Let's make fun of Trump, bash him, etc. while we can!

[Bob Butler 54]

(08-26-2016, 03:17 PM)Mikebert Wrote:

Bob Butler Wrote:You are all too correct in that many values issues are resolved by force, either political or physical.  You failed to mention courtesy and tolerance.

These are not a resolution.  The issue remains, it simply is avoided.

Quote:These too are part of a culture's world view and values system.  If one encounters something one doesn't like, is it really necessary to call a lawyer or to throw a rock?  Can smiling, wishing the other guy well and walking away be a possibility that should at least be considered?

Sure.  But lots of people won’t do that.  They will bring suit as advocates of gay marriage did and as  some who did not like a vendor being unwilling to provide services at a gay wedding did.  And as black folks at a lunch counter in 1960 did. In all these cases they could have walked away, but they did not and so things like this are no longer necessary.  Would you change that for the sake of comity?

I'm not an expert on the Alt-Right.  From what I gather, they are not one movement, but a mix of associated movements.  One of these is a a defense of white male culture.  It is proposed that in recent times, if any minority, gender or similar group other than white male heterosexuals wants to get together and celebrate their identity, the liberal left will applaud, help them find a room on campus, lend them some balloons and streamers, and the minority subculture will be welcomed to celebrate.  (This might even involve guys dancing in white dresses.)  On the other hand, if it is noted that a founding father who did much good for the country owned slaves, or that a president of the United States was racist in a way that was normal for his time but is no longer acceptable, the liberals will try to tear down monuments, remove names from college buildings, and otherwise diminish and demean all that white males have done for America.

Further, if a group gathers together and attempts to preserve a bit of traditional America, perhaps opposing the building of a mosque on a street that otherwise features traditional victorian architecture, you get another set of tensions.  "Welcome diversity!" says the liberals.  "Preserve tradition and heritage!" says some of the Alt Right.

We are becoming a hyper sensitive conflict seeking intolerant country.  I don't have a lot of sympathy for white males heterosexuals feeling picked on.  I'm a white male heterosexual myself.  I've had some traditional prerogatives and am willing to show a little extra courtesy and respect to other groups who haven't habitually been on the sunny side of easy street.  My instinct isn't to sympathize with haves who want more.  At the same time, some liberal culture warriors are being more a pain in the ass than they really have to be.  If I'm making reasonable attempts to show respect and some hypersensitive champion of political correctness decides to imagine a slight and make a fuss, I'll suggest that sometime it's the militant aggressively pushing political correctness that is at fault.

This isn't worth violence.  Nobody ought to be drawing guns and shooting each other over the question of whether a college building must be renamed, or a statue be removed.  It's barely worth getting lawyers involved, though if you must you must.

As a whole I've seen too much of this sort of thing, and don't want to see it blow up into another excuse for people to not get along.  From your comment on guys dancing in white dresses, perhaps you disagree.  Perhaps you think any excuse to become an obnoxious (expletive deleted) is a good excuse.  I think we could do more courtesy and mellow.

(08-26-2016, 03:17 PM)Mikebert Wrote:

Quote:There might be one effective logical, rational and scientific question to ask.  What would Jesus do?

Which is an unknowable thing as there are no reliable records of what Jesus would do in various situations. Amongst our extant manuscripts there exist more differences than there are words in the New Testament.

First, you deleted the smiley on the above quote.  The smiley was part of the message.

Second, yes, it is impossible to know precisely what His message was.  The apostles had different agendas and slants.  We've had a couple of millennia of churchmen with agendas spinning The Message in nigh on every way imaginable.  Your typical guy on the street asking himself what Jesus would do likely wouldn't be able to justify his answer before a tenured academic tribunal of Jesus experts.

Third...  Can you come up with a better question?  While everyone and his sister will have a different spin on Jesus, what other question would pull out the best side of a typical American's sense of morality, peace and justice?  Hey, I haven't got Religion at the top of my values chain.  It's at the bottom.  I'm not proposing to invoke religious law and bring back the Inquisition.  Still, not every question can be answered using scientific methods.

Given our culture, if one wants someone to consider if he is doing the proper moral thing, it's not a dumb question.

Or do you want morality, peace and justice?  Are you one of those angry white male heterosexuals who wants to bully and make sure his culture and manners remain dominant?  To show courtesy respect is to diminish the amount of respect other groups have to show you?

If I were Jesus, first I would expect you to kneel and subjugate yourself before me...   NOT!