down the Church?" SWINF asked me. No. An egregore =
that old=20
and central to Western civilization isn't going to just blow =
away. Even=20
financially, the wealth of the Church is the wealth of its =
believers,=20
and largely beyond lawyers' grasp. And the legal reasoning =
behind making=20
the Pope a defendant in a civil suit is tenuous at best, and the =
burden=20
of proof near-insurmountable. These nuisance suits and scandals =
are=20
distractions. The Left is too smart to fight the church head-on. =
All=20
they need to do is weaken it enough to grab temporal power; =
after that=20
it will be largely irrelevant to their design. While it's clear =
that the=20
Church should make amends in the cases where it enabled abuse, =
it must=20
resist bending over. And no matter how deep our contempt for =
religion=20
might be, there's no point in scapegoating the =
priesthood.
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Originally posted from =
04-09-02 to=20
04-19-02
Andrea Yates and =
the=20
Legally-Mandated Calgon Moment
by Morgan =
Freeberg
Unless =
my eyes and=20
ears deceive me, Andrea Yates is back in the news again. She's =
locked up=20
for life, but now we have to figure out how culpable her =
husband,=20
Russell, is in the deaths of their five children. The ones she =
held=20
underwater with her own two hands until they all =
drowned.
I don't =
understand=20
how this is possible. I thought we lived in a culture that =
despises=20
excessive news coverage. Three years later, my ears still ring =
from=20
"censure and move on!" Poll after poll, I was told, revealed =
that we=20
didn't care if the President lied to us and was ready to lie to =
us about=20
anything else that suited his purposes. News anchors =
condescendingly=20
explained to me that current events, both domestic and foreign, =
had only=20
a few minutes in the spotlight before people grew fatigued. =
Blockbuster=20
awaited, after all. Triple-fudge frapaccinos were waiting to be =
brewed,=20
sprinkled with vanilla flakes for $6.75 a cup. The real things =
in life=20
mattered, and we were tired of the news.
Never =
mind that by=20
consuming air-time to explain this to me, the anchors were =
practically=20
contradicting themselves. I got the message: News is for nerds. =
Why=20
then, three years hence, this perpetual thirst for more updates =
on the=20
Yates chronicle?
Because =
we're a=20
nation of selfish bastards, that's why.
Clinton =
and Lewinsky=20
don't hit home; Yates does. Lazy, selfish men are waiting out =
there to=20
see how much they can ignore the daily maintenance of their =
young=20
children while their wives handle everything, before those men =
are=20
criminally culpable. Self-pitying, teary-eyed women, weary of =
keeping=20
the home fires burning like grandma used to do, want their =
husbands to=20
pitch in and help - with the force of law. They want a =
legally-mandated=20
Calgon moment. They want to say to him: If I'm stressed out, you =
better=20
notice it and pitch in, pal. You are responsible for my sanity. =
The=20
Russell Yates conviction, or lawsuit, proved it.
For =
however little=20
it is worth, the men have a better case here. If a woman is on =
the edge=20
of a nervous breakdown or is legally insane, and someone else is =
responsible for her, that someone-else has to be as competent as =
any of=20
the rest of us if not more so. People who have been through such =
a=20
family crisis know this. They need to have both oars in the =
water, to=20
make up for the other person's weakness. Russell may be a lot of =
things,=20
but he is not that. I've followed the case as close as anyone =
else. He's=20
a matchstick short of a cord.
Are we =
really to=20
believe that impregnating your wife time after time after time, =
against=20
a doctor's advice, is evidence of negligence - and therefore =
competence=20
- and then the extinguishing of those young lives is indicative =
of=20
insanity, and therefore innocence? In John Marshall's words, =
this is too=20
extravagant to be maintained.
Besides, =
this is a=20
misguided and counterproductive way to rejuvenate the carcass of =
feminism. Such a supervisory capacity would effectively make =
every=20
husband his wife's boss. The teary-eyed bitchy women evidently =
haven't=20
thought that all the way through. You put legal responsibilities =
on=20
someone, you have to give them the authority to back that up. I =
doubt=20
that's what they want to do.
But it =
really=20
doesn't matter. Three years ago, the Lewinsky scandal was =
universally=20
regarded of having overstayed its welcome. That is much more =
true of the=20
Yates case, which is more important than many other domestic =
tragedies=20
only because several of the spectators figure they have a stake =
in=20
the outcome.
I say, a =
pox on both=20
their houses, the men and the ladies. This is more selfishness =
than our=20
society can stand for long. Somewhere out there, someone is =
thinking "I=20
care more about stories that impact me, and people like me, than =
stories=20
that impact how the entire nation is governed and affect the =
lives of=20
millions of other people." And then there are millions of more =
people,=20
who think like that person. This appears to be a value system =
held by a=20
majority. If it lasts for long, we, as a free society, will=20
not.
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