Jewish World Review July 24, 2000 / 21 Tamuz, 5760
David Limbaugh
The raging culture war
http://www.jewishworldreview.com --
IN CASE some of you think that a cease-fire has been
achieved in the culture war, I'm here to tell you that the
guns are still blazing -- or should I say the nukes are
exploding?
Let me share with you a few news stories I've come
across in the last few days:
Family News reports that an employee for a major
Hollywood TV network who was dismissed due to
downsizing filed a human resources complaint against her
superior. The disgruntled employee had previously filed a
series of complaints against the executive, one because
he had a Bible on his office shelf and another because she
saw him reading it.
Apparently frustrated that the Supreme Court ruled that
the Boy Scouts have a right to bar homosexuals from
serving as troop leaders, California congresswoman Lynn
Woolsey plans to introduce legislation to repeal the
federal charter of the Boy Scouts, granted in 1916.
"We're not saying they're bad. We're saying intolerance is
bad," said Woolsey. If tolerance is the guiding virtue,
shouldn't we ask the congresswoman why she refuses to
tolerate the Boy Scouts' constitutional right to associate
with whom they choose or to abide by the moral code
they believe binds them?
Family News provides another gem. A Springfield,
Mass., high school has distributed a list of suggestions for
what teachers can do to make schools safe for gays and
lesbians. One teacher says those suggestions are more
like mandates. One of the "suggested" guidelines is: "Do
not assume that all students and their parents are
heterosexual." The teacher added: "We're to use inclusive
language, so we can't even say 'mother,' 'father,' 'wife' or
'husband.' We're supposed to use the generic term,
'parent' or 'partner.'" That's not all. Certain teachers at
the school display the gay logo on their doors, inviting
students "who may think they are homosexual" to do
something about it.
The California Board of Education has voted to adopt
"educational equity" regulations. Pro-family activist Randy
Thomasson says these regulations will allow a student at
a Christian school to be punished, or a teacher to be
disciplined ... "if they even said that homosexuality was
unhealthy or immoral."
The Washington Times reports that the D.C. City
Council passed legislation that would require all health
insurance plans covering the cost of prescription drugs to
include coverage for the cost of contraceptives.
Contraceptives would include intrauterine devices and
morning-after pills, which effectively abort embryos.
Unlike similar legislation in several states, the D.C. bill
fails to include a "conscience clause" that would exempt
religious employers, such as Catholic and Georgetown
universities. During the debates, one gay councilman said,
"I am very concerned about having religious principles
impact public health policy. Are we going to say we are
going to defer to Rome in terms of our views?"
The Houston Chronicle informs us that rocker Ted
Nugent has been barred from playing with the group Kiss
at a Houston concert in August because he refused to
sign a conduct agreement attached to his contract.
Nugent's offense was that when playing with Kiss in
Houston last April he uttered his unspeakable opinion
that "If you are going to live in this country you should
learn to speak English."
If the above examples don't convince you of the chilling
effect of political correctness on free speech you should
consider Al Gore's response to the question of whether
the execution of a convicted pregnant woman should be
delayed until after she has given birth. After thinking
about it for a day (and obviously considering the wrath he
would incur from the thought-police if he were to answer
this question in good conscience), statesman Gore
declared, "The principle of a woman's right to choose
governs in that case." The "rights" of a convicted
murderer are more important to Al Gore than the life of a
baby? For twisted thinking, it's hard to beat that.
Look these stories over again. In every case, the
politically correct culture-warriors, while decrying their
opponents' supposed intolerance, exhibit the most stifling
kind of intolerance imaginable -- and more. They don't
merely demand to be tolerated. They insist that their
views be crammed down our throats.
Make no mistake. The culture war is raging. I just hope
that the voices of sanity don't surrender without firing a
shot.
JWR contributor
David Limbaugh
is an
attorney
practicing in
Cape Girardeau,
Missouri,
and a
political
analyst
and
commentator. Send your comments to him by clicking here.
07/19/00: Is Hillary 'Good for the Jews'?
07/17/00: How dare you, George?
07/12/00: Jacoby's raw deal
07/10/00: The perplexities of liberalism
07/05/00: Big Al and big oil
07/03/00: Partial-birth and total death
06/28/00: Some questions for you, Mr. Gore
06/26/00: Supreme Court assaults religious freedom
06/21/00: Waco: We are the jury
06/19/00: "Outrage" just doesn't quite cut it anymore!
06/14/00: Al Gore: Government's best friend
06/12/00: Say goodbye to medical privacy
06/07/00: Elian: Whose hands were tied?
06/05/00: Who, which, what is the real Al Gore?
