Culture Warriors category archive

Shaun Mullen jumps into the pool.

Fifties frolics.

The Kansas City Star’s editorial board dissects the doublespeak.

Image via Job’s Anger.

At AL.com, Dr. Alan D. Blotcky questions Alabama Republicans’ claims that their recent anti-abortion law is all about the “sanctity of life.” I commend the entire article to your attention.

Here’s an excerpt:

These anti-abortionists claim that they are motivated by a desire to protect the sanctity of life. I say hogwash.

In my opinion, the Alabama law is not about the sanctity of life at all. It’s a ruse. Let’s look at the facts. If the preciousness of life was at the core of their belief system, the anti-abortionists would be clamoring at the top of their lungs for sensible gun control laws. But they are not. And they would be marching in the streets against capital punishment. But they are not. And they would be unwilling to accept anything less than full access to health care for all. But they are not.

(snip)

So what were these white Republican men in Alabama trying to accomplish?

It seems clear that white men want to protect and perpetuate their patriarchy. They don’t want to give up their control and power.

Bobby Azarian is taken aback that some evangelical “Christians” see Donald Trump as some sort of messiah sent to save their way of life. (Of course, if you watched the short clip from the 700 Club that I posted yesterday, you have seen that some indeed do feel that way, or are at least open to the idea.)

Here’s snippet from Azarian’s article:

The problem with Trump is that his desire to win and amass power is a priority above all else. He surely knows that most Muslims and most immigrants are not dangerous and want to see America prosper. But he quickly found out, through trying various strategies, that fear was effective as a political tool. When he learned that, he quickly chose to demonize innocent people and to promote false conspiracy theories like #PizzaGate . . . .

Of course, this only served to further strengthen evangelicals’ belief that he was their savior. What is most ironic about it all, but I suppose not entirely unexpected, is the fact that Trump’s behavior and positions are far more un-Christ-like than those of the average politician on either side of the aisle. The many infidelities, the lack of compassion for the less fortunate, the lewd comments, the blatant lying—the list of ‘ungodly’ acts is a long one. But because they believe he was an answer to their prayers, they are willing to excuse every bit of it.

A map of the House of Representatives vote on the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote.

Via PoliticalProf.

The Rude One points out the obvious that’s so obvious no one else I’ve seen or heard, including me, has noticed it.

The recent wave of abortion restrictions in states such as Alabama are prima facie establishment of religion (warning: rudeness at the link).

________________

*Look it up.

One of the essential skills in problem solving is differentiating between symptoms and causes.

Read more »

In related news, Will Bunch makes a convincing case that the anti-abortion movement is rooted in America’s original sin.

Image via Job’s Anger.

At Above the Law, Tyler Broker explores Alabama’s disregard for the rights of its citizens against the background its claim to respect a “right to life.” A snippet:

Because in Alabama, the idea that every life is viewed as sacred is refuted by all available evidence.

For example, if you have the stomach for horrific detail, read about the Alabama prison system where rape, murder, and suicide (not to mention exceptionally disproportional rates of incarceration by race) are regular occurrences due to Alabama’s gross unconstitutional negligence towards protecting life. Furthermore, if you are a woman in the Alabama prison system, it is not just the other inmates that you have to worry about sexually assaulting you, it is the prison guards you should fear more. Even if you think that prisoners deserve be treated this way and denied constitutional protection against cruel and unusual punishment, these are hardly the actions of a state with a “deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God.”

The Des Moines Register’s Kathie Obradovich explains how “freedom of speech” and “freedom of religion” have become right-wing Newspeak for freedom to discriminate.