Kerfuffles

This insanity is one more reason why Barack Obama cannot be elected President of these United States.

The YouTube video shows a commissioner in Dallas discussing traffic tickets that just seem to disappear into a “Black Hole.” However, there is more than one ignoramus on the Dallas commission who took offense at the phrase “Black Hole.” Apparently these dunces have never heard of outer space; all they can relate to are “Black Hoes” or “Black Hos” or however the term for black woman is spelled by Rappers. The dunces took immediate umbrage that a white man would dare to speak Rapper, and became racially offended, demanding an apology. When “The First Dunce” is interviewed afterwards, he complained that it is hurtfult that “angel food cakes” are white, and “devil’s food cakes” are black. Good Lord, some cry babies can take offence so easily that their racist grievances could fill up that Black Hole in no time flat.

Now I never knew that “Devil’s Food Cake” was black. All that I’ve ever seen were “Chocolate.” However, in today’s United States, “Chocolate” is probably a racist slur too. I just cannot keep abreast with all the changes in the language brought about by people who can barely speak Shakespeare’s beloved English. All I know, Dallas, is that these are YOUR “elected” leaders! Color should not matter. What should matter, is to elect grown-ups with brains, which DALLAS COUNTY has failed to do.

This incident in Dallas has nothing to do with Presidential candidate Barack Obama, yet it has everything to do with him. If he cannot be treated like every other candidate who has run for President for fear of offending his “fragile” racial psyche, how can he be tempered by the fire of the campaign and have his mettle tested? Answer - he cannot in today’s atmosphere of demand for racist grievances.

When citizens go to the polls to vote in November, no matter how attractive Barack Obama, voters will be remembering “Black Holes,” the screeds of Reverend Wright, Whoopie Goldberg’s language on morning television, and last but not least the “most reverend” Reverend Jesse Jackson, all of whom continually demand that the rest of us treat members of their race as delicate, immature children.

The following post was first published by Kerfuffles on August 11, 2005:

I was a-wondering about name changes. How can “Native Americans,” be native Americans, when there was no America nor any Americans when they were natives? “Indians” too was a misnomer applied to them by Columbus and it stuck. And it has really complicated all languages since then, as when we speak of Indians, we must explain which kind of Indian; the Indians that are Hindus, or the Indians who have no connection to the Hindu religion, from which the words “India” and “Indian” originate. Writings from earlier centuries referred to American natives as “Red Indians” for this reason.

Now, have you heard the latest? The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has gone on the warpath, banning the use of Native American team names and mascots in all NCAA-sponsored postseason tournaments. They claim that Native Americans feel it to be shameful and embarrassing to have their ancestors referred to with names like “Indians,” “Braves,” “Warriors” or similar “hostile and abusive” words. Only after the NCAA sent out the press release did the higher-ups notice that their own letterhead of the NCAA’s stationary had printed in big bold letters: “Indianapolis, Indiana.”

Of course they did the only thing that was left to do - they demanded that both the city and state change its names. Since the word “Indian” has been relegated to the dust bin of racial slurs, Indianapolis, Indiana was no longer acceptable. Change it or lose us! Yes indeed, we are moving on out to … Iowa? No. Idaho? No. How about Illinois? Oh forget it, they shouted, but don’t even think about passing along that old Indian peace pipe. To those Native Americans who are none too happy about losing the few legacies left them by their Indian forebears; native words for places, animals and plants; the NCAA responded that they should get over it. Deep down you are no better than the rest of us Americans - WIMPS!

Then came the state of Florida thinking that it knew a thing or two about Indians, as it was way, way back in the 1500s when ole Ponce de Leon happened upon their “Braves,” “Warriors” and other “hostile and abusive” aborigines, and ole Ponce did not live to tell about it. So, comes an already prepared Mr. T.K. Weatherall, the president of Florida State University, with written permission from the bona fide Seminole tribe of Florida that FSU is allowed to use that tribe’s name. Needless to say, that didn’t phase Ms. Charlotte Westerhaus, vice president for “diversity and inclusion” for the NCAA who said get lost. Somewhere, someplace there are “Other Seminole tribes,” she claimed, who “are not supportive,” and prefer to be wimpy couch potatoes rather than portrayed as robust athletes or, even worse, - as a Florida State Mascot (picture).

