Important note…this is NOT an endorsement of any candidate, simply a reflection on the climate for dialogue within a nation that is deeply divided and polarized.
One of the things I really dislike about election years is the vitriol that is usually spewed forth in an attempt to get people to vote for particular candidates. This year is no exception; but must it be that the voting public will always reward the candidate whose campaign launches the most mean-spirited attacks? We shall see… This excerpt from an article in “America” voices part of what bothered me as I tried to listen to speeches at the RNC:
Unfortunately, “Sarah Barracuda” failed to show the same courtesy, humility and nonpartisan respect that has characterized the Obama campaign. Whereas Barack Obama has disagreed with John McCain solely on policy issues without casting aspersions on his character and has refused to declare open season on Bristol Palin, her pregnancy and the rest of the Palin family, Sarah Palin did not hesitate to mock Obama’s role as a community organizer…
….As I watched the sea of faces light up mostly at Palin’s insults and rarely at her plans for the future, I wondered what the opposing camp would have to say.
This afternoon, Obama responded to Palin’s jabs: “I’ve been called worse on the basketball court.” When pressed about Palin’s record, he told reporters: “I’ll let Gov. Palin talk about her experience. I’ll talk about mine.”
America | The National Catholic Weekly
By the way, I’d like to note that in many ways, Jesus was a community organizer, and we all know that Pontius Pilate was the Governor. (credit for this quip belongs to someone else)
Yea, I agree…the speeches are really something, aren’t they? I think what bothers me is that I have a heard time discerning what is honest opinion and what is not. Both candidates need the votes of certain blocks, so they both sort of tailor their views so it won’t clash with the votes of the people they need. Which is understandable, since they won’t win otherwise, but it confuses me. Sometimes I get the sense that Obama is really a lot more liberal than he’s letting on, and other times I feel the exact opposite way. I know this isn’t the way things work, but I wish the candidates would just be honest with what they believed. Just come out with it, already! And it is rather ridiculous that being a community organizer is now a “bad” thing, whereas having been a soldier…well, that’s just noble!
The speech that bothered me the most was actually Cindy McCain’s. I felt it was in very poor taste to mention that she adopted her daughter from M. Teresa’s orphanage in Bangladesh. She was talking like she was some sort of saint, like she “saved” the girl. I really didn’t like that, and I thought Bridget looked terribly uncomfortable. It really looked like she was using the fact that she had adopted for political gain; “look at me, I look like an angel and I’m such a good person!” and I thought it was disgusting.
Oh, and I meant to write “hard time”, not “heard time”
Thank you for reminding me that Jesus was a community organizer
I see your coment on my blogger now. Thank you very much! I come from Korea. That’s why I’m poor at English. I’m in the Philippines now to have a exposure in the most poor area. God bless you!