Has SWPL been reading my comboxes?

Wonderful comments on that blog, Rod. If they are an example of who that writer is trying to reach, I think we can disregard pretty much anything posted there. The comment blocks pretty much negate any points made in the post.

Looks more like Stuff White Liberals Like.

I notice that they have a book coming out. When a self righteous white person pulls this crap on you, give them the book.

Well, there is one group of white people who are never offended on behalf of anyone but themselves--white right-wing Christians. So I guess they won't be in the book. I hope that won't offend them.

Gosh Daniel, when people make insulting comments about me, my color, my faith, my reigion of the country, my friends, my political beliefs or my gender, you would suggest that I do what?

Posted by: Arthur Andrews | May 30, 2008 9:43 AM

If you were trying to define political correctness, that was a darn fine job.

By the way Daniel, diversity of what?

It's wonderful that conservatives never get offended and don't do things like those awful liberals do. Well, except for those controversies about flag lapel pins, people saying they weren't proud of America at least since they were a fertilized egg, people listening to others critizing America and now apparently people wearing jihadist scarves while drinking Dunkin' Donuts coffee. It's no wonder they're so superior. LOL.

I had a very surreal moment once back when I was interning at a small, very lefty newspaper in Boston back in the early '90s. My editor told me to change "black people" to "African Americans" in a story I was working on since that was the new, appropriate term. The weird thing was, she was white and I was black. However, since she was the boss I made the change.

Have never liked the term "African American." For one thing, I can trace my earliest ancestor to 1807, so that makes me plain old 'American' in my book. Hyphenated nothing. Secondly, it doesn't roll off the tongue too easily.

A kindred (and much older) site to SWPL is http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com

Eric K, wrote to Daniel: But there doesn't seem to be many instances in which you want to engage Rod or other commenters other than to criticize what they've written...What is your purpose in reading this blog and commenting here?

Eric, I am not Daniel, but I will say this. I don't always agree with Rod either...or with many of the things said here. But, I thought the purpose of engagement was to have a pro and con discussion. Rod takes things he agrees with or doesn't and then makes comments on them...putting them up for discussion, I thought. If you read my earlier comment on today's post, I point out that conservatives seem to do the same thing. That doesn't negate some of the points of Rod's post, but if points out, I thought in a funny way, that everyone seems to be offended by some things and willing to voice that discontent. Now, if the purpose is to only have people you agree with post, I apologize. Speaking for myself, I read the blog to see what people think and I comment to try to present another viewpoint.

gmo - Obviously I don't think that the purpose of the blog is to only have people who agree with you post on it. I said as much in my comment to Daniel. I'm not sure why you think otherwise. My question to Daniel was about why practically all his posts are criticisms, and usually nitpicky ones more about Rod's tone, word choice, and sometimes lack of self-examination than the substance of the points he's making.

Daniel - I appreciate the explanation. So it sounds like you see yourself as some kind of assistant to the "crunchy con" world; here to help us avoid an echo chamber. How noble of you to donate your time in such a way. I'd ask you to consider how you're presenting yourself when you comment here. Your comments, in my opinion, come across as nitpicky and as unconstructive criticism. I challenge you to engage the points Rod makes about American society instead of just picking out a sentence or two that irks you and throwing out a snarky response.

SWPL is funny. You suggesting blacks are inherently less intelligent than whites? Not so much.

You suggesting blacks are inherently less intelligent than whites? Not so much.

Huh?

Thank you for the kind words, Eric K. Speaking for myself, though, I've often found Daniel's comments refreshing and enlightening. For me, they have a breadth of outlook that goes beyond the merely picky. Of course, that figures, since he shares my POV more often than he does yours! I think we all have occasionally to be forgiven for an outstandingly prickly or petty remark--yrs. truly included. ; )

Also speaking for myself, much of the outrage I express around here is for myself. I came here as a lifelong Catholic and conservative who was skiiing out of control down the valley of disillusion at rapidly increasing velocity. I hoped that here I would find a bastion of kindly, rational, compassionate, environmentally conscious conservatism that would convince me y'all were the chosen people after all. Errr . . . ahem. Well, I guess I still had a few small fragments of illusion lodged in my skull.

Yeah, it outrages me personally when I find that people who self-identify as Christians are behaving in what I think is an outrageously un-Christian way. That hurts me because you're screwing with MY childhood religion. What I consider injustice, to whatever group, outrages my abstract sense of justice, which is a very important part of my Weltanschauung. Bad behavior to homosexuals makes me mad not because I condescendingly pat gay people on the head and anoint them as saviors, but because they are my friends and family. Everybody gets mad when you diss their friends and family, don't they? And disrespect and prejudice against people of color makes me mad for personal reasons as well. I had the bad fortune to grow up with a family member who was a white supremacist and a Nazi. So I know personally how sick, perverted, creepy, and just plain wrong that is. I don't want it in my life. I've had enough of it. I don't appreciate having it stuck in my face by people who like throwing their non-PC weight around. Ya got a problem with that, pal? (Add smiley-face to indicate I'm kidding. Sort of. Or at least, I'm not really primed to punch anyone out. It's dinner time and my potato salad is tasty. ; ) But don't forget, I earned my black belt in 1994, and I was a black belt of the mind a heck of a long time before that. Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control, and Indomitable Spirit forever!)

p.s. SWPL actually is quite funny--but if Rod thinks he's not included in the fun, he is suffering from illusion.

"My view, based on years of observation: often liberals here have some deep-seated anger at a past preceived wrong - say racism, or sexism, or even some bible-belt religous wacko overdose. Iow, this type of liberal desperately needs a conservative whipping boy for their psychological peace of mind. Critical commentary is often used to merely feel good about oneself, not to enlighten, merely to insult."

Amen.