Just in case you were wondering about that famous Notre Dame mascot, “The Fighting Irish.” It can stay in place and there is logic to the NCAA’s reasoning. “Fighting Irish” is a real slur, therefore it is permitted. “Fighting Irish” was a pejorative used to portray Irish-American immigrants as poor, uneducated Catholics who liked to get drunk and brawl. If the athletes of Notre Dame were puffing themselves up by using mascots such as “Irish Saints,” “The Holy Cardinals” or “Celtic Warriors“, then the NCAA would be gleefully cutting them down to size.

The term “Redskins” was used by early Americans in the 1600s to describe Indian warriors, as they painted their skins red when going to battle. Red was the color of war and the natives had a reputation among the white settlers as being fierce fighters. Read my essay about William Dietz who was a famous Indian football player and became coach of a team that he named in honor of his fellow Indian players, the Boston Redskins. When they played they often wore red paint and native dress. It is he who is pictured above as the proud American Indian that he was. Redskins and Warpaint

Ruffles and Flourishes to “The Red Scare” by Kenneth L. Woodward. Seems that Van at Moonbattery read this same piece and now he has “his Irish up” and is demanding a “pot of gold“.

Oh My God — “Cryin’ Bob Butler” is Still Sending “My Wife Left Me” E-mails! Cannot somebody at his “institution” find a straight jacket to keep his fingers away from the keyboard? Won’t somebody please buy this Pulitzer-Prize-Winning author a copy of the instructive book “Send”, which is a guide to email etiquette:

“Can you please give voice to this at your site?” reads the subject line of a new e-mail from Pulitzer-winning author Robert Olen Butler to the Internet blog “Gawker.com.” OH BOY … can we ever, replies Gawker.

You see, my primary concern, was to protect dear Elizabeth Dewberry of course, and that is why I sent the e-mail to the community that “she and I lived in. If I had said nothing, the naked facts of the events would have meant that Elizabeth would be savaged by the rumor mill.” See … I’m not only a Pulitzer Prize winner, I am a saint to boot!

“And the email was never a mass email. I chose five trusted grad students who know us both the best. I chose half a dozen faculty members who know us both the best. And they were asked, when the rumors reached them, to tell the appropriately nuanced story. Or to tell the fuller story on their own initiative–because everyone would soon know anyway. Yes, I sanctioned the use of the email I sent them in order to explain the circumstances to the people in our community who were hearing about this. Why should I avoid vagueness myself and then force them to be vague? Without that sanction to use the email, the explanation vacuum would have continued to form and be filled with lies. And this process worked exactly as I had hoped. That email went out six weeks ago. And faculty members and students alike have told me that all of the talk around campus and around town has been sympathetic and generous about both of us.”

Not a Mass Email? It is now!

“And I tell you absolutely that Elizabeth did not do this for money and Ted did not do it lightly as conquest. They love each other deeply. And given what they’ve both been through in their lives, I expect them to be very good for each other. I love Elizabeth and her remarkable writing talent. I admire the wide-ranging good works Ted does to preserve the earth and prevent nuclear war. These are admirable people doing important work in the culture and in the world. I sincerely hope they have the rich happiness they deserve.

“In spite of my previous chiding of you and your readers, I wish that happiness for all of you, as well. It’s dangerous to live too deeply in a world of glib judgmentalism. And man, there is some truly legitimate short-burst writing talent among you all.”

