Jed Pressgrove is a graduate student in sociology. He can be contacted at [email protected].These commentaries on politicians and religious leaders should unfasten our sympathy.
I feel we should start calling people stupid for talking about stupid things so that maybe these stupid conversations will gradually go away for the good of all. When pointing out the stupidity of certain commentary, you run the risk of perpetuating it. I’m willing to take this risk for collective catharsis.
Most Americans who keep up with political news know the story of presidential candidate Barack Obama and the former minister of his church, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. According to the bowel sounds of journalists and other concerned parties, the dilemma of this story involved Wright saying something controversial in regard to race relations. Then a few people believed this was a problem for Obama and America, and more people believed this was a problem after being told this was a problem from the original few people. However, there isn’t a problem, we shouldn’t pretend a problem exists, and people who acted as if there were a problem in the first place owe all of us an intellectual apology. That’s right, an apology using big words.
The Obama and Wright situation should not be a problem because people have different points of view. Logically, we learn about points of view from what people say and do. Obama hasn’t said or done anything to tie himself to black supremacy. Therefore, I don’t assume he is a black supremacist. Furthermore, Obama’s actions and words speak for him, and his minister’s actions and words speak for his minister. To assume Obama has a certain belief because another person he knows or respects has that certain belief is illogical. For instance, it is entirely possible you can respect someone but completely disagree with him or her on many important issues. Amazing.
Even after reports confirmed Obama’s disagreement with Wright’s beliefs, media continued to gossip. The candidates were forced to respond to the issue. Even though you sound like a Neanderthal when responding to trivialities, Obama and Hillary Clinton had to because too many people believed it was an issue. So the candidates responded and sounded like Neanderthals, naturally.
Clinton said Wright wouldn’t have been her pastor. Really, Clinton? So different life experiences, relationships, etc., couldn’t ever produce a different outcome for you?
Obama said he would have left the church if Wright hadn’t retired. Thank you, Obama, for relieving me. I almost urinated all over my legs.
Watching this conversation, we can see how stupidity, in its truest form, can infect almost everyone around it. Stupidity leads to trivial issues, these trivial issues are spread by media and everyday Americans, and we get two candidates appearing dumber than usual.
The Obama and Wright story has lost steam somewhat, but there is evidence of another similar and growing concern: presidential candidate John McCain and pastors who have endorsed him.
For example, Marc Ambinder, associate editor for The Atlantic, has already written about McCain endorsements from pastors with controversial beliefs.
In a blog entry at The Atlantic‘s Web site, Ambinder says, “If one campaign is willing to make an issue out of one’s associations, they should be open to questions about their own.” Ambinder goes on to point out the controversial beliefs of pastors who support McCain.
Ambinder is either stupid, a liar, both, under a spell cast by Satan or a stupid liar under a spell cast by Satan. McCain never made an issue out of Wright.
In relation to the Obama and Wright situation, Fox News commentator Sean Hannity asks McCain, “Does that sound like a problem for you?” McCain flatly responds: “I think that when people support you, it doesn’t mean that you support everything they say. Obviously those words and those statements are statements that none of us would associate ourselves with. And I don’t believe that Sen. Obama would support any of those as well.”
Pretty clear answer, right? Not for Hannity. The pundit probes the candidate again, and McCain sighs considerably before responding to the same question with the same answer, albeit paraphrased.
Stupidity in this regard comes from all ages as shown by a recent staff editorial on McCain and various pastors from The Daily Campus, the student newspaper of the University of Connecticut. The editorial begins with “What is it with American politicians and outlandish preachers?” Well, that’s easy. This fake problem is concocted from multiple collective waves of stupid reasoning, ravaging any proximate logic. The editorial concludes that politicians “should not reward purveyors of hate speech by asking them for endorsements.” The implication is that a politician shouldn’t ask for a vote or support unless the voter’s beliefs match up perfectly with the politician’s.
One more time: People have different beliefs. And people can be friends with other people and not share the same beliefs. They can be dedicated and intimate and smitten lovers traveling the world via weather balloon and fighting crime and cooking hot dogs over campfires. Cut out the damn stupidity. Cut it out.