Dr George Tiller
I heard about his murder while on the way to work Sunday. My first thought was somewhat as follows: Some stupid-assed fanatic "pro-life" domestic terrorist just kicked the pro-life movement in the nuts with this vile murder. Note the quotes in the prior sentence, as you can't be pro-life and go around shooting people in cold blood.
Condemnation is universal of this domestic terrorism, from President Obama to the pro-life groups. And regardless of your opinion on the subject, or the slain abortion doctor's role (and my opinion of him in that regard was not good), nothing can justify this; both the hypocrisy of murder in the name of "pro-life" and in shooting someone in church on orders from God. And unless you want to be intellectually dishonest in the extreme, there's a major difference between opposition to abortion and murder in opposition to abortion. Hell, even the Kos has it right.
And if you have any doubt, both opponents and supporters of Tiller's practices have joined in memorial of the man.
Party Favors and Pageants - Saudi Style
I usually find myself shaking my head when I read about the goings on in the land of Perpetual Repression, and I find myself glad in many ways (and sexual positions) that I'm nowhere near that ass-backwards hole of a country. I found this particular gem when I had to stop and read about their latest beheading and crucifixion. When I heard what the bastard did, I was in agreement with the sentence.
But crucifixion's not ALL bad. After all, it worked for Jesus (more or less, depending on your beliefs). And these guys:
Now that gem I was referring to before the virtually pointless video tangent would be the Miss Beautiful Morals Contest.Yeah, can't wait for that one. In this one, "The idea of the pageant is to measure the contestants' commitment to Islamic morals... It's an alternative to the calls for decadence in the other beauty contests that only take into account a woman's body and looks," said pageant founder Khadra al-Mubarak.
"The winner won't necessarily be pretty," she added. "We care about the beauty of the soul and the morals."
Of course, later in the article is this gem: ...the only pageants [in Saudi Arabia] were for goats, sheep, camels and other animals, aimed at encouraging livestock breeding. And thus comes the interspecies erotica jokes.
Of course if one of the contestants supports gay marriage, I'm guessing there's stoning involved.
And now, on to the main event, who has gone from frumpy to fab to deserving the recognition:
Susan Boyle is Asshat of the Week!
Well, you know the story. It started with her appearance on Britain's Got Talent (which is more a talent show than the sub-asshattery that is American Idol (which I abhor)), where no one expected the performance. The vid went viral here, every 24/7 news channel picked it up, and she became a sudden overnight success, winning complimentary mention pretty much everywhere.
Of course, this meant the pressure of a worldwide spotlight. She handled it much the same way as I handle a cute puppy pissing in my shoe: Anger and a few f-bombs. But she made it through and finished second, beat out by a bunch of stupid-assed dancers (ok, I'm biased because my instrument of choice is my voice).
On the plus side, win or lose, she's got a ticket to an actual career now. I hope she'll use it well, put away enough bank to live the rest of her life, and maybe nail some hot 20-something guys (please no sex tapes!!!).
So you're wondering why she gets Asshat of the Week? Partially because I have a grudge against any shot into the stratosphere when a hack like Simon Cowell is involved (the manufacturing of "stars" being the reason I despise Idol). But mainly because we get to see all her ups and downs in such an intimate way that she'll be lucky to get out of the pseudo-reality pseudo-celebrity spotlight without permanent damage (look at the Jon and Kate mess, 'nuff said).
This also gives me the ability to make bad jokes about what she's going to do now. Like Playboy pictorials.
Okay, I'm blind now. Luckily I learned to type so I can find the keys easily enough to finish.
13 comments:
Randall terry should be your next asshat of the week. Have you heard what he is saying today about yesterdays murder?
Proof that not all people (even pro-lifers) are disgusted (as you write in this post) by what happened yesterday.
More to the point: There has been disagreements about abortion for decades. The Supreme Court has ruled, abortion is legal, it is the law of the land.
Why are so called good Americans unwilling to respect and follow the law? These are criminals, not good Americans.
People who spew hate (pro-lifers) incite hate and hate filled actions. Then they walkaway as if their words had nothing to do with those actions.
There is a way to change laws in our society, it is not through violence and murder.
This is not the first abortion doctor murdered in America and it won't be the last, because these lawbreakers will stop at nothing, including murder, to get their way.