I am taking this well, aren’t I? My therapist gave me the above thoughts and I penned them in my Pulitzer-Prize-Winning manner. The following prose is from one of my novellas written in 1995, coincidentally around the same time that I married the most fortunate Elizabeth Dewberry. Already, I was having premonitions about that Georgia cracker Ted Turner:

And then the cracker [as the parrot has dubbed the lover, who is also described as having “a thick Georgia truck-stop accent” ] comes around the corner. He wears only his rattlesnake boots. I take one look at his miserable, featherless body and shake my head. We keep our sexual parts hidden, we parrots, and this man is a pitiful sight. “Peanut,” I say. (”JEALOUS HUSBAND RETURNS IN FORM OF PARROT” by Robert Olen Butler)

WaPo ‘understands’ in “The Affair Of an E-mail Gone Wild”: “We understand that writers are notorious gossips. We understand the bitterness of divorce. … But the main thing we understand is that rarely has being one of Ted Turner’s girlfriends looked so good.” Bob Butler is not only sending mass e-mails, he’s podcasting to the world via NPR. Listen to the Pulitzer Prize-Winning-Email Author as he ’splains his E-Mail Chronicles of the Butler-Dewberry Love Triangle with Ted Turner.

The Three Evangelists — Christopher, Richard and Sam

The most entertaining of the three “unholy” books is Evangelist Christopher’s God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. Yes, thank God for Christopher Hitchens for telling us that “God Is Not Great.” And he should know, as after-all, Hitch IS God, as he explains in this evangelical tome.

We know why Christians, Muslims and other religions proselytize, as they are commanded to do so by their holy books and the teachings of their prophets. My question is, why do Atheists proselytize? Has Atheism become a genuine “World Religion” which is now seeking converts to justify its entrée into the mainstream of America’s religious community? Next thing you know they will be setting up a “Prison Outreach” program. Oh, you say, they’ve already done that. Good Lord, what next?

According to the King James Bible (Matthew 28:19,20), during His last days on earth Jesus commanded His disciples to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.” Christian Evangelist Mark (Mark 16:1) commanded Christians to preach the Gospel of Jesus: “go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Muslims have received a similar commandment which they refer to as “Dawah”, an Arabic term meaning “invite” or “invitation”. It is considered obligatory for Muslims to invite others to Islam, to “preach Islam”, according to their holy book. ThQur’an, Sura An-Nahl 16:125 states: “Call unto the way of thy Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation, and reason with them in the better way. Lo! thy Lord is best aware of him who strayeth from His way, and He is Best Aware of those who go aright.” (Pickthall translation) Or “Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance.” (Yusuf Ali translation) In Islam a “Da`i” is a missionary or an Islamic evangelist.

So, from whence came “the calling” for Chris, Dick and Sam to give up the Atheistic mantel of “live and let live”, and to instead convert the world to godless Atheism? I shudder to think.

Where Will You Be On Saint Crispen’s Day?

“From now until the end of the world, we and it shall be remembered. We few, we Band of Brothers. For he who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.” ~~ William Shakespeare in “King Henry V”
Audio of ‘ Band of Brothers’ Speech

Open your Shakespeare to Henry V, Act IV, Scene 3, where the king, at battle’s eve, rallies his “band of brothers.” The most stirring call to arms in the English language was written in 1599, in that scene when the king inspired his men, his warriors, to fight valiantly as brothers-in-arms. (Link to Audio)

The methods of warfare have evolved somewhat since that time, but the character and brotherhood of soldiers remains much the same as it was 400 years ago, in the time of William Shakespeare. Today’s war is a global war and it is not fought solely on the battlefield. The conflict we face seems different from any that we have fought before. Skills and talents are needed other than the traditional ones possessed by soldiers. In this war, civilians on the home front or abroad can be warriors for the right. We watch with our eyes and write with our computers. We can disseminate local news and we can be creative with the new technologies that are now available. This World War III is a battle where the main weaponry is information and technology and skills and ingenuity are needed in these fields. If you cannot be a soldier in a uniform, your talents are still valued. We can all be citizen soldiers as we contribute our skills toward this terrible war.

