Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally this weekend showed the true power and magnitude of Beck and his message. The supposed noble goal: Restoring honor, taking back the civil rights movement, and to pay tribute to America's military personnel and others "who embody our nation's founding principles of integrity, truth and honor."
While most attention has been paid to the bold goal of taking the civil rights movement back, it's the 'restoring honor' part I'd like to discuss today.
To call for a restoration of honor to America implies that there is no honor left in America. No integrity, no truth. I beg to differ. There is honor left among our politicians (albeit very few of them), among our civilian population, and among our military.
There is not honor among many of our politicians. The tea party is pushing for Republican gains in the mid-term elections, regardless of a systemic lack of honor and propensity to advertise as such.
There is no honor in filibustering debate and/or votes on pressing economic issues for no good reason and then campaigning that 'the other guys' can't fix it.
There is no honor in trying to defeat health care legislation by using scare tactics like 'death panels' instead of explaining what is systemically wrong about the bill.
There is no honor in criticizing every single solution your opponents suggest without thought while offering no solutions of your own nor a legitimate explanation for your opposition.
There is no honor in excoriating Rahm Emmanuel for offensive use of the "R" word but defending Dr. Laura for offensive use of the "N" word.
There is no honor in claiming the President of the United States of America has a deep-seeded hatred for white people with no such evidence to explain your claims.
There is no honor in carrying a 'Don't Tread on Me' flag while advocating amending the constitution to remove rights of others.
There is no honor in criticizing an Islamic Community Center for choosing a location near Ground Zero because it is 'insensitive and inappropriate' while holding a political rally on the National Mall on the anniversary of Dr. King's "I have a dream" speech and dismissing those who may find that offensive.
There is no honor in claiming to be 'fair and balanced' when you are clearly and unashamedly not.
There is no honor in labeling those that disagree with you on policy as 'bleeding hearts, elitists, welfare queens, and socialists' and dismissing any and all of their ideas without listening because of these labels.
There is no honor in blaming lost elections on fraudulent voters that don't exist instead of looking inward at why your message wasn't the best choice for America.
There is no honor in blaming the victims of corporate crimes instead of the perpetrators.
Where, then, can we look for honor in America?
There is honor in running back inside a burning building and rescuing someone - anyone - regardless of political affiliation or race.
There is honor in serving every single tour of duty your country calls for regardless of your personal feelings about the war you are fighting.
There is honor in standing up and loudly proclaiming that what your side is doing is wrong, even if it means you become ostracized for doing so.
There is honor in voting for a piece of legislation that might not be popular, but that is right for America, re-election be damned.
There is honor in admitting when you have gone too far, and apologizing clearly to ensure that your integrity is not damaged.
There is honor in opening your homes, and hearts to displaced victims of natural disasters, with the realization that no matter what you do to prepare, you may be in need someday, too.
There is honor in living up to your own ideals, even when no one is watching.
I call on the Tea Party, the Republican Party, and their pundits to embrace their message of restoring honor for themselves, as well as those on the other side of the aisle.
I have ben a little busy here at work. I don;t usually let that interfere with my "Hurricane" business. But I am just now getting to this.
What an outstanding piece this is. Exemplary!
I campaigned on the downtown street when I was 9 for JFK. Again in '64 for Johnson. My family was staunch democrats. In my house, we watched BOTH parties national conventions. EVERY MINUTE, EVERY DAY. Call me easily entertained, but I found the political process fascinating. It was, (OMG I'm saying) "in the old days". You didn't always know who would end wih the nomination.
My parents commenteed and taught me about the political process. BOth parties. The republican party of Eisenhower, and Dirksen, and yes, even Barry Goldwater, were honorable men. With honorable ideas. We were ALL Americans.
How we have ended up at this crossroads, I just don't know. The democratic party is stil pretty much the same as I remember. But these people that call themselves republicans, some, maybe even many are despicable human beings. John McCain, v2000, was somebody I would have voted for. John McCain v2008....if I walked past him in a restaurant, I'd intentionally spill his coffee in his lap and walk away.
Sorry, sometimes I just have to vent.
Hijack Reagan, hijack Lincoln...--
What's the diff, eh?
The Republican Party of Lincoln is NOT the same Republican Party of today.
It is a monumental insult that a moron like Beck would be so crass as to high jack a movement that him and his kind have been opposing for so long.
If we are to restore honor it starts with one basic ideal. Everyone in this country loves this country. I know this is not true 100.0 percent fo the time, but we have to believe it in order to regain our honor. So, anytime we demagogue the opposition we lose a little honor.
I realize this cuts a little close to the bone. I realize it is hard to think positively of people that seem to want what is bad for America. I realize it is hard to think positively of those that seem to want to line their own pockets. We first must separate the Glenn Becks and Rush Limbaughs from those that actually have a hand in policy. They are businessmen in the business of making money.
The problem is that when we walk into a room with people from the other side we bury ourselves when we assume they want the worst. There is no dealing with someone that wants the worst. If we assume they want the best for America we can go from there. It's a fine line. It's a clear line. It doesn't cost anything to listen. Listening doesn't require action. We don't have to give them what they want. We don't have to water down what we want. We just need to listen. Who knows what may come of it, but it is better than the alternative.
hmm, interesting.
They didn't lose me until the end. "God started as Man". I doubt it.
Food for Thought!
God is not about obedience. Obedience is a manmade contrivance for some end and only God knows what that end might be. God is about communion. Is it possible that the motivation for all life is to commune and create more life...period. And to that end we strive to learn tolerance (and love, uncomfortable word for me). The image upon which we were created is one of love and spiritual evolution, even God, his spiritual evolution is creation of more loving spiritual beings for eternity. Nothing could be more pure.
I think Glenn is just trying to reach god status through exaltation. I wonder if all of his "Christian" followers are aware of his real beliefs. Not that his spiritual or religious beliefs matter to me, but they seem pretty important to his massses.
http://lds.org/library/display/0,4945,11-1-13-59,00.html
That goofball Beck wouldn't know "honor" if you slapped him in the face with it.
I read somewhere where a person was depicting him as the anti-christ. At the time, I laughed.
Now? I'm not so sure that's wrong. That man is EVIL.
That's "honah" in ante-bellum!
Honor is like ethics and morals - hard to grasp and even more difficult to keep - especially if wombat's meth kangaroo is after nads again, and Beck is confessing to the nation about life in the bipolar zone...
I've been referring to it as the "Destroying Honor" rally.
Two of my sisters and several nieces have stopped speaking to me. I'm not entirely convinced that's a bad thing.
What they want to restore is the ante-bellum south. Pure and simple. Personally, I find no honor in that.
They need to check out the man in the mirror. "Restoring honor" for those guys implies that they had it in the first place. That seems to be hyperbole ... okay, just a bald-faced lie -- one where the teller does not attempt to hide his face while telling it; in fact, they do it on national television!
Meow. I'm having a saucer of milk for dinner this evening.
Hey Mr? Wombat,
What if my code of ethics dictates that I be 'flexible'?
Having someone without honor call for it is like having Dr. Kavorkian teach CPR. It just doesn't make sense. You can make all the money you want as an ass but that forfeits your right to appeal to our better nature.
honor was sacrificed for expediency long ago. Restoring it is a personal matter...a path each individual must choose for themselves. It's a decision to live by a code of ethics and principles that one will not compromise on. A demarcation of what one will and will not do, no matter the circumstances.
It's not something one gains simply by voting for everyone with an (R) next to their name....but since it's a holy crusade already, what's another turd on the fire gonna hurt?