06/01/00: Legacy-building idea for Clinton
05/30/00: Clinton: Above the law or not?
05/24/00: Not so fast, Hillary
05/22/00: Gore's risky, fear-mongering schemes
05/17/00: Can Bush risk pro-choice running mate?
05/15/00: Right to privacy, Clinton-style
05/10/00: Patrick Kennedy and his suit-happy fiddlers
05/08/00: Don't shoot Eddie Eagle
05/03/00: Congress caves to Clinton, again?
05/01/00: The resurrection of outrage
04/28/00: A picture of Bill Clinton's America
04/19/00: President Clinton: Teaching children responsibility
04/17/00: Elian, Marx and parental rights
04/12/00: Elian, freedom deserve a hearing
04/10/00:The fraying of America
04/05/00: Noonan: End Clintonism now
04/03/00: Bush: On going for the gold
03/29/00: Phantasma-Gore-ia
03/27/00: Treaties, triggers, tobacco and tyrants
03/22/00: Media to Bush: Go left, young man
03/20/00: Stop the insanity
03/15/00: OK Al Gore: Let's go negative
03/13/00: Deifying of the center
03/08/00: The media, the establishment and the people
03/01/00: McCain's coalition-busting daggers in GOP's heart
02/28/00: Bush's silver lining in McMichigan
02/24/00: A conservative firewall, after all
02/22/00: Bush or four more of Clinton-Gore?
02/16/00: Substance trumps process
02/14/00: The campaign finance reform mirage
02/09/00: President McCain: End of the GOP as we know it?
02/07/00: From New Hampshire to South Carolina
02/02/00: SDI must fly
01/31/00: Veep gores Bradley
01/26/00: The issues gap
01/24/00: GOP: Exit, stage left
01/20/00: Nationalizing congressional elections
01/18/00: Do voters really prefer straight talk?
01/12/00: Media's McCain efforts may backfire
01/10/00: Conservative racism myth
01/05/00: Just one more year of Clintonian politics
01/03/00: McMedia?
12/27/99: Al Gore: Bullish on government
12/22/99: Bradley's full-court press
12/20/99: Bush: Rendering unto Caesar
12/15/99: Beltway media bias
12/13/99: White House ambulance chasing
12/08/99: Clinton's labor pains
12/06/99:The lust for power
12/01/99: In defense of liberty
11/29/99: Are Republicans obsolete?
11/24/99: Say you're sorry, Mr. President
11/22/99: Architects of victory
11/17/99: Trump's tax on freedom
11/15/99: GOP caves again
11/10/99: Triangulation and 'The Third Way'
11/08/99: Sticks and stones
11/03/99: Keyes vs. media lapdogs
11/01/99: Signs of the times
10/27/99: The false charge of isolationism
10/25/99: A matter of freedom
10/20/99: Clinton's mini-meltdown
10/18/99: Senate GOP shows statesmanship
10/13/99: Senate must reject nuclear treaty
10/11/99: Bush bites feeding hand
10/06/99: Jesse accidentally opens door for Pat
10/04/99: Clinton and his media enablers
09/29/99: Reagan: Big-tent conservatism
09/27/99: The Clinton/Gore taint?
09/22/99: Have gun (tragedy), will travel
09/20/99: Hillary's blunders and bloopers
09/15/99: GOP must remain conservative
09/13/99:Time for Bush to take charge, please
09/10/99: Bush's education plan: Dubya confounds again
09/07/99: Pat, savior or spoiler?
09/02/99: Character doesn't matter?
08/30/99: Should we judge?
08/25/99: Dubyah's drug question: Not a hill to die on
08/23/99: Should Dubyah start buying soap ... for all that mud?
08/16/99: 'W' stands for 'winner'
08/11/99: The truth about tax cuts
08/09/99: Hillary: Threading the needle
08/04/99: What would you do?
08/02/99: No appeasement for China
07/30/99: Hate Crimes Bill: Cynical Symbolism
07/26/99: It’s the 'moderates', stupid
07/21/99: JFK Jr. and Diana: the pain of privilege
07/19/99: Smith, Bush and the GOP
07/14/99: GOP must be a party of ideas
07/12/99: Gore's gender gap
07/08/99: Clinton’s faustian bargain: our justice
07/06/99: The key to Bush's $36 million
06/30/99: Gore: a soda in every fountain
06/28/99: 'Sacred wall' or religious barrier?
06/23/99: GOP must lead in foreign policy
06/21/99: Crumbs of compassion
06/16/99: Compassionate conservatism: face-lift or body transplant?
06/10/99: Victory in Kosovo? Now What?
© 2000, CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
|