Friday, March 25, 2005

Gah

Okay Tom.. deep breathing. Happy thoughts....

So Fox News had John Edwards (the biggest douche in the universe) on to talk about Terri Schiavo. John Edwards, of course, is the person who got rich making people believe he can talk to dead people. Fox should have asked him why he isn't solving every murder that's under investigation because he should be able to ask the victim who did it, right? I'm pretty sure O.J. did it, but could somebody please ask Edwards to check with Nicole so we know for sure?

Edwards says "it doesn't work that way". Of course not. It only works in vague generalities in which he can sort of ask questions until he hits the right answer.

Edwards - "I'm getting a name.. muh.. muh.. muh.."

Poor grief stricken family member - "Mary? Her name is Mary!"

Edwards - "Mary says hello"

Audience - APPLAUSE

Tom - rolls his eyes and bangs his head on his desk

The people at Fox have completely lost their minds inviting Edwards on. It's supposed to be a NEWS network. Holy jeebus they've gone bat-shit-crazy.

Yesterday Terri's brother appeared on CNN, and he actually said (I'm not joking or making this up) that during the day Terri spoke to him. I'm not kidding. He actually said that on CNN. So, one of two things is happening. Either Terri is actually conscious enough to talk to him and, if that's the case, what is happening is a huge mistake. Or - he's loosing his mind and making things up.

Seeing how her cerebral cortex is gone, and she is in a persistent vegetative state - and she hasn't said a word in 15 years, I'm thinking.. umm... ya.. I'm thinking the brother is loosing his mind.

And so we knew it was only a matter of time before those wacky Christian scumbags started using the slow death of a vegetative woman to their financial benefit.

Videotape of Terri Schiavo blinking at her parents has inspired donations from people around the country to the foundation set up to help pay for the family's legal battle. But many other groups are soliciting donations in her name as well, some for a much broader agenda.

"Help Save Terri Schiavo's Life!" says the Web site of the Traditional Values Coalition, a Christian conservative group best known for its campaigns against gay rights. Next to a link to the Web site of her parents' foundation is a pitch to "become an active supporter of the Traditional Values Coalition by pledging a monthly gift."

"What this issue has done is it has galvanized people the way nothing could have done in an off-election year," said Rev. Lou Sheldon, the founder of the group, acknowledging that the case of Ms. Schiavo, a severely brain-damaged Florida woman, had moved many to open up their checkbooks. "That is what I see as the blessing that dear Terri's life is offering to the conservative Christian movement in America."
Question: What's sadder - Christian groups asking for money, or people sending it to them?

Do we all see what's going on here now? The issues are pretty cut and dried. My concern is for the unemotional and fair application of the law. I'm concerned about the government getting involved in personal end of life decisions. I want to make sure the state can't force anyone to stay alive who doesn't want to by forcing medical care on them.

By the way.. I just want to state that what I just said there - that's a conservative viewpoint. At least that's what the conservative position used to be before the death of Barry Goldwater conservatism.

The concern of the Republicans and the Christians is two fold. It's political gain, and it's financial gain. They want to make sure they assume more power over your life, keep the power, and finance their power.

So I had been thinking about the criteria you can use to know if a person is genuine or not. Is John Edwards genuine? If you watch a preacher on television, is he genuine? How about the church you go to? Is anyone who you can't empirically evaluate genuine? Ask one question. Are they making a lot of money off it? If the answer is yes, they are lying.

Does John Edwards live in a mansion? Does he charge $70 a ticket to go see him? Yes, he's a fraud. Enjoy - but realize you're paying for entertainment.

Do all the religious freaks on the news care about Terri? No - they care about their own notoriety, power, organization, money.

Do the news networks care about Terri? No - they care about ratings, and advertiser money. They like blowing things out of proportion to get you to watch. I admit, I've watched, sort of out of a morbid curiosity. I mean - I got to see Fox NEWS (that's news) bring in John Edwards for expert commentary and I could hardly stop laughing. It was worth watching.

Do the politician's care about Terri? No - I find their remarks to be the most humorous though.

Do I care about Terri? Well, I really don't know who she is, so I have about the same level of empathy for her that I have for any person in the news who experienced a tragedy. No more, no less.

However, I do care in the sense that it has exposed a lot of people for what they are, and has somewhat renewed my faith in America. If you looked at the polls over the last few years, on most every issue American's have been nearly evenly divided. The close election demonstrates that. But - when the Republican's and the religious freak show pull out all the stops, American's do begin to notice that there is some serious craziness afoot.

So I end up back at my point from yesterday. Because we are confident in our political points of view, we need to continue to shape the thought in this country. We do that by winning political offices. We do that by being ruthless in politics. That's why I say - take this as an opportunity to really let loose the dogs of war, and paint them as One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest crazy.

I used to not be so politically cynical. I used to believe if you presented rational points of view to the public, you would win them over, and you would win office. Since the 2000 election, I see that isn't true anymore. It's time we really get nasty because American's don't understand truth. They understand perception. If the perception is that the Republican party, and evangelical Christians are insane, political success will follow.

Jon Stewart makes sense of it all.. or the absurdity of it. Just watch this:

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