Ocassional Thoughts of an Independent Progressive Atheistic Humanist
A recent post mentioned a letter to the editor, I read in my local paper, about the US Supreme Court same-sex marriage ruling made this past summer. The letter was so wrong and fact free it made me respond with a letter of my own. To my surprise (not really) the author of the original letter responded to me. Again his letter is free of any facts.
Letters to the Editor of a local newspaper was one of our first ‘comment sections’ where regular readers could share their various viewpoints tempered with moderation by the newspaper staff. Today, even with prescreening, the letter section sometimes resembles the fact free fantasizes we find in places like FOX ‘news’, news websites and Facebook. Some friends think the ignorant comments should be ignored but I think one should respond to ignorance in some cases like I did to a recent letter to the editor about the US Supreme Court same-sex marriage ruling.
A gentleman had the following letter published in my local paper this past week:
Since we all “know” President Obama is a Muslim, it isn’t a stretch to see he is trying to undermine if not cancel Christmas. There is recent proof that has surfaced.
Arlington (TN) Mayor Russell Wiseman posted the statements on his Facebook page:
“Ok, so, this is total crap, we sit the kids down to watch ‘The Charlie Brown Christmas Special’ and our muslim president is there, what a load…..try to convince me that wasn’t done on purpose. Ask the man if he believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he will give you a 10 minute disertation (sic) about it….when the answer should simply be ‘yes’….”
There are many types of people in the US. Some are interesting, inspiring, and role models while others like Russell Wiseman are plain freaking ignorant and a cancer on humanity.
I really wish Evolution was instantaneous so we could be rid of ignorant people like Wiseman and the 52% of the readers of the local paper who agreed with his freaking ignorant comments.
My head hurts now….
*Update* After this story hit the intertubes the newspaper poll mentioned above now has a majority saying the mayor’s comments were stupid and only 40% agreed. That is a bit better but still…
You would think that when a political debate involved adults, that there would be a civil debate about issues. If either side resorts to name calling then they have lost the debate. Conservatives know they have lost the debate on many current issues like the upcoming health care reform, so they resort to name calling and basic racist banter. Then when you call them on it they cry about “freedom of speech”. I agree they should be allowed to say what they want – even when it shows how much of an ass they really are.
A good example was a recent e-mail that was sent out with a picture of President Obama with a bone in his nose:
And then this morning someone forwarded me this email, which as far as I know is unrelated to the Malkin contest BUT follows a similar vein AND has been “making the rounds,” as the kids say, under the subject line Obamacare Healthcare is coming soon!
That’s right, folks! Barack Obama will tax your health benefits and then flee with the money to Africa, where he will convert all the tribespeople to Socialism and become their king after developing inhumanly muscular calves.
The Health Care Debate is Unleashing Creativity from Every Crevice of America
Then there was this:
“A typical street whore.” “A bunch of ghetto thugs.” “Ghetto street trash.” “Wonder when she will get her first abortion.”
These are a small selection of some of the racially-charged comments posted to the conservative ‘Free Republic’ blog Thursday, aimed at U.S. President Barack Obama’s 11-year-old daughter Malia after she was photographed wearing a T-shirt with a peace sign on the front.
The thread was accompanied by a photo of Michelle Obama speaking to Malia that featured the caption, “To entertain her daughter, Michelle Obama loves to make monkey sounds.”
Conservative Free Republic blog in free speech flap after racial slurs directed at Obama children
And that happened after Conservatives basically accused comedian David Letterman of being a pedophile for telling a bad joke about Sarah Palin’s daughter – never mind that the joke was about the 18 year old daughter and not the 14 year old daughter the Conservatives tried to pin it on.
But like I said when you have no real answers to the policy debate it is easier just to call people names. I mean it worked in school – right?