Quote and minor rant
Sep. 20th, 2002 11:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blueeowynThis quote is from A Word A Day which is a fabulous service with a new word every weekday and a quote. Today's is particularly thought provoking in the current political/social climate.
We grow tyrannical fighting tyranny. The most alarming spectacle today is not the spectacle of the atomic bomb in an unfederated world, it is the spectacle of the Americans beginning to accept the device of loyalty oaths and witchhunts, beginning to call anybody they don't like a Communist.
-E.B. White, writer (1899-1985)
Add in "infidel" or "atheist" (therefore Terrorist) "witch" (therefore Satan Worshipper) and you have today. *sigh* To quote the old song "When will they ever learn, oh when will they EVER learn."
I'm not going to jump on that particular soapbox (again), but to put one foot on it. Religion can be mis-used by anyone and those uses should not be blamed on the faith per se. McCarthy used "non-Christian" to equal "Communist" and I fear we are going in that direction again. This is aside from the narrow-minded fears of small-minded masses who want to ban Harry Potter (which gets kids READING for goodness sake) due to Magic. What's next, Mary Poppins? There is a school district where parents are trying to ban Witch of Blackbird Pond (who isn't a witch) under the "no teaching of religion in schools" rules (but they can teach the Scarlet Letter and the modern pledge). Feh.
Ooops, I guess I stood on the soap-box afterall.
We grow tyrannical fighting tyranny. The most alarming spectacle today is not the spectacle of the atomic bomb in an unfederated world, it is the spectacle of the Americans beginning to accept the device of loyalty oaths and witchhunts, beginning to call anybody they don't like a Communist.
-E.B. White, writer (1899-1985)
Add in "infidel" or "atheist" (therefore Terrorist) "witch" (therefore Satan Worshipper) and you have today. *sigh* To quote the old song "When will they ever learn, oh when will they EVER learn."
I'm not going to jump on that particular soapbox (again), but to put one foot on it. Religion can be mis-used by anyone and those uses should not be blamed on the faith per se. McCarthy used "non-Christian" to equal "Communist" and I fear we are going in that direction again. This is aside from the narrow-minded fears of small-minded masses who want to ban Harry Potter (which gets kids READING for goodness sake) due to Magic. What's next, Mary Poppins? There is a school district where parents are trying to ban Witch of Blackbird Pond (who isn't a witch) under the "no teaching of religion in schools" rules (but they can teach the Scarlet Letter and the modern pledge). Feh.
Ooops, I guess I stood on the soap-box afterall.
