Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Haven't felt like it

I didn't make a flake this week; I have no funny account of any event nor deep pondering of my life. So I haven't blogged.

I am very sorry for the events at Virginia Tech this week, but I don't feel an urgent need to go on about it. What I have found because of it, however, is a very interesting post that I'd like to share. It was written in response to the response to the 9/11 attacks, but it fits beautifully with the response to the Virginia Tech shootings. I hear too much of this kind of thing, too much of the time, in response to all manner of things. I repost it in its entirety:

Why the Bombings Mean That We Must Support My Politics


Many people will use this terrible tragedy as an excuse to put through a political agenda other than my own. This tawdry abuse of human suffering for political gain sickens me to the core of my being. Those people who have different political views from me ought to be ashamed of themselves for thinking of cheap partisan point-scoring at a time like this. In any case, what this tragedy really shows us is that, so far from putting into practice political views other than my own, it is precisely my political agenda which ought to be advanced.

Not only are my political views vindicated by this terrible tragedy, but also the status of my profession. Furthermore, it is only in the context of a national and international tragedy like this that we are reminded of the very special status of my hobby, and its particular claim to legislative protection. My religious and spiritual views also have much to teach us about the appropriate reaction to these truly terrible events.

Countries which I like seem to never suffer such tragedies, while countries which, for one reason or another, I dislike, suffer them all the time. The one common factor which seems to explain this has to do with my political views, and it suggests that my political views should be implemented as a matter of urgency, even though they are, as a matter of fact, not implemented in the countries which I like.

Of course the World Trade Center attacks are a uniquely tragic event, and it is vital that we never lose sight of the human tragedy involved. But we must also not lose sight of the fact that I am right on every significant moral and political issue, and everybody ought to agree with me. Please, I ask you as fellow human beings, vote for the political party which I support, and ask your legislators to support policies endorsed by me, as a matter of urgency.

It would be a fitting memorial.


Please, be reasonable out there.

1 comment:

jmk said...

Hmm, quite. You hear that all the time. Nice to see it so clearly articulated.