Just sayin'

Original source unknown

Sunday's Quote: Abuse

Exploitation comes in many forms. While the repeated acts of pedophilia (reportedly) committed by a former longtime assistant to a college football coaching legend has reminded us yet again about the various and unconscionable methods of predatory behavior, it is perhaps easier to overlook the more subtle means of ill-treatment that we often commit amongst ourselves, which is furthermore confounding when those who might be in a position to help simply refuse to see the antagonist for what he or she really is.

A comedic legend who recently bore his soul in a way that virtually no-one ever suspected added his perspective to this snowballing phenomenon of pervasive maltreatment that, in one way or another, affects us all:

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"I mean, can you imagine the desperation of a child who chooses to believe that he did this to himself, just so he doesn't have to consider the idea that his mother did it, or his parents did it? Because you know, Terry, I'll tell you something. I hope this - I don't know anything about you, but I think it's completely barbaric to shake hands with and seek help from the person who caused your injury. That will make you sick."

– Saturday Night Live alum Darrell Hammond, during the November 7, 2011 broadcast of NPR’s Fresh Air. His new book, "God, If You're Not Up There, I'm F*cked: Tales of Stand-Up, 'Saturday Night Live' and Other Mind-Altering Mayhem," details the methodical brutality he suffered from his mother, who beat, stabbed, and tortured him for years. Consequently the 57-year-old Hammond has been in psychiatric treatment continually since age 19.

Editorial Sketch of the Week: A wedgie well-deserved

Pat Bagley is a former Republican who became a self-described "liberal independent" during George W. Bush's two terms in The White House.  Though his point in the piece below is intended as a criticism aimed at the GOP's unwavering stance against Obama's federal expenditures – and the resulting debt deal that followed two weeks ago – I'm more inclined to look upon Bagley's silly little indictment as a depiction of our President getting exactly what he and his party deserved.  After all, any administration that makes "W." appear fiscally responsible, by comparison, forces the other side to act accordingly.

© Pat Bagley, The Salt Lake Tribune

Guilty Pleasures: A guy named RJ

c/o AV Club

Despite my protests to what this once-remarkable network has become, there is one program that sticks out amid the slew of trash for which MTV has become so closely identified.  This is not to say that The Hard Times of RJ Berger is good, clean family fun.  To be sure, the routine scenarios that stem from domestic absurdity and sex crazed foolishness are in abundance.  But RJ's story is somewhat different because it goes well beyond youthful indiscretions and the inevitable lessons learned of which we've seen aplenty on television and in movies for decades now.

Despite the initially unexpected little-guy-with-a-huge-penis backstory – by which many guys only wish they were so horribly burdened – RJ is generally levelheaded and manages to remain composed amid even the most ruthless nonsense.  You find yourself cheering for the guy.  You want him to finish on top.  You want him to pound the bully into unconsciousness.  And you absolutely want him to end up with the prettiest girl in school – who, on the show, is his tormentor's main squeeze, and, in reality, looks somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 years-old.

The show might be worth the time if you get a chance.

Sunday's Quote: Her sweet, brave smile

A year ago, almost to the day, I posted a Sunday's Quote about Phoebe Prince, a 15-year-old who immigrated with her family to Massachusetts in the autumn of 2009.  Hit with a relentless barrage of bullying almost as soon as she arrived, the young Irish lass felt she could tolerate the abuse no longer and committed suicide in January 2010 just a few months after she reached American soil.

Nine students from South Hadley High School were charged with numerous felonies.  Six of them recently struck deals by which they were allowed to plead guilty to lesser imputations.  Although the majority ended up with what amounts to a slap on the wrist, the national attention this story received will hopefully serve as a reminder about the reasonless nature in which we sometimes treat others.

One might argue that justice has not been served.  Understandably some may feel that these smug little heathens all but got away with murder.  It would be difficult to disagree considering that most of Phoebe's aggressors will serve no time inside a prison cell.  Yet whatever the consolation, the memory of Phoebe Prince -- an innocent teenage girl from Ireland who hoped to somehow fit into her new and unfamiliar surroundings -- will remind us that terrible and irreversible things can happen when people refuse to intervene.

"Nothing is to be preferred before justice."
– Socrates (470 BC-399 BC, Greek philosopher)

"God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice."
– John Donne (1572-1631, English poet, satirist, lawyer, and priest)

"Justice is the truth in action."
– Joseph Joubert (1754-1824, French essayist)

Sunday’s Quote: Persecution of the Faithful

Adherents to Christendom are the most tyrannized and discriminated against in the world.  Skeptics may find that difficult to believe, but they are conspicuously hushed when presented with mere a portion what my Christian brothers and sisters throughout Asia, the Middle East and Africa have been up against for over a millennia.

