Wednesday, October 15, 2008

The Springer-fication of the Electorate

This morning I sent out this letter to the editor to a number of local and national papers. I thought I'd post it here as well:


I am frightened for my country.


Economically, we are in the midst of what many experts are calling the worst financial crisis since the great depression; not just here in the US but around the world economies teeter on the brink of disaster.


Militarily, our nation is involved in two wars, and our foreign policy over the past eight years has significantly reduced our standing in the world making us less, rather than more, safe in these troubling times.And culturally, here at home, we're seeing what I've come to think of the "Springerfication" of the electorate.


Think back to the Democratic National Convention--throughout you saw people looking up at the dais through glistening eyes which revealed a spirit of hope and inspiration that permeated the convention hall.


Think of the Republican National Convention--all loud booing and derisive laughter that conveyed a mean spirit, an angry spirit. And in recent days some people at rallies at which Gov. Palin has been speaking have shouted "terrorist," and "Obama bin Laden," and "kill him" when Senator Obama's name has been mentioned. I feel like I'm watching the Jerry Springer Show.


Are Senator McCain and Gov. Palin responsible for the actions of the people who attend their rallies? Of course not. But they must take responsibility for not immediately and in no uncertain terms condemning such behavior. And we, each and every one of us, Republican and Democrat, must take responsibility for ourselves. We are America, and if America is to continue to be the great nation it boasts of being we must be a great people. Let us look for the best in one another and stop calling for blood.


In gassho,


RevWik
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5 comments:

Joel Monka said...

I commented in my own blog

Robin Edgar said...

I commented on Joel's blog post because I found it first but will reproduce what I said there below -

Then of course there is the "Springer-fication" of religion. . . For the record, too many of the U*Us I have the misfortune to know have proven themselves to be "mean spirited" and even "villains" through their well-documented words and actions, hence my picket sign slogan that says -

"CHURCH" OF THE MEAN SPIRIT

Yup they're human beings alright, even "Humanists". . . who are responsible for inspiring the following bon mot -

Quite regrettably it is all too human to be inhuman.

I wonder if U*Us are proud of inspiring such a saying?

end quote

You should be frightened for your U*U World Rev. Wikstrom.

Think of the the U*U "blogosphere", all loud booing and derisive sodomy fantasies that convey a mean spirit, an angry spirit. . . And in recent days some people making blog posts in which Gov. Palin has been described as "witch-crazed" and even a GILF. I feel like I'm watching the U*U version of the Jerry Springer Show.

Are the UUA's very aptly named Ministerial Fellowship Committee, Department of Congregational Services, and Unitarian*Universalist Ministers Association responsible for the words and actions of the people who are ordained as U*U ministers? Some would say, "Of course". . . So they must take responsibility for not immediately and in no uncertain terms condemning such behavior. But, so far. . . they have all proven themselves to be chronically unready, obstinately unwilling, and pathologically unable to actually do so. Indeed they have even effectively approved of such behavior.

Anonymous said...

What worries me more is the Alfred E. Numan approach many conservatives seem to have towards government. After each Republican caused recession or financial scandle a Dem has to come along and clean up...and yet the Repub's keep nominating dumber candidates.

Its like somewhere conservative Power Brokers say "okay they nominated a Nuclear Physicist Peanut farmer...we'll elect an actor with alzhiemers...they nominated someone who was an Oxford Scholar and smoked pot once, we'll get an excoke head, C Student, alcoholic, farmer from texas, whose daddy got him out of service.

That last was a twofer because they then disgraced a real war hero, Kerry who managed NOT to get caught, and are now trying to play up their guy as the hero even though they were disgraceful to Kerry.

Actually it still goes for this one:

The Dems got a black Harvard grad who picked someone to compliment any concern about his foriegn policy experiance...Repubs get a white guy who finished in the bottom of his graduating class and just to top it off he'll pick a pin head who has no knowledge of what a VP does or about life outside of her state, and actually believe dinosaurs were around with early man: a woman who sees the Flintstones as a Documentary.

Oh and as an added bonus conservatives get their hypocricy fix, because they are picking the white guy over the most intellectually qualified candidate. Wow that sinks the anti-affirmative action argument too.

You know cause the argument was always...race aside wouldn't you rather have the one with best grades and we should ignore anything but that.

What...me worry?

Joel Monka said...

Nice to see your glistening eyes there, chuck. We can depend on you, as a Democrat, to never use derisive laughter or convey a mean spirit.

Anonymous said...

Salamun Aleikum brother

There are inside Islam a few in many countries that refute all of the socalled "muslim practices based on Hadith" and as such we are as close to Unitarians as Muslims. If you could read the book "Jesus a prophet of Islam", The other 2 books "Mental Bondage" and "My journey from.....", both from link below for free) show our stand towards Hadith and what Islam is.

The reason I write you is that as believers in One God we truly are brothers in faith and as such should seek Him and the differences is minor and probably stem from ignorance of each others faith.

So this is just a first call for communication, I have written also the Norwegian Unitar church, but I feel this is something that couls start world wide to seek truth and gather the true Unitars from any foundation of faith.

Warm regards to you all.

Børge Bahr Naseer Blåtind

Gratis norske bøker om Islam til å laste ned:
http://www.box.net/shared/2edk2ms08k

Free English book on Islam for download in PDF format:
http://www.box.net/shared/jwchv9z400

Tre gode linker/Three good links:

http://aididsafar.com/

http://www.free-minds.org/

http://iyb.blogspot.com/

--------------------------------------------------------------
To gode filmer å se gratis/ Two good films to see for free:
Zeitgeist handler om hvem som styrer verden/ Zeitgeist is about who rules the world.
Loose Change handler om 9/11/ Loose Change is about the 9/11.

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7866929448192753501&hl=en