Extremists with very bad manners

Ex-military gear, Cherry Bomb, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Ca suffit! I am back from London and furious. And it has nothing to do with the fire in the Eurostar tunnel forcing me to take a very expensive flight from London Heathrow to Dusseldorf, Germany, to catch a connecting flight to Paris. Bad weather conditions in Germany make the initial flight two hours late departing, causing myself and 20 other Paris-bound passengers to spend the night in Dusseldorf. My mood has nothing to do with having little sleep, then getting on a 7 a.m. flight to Paris.

It has everything to do with the divisive us vs. them mentality deliberately being perpetuated by John McCain and his campaign. While I believe strongly in our constitutional right of freedom of speech, I also believe that when one expresses his or her views, respect is necessary. Knowing what you're talking about also helps.

Dissent, yes; incoherent rantings, no.

This week I began moderating comments on Paris Parfait, due to a few readers who seem determined to bend the world to their will - never mind the facts. For some reason these people have decided they own the high moral ground. They believe that they are right and that everyone else should just fall into line behind them, just because they say so. But they can't offer any sound arguments to support their views, so they resort to vile name-calling and abuse.

I have deleted these crazed "comments" to spare readers from the venom.

I grew up in a small Southern town not much larger than the one in which Sarah Palin was mayor. While I was exposed to racism, I didn't become a bigot, nor did my friends. In fact we actively campaigned against racial prejudice, supporting a Republican candidate who defeated the notorious racist governor of our state. I am a member of a Presbyterian church, but these days I embrace more of a spiritual philosophy, rather than staying within the confines of organised religion. I have friends from all faiths and respect their right to worship - or not - as they choose. But when it comes to politics, we shouldn't care about any of that, because the separation of church and state is one of the powerful principles on which the United States was founded.

I detest right-wing extremists who think religion should dictate our government. These small-minded people are exactly like their Muslim fundamentalist counterparts, who want to impose their strict religious views on society. And all of them are dangerous.

In their flag-waving showy-patriotism world, they want to set us back 100 years. They believe everything their candidates tell them, without stopping to question whether or not it's true. They want women's right to choose taken away, no matter the dire circumstances. They want to dictate what's taught in schools and ban books from public libraries. They want to stifle the free press; stamp out free speech and stem freedom of religion. In other words, they aim to rip apart the very fabric of our Constitution and its freedoms.

These so-called evangelicals are separatist and racist and believe their like-minded friends should have special privileges. They want to stop stem-cell research, even though it could ultimately lead to a cure for some of the world's most baffling diseases. With their "holier than thou" attitude, they talk and talk and talk about family values, but don't even know what the term means. Their views on sexuality don't respect the rights and choices of others. They don't understand the first thing about war's terrible toll and our tattered reputation on the world stage.

They know little about science, yet somehow are convinced that global warming has nothing to do with our actions. They think hurricanes and natural disasters are Divine punishment for our sins. They don't know much about the economy and never stop to wonder why in the richest country in the world, so many children are left behind. They don't concern themselves about their fellow citizens going to bed hungry, nor do they spare a thought about  health care and higher education being unaffordable for millions. They don't question why more and more people are losing their jobs and their homes and finding it difficult to pay bills. They probably haven't traveled much, because they have no clue about how the rest of the world lives - nor do they care to learn. In their world, everything is black and white. But the real world is bursting with color.

If these right-wingers really were Christian - in the true sense of the word - then they would know that Jesus Christ preached tolerance, acceptance and understanding - not hatred and division.

We reap what we sow. And at Paris Parfait, I will not help you spread seeds of hatred. Dissent is welcome; poisoning the atmosphere with threats and warnings is not. Go play in your own pristine backyard.

Related links here and here. More here, here, here and here.

Back soon with photos from London.

Comments

[Paris Parfait]

To the commenter who declines to provide his or her identity:

Your last comment was a bit too long to publish. But I am happy to debate the issues, point by point with you. However it is my policy not to engage in dialogue unless I know the identify of the person with whom I'm "speaking." It is my belief that those who have the courage of their convictions should not fear the consequences of speaking out publicly. I find comments submitted either under assumed names or anonymously a bit creepy and won't waste my time - or the readers' patience - engaging with those who prefer to remain in the shadows.

