Commentary By Ron Beasley
T-Steele at The Moderate Voice:
My neighbor and I both have daughters in middle school. Both of our daughters came home from school today with a permission slip asking if we wanted our children to participate (or not) in the viewing of President Obama�s �National Address To The Students� on September 11th (school recording it from September 8th). My neighbor walked over to me and said:
You got to be kidding me??
We both did not remember a time when we were kids that we needed permission slip to listen to the President of the United States. I remember we had this television system called Channel 1 back in my middle school days. On several occasions, Presidents Reagan and Bush Sr. were broadcast with pre-recorded messages of working hard, saying in school, and learning. My neighbor had the same system as well and remembered the same messages. We both shook our heads and returned to our homes.
But it's MSNBC's John Harwood that lets them have it:
The people who are afraid that Obama will indoctrinate their kids are too stupid to raise kids!
Is this really stupid in action or instead tribal rejection of an outgroup other?
ReplyDeleteThe wingnuts aren't hyperventilating over what Obama might say. They're hyperventilating over what they see as the prospect of a "demoncrap nigger" talking to their kids at all.
Of course you are right - The election broke their brains.
ReplyDeleteI never thought I'd write this, or for that matter even think it, but I'm really feeling sorry for people in the USA. I'm typing and shaking my head. What the hell is wrong down there? You've gotten rid of Bush et al but the insanity seems now to be part of your national fabric? Gads I really hope not. I really hope I'm wrong and this latest example of bizarreness is just one of those crazy bumps in your country's road to wherever. My fingers are crossed for you.
ReplyDeleteGeoff
ReplyDeleteWe are probably talking about less than 20% of the population. They are armed and dangerous and very loud. And Curmudgeon is right - their main complaint is that we have a black president. Oh, and yes they are under educated and stupid, just the way the Republican party likes their base. The thing that frightens me more is that we voted for change when we elected Obama and we seem to be marching down the same road to fascism.
that 20% is too loud and too stupid and have way too much control of the media
ReplyDeletehence this is what you get
I want to believe the problem is ignorance because information would be the antidote. Unfortunately the core of the problem is not only ignorance but fear. The remedy for fear is much harder to find and apply.
ReplyDeleteAnd terms like "stupid" are counterproductive, even when they apply.
I was out walking with a client this morning and we stopped to talk with a neighbor My client just came home from the hospital and they were talking about how nice the newly-remodeled facilities are. And out of nowhere the neighbor said "Better enjoy it now, because if Obama gets his way it'll all be gone."
"You really believe that, don't you?" I asked him.
"Sure do," said he. "I thought he was gonna do something better but he's surrounded himself with a bunch of idiots and they're gonna mess things up worse than ever."
I let it drop, realizing that nothing I could say in a few minutes would be heard or received. I heard him muttering something about "You and your Obama..." as we left, but I didn't catch the drift.
It made no difference. An otherwise ordinary guy, the man was so blinded by fear that no amount of reason or fact would change him. He was not even angry. The gates of reason had slammed shut and like a returning soldier from Iraq he has become adjusted to a new level of inchoate fear, something like being afraid of a home invasion or stroke.
distributorcap:
ReplyDeleteA mob of loud angry lunatics makes for really great Tee Vee. That's what's wrong with America and what's wrong with the media.
Hootsbuddy
ReplyDeleteFear and ignorance/stupidity go hand in hand.