Disagree with abortion, fine, but all good Americans demand that people act within the law.
The man who did this act, has been linked to Randall Terry and his pro-life group. There are laws that make it illegal to incite violence, and Mr. Terry should become aware of those laws, if not by his principles, then by criminal prosecution.
Heard what Randall Terry's been yammering about. A frontal lobotomy would do wonders.
People who spew hate (pro-lifers)...
Then they're not pro-lifers.
To truly be pro-life, you must reject the killing of all innocent life. Whether that be Dr Tiller, who has not been convicted of any murders, or the babies Dr Tiller aborted (legally). Even the death penalty must be looked at as an institution that must cease from that point of view. And that makes war hard to accept, except in the face of an imminent threat.
This is what separates the pro-life people from the antiabortion zealots.
I am pro choice because I'm old enough to remember the horrifying results of back alley abortions.
I'm not pro abortion, but I don't think standing in front of a clinic yelling at women already in trouble is going to stop abortion.
To reduce the abortions in this country, let's get realistic; just say no just doesn't work. As long as there are male and female and hormones somebody is going to have sex.
So, let's start at prepubescence, helping to increase self-esteem in girls and boys teaching them about respect and consequences and their responsibilites. Let's get the cool idols to weigh in and make public ads, stc. Let's get birth control to teens who are having sex despite all our efforts because sometimes that's the best we can do.
And while we're at it, let's add education on STDs and HIV. High morals are all well and good, but not too helpful when these kids turn up with HIV and syphillis because the information they needed wasn't available.
I don't want to usurp parental rights here, just make sure that young people as they reach that almost adult age have what they need to make decisions and live.
Rocky: My apologies, I forgot to put up a disclaimer. I really should have. :)
For the rest of you....
This is not a general discussion on abortion, even though the subject may come up due to the activities of the murder victim. Any further comments that don't stick to the subject and just go off on abortion in general will be deleted.
Sorry, Patrick - it's kind of hard to have any kind of conversation in and around this subject without getting into it.
One thing leads to another...
"Pro-choice" is a euphemism that the pro-abortion side came up with to make it sound better (and attempt to divert the actual subject).
Of course, the same is true for the anti-abortion side with their "pro-life" term.
And it is so odd to refer to murdering extremists as "pro-life".
At this time, more people in this country oppose abortion than favor it. Incidents like this might tip things the other way again.
dmarks typed:
'At this time, more people in this country oppose abortion than favor it. Incidents like this might tip things the other way again.'
One can only hope.
Regardless. Women aren't going to return to a time when they weren't able to make their own decisions about what happens with their own bodies.
Too late for that.
Don't believe in abortion?
Don't have one.
Quite simple really.
Rocky: No problem. Not that Dmarks and Arthur could behave. I had to really restrain myself from mass delete (only because 2/3 posts do reference the post).
I took out my standard "abortion debate" comment, and I see for sure how it violated your rules (along with Arthur's standard abortion-industry slogan boilerplat comment that goaded me too easily into it).
However, my comment that contained "Incidents like this might tip things the other way again" was one I thought was on- topic. Arthur responded to this "one can only hope". I could ask Arthur if it is worth it then, to have this happen, if it tips public sentiment in favor of abortion again?
More on topic, whatever Randall Terry might think of Dr Tiller, his public comments were really over the line. It was a backhanded insult and if the guy had any balls, he would have just said he was glad the doc was dead.
The reason he should be asshat of the week is not for making the comment but for making believe he was denouncing the act - which he was not.
I'm thinking it's not Susan Boyle that should be this week's asshat, but rather the plethora of paparazzi that have been giving the world a minute by minute account of her life all the while knowing she has mental health issues. Think maybe they were trying to goad her into meltdown in order to create a better story line?
Dmarks: Fair enough. The part you saved was the reason I didn't delete it.
Rocky: This is where a kook like Randall Terry would serve the cause he thinks he's still a part of best by shutting the hell up.
And I'd make the papparazzi AOTW, but I don't think they really deserve to be elevated to that level. Instead, I think it would be better just to soften the laws concerning assault for their invasiveness. Or an EMP bomb that would fry their equipment.
However, as long as people are putting themselves into the spotlight, these subcreatures will be around. Like herpes.
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