The Gist Of It
I’ve searched for a way to distill what I believe into a small enough nugget of information so others, it they care to know, understand my political leanings. Ace of Ace Of Spades, who is a much better writer than I, summed it up better than I did, and I quote…
…respect for citizens in their capacity and wisdom to manage their own affairs, modesty of government ambition and modesty in the government’s appraisal of its own ability to manage large ventures, and the basic idea that the government exists to keep the order so that men and women may face each other as free citizens in the public square and make voluntary transactions and decisions between each other, with as minimum government intrusion and “oversight” as possible.
I think this is the heart and soul of conservatism. Others may add more to it, but I don’t think one should have to agree with those additions in order to be “on our side”. It’s something the Laurens County, SC Republican party doesn’t get.
Friday Flashback: March 9, 1987
This week in 1987:
Chrysler acquires American Motors.
President Reagan addresses the nation on the Iran-Contra Affair.
U2 releases The Joshua Tree.
And this song is number one on the Billboard Hot 100:
Knowing Is Half The Battle
I’ve never really had to deal with the hateful, vitriolic side of the web. Perhaps that’s because I’m the Least Interesting Man In The World. Or it’s because I’ve never posted anything at The Daily Kos.
Anyway.
Zilla of the Resistance has the story of a man (at least, biologically, he seems to be) that has spent wasted the past decade being spiteful, vengeful and just plain evil toward many in the Blogosphere. Read it. Forewarned is forearmed.
Taking It All For Granted
The most advanced and prosperous civilization the world has ever seen and it’s like we’re all just assuming it’s always been like this and always will be. We’ve forgotten that this wonderful lifestyle we lead isn’t a given. Freedom isn’t a given.
Whitney, Glen, and me: only human
It’s a Saturday afternoon, and while several television channels devote their time to the funeral of another fallen pop star, I’m listening to the music of another singer who will soon leave us with just the legacy of his recordings.
I’m not a fan of Whitney Houston’s music. She had an incredible, powerful voice, but the songs she sung didn’t do anything for me.
Whenever I listen to Glen Campbell sing “Wichita Lineman”, I always get something in my eye, If You Know What I Mean (And I Think You Do).
Campbell revealed months ago that he suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. Today, while I’m also listening to what is likely Campbell’s last album, I notice there’s an upcoming interview with him tonight on Fox News Channel. The common thread between Campbell and Houston is their past. Not a shared past, but a shared pattern of behaviors. Both Houston and Campbell have had documented problems with drugs in the past, though it’s been decades since Campbell had the hard stuff. No one yet really knows what killed Houston, though many of us suspect it was some kind of drug or combination thereof.
Meanwhile, on the net, both artists are excoriated for their failings. Campbell was called by one person “a true conservative wife-swapping drug-taking hero”. Another said Houston’s death only got the attention of the media because she was black, and slammed the media for paying too much attention to a “coke-snorting (expletive deleted)”.
My question is: Why slam them now? One is dead. The other has a virtual death sentence. What good does it do now to demean or diminish either?
There are lessons to be taken from both their lives. I would never condone excessive drinking or drug use (Campbell and Houston), and I don’t approve of adultery (Campbell had an affair with singer Mac Davis’ wife in the mid-70s). But does this bad behavior – call it sin if you want – totally negate everything else they have done? Does the behavior of the artist make the art illegitimate?
I don’t believe so. If it is true, then we should all be marked with the same brand. The only difference between Whitney Houston, Glen Campbell and you and I are that their sins are public. All of us have things in our past and present we wouldn’t want exposed to the light of day. I’m not saying that their problems should be ignored, only that they shouldn’t eliminate the good they have done.
I believe that people are called to be forgiving, mainly because we are all such screw-ups ourselves. Jesus Christ, when asked by a disciple how often one should forgive, said, essentially, “Always.”. No matter what your religious affiliation, or even if you have none, it’s a good practice.
Because no self-respecting professional killer misses from Three. Feet. Away.
Han DID shoot first.
I don’t care what George Lucas says, or re-edits. In fact, the changes he keeps making to Star Wars tells a lot about Hollywood and the culture.
Bill Whittle applies the hammer to the nail, again. He’s who I want to be when I grow up.
Hi, my name is Captain Whitebread and I suck.
It’s time to admit it. Liberals have been saying that conservatives suck for years. And it’s true.
It’s a dirty job, but as Bill Whittle explains, someone has the be the grownup. And that would be us.