© Reuters

Earlier this morning, the Associated Press reported that police in Beijing, China detained worshippers from an "unapproved Christian church" who were forced to hold service in a public space after they were expelled from their usual place of worship.  The piece added, "China's Communist government allows worship only in state-approved churches, but many Christians belong to unregistered congregations.  Such 'house churches' are subjected to varying degrees of harassment by authorities."

Those who profess salvation in Christ have been viewed under the harshest microscope from the very beginning, so maltreatment is understood to come with the territory, even in parts of the world where Christians make up the majority.  That being said...

"Scripture makes it clear to me that there is an obligation to speak out on behalf of the persecuted."

-- Sixteen-term Representative Frank R. Wolf (R-Virginia, 10th congressional district)

"Persecution is a tribute the great must always pay for preeminence."

-- Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774), Irish poet, novelist and playwright

"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.  For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh."

-- II Corinthians 4:8-11

Sundays' Quote: Reinventing the steal

Everything came to a head five years ago today.  To summarize a brutally long story -- one that required 17 pages to explain adequately -- I spent almost a year writing a 200-page screenplay for a group of people I had known since 1982, only for it to be stolen by the very individuals who introduced me to the project.  Needless to say, I was irate.  You already have a good idea of how pissed I was if you've heard the infamous Mel Gibson tapes.

Durwood Fincher could not have spun half as well as they did.  The men of that family have no conscience.

I must've written one helluva script because these people, for whom I exhibited more respect and trust than they ever deserved, went above and beyond to keep the whereabouts of my work a closely guarded secret, which was compounded by a network of Pavlovian dogs -- my closest confidant included, much to my chagrin -- who evidently refused to believe that such a Stepford family would commit this unnerving act.  Yet because infinitely worse tragedies occur everyday, I will abstain from rambling any further.  My only advice: don't be shocked by anything that anyone does, ever.

"The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law."
-- Psalm 119:61, KJV

Illegitimi non carborundum

An immigration analogy

A not-so-fictional short story --

You arrive home after another grueling day at work.  Your boss is a self-righteous jerk and you frequently have to fight off the compulsion to smack at least half of your colleagues.  But the job keeps you from bankruptcy and it beats unemployment.  You are a quintessential Republican.

Minutes later you muster the strength to pour a well-deserved Presbyterian (2 ounces Scotch, 2-4 ounces ginger ale).  A simple protein drink or perhaps a baked salmon dish from that new place around the corner would be healthier, of course, but reveling in your very own Don Draper moment is satisfying enough.

Suddenly there's a knock at the front door.  It's me.  A guest is the last thing you want right now, but always the polite one -- Do unto others, right? -- you force a friendly smile and allow me into your home.  That was your first mistake.

I hang out for a while.  I don't say much, but I feel more than free to dig through your pantry.  I eat your food, drink your beverages -- including the last sip of your Presbyterian -- pass some gas, grab the remote control, flip around to the network of my choosing, and make inappropriate comments to your daughter.

"You're looking mighty fine in that little cheerleader outfit.  Go Panthers indeed!"

I'm wildly pleased with myself at this point.  I ate and drank myself into a stupor, made at least a dozen not-so-subtle advances towards your daughter, and you barely said a word.  Jackpot!

In fairness I would have hit on your wife, too, but she left you for a lesbian several years ago.  They hiked together throughout Europe, got married in Massachusetts, but are now divorced.  Freaking liberals.

There's no way I'm leaving now.  Upon informing you that I'm turning in for the night, I plop myself down in your guest room and begin snoring like a hibernated bear almost instantly.  Assuming I have no where else to go, you graciously allow me to stay for the night.  Believe me, I slept like a baby.

Hours became days, and days turned into weeks.  I've been living in your home for years now and my presence has been less than positive.  I use your credit cards at my leisure to pay for food, gas, clothes, and strippers.  By now I'm on a first-name basis with many of the ladies who work the center stage pole at "The Purple Church" (right).  You have no idea.

But there's a problem.  I have it pretty good, but I'm becoming restless.  I want more.  I'm also catching an uncomfortable vibe from you, and I don't appreciate it.  I don't feel welcome anymore and I'm not understanding the problem.  After all, I've been here for years.  You let me in and you let me stay.  So what if you support me almost entirely?  And who cares about the occasional outbursts of violence and indignation?

Trying to ward off the unfriendliness, I call you a variety of degrading names and make baseless assertions like, "This is MY house!"  But nothing seems to work.  I even got some of my friends to protest in your front yard, but our efforts only angered you more.

After imploring you to treat me better, you finally throw me out and promise retribution if I ever return.  You're such a bigot.

Our nation, at this very moment, is under mass attack by illegals from the south and extremists from the east.  To say or do nothing will engender a future that will turn the bit of humor you just read into a stark reality.  It's that simple.

