Peter Bronson's whining about not getting his Conservative Propaganda onto college campuses is just the latest in what is becoming his Christian Jihad. It is not good enough for him that Business schools PREACH capitalism to the exclusion of all other forms of economic structures, except to show them in negative light. Peter seeks to insert religious power on to public universities. I suggest he stick with spending private money on religious actions like holding prayer marches.
Peter can't get his religiously based dogma pushed on campus and he is pissed. Well, I also cringe when he mentions Miami. This time he focused on UC and Xavier, which I can say thanks for not making up a false image about Miami Peter. You instead have focuses your fangs on UC whose students are more "liberal" than Miami, as is the over all campus life. Next to going to a private college, Miami is as politically conservative as a public university can get.
What is most ironic is that Bronson want equal treatment for extreme conservative views on college campuses, but when it comes to equality for homosexuals, Peter instead seeks to have the state and the federal governments oppress them. What a county.
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
Monday, March 15, 2004
Big Tent, My ASS
The Colerain Township Republican Club voted to kick Colerain Township trustee Diana Rielage out of the Republican group. She dared support a GOP opponent. A GOP office holder made one choice and is not longer good enough for the Party. Wow. I mean, if she disagrees with them on the issues, I might ask her to leave, or better yet I would just not endorse her the next time she ran for office. This just makes the Colerain GOP look childish and vindictive, but if the dancing shoe fits, I guess they are.
Local News?
This story "Angry Spain ousts leaders" is listed in the "Local News" section of the Enquirer. I think someone made a small mistake.
UPDATE: This is a relevant local story on the Spain Train Bombings.
UPDATE: This is a relevant local story on the Spain Train Bombings.
Guts
When you are running against Steve Chabot supporting Gay Marriage would seem like a political problem. Greg Harris, Democratic candidate running against Chabot,has "come out" with his support of Gay Marriage. Here in Cincinnati this takes big courage, especially in the heavily conservative Catholic Ohio 1st. The GOP will make huge hay out of this, painting Harris as the anti-Christ, devil, "liberal elitist" out to "force" his pro-gay views on the West side. It is amazing how fear is used in politics. Everyone does it, but when it is done with "hate," it takes on an increasingly bad flavor in my mouth. Chabot will win. He would have won with or without Gay Marriage, but now he will use this to march in step with the Burress's and Bronsons of the world.
Ohio, Ohio, Ohio Update
Ohio is still the focus of a political onslaught of activities. The Dayton Daily News reports on the GOP's efforts to use their Ohio delegation to push for Bush. Rob Portman is seen as key to rallying the GOP middle to get out and vote. Will Portman have any effect? Portman is not a polarizing congressman. He is not a Steve Chabot who puts himself in the middle of every hot button issue, Gay Marriage just being the latest.
If the GOP takes a Portman attitude it will be competitive in Ohio and could win with some room to spare. If Steve Chabot's methods are implored, then they can kiss off winning the state, outside of this area of course.
All of this speculation is moot if the job situation does not improve. If Ohio still has 6% unemployment come September-October, I think the GOP can kiss Ohio and the election goodbye. A simplistic analysis, but I think the main bottom line that will turn things either way. Ohio is becoming the key for the GOP. It is still not the “be all” for the Dems. Florida is the key for Kerry.
If the GOP takes a Portman attitude it will be competitive in Ohio and could win with some room to spare. If Steve Chabot's methods are implored, then they can kiss off winning the state, outside of this area of course.
All of this speculation is moot if the job situation does not improve. If Ohio still has 6% unemployment come September-October, I think the GOP can kiss Ohio and the election goodbye. A simplistic analysis, but I think the main bottom line that will turn things either way. Ohio is becoming the key for the GOP. It is still not the “be all” for the Dems. Florida is the key for Kerry.
