Well, it is another Monday morning. I'm staring out my window watching the huge crane move rebar around at the site for the new Public Health building as I wait for a couple of tubes of DNA to thaw out so that I can begin my day. I am so glad that it is almost April. I am so tired of cold, wintry weather - not that April and cold weather are mutally exclusive here in Iowa but the odds are definately in favor of warmer weather.
I've been reading a book by Ann Coulter the last week or so. Part of me wants to stand up and cheer but the other part wants to stand up and and walk away in disbelief. The title of her book is "Godless". Her subtitle, "The Church of Liberalism", implies that all Liberals are godless and therefore all Conservatives are God-fearing individuals. There is not much godliness in her writing. She is brash and vitriolic. Her sarcasm, though at times funny, is usually spiteful and demeaning. She certainly isn't doing the conservative cause any favors. At times her writing is nothing short of demagogy which is and should be offensive to all thinking people. Having said that, I agree with a lot of her ideas about the economy, crime, and education. The attractiveness of conservatism is the idea of personal responsibility. It is grounded in the very American belief that we can achieve anything if we are willing to work hard enough for it. However, some conservatives tend to take it too far. They forget that we have a responsibility to each other as fellow human beings - after all, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend on the same God for the very air we breath and all we have (Mosiah 4)? On the flip side, I certainly don't want to pay for the healthcare of someone who has chosen to smoke and drink themselves into the healthcare system. Nor do I believe that a family of 4 needs $900 a month in food stamp benefits. There has got to be a fine line in there somewhere. What I don't believe is that the government needs to define that line for me.
It all started with Michelle Lewis from Ohio, and Jason Clark from California. We met on a bus in Chicago in January of 1992. This is a blog that documents our crazy life.
6 comments:
I agree 100% with you. I've read part of the book and thought she was trying too hard to be funny and sometimes it comes out as downright mean. She made some good points and she's bright, but I agree with you in general.
Mom
All I can think of is Cyndi Lauper with your post title.
I was wondering if anybody would get that.
Obviously you boys don't know your music. In 1986 the Bangles produced this hit. Go to this link for pure excitement!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s48kuKLf0mE
Cyndi Lauper, The Bangles, whatever. Neither of them are particularly high on my list of must have "artists". Michelle is the authority on '80s girl rock. I think she is secretly hoping that neon socks and big hair will make a comeback.
I am slow getting to this post. I hope you get this comment, Jason.
I too, think that Ann Coulter is much of what you said. I get disgusted with he pictue on the front page of her book. She looks like a hooker instead of a Christian. I quess that only shows how things have changed lately.
I sent you the book because of the idea content. I listen to lots of people on both sides of things and of varying abilites adn styles in communication. What I try to do is not throw out the baby with the bath water. Just because Ann is vitriolic does not mean that I do not want to listen carefully to her. I would miss so much. Some of you guys call some of the conservative commentators "taking heads." But again, I do not want to miss the content for distast of some of the method of conversation.
On the point of some conservatives not helping others much, well, that is certainly true. But that is common throughout the politcal spectrum. It has little to do with the persons political ideas, it is just plain human weakness of stupidity, which ever or both.
Dad Clark
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