When are 100 mosques in one city not enough?

When they're located in New York City.

Perhaps it goes without saying, but affixing Freedom of Religion to the First Amendment of the Constitution was never intended by the Founders as a means of excluding our Judeo-Christian principles from either the national landscape or the corridors of power.  And why would they?  Forty-nine of the 56 Founders were born-again Believers, and the other seven were merely unaffiliated deists.

The Framers were neither atheist, nor ag/ignostic, nor humanist, nor pure secularist.  And of course, none were Muslim.  Freedom of Religion was included to ensure that no Christian association (Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, etc.) would be shown preference by the government over another, which was explained perfectly -- when kept in its proper context -- by Thomas Jefferson in his "Wall of Separation" letter to the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut some 208 years ago.

Hence, stating that the Religion clause was not inserted into the Constitution to permit an extremist sect to dominate our country should also go without saying, and the notion that a group of Christians made provisions to allow for anything of the sort is among the most inescapably asinine perceptions anyone could suggest, directly or otherwise.

But this is the 21st century.  Asinine has become the norm.

Taking the contention regarding a proposed 13-story, $100 million megamosque set to be located near Ground Zero into account, a story from abroad centering upon a comparable issue is worth a look.  With a subtitle that reads, VOTERS in Australia and Britain have had their fill of out-of-control multiculturalism, a piece in the July 3 edition of The Australian summarized a volatile issue that both mirrors the American landscape and becomes increasingly pervasive by the day:

"[Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard] sympathises with the concern that large-scale immigration and multiculturalism are threatening Australia's core values and identity, a position the Left denounces as bigotry.

"Consequently, Gillard's remarks have produced predictable cries of 'racism' and 'dog-whistling.'  So why has the new Labor leader ventured into this particular cultural minefield?  The explanation is that something tumultuous is happening, not just in Australia but in Britain too, something so unusual that people are stumbling around in a state of stunned disorientation.

"It is that politicians are at last actually taking seriously what their electorates are saying to them about immigration and multiculturalism.  This is that they will no longer put up with a policy which threatens to destroy their country's values and way of life, and will vote accordingly."

That's a bold comment considering these hypersensitive times.  Directly below is another direct statement from former Speaker of the House (and possible Presidential contender) Newt Gingrich:

Newt Gingrich Statement on the Proposed "Cordoba House" Mosque near Ground Zero
July 21, 2010

There should be no mosque near Ground Zero in New York so long as there are no churches or synagogues in Saudi Arabia.  The time for double standards that allow Islamists to behave aggressively toward us while they demand our weakness and submission is over.

The proposed "Cordoba House" overlooking the World Trade Center site -- where a group of jihadists killed over 3,000 Americans and destroyed one of our most famous landmarks -- is a test of the timidity, passivity and historic ignorance of American elites.  For example, most of them don’t understand that "Cordoba House" is a deliberately insulting term.  It refers to Cordoba, Spain -- the capital of Muslim conquerors who symbolized their victory over the Christian Spaniards by transforming a church there into the world’s third-largest mosque complex.

Today, some of the Mosque’s backers insist this term is being used to "symbolize interfaith cooperation" when, in fact, every Islamist in the world recognizes Cordoba as a symbol of Islamic conquest.  It is a sign of their contempt for Americans and their confidence in our historic ignorance that they would deliberately insult us this way.

Those Islamists and their apologists who argue for "religious toleration" are arrogantly dishonest. They ignore the fact that more than 100 mosques already exist in New York City. Meanwhile, there are no churches or synagogues in all of Saudi Arabia. In fact no Christian or Jew can even enter Mecca.

And they lecture us about tolerance.

If the people behind the Cordoba House were serious about religious toleration, they would be imploring the Saudis, as fellow Muslims, to immediately open up Mecca to all and immediately announce their intention to allow non-Muslim houses of worship in the Kingdom.   They should be asked by the news media if they would be willing to lead such a campaign.

We have not been able to rebuild the World Trade Center in nine years.  Now we are being told a 13 story, $100 million megamosque will be built within a year overlooking the site of the most devastating surprise attack in American history.

Finally where is the money coming from?  The people behind the Cordoba House refuse to reveal all their funding sources.

America is experiencing an Islamist cultural-political offensive designed to undermine and destroy our civilization.  Sadly, too many of our elites are the willing apologists for those who would destroy them if they could.

No mosque.

No self deception.

No surrender.

The time to take a stand is now -- at this site on this issue.

