Sarah Palin 'Unnerves' NewsWeek Elitist Sam Harris; An Atheist Responds

Sam Harris Doesn't Speak for Me
The Crack Emcee
The Macho Response




Response from an Atheist

[NOTE: An interesting rebuke of Newsweek's Sam Harris and his opinion piece, "When Atheists Attack".

Harris wrote that he was 'unnerved' when he heard Palin speak at the Republican Convention. Harris reveals much more about himself than Sarah Palin. Newsweek subheaded the Harris piece, "A noted provocateur rips Sarah Palin—and defends elitism." Of course, readers of Newsweek know that a writer need be neither a "provocateur" nor "noted" to attack Sarah Palin.

But then, readers of Newsweek, largely a cult following these days, might be unnerved by the "news" magazine's declining subscription base.]

I got a call today from one of my best friends, asking me if I'd read Newsweek magazine recently; specifically Sam Harris's article on Sarah Palin called, "When Atheists Attack". I told him no; that though I am an atheist, I'm not a fan of Sam Harris, and don't trust the stance he's taken in the dialogue on atheism - because he's another angry Buddhist - which I regard as a spiritual con, beyond weird, a sign of elitist liberalism, and - as practiced in the West - part of the NewAge (rhymes with sewage) movement that I despise.

My friend, who sits on the fence in regards to a lot of political and theological arguments, read me a few of Harris's paragraphs about Palin that he found troubling. But, while doing so, my friend also gave me further reason to dislike the elitist Harris even more.

Let me explain:

See, I'm not like other atheists in a number of ways: though born an atheist, I've always considered the battle, and taken-offense, over "In God We Trust" on money (or the phrase "Under God" in the Pledge Of Allegiance) to be silly. For me, God is not "dead" but merely outgrown his usefulness. I understand why, mostly as a response to communism, presidents say "God bless America", and why these gestures were made historically, so they don't bother me a bit. They're nothing to rail against. They're anachronisms, kitschy, and (though I'm loathe to admit it) touching, threatening my atheism not one iota. I guess I'm saying I find many atheists, and the planks they stand on, petty, laughable, and weak, and that's also how I feel about Harris's critique of Palin as well.

Harris starts off with the confession that he "was genuinely unnerved by Sarah Palin's performance at the Republican convention" because it was "the most effective political communication" he'd ever seen. Considering how much we in the general public knew about Palin at that juncture, what was Harris afraid of? Why wasn't this man, who I suspect is a feminist, overjoyed to see this "sexy" woman (Harris's word) break the glass ceiling of presidential politics? He claims it was because "if anyone could make Christian theocracy smell like apple pie, Sarah Palin could", but I suspect - as the early, and hypocritical, attacks on Palin indicated - it was mostly because this married mother of five clearly wasn't a card-carrying member of the so-called "progressive" movement. Some elitists, who appear outwardly reasonable, have even gone so far as to declare she isn't even a woman.

Ladies and gentlemen (especially the gentlemen) I ask you: is Sarah Palin not a woman?

Whatever the case for his anxiety, Harris wasn't giving this new face on our national stage a fair break, as he indicates while discussing her Charles Gibson interview.

Harris says he was "relieved to discover, as many were, that Palin's luster can be much diminished by the absence of a teleprompter" - without uttering a word on how elitist Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's celebrated stumbling without a teleprompter affected his mood. Harris adds that he "didn't much care that she did not know the meaning of the phrase 'Bush doctrine'", but as Charles Krathammer (the man who coined the term) has pointed out, that great "gotcha" moment apparently hasn't yet registered with "progressives" like Harris - or even the New York Times - as Charles Gibson's gaffe - not Palin's - three weeks later.

Continue reading: Sam Harris Doesn't Speak for Me



by The Crack Emcee
image: The Macho Response
Source: Sam Harris Doesn't Speak for Me

Video: Haditha Marine Dad Answers Murtha

"On national television, in front of millions of Americans, he [Rep. John Murtha, D-PA] stated ” Marines killed innocent civilians in cold blood.”
--from Wake Up America: "Letter to Murtha from Marine's Dad"



Last week, Darryl Sharratt, father of former Marine L/Cpl Justin Sharratt, responded to Congressman John Murtha regarding Murtha's comments about Justin Sharratt and the other Haditha Marines.

The video's below.




Allahpundit, of Hot Air, [Marine to sue Murtha over irresponsible Haditha accusations] hammers a complete demolition of Murtha apologists. Allah then poses a (largely) rhetorical question:

"Now, in the wake of this, will any Democrat pundits step up and criticize Murtha for rushing to judgment against US troops?"

[crickets]

by Mondoreb
image: tmq2

MySpace Suicide Reaction: Outrage! Outrage! Outrage!