The poetry of William Shakespeare is a great legacy handed down to us from our cultural forebears. Cherish it. Read the Bard’s immortal lines about war and understand our warriors, and think about what you can do to contribute to the war effort, instead of relying upon our soldiers to do all of the fighting.

All can be soldiers, in or out of uniform. Those who heed not the call to arms today will rue the victory, as they will not be able to recount to their children and grandchildren that they fought in those long ago days and saved civilization from a dreadful darkness. When they are old men and women, today’s soldiers will say with pride that they fought evil and won a great victory.

And gentlemen in England now abed, Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, And hold their manhood’s cheap whiles any speaks, That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day. ~~William Shakespeare “King Henry V”

On the 18th of April in ‘75

On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five; Hardly a man is now alive, Who remembers that famous day and year…. ~~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, from The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

On 18 April 1775 saw the Battle of Lexington and Concord of the American Revolutionary War. British General Thomas Gage attempted to confiscate the firearms of the American colonists. The British were driven back to Boston, Massachusetts, thus beginning the American Revolutionary War.

of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST From the Meditations of ANNE CATHERINE EMMERICH — was one of the key sources used by Mel Gibson in the film depiction of his vision of “The Passion of the Christ”. The crucifixion as seen in the film, follows closely the visions of Sister Emmerich, recorded in the book “The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ”.

The Venerable Anne Catherine Emmerich was an Augustian nun and mystic who lived in Germany between 1774 and 1824. Her visions were recorded by her secretary, the poet and writer Clemens Brentano. Never officially beatified or canonized by the Catholic Church, Emmerich remains a revered figure for her writings and for her alleged display of the stigmata, or bleeding from wounds in the hands and feet in the manner of the suffering of Christ on the cross. The visions of Emmerich included the events of the Last Supper, the Agony in the Garden, and detailed accounts of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion.

During the Lenten season of 1823, a German nun experienced a series of ecstatic visions that transported her to Jerusalem on the eve of the Last Supper. Sister Anne Catherine Emmerich beheld Christ’s final meal with His disciples, His agonies in the Garden of Gethsemane, His arrest and trials, the Way of the Cross, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. This is her compelling visionary account of the events surrounding Jesus’ final days. Recounted to a well-known literary figure of her era, it was published in 1833 to enduring acclaim that extends to its use as a primary source for Mel Gibson’s epic movie, The Passion of the Christ. Sister Emmerich relates her impressions in simple, direct terms, with reverence and with a warmth and dramatic immediacy. (Publisher’s Description at Amazon)

The Pope Was Out to Get Him …

Even if it were true, who could blame the pontif as Michael Schiavo was one mean man. That same man remains full of venom as his new book reveals. Mean man Michael Schiavo now wants America to listen to his side of the story. Trouble is, he told his story one year ago with his shabby treatment of the mother and family members of his handicapped wife, culminating with his final act of disrespect and revenge with disposal of the sacred remains of their dead daughter.

Mr Schiavo’s account says:“A religious zealot offered $250,000 to anyone who would kill me. My two babies were threatened with death. I was condemned by the president, the majority leaders of the House and Senate, the governor of Florida, the Pope, and the rightwing media, all because I was doing what Terri - the woman I loved - wanted.”

I blogged about this extensively one year ago, in hope of preserving the sanctity of human life for our nation. Although the life of Terri was not valued by the state of Florida, I still stand by my writings for life, which you may still read. Michael Schiavo remains one mean man!

Terri Schiavo Remembered

French is Not the “Lingua Franca”. English Is!

The French had their opportunity for greatness, but blew it. Instead of building on the original language of business, the ancient Lingua Franca, they destroyed it so that their beloved French would, they hoped, conquer all tongues and the world become one great Francophony.

