The spirit of honorable service to this republic did not die with John McCain! His friend and fellow Arizona senator, Jeff Flake, just announced that he would support a one week delay in the confirmation vote for Judge Kavanaugh to allow the FBI to investigate Dr. Ford's accusation that he sexually assaulted her when they were teens. This move (supported by at least a few other Republican and Democratic senators) will give Dr. Ford and the Democrats the more in-depth investigation for which they have been advocating and will give Judge Kavanaugh and the Republicans a path to confirmation that is not tainted with charges of unfair process and the potential for the production of exculpatory evidence.
In this era of hyper-partisanship, this feels like a ray of sunshine. We still don't know how this will all turn out, but it appears that cooler heads and common sense have made an appearance on this cratered and burning battlefield. Let's hope and pray that a resolution that is satisfactory and beneficial to at least a majority of Americans is the result.
In this era of hyper-partisanship, this feels like a ray of sunshine. We still don't know how this will all turn out, but it appears that cooler heads and common sense have made an appearance on this cratered and burning battlefield. Let's hope and pray that a resolution that is satisfactory and beneficial to at least a majority of Americans is the result.
I was surprised. The interesting aspect to this is that new names are coming up, even if the new people have no memory of the alleged event. It is very possible that each of the new people will remember others who might have attended the party. Somebody might remember something, although I'm skeptical.
ReplyDeleteI remember a party I attended back in the 1970s. My girlfriend and I left that party early, but some of those who stayed to the end later told us about a drunken young girl who had had sex with three of the guys at the party, and ended up having interracial lesbian sex with a woman who took her home with her. I couldn't tell you today who all was at that party, and have lost contact with all of the people who attended. I can't imagine how anyone could sort out those events if any of the guests had gone into politics or law.
I guess we'll see what happens with the FBI investigation. Of course, this appointment and confirmation are really all about Roe vs Wade. I expect to witness additional dirty fighting, and reputations exposed and ruined.
BB
Yes, I suspect we'll see a lot more nasty stuff before this is over. And, you're right - it's all about Roe v Wade.
DeleteAbortion has been one of the most divisive issues of my lifetime. Personally, I have always believed that life begins at conception and cannot imagine participating in the process in anyway.
Nevertheless, over the years, I came to see that it would be inappropriate for me to impose my belief about this on others. I now see that it is possible to justify other notions about when human life begins - even from a religious perspective. I've heard folks refer to the creation account in the book of Genesis, and they point out that it was only after God breathed into Adam's nostrils the breath of life that he became a living soul.
I'm going to stick to my interpretation; BUT, when you understand that another Christian's conscience on the subject may be based on this other understanding, it is more difficult to condemn them or claim that they should adhere to my interpretation. Does that make sense?
I wish that all Christians understood the role of personal conscience and the very personal nature of salvation through Jesus Christ. And I wish EVERYONE understood that the United States of America is a democratic republic, not a theocracy.
Hence, I believe that folks who share my views about abortion should be working to persuade others to always strive to preserve innocent life. It is not my job to make moral decisions for them - that's between them and Almighty God. What do you think?
Having grown up in a cult that did not value human life, one in which God's love was taught as being conditional, one in which we were taught that everyone would eventually receive their "true" chance, I wasn't really concerned about abortion.
DeleteIn my years of recovery from the cultic mindset, I had to learn for the first time the value of human life, to develop real ethics and morality, and to apply those lovingly to my fellow human beings. I've come to see abortion as being terribly wrong on a personal level. However, I'm not an activist.
During the time that I was an atheist or agnostic, I recognized that the Earth could not sustain the huge numbers of people who now populate it, and manage to survive long term as a planet. Man had developed effective counter-measures to all of the "herd-thinning" processes which had kept the global population in check for thousands of years. I had thought of abortion as being a new herd thinner. Unfortunately, that attitude is simply another mindset that fails to value human life. Fortunately, atheism was just a transitional stage for me, and part of my cult-recovery process.
Principles and paradigms are of little value if people abandon them, and play dirty in their efforts to preserve them. Both sides of the political spectrum have been guilty of this.
BB
When a freshmen I remember our professors admonishing us to, pay the rent of our shacks, be prudent in our interactions with the locals and fellow students, where and how to enjoy alcohol, never break the law and not rattle our sabres at the city walls, FOR ONE DAY OUR ACTIONS TODAY MIGHT HAUNT US IN OUR FUTURE CAREERS.
