You will have to forgive me and, hopefully indulge me. I tend to get my news a little late. I don't do broadcast television and I can't seem to keep up with Mr. Stewart on a regular basis on Hulu. A lot of what comes to me comes through some great friends on Facebook so I am just now getting up to speed on the whole National Prayer Breakfast brouhaha.
First, stop by the rec list and read Obama's nuanced, thoughtful remarks at Prayer Breakfast have the right in an uproar by subir. It tells you all you need to know.
Check out the link to the source article
Critics pounce after Obama talks Crusades, slavery at prayer breakfast at
The Washington Post also.
The article is a great read and does a pretty good job of lining up the immediate reaction to the President's speech. If you still care about what I have to say, come back.
Here is what I find to be another piece from WaPo about the prayer breakfast that is worth a read. Why Obama invoked the Crusades — and what it says about how he views terrorism by Aaron Blake.
Obama, for the duration of his presidency, has forcefully tried to separate Islam from what terrorists who claim that faith do, in the name of it.
The most striking example was in September, amid the growing threat of the Islamic State, when Obama declared not only that the terrorists were perverting their religion -- as he has often said -- but that they were actually "not Islamic" at all.
Apparently, it's a thing that President Obama will not use the terms "radical Islam" or "Islamic radicals". Even some Democrats (ahem, Tulsi Gabbard) want him to use these terms. But I believe, as I think does Mr Blake, that the President wants to reframe the concept. He is trying to do what all of us on the Left should be doing.
Don't fight your opponent on their own battlefield. Forgive me Sun Tzu. I think the actual concept is not to fight your enemy where they are strong. And make no mistake, Jingoism is a powerful force in US culture.
Blake calls this "perhaps the defining semantics debate of [Obama's] presidency" and I agree.
With a Republican controlled Legislative Branch and the turmoil of a new set of pretenders to the throne about to befall us, Barack Obama's most powerful tool is his rhetoric.
He can cower and fight a rear guard action to salvage the ACA and his reputation.
Or, he can stand proud and tall in the bully pulpit and call out the ugliest elements of American society.
That's why I voted for him. I want, just for a little bit, to hear my President say that we can do better, that we can be better and that we can rise above the divisions to work towards that more perfect union. Don't fight against Conservative memes. Create your own. Be bold. Be hopeful. Change the debate.
Meanwhile, some crazy dude in a robe was seen walking around the gathering of flannel suits and power ties.
No one has said a lot about him, except for a piece in The Wall Street Journal about relations with China and Obama playing "China's game".
But, look at that presence of peace. Think about living a good life and doing well by others. Think about making the world better and kinder.
If we can all think about that and leave the internecine battles about whose prophet is the correct one then we might actually do some good in this world.
NAMASTE
In the meantime, the right is bending over backwards to see who can out-outrage their fellow commentators the most. All the usual suspects have come out. Let's start with some immediate reaction.
“[The President] has offended every believing Christian in the United States. This goes further to the point that Mr. Obama does not believe in America or the values we all share.”
[former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore (R)]
“The evil actions that he mentioned were clearly outside the moral parameters of Christianity itself and were met with overwhelming moral opposition from Christians,”
[Russell Moore, president, Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission]
I'll leave it up to you to guess the ages, race and socioeconomic of the two quoted gentlemen.
But, you know. That couldn't be left there. There was too much air time to fill and too much political hay to be made with the "My Country Right or Wrong" / "Love It or Leave It" crowd. Someone had to stand up as the defender of the Christian faith, American ideals and (I'm assuming) Mom, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet.
Rush spent a segment (only one?) on the breakfast. Not surprising. The Kelly File gave its guests 15 minutes to air their objections. Apparently, the Twitterverse go all riled up too. The hashtag #prayerbreakfast makes for some downright enraging reading. Ahhh Twitter, where you can share your idocy with the world while thinking you are only talking to your three best friends.
Hey, even Bobby Jindal wants to remind us that he is a Christian and maybe sort of wants to run for President too.
“Today, however, the issue right in front of his nose, in the here and now, is the terrorism of Radical Islam, the assassination of journalists, the beheading and burning alive of captives. We will be happy to keep an eye out for runaway Christians, but it would be nice if he would face the reality of the situation today. The Medieval Christian threat is under control, Mr. President. Please deal with the Radical Islamic threat today.”
Oh, if only he would keep an eye out for runaway Christians. Therein lies the problem to my mind. So many of today's American Christians are so wrapped up in the narcissistic Dominionist belief that they are the culmination of all that is right and holy in all the history of the world that they can't see what the hell the President is talking about.
So, in as plain a sentence as I ever hope to write:
Look in Your Own Backyard!
You wan to play a fun game? Click the
#prayerbreakfast link and scroll down through the tweets until you find an avatar that isn't of a white person.