« August 2005 | Main | October 2005 »
September 22, 2005
Well, I think I'm officially an ex-Catholic
I've (obviously) never agreed with the Vatican's theology of homosexuality (or any sexuality for that matter) but I do respect it. The Pope has always walked the walk on so many issues (matching opposition to abortion with opposition for the death penalty; displaying respect for life by opposing needless war) that it's difficult to deny the integrity of the argument, but the new policy on gays in the priesthood is so callow and repulsive as to be unworthy of even the most basic level of respect.
I won't even go near the homosexual=pedophile equation which is demonstrably false and as anti-rational as any Intelligent Design proponent could ever hope to be. What really enrages me is the unspoken attitude that gays are somehow beyond the reach or God's grace or redemption. Not only does it make gays less than human, unfit for an incapable of the most basic spiritual revelation, it's the grossest possible insult to pay to God himself: to say that the sacrements themselves are impotent to be acted through these people.
This is the most shameful kind of hackish theology and justifies virtually every attack that has ever been mounted to the authority of the Church.
Posted by Drew at 11:51 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 21, 2005
Hannah! Hannah! Hannah!
Well, It's official. Hannah Schneider is the best teacher ever. Today, she was named the "Teacher of the Year" at Woodruff Elementary in Helena, Arkansas.
Hannah. Rules.
Posted by Drew at 11:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 14, 2005
Legal Analysis from Someone Who Once Read a Law Book
As I am a terrible employee, I've been listening to almost all of the hearings on Judge Roberts. A few notes:
- Joe Biden, please calm down.
- It's a sad day when my favorite Senator is Lindsay Graham. (Not because I agree with him, but because I think he's willing to say things that are inconvenient to his own position if they're true.)
- What a strange little dance this is. He won't answer the qestion everyone wants to ask ("Will you overturn Roe v. Wade?") so everyone tries to ask him in the most roundabout way they can think of. It's like trying to pry a secret from a four year old. And failing.
- The only thing he actually said was how he disapproves of citing international law in decisions. That means his only unequivocal statement was a big sloppy kiss to the Right.
- Of course he did say that married couples have the right to birth control, so I guess that's something. Scalia thinks married couples deserve only strict constructionist birth control. Ouch.
- Listen Senator Coburn. I'm tired of partisan rancor and division too, but anyone who calls for the death penalty for abortion providers isn't exactly lunging for the middle ground.
- All things being equal, I say just confirm him already. He can't be much more conservative than the guy he's replacing.
- Of course, all things aren't equal. Bush (for whom I've just given up having any sense of respect at all) is winding up to appoint another conservative for the O'Connor seat just as soon as people forget about how badly he handled Katrina. So, I guess Roberts needs to be beaten up to send a message. How strange the similarities between politics and organized crime . . .
Posted by Drew at 09:18 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
September 01, 2005
I'm just saying . . .
If the Super Dome was full of rich, white people, they'd be out by now. I understand the magnitude of the situation, but after 9-11, the President adressed both houses of Congress, the every show on television took a break from its schedule, and the Red Cross had lines around the block. President Bush's half-hearted speech yesterday only underscores the fact that the full power of the federal government has in no way been turned to this problem. America just isn't all that upset about this situation.
Of course, there isn't really much reason to be surprised. Last week the richest country in the world allowed thirteen percent of its population to exist in poverty. Why should we start worrying about it now? Poor black people on the street? What else is new?
The problems in New Orleans should not be unexpected. They are merely the latest anecdotal evidence (on a truly devestating scale) of a systemic problem. We've built a country, from George Washington on down, in which we've come to accept that poverty and inequality are part of the package. Since the end of the progressive movement at the beginning of the 20th century, the assumtion that some Americans will exist in nearly sub-human conditions has come to be accepted as gospel. Yes, it's expensive to try to lift 30 million people out of poverty, but it's shameful that we've let that argument trump every other.
When the levees in New Orleans get rebuilt, they'll be made stronger than they were before, but I wonder if that get-it-right-this-time attitude will apply to the rest of the city. I suspect that the schools will again be bare bones cinderblock boxes and the housing projects will be Soviet style complexes far away from the good grocery stores and rich people. The government will pat itself on the back for having done anything at all, when in reality, they'll have done even less: they'll have passed up an opportunity to build a better country than they found.
Democrats have been looking for some bold ideas to pitch. I have one: never let this happen again. I don't mean avoid hurricanes, I mean radically restructure America so that next time a storm hits, everyone, everyone, has the education to understand the risks and the means to take steps to protect his family.
Don't just ask for schools to suddenly fix themselves (No Child Left Behind.) Actually build excellent schools.
Too expensive? Tax the suburbs. Unconstitutional? Amend the constitution. Sound like socialism? Yeah, I guess it does. Too bad. This system is broken beyond repair. Anyone who thinks that America is so blessed as to be immune from truly foundation shaking events should get with the program. This country is in a bad way, and something needs to be done about it.
Posted by Drew at 08:34 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack