Here Come the Judges - The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
Here Come the Judges
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JUDGING JUDGE
Re: Mark Gauvreau Judge’s Right-Wingtips Revisited:

When Bill Walsh coached the San Francisco 49ers to four Super Bowl championships and set up their fifth, he had a knack for cutting or trading even popular players before their diminishing skills hurt the team. I believe Walsh would suggest it’s time to hand Mark Gauvreau Judge his walking papers. His usefulness to our team is in doubt.
Earl Wright
Clovis, California

I sincerely think that Mark Judge needs to write, not in “Another Perspective,” but “Another Venue.” I value your website, and regret to see you give this guy, not one, but two chances to formulate what ends up being nothing more than an immature response to Gretchen Wilson’s “Redneck Woman.” It’s as if he was provoked by the in-your-face lyrics of the song, and decided that he would play a little tit-for-tat and do his own provoking with an in-your-face “metrocon” diatribe. The only problem is that both of his articles are so transparently abrasive, they reek of “shock-value” type entertainment pieces, something far below what I’ve come to expect from your website. Perhaps they might be more fitting on some blog somewhere.

I don’t think you would want to give me enough space to rebut everything Mr. Judge wrote, nor would I want to. Suffice it to say though, that before he starts pontificating (perhaps a pun), he should pay a little more attention to the subject matter on which he’s writing (conservative political viewpoint); know a little more about the people he ridicules (anyone who’s not a “metrocon,” i.e. us Southern uncultured, uneducated white-trash); and, by all means, steer completely clear of drawing parallels between cultural refinement and righteousness (“embrace [cultural refinements] and thus embrace God’s truth,” give me a break).

Instead of confusing the context and language of Old Testament prophecies, I would suggest that Mr. Judge spend some time reading the New Testament. He would see Jesus’ humility (which is spoken of) instead of conjuring up Jesus’ physical beauty (which is never spoken of). If he studied a little bit, he might find that the Sadducees were culturally refined, and loved it so much, they saw Jesus as a threat to their lifestyle. Maybe he could remind us of what these culturally refined Sadducees did with Jesus. As he’s reading the New Testament, he might also even run across an episode where Jesus spoke very condemningly of a Pharisee who made himself out to be so much better than others (substitute redneck for tax collector). As for the Greeks Mr. Judge so highly extols, I think he’ll find Paul mentioning their philosophy and wisdom in contradistinction to the saving message of the Gospel.

Mr. Judge, although you so condescendingly refer to it as “crude behavior,” “as dumb, tacky, and second-rate,” there is absolutely nothing wrong with the “common man” (or woman) being content with what they have and who they are. What you refer to as “defiance against the staid, snobby, and civilized” is really nothing more than these common people celebrating the fact that they don’t have to be enslaved to some arbitrary cultural standards, no matter how logically and eloquently you might set them. They’re celebrating the fact that their lives are worthwhile just the way they are. Now if you wanted to speak about how the lyrics of “Redneck Woman” suggest abusing alcohol (which you don’t), or about the how the lyrics might be suggesting a wild lifestyle (which you don’t, but is debatable), or if you wanted to suggest sinfulness in connecting “hell” with “yeah” (which again, you don’t) you should feel free to draw upon your twenty years of Catholic school, and whatever righteous indignation you might feel, an lead a tirade against something that Jesus would also condemn. But to somehow condemn the “common man” for being content to be a common man and not gaining some cultural refinements, that’s not Christian, that’s not conservative, and as your mentor tried to tell you, that’s not even nice. Did the fishermen and other common men who became Jesus’ disciple turn out to be rich artists, sculptures, or composers? Mr. Judge, I think you have a lot of things quite mixed up. But take heart, Jesus died for you, too.

Instead of condemning people who aren’t like you and don’t like the same things you like, if you’re going to address conservative politics, why can’t you just be thankful that these dumb, backwards people somehow agree with you on political matters, and are helping advance good and beneficial political causes? Why don’t you just leave it at that. Don’t invoke Jesus’ name in an effort to cause division, envy and hatred.