The "MySpace Suicide" reaction to the Megan Meier story has been outrage. Outrage on a lot of levels.

Outrage at the vicious Internet attack on a 13-year-old girl by parents of the girl's erstwhile friend.

Outrage that the responsible adults have not been held accountable by the law.

Outrage that the only action taken has been a complaint filed by the parents who concocted this cruel hoax against the parents of the girl who committed suicide. They filed a complaint with local police against Megan's parents.

The reason?

After finding out who was responsible for the creation of the fictitious MySpace account that led to their daughters suicide, Megan's parents destroyed a foosball table they had been storing for the heartless adults.

Some of that outrage surfaced at the Orlando Sentinel:
Girl Commits Suicide Over Internet Prank by ADULTS--Who is Responsible?

I heard this on the MJ Morning Show this morning and had to share. This story is so heinous, disgusting...I don't even know where to begin.

Any folks out there who are lawyers, law enforcement officers, or judges--can you shed some light? I'm looking for your input.

Some of it surfaced at the home of the original reporter, Steve Pokin, of the story in suburban St.Louis. Readers Respond in Force to Story on MySpace Suicide

Some of you have asked your children to read the story and have requested/demanded to look at their MySpace pages.Of course, there has been outrage over the fact that Josh Evans - a 16-year-old who never existed - was created not by a teen, but by an adult. That anger is reflected in the comments posted on the Journal's Web sites.

The comments on both pieces were mostly of the "WTF" variety.

BACKGROUND:
Cruel MySpace Prank Leads to Teen's Suicide

DBKP, because we were the first in the blogosphere to pick up on this story, was contacted early yesterday morning by FoxNews from New York. The story is still flying under the radar for most of the nation.

It will get more attention for a variety of reasons. It's tragic that a young girl lost her life. It's tragic that it was adults that were responsible for her misery.
And that tragedy continues that no justice has been found for the bereaved parents of Megan Meiers.

It will draw attention to the mostly unsupervised world that teens inhabit on MySpace. The Internet, in our minds, should remain free.

However, that puts a responsibility on parents to properly supervise their children's actions. It's a responsibility that many parents voice, but far fewer practice.

It will command some space in any article wishing to argue against 'decadent American suburbia'. It will serve as an excuse to discuss some writer's pet peeve, however unrelated to this story it may be.

Additionally, it may focus attention on a culture that focuses on drama 24/7. The betting here is that there are more conversations on the latest drug-induced bumblings of Britney than there are about responsibility in many homes.

Drama sells.

Ask Inside Edition or any of the celeb-pandering shows that proliferate on the tube.

The story of Megan Meier is tragic story.

Hopefully, that story will spark some conversation and debate that will prevent other stories like hers from happening.

by Mondoreb

More on the Megan Meier MySpace Suicide:

LATEST:
Supposedly an ex-friend of Megan's replies to our stories in
"Megan Had It Coming"

MySpace Suicide: The Megan Meier Story - Video

Megan Meier MySpace Suicide Cruel Hoax: No Justice for Megan
Cruel Hoaxer's Outed: Let the Lesser Outrage Begin
MySpace Suicide: Megan Meier's Story May Prevent Others Like It
Megan Meier MySpace Suicide: Cruel Hoaxers Outed, Let The Lesser Outrage Begin

Mondoreb @ BNN:
MySpace Suicide Reaction: Outrage!



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Dog the Bounty Hunter Show Canceled: Al Sharpton Responds to Dog

Dog the Bounty Hunter has gotten his response to a request to "meet with black leaders". The leader is Al Sharpton. The response is a mixed bag. Sharpton, who is familiar with the subject of hate crimes, is going to be leading a march against them and invited the Dog to join him.

More from Black Entertainment Television:

In a letter, Sharpton encourages Chapman to join a Nov. 16 march against hate crimes that Sharpton is helping to organize. He says he won't alter his schedule to meet with the bail bondsman, who used the "N" word several times and berated his son's girlfriend, who is Black, in a phone conversation.

Sharpton's letter reads, in part: "As a minister, I would be inclined to meet with you despite the racist and grotesque things I heard you say, but I am not willing to rearrange my schedule around the country building up for this march to do so. If you wish to meet with me somewhere on the road that is fine, but be assured that I will not sanitize the kind of hate language that leads to the hate action that has left so many people vulnerable in America today… If you are sincere that this does not reflect you, you should not only meet with us, but you should march with us on Nov. 16 and call on the government of the United States to protect people, that unlike you don't have publicists, don't have lawyers and don't have any protection."

There has been no reported response to the Sharpton invitation.

by Mondoreb & Little Baby Ginn

Latest Dog the Bounty Hunter:
Dog the Bounty Hunter to Return Soon:?




Back to Front Page.