Posted on 07/04/2014 1:33:35 AM PDT by jocon307
I asked the middle-aged man across from me, “Who was the last good American president?”
It was the year 2000. As a 19-year old college journalist studying history and political science, I was eager to know my drinking partner’s response to this question. He had just finished railing against Presidents Clinton, Reagan and Bush '41. At this point, I was wondering if he liked any U.S. president at all.
To my surprise, I didn’t have long to wait for an answer. Without hesitation, Christopher Hitchens leaned across the table, looked me in the eye, and quipped with boozy conviction: “Eisenhower.” Then he sipped his whiskey, took a drag from his cigarette, and exhaled through his nose as he stared me in the eye, waiting for my reaction amidst the frivolity of our dingy student hangout.
Amused, I asked: Why Eisenhower?
“Because he was the last president who didn’t take a dump on the Constitution,” Hitchens shot back, taking another drag.
(Excerpt) Read more at americamagazine.org ...
I won't be able to check back on this thread for some hours, so please don't think I'm being rude, or lazy.
Never posted in the Religion forum before, but it seemed to be the most appropriate venue.
Apparently this author either does not know or care about Penn Gillette. I think he is a far better man than the alcoholic slob that Hitchens was.
An atheist who is worth listening to, even admiring: Nat Hentoff.
+1 on Penn. there is no hysterical toy throwing with him. he is quite simply, this is what i believe, if you believe something else...good for you...
also really good on the constitution. there is a great video of him with a rabbi on becks show...was a great conversation.
rare today that you get a guy who will admit there is things he didnt think about. i have a lot of time for Penn.
one of those people you would like to have a discussion with IMHO
bookmark
I miss him, too! He had many friends in flyover country. I’m not sure he ever knew that. Although, I can still remember when he was first diagnosed, that religious groups prayed for his recovery and he was wonderfully touched.
It’s true that he never recovered from his brave stance to out Clinton as a whoremaster. He was locked out of tv appearances but he continued to write for Vanity Fair - not exactly chopped liver.
He took on Mother Teresa for some decent reasons and long before this author says he does. He did not like the fact that she was allowing people in her hostels to die while she flew around the world receiving the best health care when she got old. She took money from Papa and Baby Doc and when told it was stolen goods, refused to return it. This led to his amusing turn as Devil’s Advocate at The Vatican. He autographed my edition of “Hell’s Angel” and he was as the author of this article says - polite, funny and willing to spend a few minutes with a fan.
There are a lot who miss Hitch. will never forget when he sneered at the Jon Stewart audience and shot them the bird. An epic moment.
I do, too. He was wrong on the TEA Party and Sarah but, had he lived, I think he might have come around on those, too.
Fixed Point Foundation sponsored several debates with Hitchens on the existence of God. They were very interesting and may still be viewable on their website. Its founder and Hitchens actually became good friends.
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/16/my-take-an-evangelical-remembers-his-friend-hitchens/
He lied about Mother Teresa and you are aiding and abetting his tired old lies. Hitchens was a left-wing, Catholic Church hating loudmouth who hopefully repented and asked for God’s mercy before he left this world.
I prayed for Hitchens' health, both soul and body, but it was not God's will. He indeed died a madman.
No, he did not lie. I knew these facts about her way before he wrote his book. It was Malcolm Muggeridge (sic!)who put her on the map back in the late 60s with his famous documentary. I, too, believed in her.
I will say that in compensation, her nuns are some of the most marvelous women on earth. We have a small community of them here where I live.
I didn’t know he had debated the great father. He was once my local priest at St. Agnes. An unforgettable man.
I agree with both your choices. Although I never knew Hentoff was an atheist.
I can’t understand those atheists who get hysterical that anther person believes in God.
I can understand believing in a religion and thinking those who don’t believe at all or believe in another religion are grievously mistaken. But atheists think it’s all nonsense, why do they care if others believe in nonsense? A personal friend, OK, I can see why you’d care, but people in general, it makes no sense to me.
Oh yeah, and as with so many other things we should start saying to them: Tell that to the Muslims.
Because they won’t.
The scene described is not hard to imagine. I guess no one told Hitchens that Fr. Rutler boxes.
Very weird to hear of his comment about the ‘swiveling hips’.
I’m sure Gov. Palin could have brought him “around”, as you say, with a phone call and an autographed picture.
Hell, she might have cured him with a visit.
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