[Placid]

And that explains where my comments went...
Wow. You really are the "perfect" member of the media/journalism. Print what you want, cover the rest if it doesn't square with your vision of what you want to think.
Just answer this: what part are YOU now playing in censorship? You say you are now moderating because you 'won't have any part in helping them spread their hatred...' -- sounds like convenient censorship. Perhaps the truth is, some of what we said is an 'inconvenient truth' that you just don't want to let your supports read. Wow. And I thought only the "far right" were the censors... I don't know what others wrote, but I know for sure that nothing I wrote was any more slanted or mean-spirited than what you write routinely about McCain and those who don't have the same world view as you. Yes, this is YOUR blog, and thankfully freedom of speech allows you to maintain it and write whatever YOU believe, so censor (oh, sorry -- I mean "moderate") to your heart's content, so I shall assume this comment will most likely also get shoved under the rug like all my others, but I hope YOU will read it anyway. Just think about it for a moment, if nothing else.

Tara responds:
In the interest of fairness, I've published your comment, even though you have declined to identify yourself and have used a fake email address and name. If you're really so sure of everything you say, why won't you use your real name? And what I have written about John McCain is the truth, whether you like it or not.

[My Castle in Spain]

I just have 1 word : BRAVO Tara !!!

[Laura]

We Democrats have GOT to figure out a way to deal with the right wing slime machine. I confess I'm in despair, angry, and stumped. It's happening again that the Hate Spreaders are winning.

[Carol]

Well said :-) You put what I think about these right wing evangelicals much better than I could.

[amber]

I think I missed these comments... (you didn't mean ME right??lol!)

I thought of you this morning when I saw a button that said:

"Jesus was a Comunity Organizer. Pontis Pilot was a govenor."

haha! That IS funny.

:)

[RD]

It appears that the Republican party is once again polarizing this country in an election year. It never ceases to amaze me to what lengths the Karl Rovians will go to in order to get their way. A couple of years ago I actually thought I could live with John McCain as president if we had to once again have a Republican White House. I found him to be reasonable, moderate and enough of his own man to stand up to the Cheney-Bush machine. I've been utterly disappointed, and enraged, at his about-face in the last year. He's sold his soul. Also, just so that your readers understand that not all devout Christians have lost their minds (or their souls), check out www.Matthew25.org. Here is a group of prominent Christian leaders from all walks who support Obama, as well as other candidates who reflect the core values of caring for those most vulnerable.

[Linda Crispell]

You are my new best friend!!! We may have to move to France if things don't go our way in November. I'm sure they have already fixed this election too.
Linda

[Wonders Never Cease]

You write it so well. Amen.

[Lynne Rutter]

why can't these people keep to the high road without fear of failure? the media and politicians routinely underestimate americans and play to their fears. the people making negative comments on your blog are just buying what they are selling. lemmings!
what's more? they made up their mind months ago, as did i. all this mud-slinging is not necessary.

i used to have a modicum of respect for mr. mccain, but since winning the nomination he has quickly turned into a conflicted, fear-mongering party puppet. the win-no-matter-what mentality is insulting to to everyone on both sides of the argument. obama is forced to defend himself and lower his gaze. the negative retaliation ads have already started appearing and i could not be more disappointed.

just be thankful you aren't here with your phone ringing off the hook with political messages and tv and radio ads with that horror movie voiceover spewing BS. from here out my TV is off, my phone is off the hook. i won't watch these people degrade themselves any further.

[Amy {berriehead}]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080913/ap_on_el_pr/obama_waffles;_ylt=An69Uyszidt_.mUsGKgbPyZh24cA

what???? Have you seen this? I just got home from Barnes & Noble in town and I noticed that all of the Obama books on the shelf were upside down:( someone had to have done that on purpose...and on the very first table when walking into the store they had front and center....the conservatives Obama book, so I picked the little stack of them up and quietly moved them to the back of the store! hahahahahahahahha!

[Michaele]

Brava!

