While watching TV coverage of Coretta Scott King’s funeral service, I was surprised to hear the co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Rev. Joseph Lowery, attack George Bush even as the President sat behind him. Then ex-President Jimmy Carter used the podium to berate the President, and the Mayor of Atlanta, Shirley Franklin, attacked the President as she spoke of the “bombshelters of Baghdad.”
Cheap Shots at Bush
Whether you agree with Bush’s policies or not, it seems a cheap shot to attack a man during a funeral service, where attention is to be focused on the deceased, not on fellow mourners whom you happen to disagree with. Even gangland funeral-goers had more couth than that.
There was the President of the United States, his wife and father, paying tribute to Coretta Scott King, having to endure insults and digs from fellow mourners. Was this a funeral or a political debate? Shouts of approval added to the circus element of this somber occasion.
Bush was admirable in taking it so well. A lesser man would have walked out. The media seemed to like it, but what else? If Republicans had done the same to a Democrat President, it would have been a different story.
But to use a funeral service as a forum for cheap shots at a Republican President tells a lot about the Democrats and the press and liberals in general.
Sneed Sits in Judgment
Michael Sneed is flattered that she has a letter from six Chicago Auxiliary Bishops complaining of her constant harping on Cardinal George and the recent priest-sex scandal. In her latest Chicago Sun-Times column, Sneed says to the bishops, “Think I feel thwacked . . . think again.”
Whether Sneed feels thwacked or not, she might consider that it is more mature and even more professional not to ridicule too harshly while you have only a superficial understanding of the truth of a given matter. She might try listening to what the Cardinal is saying.
Fortunately, Sneed has never done anything wrong or made a mistake in her life, so she is qualified to stand in judgement of Cardinals and Bishops, with impunity.
Eulogy for Friedan
Sun-Times columnist Jennifer Hunter parises Betty Friedan, recently deceased, as an inspiration for all women. Her book, Hunter says, fostered the women’s liberation movement and helped get women abortion on demand and to do such great things as remove, “and obey,” from the wedding service.
Media Hypocrisy over “Giving Offense” to Muslims
Something strange is happening to the bold American media, notices Kathleen Parker. They have been scared into silence by a set of twelve silly cartoons depicting Muhammad. They won’t show the cartoons.
They don’t hesitate to show us sacrilegious pictures and jokes and stories mocking Christians saints and customs and beliefs, but since the twelve cartoons have led to riots and arson and death overseas, the American media has suddenly become respectful.
Parker calls the media reaction to these cartoons “sanctimonious sensitivity to insanity.” Editors say their decision not to run the cartoons is fear of offending American Muslims. Meanwhile, Americans readers who rely on the traditional media are left in the dark, while Muslims encourage cartoons intended to mock the Holocaust.
Parker calls the media reaction cowardice. “Newspapers,” she says, “especially deserve contempt fort their spineless refusal to deal honestly with this controversy.” She relates that when the Philadelphia Inquirer editor published one of the cartoons, Muslims visited her at the paper and pledged to return if the paper didn’t apologize.
Parker wonders if and when the great sponsors of free speech will start waging a war of ideas with images? Is Parker in the ball park? Do Americans really need to see the cartoons? Is it worth the possible price newspapers might have to pay ? Is this one of the most stupid situations you’ve seen lately?
