I will leave it up to those who are more astute than I, but my initial response to TheOne’s speech in Tucson tonight was this:
It was the most inspirational and presidential speech I’ve heard from him in 2 years, and I’ve heard them all. He actually sounded, and made me feel like, he is the President of the UNITED States and not just the hard left.
By the same token, I’m extremely disappointed in John Boehner, who opted to stay in DC for a fund raiser instead of attending this memorial. There will be plenty of time to raise money but this is a one time, one day, one night opportunity to pay his respects to his colleague and to those victims.
I’m astounded by his lack of sensitivity. I hope I’m wrong and there is a good reason for his decision but at this point in time, I can’t see it.
Updated by me:
I had not tuned into this service early enough to see the Indian Medicine Man open the “ceremonies.” I got to see that this morning and I have to wonder why and who chose this way to open a memorial service. I can’t put into words exactly what this made me feel like but suffice it to say, it wasn’t comfortable.
I also want to clarify that I know this was only 1 speech by TheOne and does not indicate any kind of change in his future rhetoric. Nor do I expect him to change his demeanor. Standing alone, though, it was still a good speech.
I have heard some explanations about Boehner’s choice to stay in DC. I understand his choice, but still I question it.
It’s becoming fun to watch the taxpayer funded arts, entertainment and ‘news’ entities in this country run scared from what they believe will be the Republican axe come January.
Right on the heels of the firing of Juan Williams and the public demands to cut tax dollars to NPR, several weeks ago PBS cut a segment of Tina Fey’s acceptance speech at the Kennedy Center. (You can watch the entire thing here, but her disparaging comments about Sarah Palin and conservative women starts at around 12 minutes.)
“And, you know, politics aside, the success of Sarah Palin and women like her is good for all women – except, of course –those who will end up, you know, like, paying for their own rape ‘kit ‘n’ stuff,” Fey said. “But for everybody else, it’s a win-win. Unless you’re a gay woman who wants to marry your partner of 20 years – whatever. But for most women, the success of conservative women is good for all of us. Unless you believe in evolution. You know – actually, I take it back. The whole thing’s a disaster.”
As a warning, this is extremely disturbing and graphic, both sexually and violently. I was hesitant to post it. But this is what Christians, the general public and children can see at the National Portrait Gallery:
Bowing to pressure from the Catholic League and fears of cuts in tax funding by the Republicans, the powers at the National Portrait Gallery (part of the Smithsonian Institution) have pulled an “art video” depicting an image of Christ on the cross, covered in ants. William Donohue, president of the Catholic League calls this hate speech (a term I personally hate) that is meant to offend and insult Christians. Congressman John Boehner’s spokesman, Kevin Smith, called this exhibit a “misuse of taxpayer dollars.”
“American families have a right to expect better from recipients of taxpayer funds in a tough economy,” Smith said. “While the amount of money involved may be small, it’s symbolic of the arrogance Washington routinely applies to thousands of spending decisions involving Americans’ hard-earned money.”
In defense of it’s decision to display this homoerotic exhibit, the National Gallery is quick to point out that the $750,000 in funding came from private donations, not taxpayer dollars. But if the gallery itself, which IS funded by taxes and the employees that are also paid with that same money, didn’t exist, neither would this exhibit.
Chris Edwards, director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute and a former senior economist on the congressional Joint Economic Committee, told CNSNews.com, “If the Smithsonian didn’t have the taxpayer-funded building, they would have no space to present the exhibit, right? In my own view, if someone takes taxpayer money, then I think the taxpayers have every right to question the institutions where the money’s going.” (CNSNews.com)
Keep in mind that this exhibit is open to the public and in fact, the National Gallery had a family weekend this fall, encouraging parents to bring their children and engage in hands on activities after their tour. (As an aside, this does give new meaning to the term “hands on.”)
This is part of what children got to see:
Another piece in the exhibit is a 1994 photograph (from a triptych) entitled “Brotherhood, Crossroads, Etcetera” by Lyle Ashton Harris. The “Hide/Seek” catalog says that Harris created the piece in collaboration with his brother, Thomas Allen Harris.
“In this provocative center image, the brothers exchange a passionate kiss as Thomas presses a gun into Lyle’s chest–conjuring the original biblical story of Cain’s treachery toward his brother, Abel,” states the catalog description (p. 265) of the piece. (also from CNSNews.com)
I’ve taken my kids to countless exhibits and museums over the years. They’ve had the privilege to see Picasso, Michelangelo and Rembrandt, as well as many other great artists. Really, I don’t have a problem with this stuff. I take that back, I do have a problem with this stuff, now that I’ve seen that video. This is more outrageous and disturbing than I first thought.
I do not advocate censorship, except where it pertains to my parental rights. As a parent, I have the right of censorship over what my young kids saw, heard and read. And I chose to pay for what they saw, heard and read.
The distinction here is that I am paying for art that I do not want to pay for: art that I would not want my kids to be exposed to: art that, in the words of Donohue, I find offensive and insulting. And why is it okay to insult Christians? The liberal art cliche would never be exhibiting art that is offensive to Muslims – mainly out of fear of physical harm and not because it’s simply inappropriate, immoral and unacceptable. And why do this during the Christmas season?
I do think that Bill Donohue is on to something here. As much as I hate the term “hate speech” because it smacks of censorship that I think should only be limited to individual choices and not government intervention, this is the way to fight this kind of thing. Again, this is an insulting and offensive exhibit to a great many American taxpayers, including me and this is not where I choose to spend my money.
Tax payer funded institutions like the Smithsonian and NPR, are not in a position to decide what is acceptable and appropriate to the public – the public makes that decision because the public is funding them. If they want the freedom to exhibit whatever they want – pornographic, anti-Christian, whatever – then they should not be funded by the American people. There is plenty of private funding out there that they can secure.
This morning at George Mason Univeristy, Obama’s first statement was
“It’s good to be back among real patriots.”
This is the president who said he wanted to be the “president of all Americans.” But what he’s accomplished is being the most devisive presidents of all time. He fosters and nurtures that division. It’s how Alinsky-ites accomplish their ends: pitting the have-nots against the haves, the tea party against the Marxists, the people against big, ugly, greedy corporations like insurance companies. Soon it will be coal companies and oil companies. He’s already gone after Wall St. and the banks.
His legacy will not be health care for all Americans, although that is what he wants. His legacy will be that of the man who ruined America and brought her to her knees. His legacy will have no comparison or competition in the history of this nation. His legacy will be the man who destroyed the democrat party and the American dream. His legacy will be that of the man who brought America down from the greatest, most promising land on the planet to just another socialist country, gimping along with lost values and lost dreams.
His party will pay for this in November and he will pay first in 2012 and then for the rest of his life as the man who turned out the light on the brightest, greatest nation on Earth.
But come November, Boehner will be Speaker and Pelosi, will be nothing but a bad memory. Harry Reid will be home in Searchlight – that mecca of fine living in Nevada. And there WILL be pay back!
“Brace yourselves, because the war with Muslims has just begun,” 31-year-old Faisal Shahzad told a federal judge. “Consider me the first droplet of the blood that will follow.”
Stop Sharia in America
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Obamas Wisdom and Terror in the Street
"We can absorb a terrorist attack. We'll do everything we can to prevent it, but even a 9/11, even the biggest attack ever...we absorbed it and we are stronger."
Diary of a Mad Conservative 