Sunday, March 14, 2004
Axis of Evil
Would the title "A Call to Arms" or "United Against Heretics" sound better? Reading Peter Bronson's latest column, which calls for evangelical Catholics and evangelical Protestants to join forces, I could not help but hear the old hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers" in my head. Peter's column sounds like a beer hall appeal to a rival yet similar gang of thugs fight the same culture war. I was just amaze at how Bronson pushed the framing of the culture war:
What I read in this column is Bronson asking the question: "Come on conservative Christians, lets get on the same team and stamp out everyone who does not submit to our culture, our way off life, and our God." Now, does Bronson come right out and say that? Of course not. I am using some hyperbole here. I have to ask all of the conservatives out there, how can you not read that column and not think that Bronson's goal with it is to gain allies in a culture war. This is a means to paper over religious differences to further the goal of establishing a religious cultural on the society. I think what will be debatable is the means Bronson or those he quote plan on using. What I see as the means are through the use of the government, and thus by "force." Imposition of religious doctrine through government is theocracy.
I am sure I will get grief from some of my conservative and/or evangelical readers for being paranoid or over use of hyperbole, but honestly can say that Bronson?s column provides evidence to support that there is a movement out there to clamp down on people?s rights to free expression and an effort to keep homosexuals and those who don?t prescribe to an evangelical religious litmus test.
My reasons for this stem in part for the group Bronson refers to, Promise Keepers. The rhetoric from their website about their 2004 road show is either really disturbing or really over the top hyperbole:
Is this a declaration of outright war? No, it is not. Is this something that makes me nervous? Hell yes. Why would it make me nervous? Well, when people of various religions get together to denounce people for not conforming to their religion and vowing to working towards codifying their religion into law, well, that makes me just a bit nervous, especially in this town where I am sure I would be one of the first heathens locked up if Phil Burress is made Hamilton County Führer.
UPDATE: This letter to the Enquirer makes me want to scream, but also seems to point towards yet another example of a quest for theocracy:
Another speaker will be Richard John Neuhaus, one of the brightest Catholic commentators on culture and religion, and editor of First Things, a monthly that aims "to advance a religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society.''Most of what you read there is not directly from the mind of Bronson, but I think he agrees with Neuhaus completely.
That mission is hotly contested in the cultural wars. And Neuhaus is in the front lines.
Take this statement that many people intuitively "know,'' but few dare to say: "Churchgoers are, or lean toward, the Republicans, while non-churchgoers, the nonreligious and the explicitly antireligious are overwhelmingly Democrats.''
Neuhaus also lists the issues that divide America like barbed wire: "abortion, faith-based initiatives, the impossibility of same-sex marriage, parental choice in education, and the belief that God intends the world to be free, toward which end the U.S. is morally obliged to play a part, even the leading part.''
What I read in this column is Bronson asking the question: "Come on conservative Christians, lets get on the same team and stamp out everyone who does not submit to our culture, our way off life, and our God." Now, does Bronson come right out and say that? Of course not. I am using some hyperbole here. I have to ask all of the conservatives out there, how can you not read that column and not think that Bronson's goal with it is to gain allies in a culture war. This is a means to paper over religious differences to further the goal of establishing a religious cultural on the society. I think what will be debatable is the means Bronson or those he quote plan on using. What I see as the means are through the use of the government, and thus by "force." Imposition of religious doctrine through government is theocracy.
I am sure I will get grief from some of my conservative and/or evangelical readers for being paranoid or over use of hyperbole, but honestly can say that Bronson?s column provides evidence to support that there is a movement out there to clamp down on people?s rights to free expression and an effort to keep homosexuals and those who don?t prescribe to an evangelical religious litmus test.
My reasons for this stem in part for the group Bronson refers to, Promise Keepers. The rhetoric from their website about their 2004 road show is either really disturbing or really over the top hyperbole:
In UPRISING: The Revolution of a Man's Soul, Promise Keepers boldly invites you to join the revolution. Find your true purpose and destiny in the pursuit of the passion and character of God. Be a part of a revolution that changes a life of imitation and mediocrity into one of passion and character...a radical revolt that will forever change the world! Register today!I think they chose poor language in describing things as an uprising. It has notions of violence and war, something that I thought Christianity was supposed to be against.
Is this a declaration of outright war? No, it is not. Is this something that makes me nervous? Hell yes. Why would it make me nervous? Well, when people of various religions get together to denounce people for not conforming to their religion and vowing to working towards codifying their religion into law, well, that makes me just a bit nervous, especially in this town where I am sure I would be one of the first heathens locked up if Phil Burress is made Hamilton County Führer.
