Reaction to Thesis is Quite Telling
Posted: Friday, September 04, 2009
by Terry Mitchell
http://commenterry.blogs.com
Recently-published portions of Virginia gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell's 1989 graduate thesis have created a major uproar in the mainstream media. They are particularly outraged at McDonnell's assertion that government should favor married couples over "cohabitators, homosexuals, or fornicators." For the life of me, I cannot fathom why this would this would be such a horrible thing. Yet we are told by the pundits that these views are "not mainstream." One popular news magazine even referred to them as "bizarre."
All he was saying is that the government shouldn't condone the lifestyles of homosexual couples or those heterosexual couples who are "shacking up" by bestowing upon them the same privileges that were once reserved for married couples. Remember, privileges are different from rights, which are inalienable and cannot be arbitrarily given or taken away by the government. Certainly one's private life, no matter how distasteful or ungodly, does not justify government denial of his or her rights. However, the government is well within its authority to distribute privileges as determined by the people's elected representatives.
Also, keep in mind that just because people have the right to do certain things, doesn't mean they should expect to be free from condemnation for such. No one protests when we malign acts such as murder, theft, rape, child molestation, and fraud. However, criticism of personal sexual immorality is often met with a tumultuous and hysterical response. That's a sure indicator of a depraved society. And this is not just a criticism of liberals. Many so-called conservatives – who have an undying love affair with Rush Limbaugh and swear by Fox News – are as likely to consider premarital/extramarital sex "normal" as their liberal neighbor down the street.
There's more to conservatism than attending "tea parties," shouting down others at townhall meetings, and taking a stand for a strong national defense, smaller government, and lower taxes. When conservatives blend with the culture, they are no more moral than leftwing nut jobs like Keith Olbermann. While those of Olbermann's ilk have sharply criticized the thesis, members of McDonnell's own Republican Party have made little or no effort to defend the merits of the arguments he laid out 20 years ago. Instead, they have been busy trying to change the subject while pointing out the weaknesses of the Democratic candidate, Creigh Deeds.
I was indifferent toward McDonnell until I heard about this. His strong moral stance gave me cause to consider enthusiastically supporting him – for a while, anyway. Predictably and unfortunately, though, McDonnell is now kowtowing to political correctness and backing down from those "controversial" remarks he penned in his thesis. In fact, he's backpedaling faster than a circus clown. Instead of standing firm for what is right, he is apparently willing to sell his soul to get elected, thereby falling in line behind nearly every other modern politician. Too bad.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)Actions have consequences and it is time we voters hold those elected accountable. Thanks for writing this outspoken and well spoken piece! It packs a punch! Marijo (Mary Jo)Marijo, thanks for your kind and encouraging words.
Terry,I think this whole over-sensitivity thing has gotten so far out of hand. The level of drama these days is overwhelming. Everyone just needs to take a deep breath and calm down. Folks are entitled to their opinions - just because someone else's is different is not a reason to start such a big deal. The current atmosphere reminds me of two kids in the back seat of a car doing that "she touched me first" routine. How do we get that to happen? Is it possible?Jean, you are exactly right. This kind of over-sensitivity, as you put it, is rampant these days - on both sides of the political spectrum. If you listen to the radical left, you would think Bob McDonnell's thesis was advocating Sharia Law in the United States. Or when any anyone voices an opinion against gay marriage, they are accused of homophobia. And then the wacko right would have us think that President Obama was wanting to use his his back-to-school speech today to indoctrinate children with socialist views. Give me a break! I'm getting tired of all the silliness.
"Recently-published portions of Virginia gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell's 1989 graduate thesis have created a major uproar in the mainstream media."So, you listen to mainstream media? Or, mainstream media commenting on other mainstream media? I must be out of that loop.I'm reminded of something from calculus, which I did very poorly at, by the way, about primes and primes of primes, etc. It's like the present phenomenon of commentary on commentary: "That commentary on the commentary was an outrage!"- GI think I know where you're coming from. One should read what a person actually wrote before passing judgment - instead of depending on what somebody wrote about what they wrote.
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