John Kerry and “Honorable” service

John Kerry is a deeply confused man when it comes to military service. In the current campaign, he can’t say more than two sentences without referencing his Vietnam service.

Many pundits are calling his service “honorable”. He did, after all, receive three Purple Hearts and other medals for his actions in combat. I don’t know if his service was honorable. For me to call it honorable, I have to believe was doing what he thought was honorable. Yet in 1971 he made a speech before Congress that the LA Times credits with convincing many Americans that the war was immoral. During the testimony he accused all levels of the military of committing the most horrible atrocities.

He now tries to claim is proud of both his service and his anti-war protests. Kerry believes the war was immoral. So how can he be proud of participating in a military action responsible for so many atrocities? He can’t have his cake and eat it too. He cannot have served honorably in a war he believed to be immoral.

Let’s call his service “brave” but not honorable. John Kerry is responsible for casting a poor light on his service by his protests following his combat experience.

Kerry emphasized his moral bankruptcy by equating service in the National Guard (and by extension all military reserves) to draft dodging. “I’ve said since the day I came back from Vietnam that it was not an issue to me if somebody chose to go to Canada or to go to jail or to be a conscientious objector or to serve in the National Guard or elsewhere.”

Thanks, Mr. Kerry. My time in the USMC reserves (after active duty) was just as honorable as deserting the military.

Mel Gibson and The Passion of The Christ

I just finished watching Mel Gibson’s interview by Diane Sawyer. ABC posted more about the interview on their web site. I’ve read about Mel Gibson’s convictions in making this movie. In tonight’s interview I finally saw that conviction for myself.

Throughout the interview he stood his ground. He claimed that “we all” are responsible for Jesus death. When asked about Jews involvement in the cruxifiction he said: Jesus “was a child of Israel, among other children of Israel. There were Jews and Romans in Israel. There were no Norwegians there.” He said Jews and Romans “were the material agents of His demise.”

On the other hand, Diane Sawyer seemed to display an astounding ingnorance of Christianity. Her commentary had the tone that Christianity needed to be explained to Americans (presumably because the majority of viewers would not understand its tenets) even while she is showing statistics that say 82% of Americans claim to be Christians. She also came across as incredulous that Mel Gibson actually believed that the Bible was literally true. His answer was exactly what I believe: if part of it is not true, then none of it is true.

Near the end, he showed complete inner resolve and integrity by refusing to allow comments made by his father to be used against him. His response to Diane Sawyer was, “He is my father and I love him…Leave it alone Diane.”

I will be seeing this movie.

And yes, I believe the story is true.

Kerry demands George W. Bush stay at home

Democrat presidential hopeful John Kerry proved again that he is not running on issues by criticizing President Bush for appearing at the Daytona 500. After appearing at a photo opportunity at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau, WI – Kerry said, “This is not a time for photo opportunities, it is a time to create real opportunities in America,” regarding the President’s opening of the Daytona 500.

Reuters: Catholics unwelcome in political process

Archbishop Sean O’Malley criticized the Massachusetts supreme court for ordering gay marriages be legalized in that state.

Reuters reporter Greg Frost characterized the Archbishop’s comments as “Wading deep into the waters separating church and state”

Apparently Greg Frost believes that clergy should not be allowed to comment about, much less participate in, our political process.

News flash Mr. Frost: The first amendment prevents the government from establishing a religion. It does not limit the rights of clergy or people of faith from influencing government.

He doesn’t even seem to consider that Archbishop O’Malley may be right – the court is usurping the power of the legislature in making its ruling.

Sadly, Frost is more concerned that an Archbishop is exercising his freedom of speech than that the separation of powers (where the real violation is) has been breached.

Remember the good ole days

Remember the good ole days when the Superbowl was family programming?
By now I’m sure you’ve heard that CBS is apologizing for Justin Timberlake “accidentally” exposing Janet Jackson’s breast.

Those who saw it (I just missed it. I was looking at my wife when my buddies said “Did you see that?) know that her nipple was covered by a silver tassle.

So let me get this straight, Ms. Jackson regulary keeps pasties on under her clothes – I’m sure for just such an occasion. During the performance, Timberlake and Jackson were basically dry-humping the whole time. Combined with Nelly’s “take off all your clothes” song, the whole half-time show was adults only fare.

CBS is now claiming that MTV will never produce another Superbowl half-time show. That seems to be scapegoating. CBS must have been aware that MTV was promoting Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl Show Promises ‘Shocking Moments’

I have a pretty high tolerance for this kind of thing. The Superbowl, now pretty much an American holday, is not the place. Keep it rated “G” for this one event please.

Feeling the flames

We’re all sinful, right? Dante’s Inferno Test will tell you just what level of hell you deserve. My results are in, and they don’t look good:

The Dante’s Inferno Test has banished you to the Second Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers) Moderate
Level 1 – Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers) Low
Level 2 (Lustful) High
Level 3 (Gluttonous) Moderate
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious) Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy) Low
Level 6 – The City of Dis (Heretics) Very Low
Level 7 (Violent) Moderate
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers) Moderate
Level 9 – Cocytus (Treacherous) Low

Take the Dante’s Inferno Test