UPDATE: This letter to the Enquirer makes me want to scream, but also seems to point towards yet another example of a quest for theocracy:
Church-birth control ruling is profanityViolations of any commandments are something that I hope no government sponsored court ever worries about.
Regarding the article "Court to charity: Offer birth-control coverage" (March 2), the California Supreme Court ruling that Roman Catholic charities must pay for birth-control coverage insurance for employees is sinful violation of religious freedom. It is profanity.
To claim God and religion can be separated from education philosophy, civic life or from government is not only atheistic secularism, it is blasphemy. It violates both the First and Second Commandments, along with the First Amendment of our U.S. Constitution.
It would also be sinful for church officials to pay for such evil insurance.
Robert J. Conlon, Loveland
Why We Fight the Culture Wars
It has occurred to me that with all of the recent talk about religion in government, gay marriage, abortion, etc, that there has to be some kind of underlying cause or enabler of the culture wars. Why do people feel threatened? I think the reasons fall at what I would call the nationalization of American Culture. What that means is the changes over the last 50 years, post WWII mostly, where regional differences in everything has been shrinking and doing it fast, relatively speaking for a country's culture.
What I mean by culture really falls into what we consume. The biggest influence there is obviously what media we consume and even how we do it. The media has followed suit with almost all other industries into national corporate entities whose market reaches the entire country.
The nationwide reach of industries is what makes life everywhere more the same every day. Back when I was a kid you could go on vacation just a few states away and things were different. Different TV stations, different restaurants, different foods in the grocery stores, different actual grocery stores. Instead we now have the same things and I think the conservatives, more specifically the evangelical religious conservatives feel they are in regions of the country where the power structure of those corporations does not live. Their motivation then is to cut out the middleman and go for government control of certain aspects of their desired culture. That is where the theocracy comes to fruition. What it reminds me of is the communist movement. The problem with the communists is that they want their system of government/economics imposed on everyone. That is exactly what theocracy seeks to do. That is why this is a culture ?war,? but also something getting to look more like a civil war.
Ok, I am starting to sound apocalyptic, but maybe I am just prophetic instead. Maybe a power struggle is starting. It is not like I am the only person saying such things. We hear chicken-littles all the time talk about the Patriot Act and police states and my eyes roll. I see the Patriot Act as an infringement of our rights, but not an extreme one that is out to create a police state. When I add the Patriot Act with the ?Army? forming to serve in the Culture wars, then I start to think otherwise. Springer is getting the boot all of the sudden from WLWT. Howard Stern, WEBN, and Bubba the Love Sponge all getting grief. Are we headed to something worse than just a war of words?
What I mean by culture really falls into what we consume. The biggest influence there is obviously what media we consume and even how we do it. The media has followed suit with almost all other industries into national corporate entities whose market reaches the entire country.
The nationwide reach of industries is what makes life everywhere more the same every day. Back when I was a kid you could go on vacation just a few states away and things were different. Different TV stations, different restaurants, different foods in the grocery stores, different actual grocery stores. Instead we now have the same things and I think the conservatives, more specifically the evangelical religious conservatives feel they are in regions of the country where the power structure of those corporations does not live. Their motivation then is to cut out the middleman and go for government control of certain aspects of their desired culture. That is where the theocracy comes to fruition. What it reminds me of is the communist movement. The problem with the communists is that they want their system of government/economics imposed on everyone. That is exactly what theocracy seeks to do. That is why this is a culture ?war,? but also something getting to look more like a civil war.
Ok, I am starting to sound apocalyptic, but maybe I am just prophetic instead. Maybe a power struggle is starting. It is not like I am the only person saying such things. We hear chicken-littles all the time talk about the Patriot Act and police states and my eyes roll. I see the Patriot Act as an infringement of our rights, but not an extreme one that is out to create a police state. When I add the Patriot Act with the ?Army? forming to serve in the Culture wars, then I start to think otherwise. Springer is getting the boot all of the sudden from WLWT. Howard Stern, WEBN, and Bubba the Love Sponge all getting grief. Are we headed to something worse than just a war of words?
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