Today I get a bit political.

[fairyrune]

Most of you have probably heard by now that Pat Robertson has said some pretty terrible things about the people in Haiti, about how they made a pact with the devil to get out of slavery, and that's why they live in poverty and have been struck by an earthquake.

This article posits that the reason for the backlash against Mr. Robertson is because religion is still important to many Americans.

I disagree. The author of the article says that people are speaking out against Robertson mostly because he is misrepresenting their view of Christianity, and it outrages them.

I think people are outraged at Robertson because he just said some really awful, undeserved things about people who have just suffered unimaginable tragedy. It doesn't matter if you're Christian, Jewish, atheist, Muslim, pagan, or anything else; that's offensive. Saying that anyone who experiences a natural disaster such as the earthquake in Haiti somehow brought it on themselves is....well. I just don't have the words. "Despicable" might cover it, but only just. The fact that he uses Christianity as a cover for his hatred, while not irrelevant, is secondary to the fact that he is spewing hatred at people who don't deserve it.

Jon Stewart's smack-down is really fantastic, I think. Unfortunately, Mr. Robertson probably won't change his thinking. The best we can hope for is that he learns to keep his mouth shut.

Comments

[fairyrune]

Right? If you make a deal with the devil, you get paradise on earth, or mad blues-guitar skills, but then you burn in hell for all eternity. There's that trade-off thing.

While it's true that the Haitian people probably don't give a shit about what this asshole said right now, that doesn't make it ok. Saying that people brought a tragedy like that upon themselves is never ok.

[grigoricennui.livejournal.com]

Acknowledging a troll gives him power. Ignore him and the thread dies. As long as he stays in the spotlight, people throw money at him. The media really needs a wake-up call. In that, at least, I agree with J. Stewart.

J.

P.S. I'm totally getting an inappropriate T-Shirt when he dies.

[fairyrune]

I don't think we should ignore him. Ignoring a problem won't make it go away. I think we should publicly mock and shame him, for that is what he deserves.

[grigoricennui.livejournal.com]

He'll take it as a sign from god that he is doing right and that you're obviously a devil worshipper. The holier-than-thou can't accept that they are ever wrong and won't feel shame for doing "right". Shame comes from peers. You (and the rest of us) are beneath him. You can, of course, write him a letter if you like. I'm sure one of his aides will get a good chuckle out of it.

Then again, you're not the one spreading his hate speach to make sure billions hear it instead of a few thousand hand-chosen lunatics on the fringe of society. Keeping quiet about violence (domestic, racial or otherwise) is one thing. Profligating hate speach for ratings is quite another. I'm certain the neo-nazi wish they got half his coverage.

J.