The O'Reilly Factor (of the Fox Network) is, of course, well known for handing megaphones to those of far-right political orientation, and a recent appearance by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich reaffirms why "The Factor" is just where this cultural Neanderthal belongs. Newt has knocked a few of us liberals right back to reality by revealing just how brazen the tongue of this ultra conservative icon can truly be.
Just as it appears Gingrich may be moderating his image by acknowledging some of the mistakes and excesses of his own Republican Party, Newt has retrenched and reverted to his tried-and-true methods of inane bloviating. His latest ideological gem assigns the volatile label of "fascist" to gays seeking equal rights and secularists seeking the separation of church and state. In doing so, Gingrich has officially removed himself from consideration for the office of Arbiter-General for Morality and Reason.
Newt suffers from the same affliction most of the rest of the tyrannical religious majority does: he doesn't understand that he and his kind are not the only ones living in this country. They believe we all live in the United States of God-Fearing Christians as opposed to the United States of America. Their intellectual integrity is challenged by concepts like pluralism, equality and fairness. They don't comprehend the absurdity of advocating for a virtual theocracy while living in an evolving democracy.
Newt claims gays and secularists are trying to "impose their will on the rest of us." He can't quite seem to wrap his head around the fact that the religious have been imposing their will on the rest of us for two hundred years! Gays and secularists want nothing more than to be freed from the cultural, legal and political underground to which they have been relegated for far too long. Newt has it backwards. Gays and secularists have been discriminated against, ostracized, marginalized and totally subordinated for no other reason than the fact that those of the religious right think this country belongs to them.
One hundred and fifty years ago this country believed slavery was a legitimate enterprise and Blacks were naturally inferior to Whites . . . A hundred years ago men believed women had no place in the palace of politics . . . Fifty years ago straight people believed gays were morally bankrupt and had no place in society . . . For two hundred years religious people believed this country was theirs and atheists and secularists were virtual demons. Times change. The moral zeitgeist marches on.
Rest assured another one hundred years from now history will judge the Newt Gingriches of the world to have been as tragically misguided as those who owned slaves, refused citizens the right to vote, celebrated the hatred of homosexuals, and demonized atheists and free thinkers. Without missing a step, the moral zeitgeist will continue its methodical march onward and upward.
Singing Donkey!
10 years ago
I wish I could join you in your enthusiasm when you say that the Newt Gingrich's of the world will come to accept those of us who do not follow their drummer.
ReplyDeleteWe are good people, but not as far as the Christian world is concerned.
My best friend scoped me out before she made the dive to be my friend. She dropped her daughter off, for she had to go to a meeting. Her husband was going to come by after work and pick up her daughter.
It took me years later to realize she was checking me out. Not to see if I kept a clean house (which I do) but she was curious to see if I had pentagrams on my floor and killed chickens in the backyard as sacrifices.
She openly admitted it that that was her sole purpose. She now knows I am an upstanding citizen, even though I am not a Christian, but it goes to show you how still we are judged.
I hope it does not take 100 years to get to that place, but I think it may even take longer.