Oh, and by the way, Mr. Judge, in case you’re wondering (or assuming), yes, I was raised, what you would consider to be, just poor white trash. My father worked in the oilfield, and my mom, though rarely barefooted, always had a baby on her hip (eleven in all). We all lived in an old two-bedroom house, and although we never had much money, we not only got by, we were content with who we were and what we had. I have a Masters of Divinity now, but still enjoy bluegrass and other kinds of popular music. I’m not a NASCAR fan, but I used to like to watch my brother run his blown alcohol dragster at the drag strip (I suppose that’s just as bad, or is that worse?). Nonetheless, I know that my eternal home is in heaven with Jesus, and that’s my treasure. I’m just a traveler headed for the homeland, and I don’t want to get so caught up with the journey that I forget the destination.
Mark
Texas

Let’s see here. You start off with “I have good taste, you’re a common slob.” Straightforward at least, if a little arrogant. Now it’s “what I meant to say is that Halle Berry looks better in a red dress than Ernest Borgnine does in his underwear.” Well, umm… yeah, no doubt she does. Next thing we know, you’re quoting popes and wagering on Christ’s physical beauty.

Are you trying to justify yourself, Mr. Judge? Most of us, I think, would agree that there is such a thing as objective beauty, but you seem to think it’s only to be found in those things you prefer. A perfectly balanced and tuned race-car engine is probably too noisy and…mechanical to have any intrinsic beauty, certainly not the kind that a custom tailored Brooks Brothers suit possesses.

Maybe we can find some common ground here, though. Which would you rather have silk-screened on a T-shirt — Halle Berry in her underwear sitting on top of a race-car engine, or Ernest Borgnine in a custom tailored Brooks Brothers suit?
Michael Hargis
Shepherdsville, Kentucky

I am sorry that so many people do not believe the premise of Mark Gavreau Judges’ pieces about objective beauty. I believe him. Of course there is objective beauty. If not, there is no reason that my talentless scribblings should appear alongside Cezanne’s works.

Mark’s statement that “Benedict had such an experience listening to a Mozart concert, after which he turned to a friend and said that “anyone who has heard this knows that the faith is true,” reminds me of a quote I read in an airplane magazine by Soviet-escapee pianist and conductor Vladimir Feltzman. He said simply, “The music of J.S. Bach is proof of the existence of God. It is better than all of the theological proofs.”

I have watched in dismay as churches of my denomination replaced their beautiful prayer book, got rid of the professional choir, replaced the organ with a piano and guitar, and abandoned timeless hymns for quickly-out-of-date contemporary songs. Unfortunately, I believe that the church has led the way in dumbing down notions of beauty among conservatives. This is truly sad.
Mary Mack
Centreville, Virginia

I have finally gone back to read this piece (“Right-Wingtips”), and I must say it does seem to be hateful and mean spirited. I do not care for NASCAR, but millions of red and blue do love it. SO? As far as music and art, wasn’t “Wolfie” something of a rounder and something of the equivelant of a modern day rock star? His music is fabulous and beautiful but so are the Beatles. I still listen to a large variety of music, including classical, but that is limited in my library. I wasn’t raised listening to that style of music. I have learned some since, surprisingly, through movies, and enjoy that which I know. Who is better? Rossini or Ennio Morricone? You say potato…

You, Mr. Judge, seem to be suffering from “Whatever I decree is beautiful, is therefore beautiful.” I see beauty in the art of Monet, and Munnings, but not in Picasso or Dali. Does that make me a philistine?

I shop at Wal-Mart but I also go elsewhere. The reason the right defends a store like W-M, seems to me, they are constantly told how awful W-M is mostly by the left and that they shouldn’t shop there. They have combined clothing with groceries and hardware and school supplies. If it doesn’t appeal to you, don’t go there. No special magic, and I hold no brief for them, but people vote with their feet, and that is where millions shop.

I gave up on sit-coms years ago. For the very reasons you named. However they shouldn’t be taken off just because I don’t like them.

Finally, as far as Christianity is concerned, as a Christian, I know I am a sinner. We are all sinners, and we all, woulda, coulda, shoulda done more and greater, better things but we were distracted and chose different, lesser things. People should dress better in public especially going to church. (Is the alternative to stay home if you only have jeans?) I thought it was liberals who meddled in others lives because the sight was unbearable? Am I mistaken?
Janis Johnson
Independence, Missouri

Sure there is objective beauty, but somehow I don’t think the objective beauty and truth Christ represents involves the difference between cut-offs and and Brooks Brothers.

Man looks at the externals, God looks at the heart.