[Judy in KY]

You have expressed so well what many of us are thinking. Thank you!
I think about this every day... I run into so many evangelicals who just have minds
that are locked shut. It really is discouraging.

[LiLi M.]

Hi Tara, I have about 500+ blogs in my reader, mostly written by clever and creative women. Is it a coincidence that the ones that write about politics are all in favour of Obama? Are there no creative and bright right wing followers having interesting blogs? Apparantly not! It seems to me that right wing and creative and/or bright is a contradictio in terminis. It is pathetic that people have to use blogs of other people like yours to ventilate their ideas in the comments.
Keep those interesting and well thought over posts, that are respectful to all, coming, no matter what comments, though I think you are right to moderate comments that are disrespectfull to whatever group in our world.
I have written in the introduction of myself in my blog that I don't like narrow minded people. Everybody has to widen their horizon as much as possible. Respect all!

[Gemma]

While I am outside U.S. politics physically, spiritually there is great similarity on the world stage. There is always a party that keeps to a narrow, belligerent, noisy truth that can only apply to some concocted, controlled laboratory situation. And even then, the laboratory is monitored by a dogmatic few. Thankfully, we don't live in such a laboratory, and I, for one, never intend to do so.

[My Mélange]

You always put my thoughts into words, right before my very eyes!!!

Thank you Tara!!!

I have watched Palin's "interview" and McCain's appearance on The View, this week.

It is getting scarier- I am hoping more and more people realize that from now until November!

You are lucky you live in Paris right now :)

[tangobaby]

“When fascism comes to America, it’ll be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross” — Sinclair Lewis

Tara, I admire you so much for how clearly you express yourself and maintain a thinking person's approach to a grotesque political situation that is propelled and inflamed by such small-minded and fearful people. Whether you moderate comments or not, they must understand that their invective would never sway the minds of millions of people who value logic, facts and the critical examination of what the past eight years have done to bring down this nation, the one that they claim to love so much. We would read their comments and see that they come from deluded and brainwashed minds and NO ONE will be converted to their reasoning unless lobotomies become enforced.

The link below is to a site that is only 10 days old. It has received over 100,000 comments in such a short time and I think you will be thrilled to see what is there. This race is far from over, and we cannot assume that this race will be hijacked yet.

http://womenagainstsarahpalin.blogspot.com/

[Rosa]

I can always count on you to chose your words wisely, unlike many who just seem to vent their own frustrations with their inner conflicts. Thanks Tara.

[Di Overton]

As you Americans say - WAY TO GO GIRL or as we say in the UK - WELL SAID. After dinner with you and David last week you enlightened me so much on the American way in politics and it really scared me. America is still one powerful nation and to think that these bigots could continue to affect everyone of us is more than disturbing.
Your experience and political knowledge are a gift to us all - THANK YOU.
As for your Euro Tunnel experience - I missed it by a week but you have all my sympathy as I know a night in Dusseldorf was not on the agenda.
WELCOME BACK

[Gail Lannum]

Very well said indeed!!

[Sharon]

Well put Tara. For me this election is really a choice between hate and hope. With his grotesque lies and distortions, McCain is appealing to the very worst in people.

[JanePoet ~ JP/deb]

Well said. I agree with your decision not to let this space be a place for hatred ....

We have to take a stand.

And for those who use Christianity or any other religion as vehicle for intolerance, hate and bigotry - shame on you.

Peace,
JP/deb

[Colette]

BRAVO a hundred times! How dare these people call themselves "Christians" and blather on about "personal relationships with Jesus" when they are subverting him and his message and all that he stood for. How dare they! The are anti-Christians. Period.

Free speech is one thing. Lies are another. Free speech does not give anyone the right to lie, and barefacedly at that.

Again, Bravo!

[Amy {berriehead}]

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS is exactly what I have been thinking but could never come close to writing it as well as you:) THANK YOU!

I truly believe that if obama does not win, it is because of the right wing racists, or just racists in general...most of them hide behind the flag chanting patriotism to try to hide it....I hope my country can come out of the fog of the last 8 years....remember that all religions are spose to have a place in our country, and gov...should respect all of them not just one.....

[Marilyn]

Thank you Tara!
That couldn't have been said more perfectly.