I am finally getting to a diary I have wanted to write for a little while. It begins with a Top Comments diary I wrote in January of 2013, about an old M*A*S*H episode. It dealt with a romance between Hawkeye and a female lieutenant with some nasty prejudices. Hawkeye was enamored of her great beauty, but the bigotry was a deal-breaker. He said:
You're built, lieutenant. You've got a body I’d like to take a lifetime getting to know and once I've learned it I'd like to start at the top and go down to the bottom again. But somewhere in that luscious chemistry, there are some pretty unappetizing ideas. I just don't think I could take the mix. Good night Lieutenant.
(From my transcription of the encounter for that diary.)
Last week I watched a TED Talk by a woman named Megan Phelps-Roper. Yes, you read it correctly. Phelps. Yes, THAT Phelps. From Westboro Baptist Church.
A young woman from Westboro doing a TED Talk! How could that be?!
I am not going to write a great deal about Megan Phelps-Roper. Please watch her talk. Then contrast her inner beauty with the inner ugliness from the woman of Hawkeye’s infatuation.
It was one of the most eye-opening talks I have ever heard. One I needed to hear, one I will need to hear again and again. Because there is some ugliness within me, that tries to believe that a woman from Westboro couldn’t possibly have something worthwhile to say. Yet, from that great darkness, she found a way into the light, into a far more loving, more tolerant world.
Here, then, is Megan Phelps-Roper. With her great courage and her opened heart and mind.
Best to each of you tonight.
On to tonight’s comments. Graciously compiled and formatted by my fine friend, brillig!
TOP COMMENTS
Brillig's ObDisclaimer: The decision to publish each nomination lies with the evening's Diarist and/or Comment Formatter. My evenings at the helm, I try reeeeallllyy hard to publish everything without regard to content. I really do, even when I disagree personally with any given nomination. "TopCommentness" lies in the eyes of the nominator and of you, the reader - I leave the decision to you. I do not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down. Please remember that comment inclusion in Top Comments does not constitute support or endorsement by diarist, formatter, Top Comments writers or DailyKos. Questions, complaints or comments? Contact brillig.
From susans:
According to Gooserock, we're gonna need a new plan. From Brainwrap’s UPDATE: BREAKING: Paul Ryan suddenly remembers that old white people vote in midterms…
From NinetyWt:
Tuba Les sets up the play, and DyedInTheWool runs it home. From bubbanomics’ HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
From brillig:
From Joan McCarter‘s Another Trump voter prepares to bid a regretful farewell to his health care comes this apt observation by ian douglas rushlau.
And a final inclusion from brillig, out of date but included because there seems to be a misperception about Top Comments. This comment by pollwatcher was noticed by Wordsinthewind, who said “this should be a Top Comment but the Bernie4eva crowd would...”. ::points up to disclaimer:: Now I’ll be honest, I didn’t read the diary in question, or the comment, and I have exactly ZERO thoughts about what it’s about. See The Disclaimer, people. And send those comments in without deciding in advance that we ‘won’t’ publish it.
(And now Ben’s comment: No one who regularly reads comments submitted via Top Comments could believe that comments are picked to meet an ‘agenda,’ other than helping to elect Democrats and promote Democratic causes. There are folks within Top Comments who favored Bernie Sanders, there are folks who favored Hillary Clinton. I, myself, came out for both Bernie Clinton AND Hillary Sanders!
Each night’s diarist gets to make the ‘call’ on that day’s submissions (when those are made). Most TC diarists include absolutely anything someone takes the time to submit. brillig won’t include self-nominations, but I will. Comment submissions reflect on the submitter, so I let the chips fall where they may. Please don’t censor your own possible comment submissions. Let the comment recommenders be the judge! That’s what we do. Always.)
TOP MOJO
Top Mojo for yesterday, March 19th, 2017, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary on FAQing Top Mojo.
TOP PICTURES
Top Pictures for yesterday, March 19th, 2017. Click any picture to be taken to the full comment or picture. Thank you jotter!