Lingua Franca came into being during the middle ages as a trade language used by traders, crusaders and various communities around the Mediterranean to negotiate and communicate with each other while conducting business. Sometime in the nineteenth century the language completely disappeared with nary a trace, at the exact same time that the French language ascended as the preferred tongue of the erudite. Speakers of French sneered at Lingua Franca for being too easy - a language of simpletons, much as they treat the English language of today. Until the French stealthily massacred Lingua Franca, it served as a highly efficient means of communication, a kind of pidgin language with a limited vocabulary and simple grammar. It lacked endless verb tenses and inflected case endings, which left the French speakers in a highly distressed state of anxiety when they were forced to listen its spoken words. It never evolved into a written language, mainly so as not to enflame French sensibilities even more. Nevertheless, Lingua Franca was just too easy to learn and to understand, so it had to be destroyed to make way for the much more evolved, yet barely comprehensible French language.

Now that English has become the Lingua Franca of the world’s business community, the French, under the glorious leadership of Jacques Chirac, have once again engaged themselves in the Battle of the Linguas. Although they are doomed to lose, they fight on, for as the world knows well, the French never give up the fight when it is civilized and bloodless.

Chirac vows to fight growing use of English:
Jacques Chirac pledged yesterday to fight the spread of the English language across the world as he defended his decision to walk out of an EU summit after a French business leader abandoned his mother tongue.

“We fight for our language,” President Chirac said of the French walkout on Thursday when Ernest-Antoine Seillière, the French head of the European employers’ group Unice, addressed the summit in “the language of business”.

Mr Chirac added: “I was profoundly shocked to see a Frenchman express himself in English at the table.”

Francophones forever - fight on, fight on for the “égalité, complémentarité, and solidarité”. Man the barricades for La Francophony and all the glory be to the great leader, Jacques Chirac.

He was so SHOCKED, SHOCKED to hear another Frenchman speaking the disgusting foreign tongue of English, that he had to leave the room. If only President Jacques Chirac could be as shocked to hear himself use his own forked French tongue to lash out at leaders of non-Francophone lands, perhaps he would leave the world stage - for once and for all!

“The Hindu”, Brussels: French President Jacques Chirac led a French walkout from the opening session of the E.U.’s annual spring summit on Thursday night when a fellow Frenchman committed the grave offence of speaking English.

Highlighting France’s acute sensitivity towards the decline of the language which once dominated the E.U., Mr. Chirac led three Senior Ministers out of the talks when Ernest-Antoine Seilliere, French head of the European employers’ group Unice, abandoned his mother tongue on the ground that English is “the language of business.'’

Mr. Chirac quickly packed up his paper airplanes and spitballs and ceremoniously fled the chamber, dragging both his Foreign Minister and Finance Minister by the scruffs of their still intact necks. Gallic pride was soon restored when the Chiracistas finally found a French businessman who had never learned English, nor any other foul and foreign tongue, and they commanded this particular ignoramus to address the meeting in pure and unadulterated French or face the guillotine. At the restoration of his most favored lingo, Mr. Chirac haughtily returned, accompanied by his lackey Ministers.

The meeting had been between France and Germany who are at loggerheads over the economic future of Europe, and no English speaking states were present. Besides, the British who do not consider themselves to be European, could not care less about the economic future of Europe. Recollecting that the Germans and French used to constantly fight, with the Germans always victorious, it was believed that English would be a more neutral and less offensive language in which to communicate. Everyone would be able to understand each other, because, after all, everyone understands English. However, the French saw communication as a one way street - if one is not a Francophone, one has nothing of value to communicate. It came to pass, because few other than the French could really understand what was being said, that the infamous French Prime Minister, Dominique de Villepin, pledged to support “economic patriotism” and named eleven French business sectors which would henceforth and forevermore be protected from any foreign bidders who speak with foreign tongues.

French is NOT the Lingua Franca - English is!

Dymphna at “Gates of Vienna” reports that in response to Chirac, other European leaders shrugged off his attempt to defend French pride. Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, a staunch Francophile, said “Europe has other worries and it’s a waste of time to have responded to such questions“.