Posted on 11/04/2003 1:49:22 AM PST by kattracks
As a Southern Californian (Los Angeleno to be specific), I am fortunate enough to not live in one of the fire ravaged areas. Still, none of us in the southern half of this beautiful state were spared from being touched by the flames, literally or figuratively.
Smoke filled our air for days, ash covered our cars, the smell of fire and smoke was choking at times. Friends lost their homes, or spent days and nights in shelters waiting for the sign they could return home. If it was still there.
To the scores of you who sent me well-wishes, my thanks to all of you for your concern. While the fires are now out of the news and mostly contained, the devastation remains. All of us should continue to send our thoughts and prayers to everyone affected.
During this time, there have been so many political and cultural events, all worthy of commenting on. So, instead of giving you one big piece of my mind, I will share several smaller, but no less important, pieces.
The YWCA Turns On Its Own
I think it’s safe to say that most of us were thrilled with the news a few weeks ago that the YWCA fired former NOW president Patricia Ireland after only 6 months as its new "leader." But it’s still not time to celebrate. Ireland was only a symptom of a much larger problem.
The moment she was hired, people were indeed shocked. And not just “right-wingers” but every person who still, albeit naively, believed the YWCA had remained true to its mission during the past decade.
The real problem was that the Y’s Board of Directors thought it would be a good idea to hire Ireland in the first place. The YWCA is an organization that for years has been endorsing or co-sponsoring projects with NOW. The YWCA hired Ireland because she’s just like their board of directors. Her hiring also exemplifies how desperately disconnected the YWCA’s leadership is from the values and attitude of the rest of this nation.
Once Americans expressed their displeasure, and they were forced to face the public's reaction, they displayed the kind of cannibalism that is a hallmark of leftist leadership. Realizing we noticed, the YWCA decided to dump Ireland faster than you can say, “I’m-married-and-have-a-girlfriend-on-the-side.”
Still, Ireland knew she was among her element at the Y, which is why she was “speechless” at her less-than-ceremonial firing. She should know better than that. In her years of working to supplant authentic feminism with the rotting politics of socialism as the head of NOW, Ireland has inherited a leftist world where the lack of character and void of values she helped to cultivate, lends itself to betrayal and destruction.
There’s no reason for Ireland or anyone to be surprised. Special interest groups that used to be worthy of some respect, like NOW and the YWCA, have become the modern day equivalent of Rosemary’s Baby. It started out normally and with great potential, but ended up being something very, very different, very very, bad, and very worthy of destroying.
What I’m Reading
There are several new books out that are must-reads. Many of you already know about them, but far too often, we put off reading the work that can help us change our world. Here are a few suggestions if you’re swamped and can’t decide what to put on your winter reading list:
The New Anti-Semitism by feminist Phyllis Chesler. An incredible book addressing the scourge of anti-Semitism which feeds anti-Americanism, Radical Islamists and is at the heart of worldwide rot of terrorism. Political correctness keeps us from dealing with this directly, but Chesler is not bound by the blight of leftist groupthink or its ever-present though police.
Arrogance by Bernie Goldberg has just been released. While his first book "Bias," laid bare the narrow leftist agenda which drives most journalists, Arrogance explains why it continues and what Americans can do about it.
In Zell Miller’s A National Party No More: The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat, the Georgia Democrat explains why the Democratic Party is desperately out of step with the values Americans hold dearly. As a Democrat myself, it’s thrilling to read such an honest assessment of what has gone wrong, and what can be done to reverse the party’s increasing irrelevance.
The Obscenity of CBS’ “The Reagans”
As of this writing, it looks more likely that CBS will not be airing their smear of the Reagans.
CBS, which is owned by Viacom, came under fire when details of scenes were released that presented Ronald Reagan, among other obscenities, complaining about being the “anti-Christ,” and declaring that gay people who get AIDS deserve to die.
My good friend Marc Christian was Rock Hudson’s last partner. Marc, like most other Americans, is appalled at the reported portrayal of the President, not only because he believes it to be an untrue portrait, but because he knows.
Marc wrote a letter to CBS entertainment head Les Moonves making clear his disgust at the portrayal of the President, especially the assertion that Reagan was a cruel homophobe. While Marc did not write his letter for public consumption, I found it important and asked it I could share it with you. He graciously agreed.
Here is the education Marc Christian gave Les Moonves:
"The notion that President Reagan was a homophobe strikes me as silly beyond belief. Not only did he have several gay men on his staff when he was Governor of California, he called my lover, Rock Hudson when he was on his deathbed just weeks before he died of AIDS and wished him well and voiced his and Nancy's concern and prayers.
"…The Reagans had known Rock for years and knew he was gay (as did most in Hollywood). The point is Reagan could have ignored Rock's illness and didn't. He could have just issued a public statement concerning his "official sorrow" but made a personal phone call instead.
"CBS used to be the network of class, now its the official arm of the Democrat party and its sources for information regarding truth below that of The National Enquirer. I bet President Reagan's phone call to Rock Hudson isn't in the screenplay or should I say smearplay, is it?"
Marc Christian.
Hollywood, CA
This note from Marc to Moonves is important for several reasons, mostly for the injection of the truth into a world ruled by vacant, malevolent leftists. Their elite actively work to destroy any idea, or any individual, who challenge the dead, cold heart of their glorious leftist establishment. The CBS depiction of the Reagans epitomizes this callous agenda.
Marc’s letter, and the e-mails, letters and calls all of you made to CBS to register your protest and to support a great and decent man and his wife, obviously do make a difference. Even if it’s just a reminder to the media elite that their cloistered, decrepit little world has been invaded—by truth, reality, and fairness.
Tammy Bruce is a Fox News Channel Contributor and author of The Death of Right and Wrong.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.