Posted on 01/15/2013 6:16:35 AM PST by Graybeard58
An archaic term, too seldom heard or even contemplated nowadays, is "beyond the pale." Believed to date to the 14th century, it originally had to do with the physical boundaries of English authority in Ireland. Today, it means "beyond the limits of propriety, courtesy, protection, safety, etc.," according to www.dictionary.com.
Two notably sordid examples of beyond-the-pale behavior emerged in recent weeks, and those responsible for them seemingly will keep rolling along, free of consequences.
On Dec. 25, 2012 (!), a petition was filed on the White House's "We the People" site, calling upon the federal government to declare the Roman Catholic Church a "hate group." Why? Because Pope Benedict XVI, in his Christmas address to the College of Cardinals, made remarks about human sexuality that offended some homosexuals. "People dispute the idea that they have a nature, given to them by their bodily identity, that serves as a defining element of the human being," the pontiff said Dec. 21. "They deny their nature and decide that it is not something previously given to them, but that they make it for themselves."
The point is debatable, of course, and in America, no one is obligated to live his life according to the dictates of the Catholic Church or any other religious organization. But the pope expressed no hate or anger, just disagreement with social trends at odds with the principles of his church. Seeking to have the church declared a hate group therefore is well beyond the pale; indeed, it's an expression of hatred in its own right. Consequences? Originators and signers of the petition are identified only by their first name and last name initial.
n Communications Professor James Tracy of Florida Atlantic University wrote in a blog post that the Dec. 14 massacre of 20 children and six adults in Newtown may have been staged to promote President Obama's anti-gun agenda. Not only is this assertion beyond the pale, but it's nonsense on stilts. Gun-control advocates have been complaining about Mr. Obama's inactivity on that front almost since the beginning of his presidency, and there isn't a shred of evidence to support Mr. Tracy's theory. Consequences? As a tenured professor, he has maximum job security, and in any event, he posted the remarks on his personal blog, not a university website.
The First Amendment protects speech such as Mr. Tracy's rant and the unidentified petitioners' "hate-group" lunacy from government action, but there's nothing in the Constitution banning public scorn, and even the extreme sanction of shunning. How might this be accomplished? Well, homosexuals and others who support their causes could deplore the petition against the church and single out those behind it. FAU students could refuse to sign up for Mr. Tracy's classes.
Sadly, U.S. society as we know it today lacks the discipline and resolve to shun those who deserve it most. By their very negligence and apathy, Americans actually encourage those on the extremes — as well as those in the mainstream who simply crave the attention — to say and do things that are beyond the pale.
Ping to a Republican-American Editorial.
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In response, His Holyness, The Pope should declare Barack Obama “an enemy of God”.
The Pope may have to moderate his message for the long-term good of the Church (I don’t know the details on those decisions), but I have no such obligation. Barack Obama is an enemy of God, an enemy of the United States of America, and an enemy of all decent people. Our White House is under the control of pure evil.
Note: I take particular offense at the HHS mandate that attempts to compel individuals to pay for abortion in violation of deeply-held religious beliefs and the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, although there are innumerable other examples of pure evil in Obama’s actions (e.g., other violations of the First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Tenth Amendments, reckless spending that directly harms the future prosperity of our children and grandchildren, and support for the “Arab Spring” replacement of relatively benign aging dictators with actively malignant dictators throughout the Arab world).
The author attempts to provide a little "balance" by starting off with an observation that the Catholic Church should not be declared a hate group. That's big of him. But then he quickly moves on.
Newtown controversy?? Nonsense! Nonsense on stilts!!
Obama has been inactive on gun control? It may seem that way because the media hid Fast& Furious, but informed people know that he has always been moving on this.
No shred of evidence for funniness at Newtown? I don't have to buy into any big conspiracy theory in order to say that the reporting on Newtown was exceptionally sloppy, a number of anomalies are present, and anyone who cares about the truth should be looking for clarification on some issues.
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