A few people show up here looking for something to read, something of at least minor substance. However, there won't be much of that for the near future. Most of my time these days is occupied caring for elderly parents who need protecting from themselves and the outside world. So that's that. The commandment to honor thy father and mother puts most of the pleasures of life - reading, writing, painting - the life of the mind, in other words, out of reach. And as I said to Paul Cella via email, the commandment comes from God, while God himself seems far away.
Because I live in Orlando, I've received inquiries about my reaction to the local massacre at the Pulse nightclub. But I don't really have much to say. My reaction is pretty much what it was to San Bernardino, Ft. Hood, Boston, Brussels, Paris, et al: murder of the innocent is a terrible thing; I feel bad for the victims; and the West is under attack but doesn't have the cajones to do what must be done. This latest attack differs somewhat in that most of the victims were homosexual. That most were also Hispanic doesn't get as much play. There are rumors that the killer was a self-hating homosexual. Thus, this could have been prevented if we were a more accepting society. There's a lot of sloganeering in the air. A voice on WDBO FM keeps telling us that we have discovered that our greatness is in our diversity. I don't know what the hell this means. There's a sign downtown by the interstate that reads: ONE LOVE: Orlando Strong. So they've ripped off the Boston slogan and, again, I don't know what the hell 'one love' is supposed to mean. There's also a lot of "healing" in the air. I don't what that means either. There's also a lot of narcissism in the air (Google 'Anderson Cooper interview with Pam Bondi').
Cooper's insinuation is that you can't really sympathize with the victims unless you also celebrate their lifestyle, which is like saying you can't really sympathize with beheaded Christians in the Middle East unless you celebrate their religion. Bondi should have had the wherewithal to ask Cooper what kind of human being he was and walked away. But she's third rate and I've sometimes found need to question the depth of her convictions.
An email thread at a local educational institution (generated by a homosexual professor, and which I can't reproduce for privacy reasons) decries all the hatred in the world that results in people being targeted for their skin color, their religion, their sexuality, etc. In other words, the cause of the crime is some rabidly intolerant but annoyingly undefined, knuckle-dragging entity, but I have a pretty good idea whom the writer has in mind. (Look in the mirror, Christian). Amid the slush of clichéd liberalism there's not a mention of the fact that the perpetrator was an Islamic fanatic acting upon the Sharia edict that homosexuals should be killed. Andy McCarthy notes that WaPo once published a list of ten Muslim countries where homosexuals can be punished by death. All the replies to the original email, btw, were entirely supportive. I don't recall any such threads, though, when those Christians were being beheaded.
The important thing to remember is this: Islamic terrorism has nothing to do with Islam. When the killer announces on the phone, while he's killing people, that he's doing it in the name of Allah and ISIS, pay no attention.
It's too bad we can't agree on one thing which is also the most important thing: the slaughter at the Pulse was evil because human beings were murdered. It doesn't become extra special evil when the victims are homosexual (or, as the local media like to say, "members of the LGBT community"). This is a war between a doctrine that knows no moral boundaries and the world of the infidel which lies outside it.
A lot of what I've seen is just more know-nothingness from a city and a country that hasn't learned a thing. The decline continues. Or, as Paul Cella puts it, "It's difficult not to despair for the republic." Or, as another friend has it: "It's over."
[Update: Here's what I mean about the know-nothingness. As I was driving to my parents' this morning, I heard an FBI agent (Ron Hopper, I believe) on the radio informing us that the released 911 transcripts had been redacted to avoid giving the murderer's cause free advertising. I knew at once that he was lying. He then confirmed my suspicions by further informing us that this man's act had nothing to do with Islam, and I thought, "This guy's Loretta Lynch's tool - who is in turn Obama's - and she hasn't even gotten to town yet." (She'll be here today). He justifies himself thusly:
"[Mateen] does not represent the religion of Islam, but a perverted view," Hopper said, later adding: "Part of the redacting is meant to not give credence to individuals who have done terrorist attacks in the past. We're not gonna propagate their violent rhetoric."The script is being written at the federal level because it's a terrorism case; the script requires that the true cause of the terror be hidden from us. I have known this from day one, because on that day I caught a snippet of the authorities' first public statement on TV, and standing beside the FBI dude and the chief of police was...an imam, who found about five different ways to tell us that "we need to find a way to stop these mass killings," as though the cause of one were the same as any other. I didn't hear any expression of sorrow for the victims, but then I didn't catch the whole thing. Anyway, that's when I knew how this was going to go.
