The View & DeSean Jackson

Spurred on by the question of moral absolutes versus moral subjectivism, I want to highlight something we can all agree is absolutely wrong: bullying. And I don't just mean name-calling, although this is certainly included.

Anyway, The View had a young man on the show recently who was the victim of some pretty brutal harassment at the hands of some schoolmates. To their credit, the women of this often ridiculous show did a fantastic job highlighting the story and giving the young man a chance to step up and tell his side of things. Best of all, student is a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan, and the show arranged for three Eagles players (including his favorite player) to stop by and encourage the young man. DeSean Jackson, you made a fan out of me.

Feel free to watch the video clip below:



And so on...

Why Jon Stewart Wins At TV

Remember a few posts ago when I called out Tucker Carlson and others for using war metaphor? If you don't, feel free to catch up. No worries. Maybe you instead remember some of the many times I have called out politicians or religious figures for using hateful or derogatory rhetoric about the people they disagree with (here, here, or here, among other examples). Either way, I'm sure I have made clear my distaste for Glenn Beck, Pat Robertson, MSNBC and all the rest of the rhetorictocrats (copyright to Xander) which have taken over our televisions, radio stations and news outlets. Partisan hackery should have no place in today's politics, and as such I distance myself from Sarah Palin, the Tea Party, Nancy Pelosi, Michael Moore and all the rest who partake in such foolishness.

Because I reject the ideologies of both political parties (and therefore virtually all of cable news), I find myself being drawn toward whatever voice of reason I am able to find...like I've said before, I am all about moderation - the middle ground. What else to I enjoy? Comedy. What would be awesome? Combining the two.

Rep. Jim Moran: Seriously?

He looks angry, doesn't he? Anyway, we all know that politicians are prone to say stupid things from time to time. Rinse and repeat, so to speak. Foot-in-mouth is in their nature, and it seems like there is no fixing it. In this edition of Seriously?, I'll introduce you to Representative Jim Moran of Virginia. Mr. Moran is a Democrat, and as such is prone to say stupid things about conservatives, much like Tucker Carlson, Glenn Beck and others are prone to do toward the left.

Per Fox News (here), Rep. Moran, in an interview following the State of the Union Address, "blam[ed] his party's losses last November in large part on voters who 'don't want to be governed by an African-American.'" He then compared the current political climate to the one which existed just prior to the Civil War. Wait, seriously?

Maxims

I have always believed that it is important to have rules to live by - a set of principles that I can fall back on whenever things get hazy or complicated. A core group of ideas which permeate and affect every decision I make. These maxims I have developed slowly over time, morphing and changing and adding to them as time goes on. I decided that it is probably worthwhile to put these maxims to paper, so to speak, so that I might be able to rely on them in a larger fashion. Are they all perfectly formed? No. Do they have flaws? I'm sure. But this is less for an audience and more for my own use. Even so, feel free to read and consider them as you please.

Gov. Robert Bentley: Seriously?

Apologies for following up one post with another similar post, but the newly elected governor of Alabama leaves me no choice.

If the governor wants to get into theology, perhaps he should recognize that God is the father of all - Christian or not. To use the prodigal son example, we are all God's children; many have simply strayed from the Father. Non-belief in Jesus doesn't change who your father is...it just prevents you from being an active part of the family.

Regardless of theology, politicians (of both sides) need to stop using inflammatory rhetoric with such regularity. There is no reason for Gov. Bentley take a shot at non-Christians in the way he did; how can an athiest or Muslim or whomever expect him to govern fairly and without bias if he views Christians as better than non-Christians? How do we know that view won't seep over into his policymaking, in a way such that non-Christians are deprived of rights or attacked by his government? You might say that I'm simply looking at this situation as a slippery slope, and that none of this is worth worrying about. The problem is, such a me-versus-them mentality has permeated both our churches and our political offices, and division never brings reconciliation. It only brings suffering. And correct me if I am wrong, but we have had enough suffering lately for quite a while.

And so on...

Cindy Jacobs: Seriously?

Ohmygodyouhavegottobekiddingme.

Politics aside, these are the kinds of people who bug the everlivin' out of me. I should probably just stop, or else another Tucker Carlson-esque post might get written.

The Beat Poet

During my semester abroad, I had the pleasure of attending a few poetry slams. Spoken word poetry is one of the most powerful mediums I have experienced, and listening to one talented poet after another was truly an honor and a privilege. The thing about spoken word poetry, like that written and performed by Saul Williams and others, is that it often is meant to stand up to establishment or challenge injustice, speaking truth into the darkness. In short, spoken word poetry is supposed to change the world. At least, that is the intent. But for all the poems and songs and performances that are given by so many talented artists, the world is still broken and we still aren't doing our part to fix it.

With that in mind I wrote this. I call it The Beat Poet.