ReplyDeleteWise words in retrospect. I don't know if we fully comprehended why they said that when we diligently took our notes. At eighteen we were adressed as gentlemen and ladies, but these are titles that need to be earned day by day and reputations built over a lifetime can disappear in a second.
nck
Great points - the professors gave wise advice.
DeleteMiller
ReplyDeleteAs you know I try to share unique data and not be boring.
Some 20 odd years ago the belgian parliament allowed the king in an unprecedented constitutional move to step down for a day. Their government and parliament moved out of deep respect for the devout catholic king in order to move legislation on abortion forward without the signature of the abdicated king who would never compromise his conscious on that issue. (for a day)
Ironically, the leader of the cult bb speaks about was a frequent visitor at the wider family of that king since there was deep cooperation on many levels. In flagrant defiance of Winston Churchills opinion of the former king the general counsel of said organisation even translated an exonerating work about the former from french to english on personal account.
My point. National and international politics can be extremely divisive. Especially when human life is involved. (churchills case) One can only move forward if an attempt is made to see through the other parties eyes. One might not agree on the outcome of such effort. But a level of respect might remain if both parties are convinced of the other parties deeply felt responsibility.
We talked about the importance of proper procedure. Both testifying after 35 years of a crime committed by a 16 year old just before an important comission or not inviting key witnesses to a hearing and go along without proper investigation, amount to a political circus, diminishing faith and trust in our institutions.
Nck
As always, thanks for the unique perspective you bring to these conversations. You provoke thought, and I agree that it's important to try to see things through someone else's eyes (not always easy, but an essential component of empathy, tolerance and comity).
DeleteNice ethics. Instead of staying on the job and fighting for something he believed deep down on a soul level was right, the king walks away for a day, allowing something really bad to happen. He is just as complicit as he would have been had he signed! Yeah, I can see how there could have been such a warm friendship between the king and the cult leader. Birds of a feather!
ReplyDeleteBB
For the First Century Apostles, it never seemed to work out too well for them when they were in the presence of kings, emperors and their officials. Herbie liked to hobnob with them and pretend that he was on their level (actually, he believed he was above them as God's one and only, end-time apostle).
DeleteAs for this particular instance, Belgium is a constitutional monarchy with strong democratic traditions. In my view, it would have been inappropriate for the king to impose his views on the entire nation and probably would have provoked a constitutional crisis. Nevertheless, I think that any monarch who is so inclined is in an excellent position to try to persuade his subjects to join him in valuing and protecting innocent life.
Yes I agree Miller.
ReplyDeleteFor BB I understand that the "Georgetownian", Jesuit, Catholic) type of solution to the constitutional crises at hand some decades ago might be hard to swallow. I do not expect BB to know the details of the "social contract" between his people and the childless "roi tristesse" who piously fought abortion legislation his entire lifetime, until the people agreed to disagree through the agreed solution. Let's see how the Irish are going to solve their current struggle with the same issue.
Miller and I share both a deep respect of "the Republic" and its values and an awareness of the ugly side of some of its fabric, like protestantisms witch hunts on the straight and narrow. Combined with the Bykers love of freedom we would be a great legislative team.
I don't think it is coincidental my brain comes up with catholic vs protestant ethics in the case of "Kavanaugh."
If Kavanaugh had testified to be guilty as charged of the alleged misdeeds at age 16, shown deep remorse and a lifetime of unblemished achievement in public service, would he then be allowed to serve on the current commission?
Sometimes I wonder about 95 year old war criminals being deported who after the war when they were 19 lived a life as a gardener or trucker. I guess there is no escape for the punishment for sin unless someone pays the price or one is exonerated by the ultimate sovereign power.
Personally I have a hard time understanding the scene in the movie "Kingdom of Heaven", when Balian is offered, Kingship of Jerusalem, the queen he loves, power to change things for the good, the keys to jerusalem, the respect of the people but refuses all for the idea or lofty ideals and walks away from the "resonsibility" that is offered to him.
Perhaps a sign that I should read books more than see movies in order to grasp the inner struggle and inner moral conflict of the leading characters better.
I very much doubt modern politics allows for the nuances literature can offer. One cannot start early enough to raise children as active participating citizens. citoyens, burghers, of their respective societies. Warn them of the at times unforgiving nature of government of the people for the people when running for public office. While monitoring dishonest procedure or witchhunts for politics sake only.
nck