A time for choosing (w/ apologies to our 40th President)

Early last Saturday morning, some time around 5:00 AM, I staggered into the Kroger at the corner of Sanderlin and Mendenhall (overshadowed by Clark Tower) after another glorious shift of getting drilled at the World Hub.  My habitual walk through the periodical aisle brought to my attention a book called "Saved By Her Enemy," which tells the story of an Iraqi Muslim woman who, in her attempt to avoid the Islamic insurgents trying to kidnap her, ultimately found herself embraced by the kind of Christian family in the American heartland she was taught to hate.  Score one for the good guys.

  

Pondering what non-extremists endure from their fellow believers reminded me of a post from last April about what Christians in Muslim-dominated countries face practically every day.  Similar to a recent story 60 Minutes did about Archbishop Bartholomew of Constantinople, another piece of mine from last March also told of the threats our brothers and sisters in Christ have experienced for centuries.

Jihadist provocations against Christians in the Nigerian town of Jos earlier this year is just one of many examples of how rhetoric about the world's two largest religions learning to coexist essentially crumbles beneath the opposing mechanisms that define the two faiths, all of which lends additional legitimacy to "Islam's 20-year plan" identified by Anis Shorrosh in 2003.

In the name of pragmatism, if nothing else, the purveyor of this blog asks anyone who reads this to consider the nations of the world in which Christianity flourishes.  Then consider the nations where Islam is prevalent.

More specifically, consider the Christian man who was raped and murdered in Pakistan last year for refusing to convert to Islam.  Think of the additional consequences non-converts face in Islamic-controlled societies.  Ponder how such an ideology is penetrating its way through our nation, and then ask yourself one question:

Where do I want to live?

Speak of "tolerance" if you like, but tolerance is rarely reciprocated on their side of the aisle.  Considering the peculiar sensitivities of Muslims, their open desire to implement Sharia law in the United States, and the historical trend of aggression in every society Islam has penetrated, the answer is self-evident if only you dare to be honest.

"Sons of Islam everywhere, the jihad is a duty - to establish the rule of Allah on earth and to liberate your countries and yourselves from America's domination and its Zionist allies, it is your battle - either victory or martyrdom."

-- Ahmed Yassin (1937-2004), founder of Hamas, an Islamic organization and political party known for using suicide bombings as a means to facilitate the destruction of Israel and their allies

To add, here's a piece from CBN News.  And for more, check out Jihad Watch and The Religion of Peace.

 

Clinging to legitimacy

Spawned of a race riot in Abraham Lincoln's hometown, the NAACP was once a relevant force for the Black community.  But they have struggled since the '90s, and now they have been reduced to this:

An open letter for those who send the dreaded "spam"

I look through my e-mail's junk folder whenever I need a good laugh, and you never disappoint.  The excessively cordial subject headers may succeed in rooking any number of unsuspecting souls into taking your ill-conceived bait, but I know better.

I've been royally ripped off by several of my closest friends over the years, so I believe it's fair to assume that some wealthy foreign dignitary cares nothing about sending me a check for thousands of dollars if only I first send him a check of my own "to get the ball rolling."

Additionally, I don't need to "discover secret methods" to get more women, nor do I need to "last longer" or make my already considerable package any more sizable than it already is.  Thanks anyway.

Burn in Hell,

Adam M. Woodford

Sunday's Quote: What a smile can hide

Born 15 years ago in Bedford, England, Phoebe Prince immigrated with her mother and siblings from a beach town called Fanore in eastern Ireland to South Hadley, Massachusetts in the autumn of 2009.  By mid-January, just several months after her arrival, Phoebe would be dead of a self-inflicted hanging -- the result of incessant bullying that pushed an innocent girl beyond her emotional limit.

Phoebe is not the first deeply wounded teen to commit suicide, nor, quite tragically, will she be the last.  Like most, I have not endured anything quite so suffocating.  Yet I have known taunting, abandonment, gossip and defamation, passive aggression, psychological manipulation, a couple of the most hardcore whisper campaigns ever, and ad hominem fallacies of numerous sorts, all of which are driven, as far as I can tell, by a self-centered neurosis that feeds on the perception of weakness.

I wrote of not one, but five personal experiences specifically for this post that have shaped me forever -- instances that could have led me to a fate similar to Phoebe's.  Yet I opted at the last minute to keep them to myself.  Close to me or not, to hell with my aggressors (and their Pavlovian dogs).

Some of the worst acts of iniquity in recorded history began with a smile and friendly word.  Justice is slow and rarely certain.  Not everybody gets a happy ending.  Believe me, a smile hides much.

"Never be bullied into silence.  Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself."

-- Harvey Samuel Firestone (1868-1938), founder of the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company and one of the leading industrialists of his time.

"Do not be bullied out of your common sense by the specialist; two to one, he is a pedant."

-- Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894), one of the great writers of the 19th century and a native of the area where Phoebe met her fate.

"If you let a bully come in your front yard, he'll be on your porch the next day and the day after that he'll rape your wife in your own bed."

-- Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973), 36th President of the United States