"Isn't he ever so dreamy?"*Swoon*.....where he was President.
Now if the prospect of that doesn't make you break out into a cold sweat....then you are probably a loyal reader of the works of Ann Coulter and get your commentary from Rush Limbaugh.
But I digress....
Our favorite lunatics over at World
Nut Net Daily have an
article written by none other than Pat Boone, he outlines a dream he had where he is elected President.
*Wretch* Pardon me had someting in my throat there. He goes on to outline his policies. It's quite an entertaining read in much the same way that is reading those Jehovah's Witness 'Watchtower" pamphlets that occasionally find their way onto my front door threshold.
Most of it is standard right-wing and populist dreck.
What I found must entertaining was the final two paragraphs. The first
"As a man who intended to be a teacher myself, I issued an ultimatum to the teachers' unions: They would return to basic math, including arithmetic, and basic English (the mandated official language), and basic science devoid of unproven theories like evolution, sticking instead to factual evidence and not discounting "intelligent design" as the more scientific basis for life and existence. All history books would again detail the reasons America was founded, and tell the stories of our Founding Fathers and national heroes – not latter day revisions. Teachers' pay and advancement would depend on the test scores and comprehension of their students. "
"basic English (the mandated official language)"?How does it feel to be so threatened by the 'brown people' to our south? While I do feel that those who come here do bear some responsibility to try to acclimatize themselves to the culture they'd like to be part of; where begins OUR responsibility to try to communicate effectively with someone who does NOT share the language of our birth? In most European countries it is unusual that a person only speaks ONE language. If we are going to
require immigrants to learn English why not
require natural born citizens to learn another language too? Sort of a 'meet them halfway' policy. Maybe the rest of the world wouldn't regard us as so insufferable when we go over seas!
"basic science devoid of unproven theories like evolution"?The SCIENCE of evolution is one of the most SUCCESSFUL intellectual constructs ever theorized by man. It's explanatory power with regards to the speciation of life on Earth is unparalleled. No other explanation, creationism, Intelligent Design or whatever misleading moniker you want to attach to the simplistic statement that
'God done it', comes anywhere close to explaining what modern evolutionary theory does so effortlessly. Sticking your head in the sand and pretending otherwise, does nothing to take away from that FACT. Keep the non-science based religiously motivated systems of thought where they belong; in religious philosophy class.
"history books would again detail the reasons America was founded, and tell the stories of our Founding Fathers and national heroes – not latter day revisions."Really? What exactly does this statement mean? I think I had a pretty damned good education history wise. I was exposed to the all that was GOOD and BAD in our deep and nuanced history. I think what Mr. Boone is alluding to is the suppression of everything that would paint the founders as anything but the Godly and wise Christian men he has convinced himself they were. Sorry Pat it but it ain't so.... Blocking your ears and screaming 'I can't hear you, I can't hear you' does NOT change history.
And finally we come to Mr. Boone's final thought (if we can dignify it as such):
"And a final ultimatum was directed to the courts, from the Supremes on down to local judiciary: "Hands off religion, as the First Amendment dictates. And you will no longer legislate from the bench. Keep your personal ideas to yourselves, and enforce the legislated will of the people."
"a final ultimatum was directed to the courts"Wow! Clearly Mr. Boone didn't pay much attention in his American Civics class. The President does not get to dictate to the Judiciary how they are going to do their job! That's one of the most amazing thing about our Constitution it codifies the concept of separation of powers and the 'checks and balances'. The courts do not answer to you, Mr. would-be President. If they did, well that would make you a dictator, wouldn't it?
"Hands off religion"Yes by all means! Government, keep your meddling hands off of religion.
And similarly, people of faith...keep your meddling hands off my government!"enforce the legislated will of the people"I LOVE this one!!! Really? Even if it means the degradation or the relegation to the status of second class citizen of a minority of people? Let me ask you this, Mr. would-be President; Would it have been a good thing to leave the fate of the proposed
13th Amendment to the 'will of the people' instead of the refined Legislatures of the states? Before you answer consider this more appropriate example: Would it have been RIGHT to allow segregation to continue in this land had the Supreme Court not ruled as it did in
1954? Should the 'will of the people' have been the only consideration as to whether or not the state of Kansas, or any state for that matter, should be allowed to continue a policy which can only be described as American apartheid?
Mr. Boone, one of the most important functions of the judiciary in this country is to protect a minority from the tyranny of a majority. If that is unclear to you then it is
you who most assuredly needs remedial work in American History and Civics. You have NO business being President of a Mickey Mouse fan club let alone a President of a modern liberal democracy.
Do us all a favor and stick to what you know: nauseating Christian-ese music.
R.
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