It also turns out that the picture of Mateen as a hetero longing to be homo might be just another pile of media manure.
I don't know why modern liberalism is the way it is, why it needs to run from the truth and hide it from the unwashed. Maybe that's the only way it's poorly defined vision of the good society can be ushered in. It can't deal with the real world, so it makes up its own. It was pretty stupid in this case, since everyone already knew what Mateen had said. Maybe they thought that in the age of the selfie and the 10 second news cycle they could wash it down the memory hole. It will take longer with the remnants of our once Christian society, but they won't stop trying.]
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Comments from Original post at williamluse.net/Apologia
TSO says:
June 20, 2016 at 3:15 pm (Edit)
Sorry on the angst of aging parents; my turn will surely come. Will pray.
I think society’s motto is never waste a crisis by failing to criticize Christians or Christianity, even though sometimes it’s really not about us. Somehow I don’t think Islamic radicals are taking their cues on jihad, Christians, and homosexuality from Thomas Aquinas.
A friend of mine calls this “Banana Republic Time”.
C.A. Sebacher says:
June 20, 2016 at 9:48 pm (Edit)
That did me good. Thanks.
William Luse says:
June 21, 2016 at 12:07 am (Edit)
Somehow I don’t think Islamic radicals are taking their cues on jihad, Christians, and homosexuality from Thomas Aquinas.
Good one, TS. And thanks for the prayers. I need’em.
I’m always here to help, C.A. Well, not always.
Tso says:
June 21, 2016 at 5:07 pm (Edit)
The good thing is that liberalism’s lack of reality undermines it – everyone knows how silly it is to pretend the killer was an Islamic jihadist, so it discredits Obama and the gov’t. Which can only help. Reality has a way of winning in the long run.
C.A. Sebacher says:
June 22, 2016 at 8:54 pm (Edit)
I predict Muslims swing the Breixit vote tomorrow to Remain.
Back to Houellebecq.
William Luse says:
June 22, 2016 at 11:12 pm (Edit)
You’re no doubt right, TSO, I just wish it didn’t take so long.
Be wrong for once, C.A.
C.A. Sebacher says:
June 23, 2016 at 8:34 am (Edit)
I can almost hear Girard joining in:
http://www.playbill.com/video/broadway-for-orlando-the-exclusive-music-video
William Luse says:
June 23, 2016 at 11:02 pm (Edit)
Well, that was agonizing. Back when Jackie De Shannon sang it, it made sense.
Has anyone made a music video commemorating those headless Middle East Christians? Oh.
William Luse says:
June 24, 2016 at 10:41 pm (Edit)
Brexit.
C.A. Sebacher says:
June 25, 2016 at 8:40 pm (Edit)
“Brexit.”
I too now mutter it as an oath.
But despair is a deadly sin!
https://pjmedia.com/rogerkimball/2016/06/25/after-the-earthquake/?singlepage=true
C.A. Sebacher says:
June 28, 2016 at 6:59 pm (Edit)
Couldn’t take the chance you missed this:
http://thefederalist.com/2016/06/28/a-free-society-is-the-common-enemy-of-radical-islam-and-the-left/
William Luse says:
June 29, 2016 at 1:57 am (Edit)
And not only that, this: http://studiomatters.com/after-orlando-a-shout-a-kiss
Girard, I think, would approve.
C.A. Sebacher says:
June 29, 2016 at 11:41 am (Edit)
Superb piece.
She’s jumped to first place on my roster of preferred columnists.
Bill, have I lately again admitted to you that I can’t take it anymore?
William Luse says:
June 30, 2016 at 1:06 am (Edit)
You have to. It’s your duty. Not to take it, but to fight.
C.A. Sebacher says:
June 30, 2016 at 7:59 pm (Edit)
http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2016/06/an-inquisition-is-not-a-witch-hunt
But David, Bill, I do have something to lose: my livelihood.
William Luse says:
July 1, 2016 at 12:28 am (Edit)
At least you get to keep your head. For now.
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