Using Scandal And The Imperfect Messenger To Win The American Culture War
May 10th 2009 12:38
See, the human mind is kind of like... a piñata. When it breaks open, there are a lot of surprises inside. Once you get the piñata perspective, you see that losing your mind can be a peak experience.
~Jane Wagner
~Jane Wagner
In a week of diversions from the realities of the dangerous world that surrounds us, I felt it was my duty to dive into the dirty mucks of conversation that defines our culture.
A culture of black and white where right is right and wrong is wrong and a person is either with “the cause” or against it.
A shade of gray doesn’t exist in this world and neither does any discretion for youthful mistakes where a camera happened to be present.
In this world standing up for what we personally believe is no longer acceptable and acceptance for another person’s religious beliefs has been replaced with expectations of agreement before the question has even been asked.
My take on this whole “Miss California” issue is one filled with disappointment in a “blood in the water” society for not taking the unique opportunity to expand the conversation and resorting to the typical witch hunt to win the battle.
The battle between proponents of extremism who believe that Gay marriage issue should only be argued in terms of a civil rights agenda and not one of a society finding a new road for all citizens being respected for our inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Instead of asking the questions of civil unions vs. that of mandated marriages we chose to throw the forces against each other expecting the spark to start a fire.
Unfortunately for the beauty queen who had just entered the cusp of her career the fire came straight to her door step. The fire that needles its way into our personal lives on a dirt digging expedition in an effort only to bring down those that are willing to stand up for something instead of sitting on the sidelines.
I personally commend this woman for standing up and saying what was in her heart regardless of the consequences it may bring to her career and personal life but it also makes me question what has become of our society.
Can we no longer look controversy in the face and say that we respectfully disagree with a person’s answer to a philosophical question?
It has become glaringly obvious that debate has been replaced with personal attacks and no public figure is safe.
It brings us a sick kind of joy when we watch a public figure whose reputation is surrounded by justice, intelligence, power, beauty or goodness exposed into the ugly realities of life.
There is not one person on this earth who can honestly say that they are clean from mistakes that could change public perception of their persona.
Blogger after blogger who resurrected the term “hypocrite” for photos that show no more than what we would see in the racy swim suit competition that was part of her coronation should be ashamed of them selves for bringing out the worst in our society.
When we dirt dig, point fingers and create elements of friction about an issue that no one wants to talk about in rational conversation it only makes the divide even deeper.
It’s not the passage of civil rights legislation but conversation that will help us find a better place where Americans of every lifestyle can co-exist, love and reach a higher point of understanding.
What we have going on in this topic of bringing down those who stand up for their religious beliefs is a systematic war to bring down the institution of religion in itself.
A backlash from centuries of aspects of our society feeling as if they were being judged for non religious belief has boiled into a taking of arms to expose what they would like to call the “hypocrisy of religion”.
This clouded war is apparent in our media, on our street corners, friction in government and daily conversation.
Anytime the word hypocrisy is used it fly’s through the air like a poison dart without making the mark of its intended consequences.
The fall of one politician or beauty queen isn’t the signal for victory on one side of the issue or the other.
I found no comfort in the media free for all over John Edwards affair no more than I found solace in the fact that a conservative woman who stood up for the family values she was raised with was exposed with “revealing” pictures from her youth.
Using scandal to make arguments does nothing for one side to win or make us better as a country. In actuality this practice only creates walls of fear and secrecy in a politically correct world where the average American is afraid to stand up and speak their beliefs for fear of reprisal.
A world where we can’t stand up and say what we believe in our hearts gets us closer to visions of Stalin or Adolf Hitler.
The first amendment was put into the Constitution for the simple reason of giving each and every American a chance to have their say in the country that was built for us.
When we divert from our framers intentions by creating an atmosphere where people are afraid to say what’s in their hearts we creep closer to losing this dream of our founders.
In today’s fast paced society the agenda on the chopping block of today’s news block may be in judgment of a beauty queen or a former presidential hopeful for this hour but if the will of the people is to stand in judgment of these people for their beliefs today what is your reaction going to be tomorrow when it’s your cause that is being ignored or put to the side because of the scandal of an imperfect messenger?
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