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Emerson Church Unitarian Universalist
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| Walking Together - February, 2009 Edition |
| Don’t walk in front of me. I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me. I may not lead. Walk beside me. And just be my friend.~ Albert Camus |
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 One of my favorite television shows is “The Rachel Maddow Show” — a news and commentary show which Rachel does with wit and charm from her politically progressive viewpoint. She is smart, funny and, to my mind, beautiful. And she is a lesbian. She has an amazing resume for a television personality. She has a degree in public policy from Stanford University and had a Rhodes Scholarship that she used to obtain a Ph.D. in political science. Her dissertation was entitled HIV/AIDS and Health Care Reform in British and American Prisons. She was the first openly gay American to win a Rhodes scholarship. Later, she worked in San Francisco as an advocate for prisoners with AIDS. Maddow got her first radio hosting job by winning a contest to become a new on-air personality. Eventually she ended up on television on MSNBC, first as a commentator, then as host of her own show.
| I have found that I become passionate about the cause of civil rights for certain people because I know them and love them. |
I bring Rachel Maddow to your attention because to my mind she is fascinating person and worth a view [interesting — considering she doesn’t own a television]. But I also, as I said, think she is a beautiful women. It is not just her good looks that makes her beautiful, but her way of being, or her soul, if you will. She uses wit and charm to make her points about the absurdity of politics of the day but she also shows humanity and caring even for those with whom she disagrees. Her smile could make Ebenezer Scrooge beam with good will.
But she can also debate with the most powerful political pundits with clarity of thought and purpose that often overwhelms her opponents. One of her frequent guests is the acerbic conservative political operative, Pat Buchanan. Now, even though Pat has some pretty extreme views, Rachel
never shows him disrespect or unkindness. But truly, I have yet to witness anyone, including Pat, get the best of her in an argument, because of her intelligence as well as her humanity. People find that if they disagree with Rachel, they very well may be on the wrong side of history.
But there is one other reason I bring Rachel Maddow to your attention. Recently, the good people of the great liberal state of California [once my home] have passed an initiative that bans same-sex marriage. I was most displeased with that action, as I am sure many of you were. It is a strange thing that people would vote for an initiative that would take away people’s rights.
And I wonder about any or all those who voted for Proposition 8. Do they not know Rachel Maddow? Do they not know that there are not many people as decent, intelligent and beautiful as her, gay or straight? Why would they deny her the right to marry? Perhaps we should take away the rights of marriage from the meanies, especially political pundits who say mean, stupid things. Sadly, there are too many of those, but I could be tempted to support such a ban. But of course, I am being absurd, but then so was Proposition 8.
What is called for is people to know one another because I have found that I become passionate about the cause of civil rights for certain people because I know them and love them. Thus, it becomes personal for me — I don’t like it when people I know are treated with disrespect.
To know people is to love them. And some are very easy to love, like Rachel Maddow. To my mind, it makes just as much sense to allow a lesbian like Rachel Maddow to marry as it would be to allow a right-wing, Irish Republican to marry. Are you listening Pat? But then I like Pat Buchanan, even with all his crazy ideas. But he is still not as beautiful as Rachel Maddow, but then, few are.
Faithfully yours, Reverend Harold W. Beu
Copyright © by Emerson Church Unitarian Universalist - Troy, MI
All Right Reserved. Author: ecuuadmin - Published on: 2009-02-07 (569 reads) [ Go Back ] |
