Another perspective on Dobson
I don't think Dr. Dobson should have made his statement. It appears to be calculated in a way to draw much attention to the Dr. and possibly his organization. It seems to be a very attention drawing mechanism for people like Rush Limbaugh or Shaun Hannity but that is part of their entertainment and personal views. So maybe the same would work for Dr. Dobson's organization. It seems that getting on the "I will not vote or participate bandwagon" is becoming too much of an "in" thing to do. It is not his place to possibly influence others that may be riding the fence.
David
Raymond MS
posted by Matt Friedeman at
3:52 PM
6 Comments:
how is it "not his place" to influence others? as people, we all have influence. everyone who has ever lived in community with others has both influenced and been influenced. we all, then, have a responsibility to influence well (i.e., properly, wisely, etc.). and in case anyone is doing the record-keeping, mr. hannity spells his name sean - it's irish.
and for the sake of clarification - i'm not saying that dobson was necessarily correct in what he said, that he should have said anything necessarily, or anything concerning the appropriateness of his intentions. my point is simply that as a person - and specifically, as one with a voice heard by many - he certainly has a responsibility to influence well.
[it could likewise be argued that veterans who speak out for or against certain candidates should simply keep their mouths shut because they might be drawing attention to themselves and their service. no, in fact, they have a right and a responsibility to share what they know and what they honestly think.]
I think religious conservatives should think long and hard about jumping off the McCain bandwagon.
If you guys come out against him and say you won't vote for him or support him....and then he beats Hillary in a landslide...what does that do to your political power? Your claims that you elect Republican presidents go down in flames!
America will see you for what I believe you really are: a shrill but small group of religious zealots who want to remake America in your own fundamentalist image.
GO MCCAIN!!!!
if that was directed toward me, please go back and read my comments carefully.
i am not opposed to voting for mccain; in fact, i like him as a candidate on several important / key issues - even before yesterday.
by the way, you have your head in the sand if you think that religoius conservatives are merely "a shrill but small group of religious zealots who want to remake america in [their] own fundamentalist image". not only is that simply ignoring the facts, bro, but it's also quite bigoted and ignorant.
Adam,
Sorry if I've had my head in the sand listening to James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, and the Right Reverend D. James Kennedy (oh, and let's not forget Pat Robertson).
These radical clerics sure make fundamentalist sound shrill.
And you can't get a beer in the county where I live because of the Talibaptist.
You guys can believe as you like, but I don't want your beliefs. That's not bigoted and ignorant. It's live and let live.
dude,
where i think you are going wrong is in equating conservative / religious conservative / "the right" with fundamentalism. the fundamentalists may be a part of the group, but i don't see how they represent the whole. that would be like me equating all those on "the left" with bernie ward and his kind. to do so would be to keep my head in the sand. things aren't quite that simple. the political / moral / religious landscape does not consist of a minute sect of "conservatives" while the rest of the nation is non-conservative. again, it's not the other way around either. please, don't take me wrongly - i don't agree with dobson in what he said; i simply think he has a right to say it and understand that him doing so is not necessarily to draw attention to himself / his work but could ahve actually been done out of an honest belief of responsibility. plus, people set folks like him up for this kind of stuff. folks are always wondering and asking what he and others like him think on issues such as this. [not that he's the "poor unsuspecting victim"]
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