"America" is dead.....
/rant mode engaged
I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been following, with interest, the recent debate in blogging circles that has arisen since CNN in the US aired a piece about Atheism. Essentially they aired a recorded story about how Atheists are being victimised in Red State areas of the US and for all intents and purposes was a balanced look at their plight.
What followed though, was the most ignorant, discrimminatory piece of 'journalism' I have ever seen, putting Fox News to shame. Ironically enough, the host introduced it as a debate on atheist discrimmination. Also, why was there no atheist on the panel?
I wonder if you asked average Americans on the street when "In God We Trust" was added to their currency, and "Under God" added to their pledge of allegiance would they know? Because I, an Irishman do, and it scares the crap out of me that the most powerful country in the world, one of which every decision it makes has a direct or indirect impact on most of the rest of the world, seemingly can't educate it's people well enough to know the values on which their own country was founded. (Generalisation? Yes. I know many Americans who are intelligent and very well educated, one being a very good friend but come on, this is CNN, I think I'm pretty justified in making this claim.)
These phrases were added in the 1950's at the height of the communist scare in the US. 'McCarthyism' I believe it's called. To satisfy their own insecurities and prove that they weren't 'Godless Communists' the phrases were added.
Tragically, the phrase 'E Pluribus Unum', standing for "Out of Many, One" was what got the chop in place of "In God We Trust." Relegated instead to tiny font on the ribbon on the presidentential seal. The previous, in my mind, summed up perfectly the values that America was founded on. And what I've read and watched over the last few days has left little doubt in my mind that the country for which that motto stood is long dead.
Finally, one of the panelists has a blog, and apparently has been getting hate mail from Atheists (really? no wai!) and posted a "response" on said blog. That this woman has a prominent public platform on which to peddle her hate to the public is a disgrace. Could you imagine what would happen if this was about Jews or African-Americans and similar vitriole was being spewwed? Ugh, it's worth the read, if nothing else than to see the differences in posts between the self confessed atheists and the theists.
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2007/02/when_atheists_a.html
/rant mode disengaged
Feel free to comment if you feel strongly in support of either side. I just needed to rant. :p
I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been following, with interest, the recent debate in blogging circles that has arisen since CNN in the US aired a piece about Atheism. Essentially they aired a recorded story about how Atheists are being victimised in Red State areas of the US and for all intents and purposes was a balanced look at their plight.
What followed though, was the most ignorant, discrimminatory piece of 'journalism' I have ever seen, putting Fox News to shame. Ironically enough, the host introduced it as a debate on atheist discrimmination. Also, why was there no atheist on the panel?
I wonder if you asked average Americans on the street when "In God We Trust" was added to their currency, and "Under God" added to their pledge of allegiance would they know? Because I, an Irishman do, and it scares the crap out of me that the most powerful country in the world, one of which every decision it makes has a direct or indirect impact on most of the rest of the world, seemingly can't educate it's people well enough to know the values on which their own country was founded. (Generalisation? Yes. I know many Americans who are intelligent and very well educated, one being a very good friend but come on, this is CNN, I think I'm pretty justified in making this claim.)
These phrases were added in the 1950's at the height of the communist scare in the US. 'McCarthyism' I believe it's called. To satisfy their own insecurities and prove that they weren't 'Godless Communists' the phrases were added.
Tragically, the phrase 'E Pluribus Unum', standing for "Out of Many, One" was what got the chop in place of "In God We Trust." Relegated instead to tiny font on the ribbon on the presidentential seal. The previous, in my mind, summed up perfectly the values that America was founded on. And what I've read and watched over the last few days has left little doubt in my mind that the country for which that motto stood is long dead.
Finally, one of the panelists has a blog, and apparently has been getting hate mail from Atheists (really? no wai!) and posted a "response" on said blog. That this woman has a prominent public platform on which to peddle her hate to the public is a disgrace. Could you imagine what would happen if this was about Jews or African-Americans and similar vitriole was being spewwed? Ugh, it's worth the read, if nothing else than to see the differences in posts between the self confessed atheists and the theists.
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2007/02/when_atheists_a.html
/rant mode disengaged
Feel free to comment if you feel strongly in support of either side. I just needed to rant. :p