To go back to the old bromide WWJD, who did Christ come for, the well or the sick? It is hard to think of Jesus ministering to present-day whinos and prostitutes in patent leather and a spotless Harris tweed.

I know conservative, Christian men and women who truly love beauty and spend their lives in the squalor of the inner city dressed in ratty blue jeans and faded T-shirts, ministering to the unfortunate among us. Isn’t that a beautiful thing?
Brian Bonneau

Good job, Mr. Judge… Cary Grant gets my vote.
Elaine Kyle

INCITING RELIGION
Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.’s Angry Young Men:

You make good points throughout your analysis of the hair trigger Islamic anger that cyclically self-ignites… especially in the institutional volatility of radical Islam.

I would only add that the mad Imams and their jihadi sycophants could only exist within the decades of deafening silence and deference from the non-jihadis… that vast, pastoral majority of the “Religion of Peace” we in the West have heard so much about… but nothing from.

Decades of moderate Muslim silence, with its cohort tacit approval, has been clear warning for the timid, indecisive West. To continue this deadly, indifferent charade is shameful for all concerned. The current state of affairs is the inevitable natural result of years of procrastination by “us” and indoctrination by “them.”
John Curtis

Rather than accept responsibility for centuries of self-imposed geopolitical and cultural irrelevance, radical Muslims have taken the easy path: Scapegoat the successful West. Their ingrained inability to examine themselves critically will perpetuate their cycle of ignorance, failure, frustration, projection, and destruction. This will ensure turbulent decades of even greater failure and irrelevance.

Radical Islam is not simply incompatible with the freedoms and scientific method of the West, it is incompatible with modernity.
David Govett
Davis, California

I read the above article and when I got to the last paragraph and read the words “They are incapable of governing themselves or even rational thought. They are the enemies of civilization….” I thought to myself, “these Muslims are really American liberals in bathrobes.” I mean if you look at the reaction to cartoons depicting their murderous deity as a, well murderer, they are behaving like American liberals, aren’t they? I mean American liberals believe in freedom of the media, don’t they? At least so long as it says what they wish it to say. Who else in the world behaves like this? Buddhists? Catholics? Jews? Only Muslims and American liberals want not only to control what everybody can say and hear, but what we’re allowed think as well.
“Jason Brutus Kane”
“Snowshoe, Alberta”

This is one of the best explanations of their culture I’ve read anywhere. Except I’ve never heard anyone address what role drug use might play in their irrationality. Don’t they gather in their mosques and smoke hashish, or opium as part of their religious services? Isn’t Afghanistan the world’s leader in heroin and hash production? And after they smoke the drugs in their hookahs, they get whipped into a frenzy by some fiery speeches from the old imams. Couple this with the fact they have nothing to live for, and this might explain their radical behavior, and why they would want to blow themselves up to advance their cause. Am I wrong here?
John P.
Elmhurst, Illinois

In his article Mr. Tyrrell states the following: “From Tehran comes word that Iran’s best-selling newspaper, Hamshahri, has announced a cartoon competition. The cartoon competition will endeavor to find the best cartoon about the Holocaust.”

I would suggest that the Israelis take a page from the Muslim playbook and use the cartoon as the rationale to take out all of Iran’s nuclear sites as retribution for such an insult. Then let the anger spread to Syria and at selected sites show them the error of their ways also.

I know this sounds somewhat silly but…
C.D. Lueders
Melbourne, Florida

According to the article, Arab youth are nothing more than pawns being used by the patriarchs of Arab society and that the governments are allowing these riots to keep going. I think there is a lot of truth in those assumptions. The Islamic society is a totalitarian one and that means rule from the top down with no dissent from those at the bottom. Women are nothing more than furniture and the youth are cannon fodder. A society like that is doomed and the only thing that has kept it alive is oil. We have an area run by crazies who control vast tracks of petroleum. The very lifeblood of western society is in the hands of an unstable populace and we have people in this country who are ignoring that very tenet for survival.

Boys will be boys, yes, but these boys have some mighty powerful toys to play with. Too bad our crazies can’t understand just what is at stake but then again, who said insanity can be reasoned with, whether in the Middle East or in our midst.
Pete Chagnon

MALE ADJUSTED
Re: John Zmirak’s Bashing Men on Campus:

If expecting to be taken seriously, it surprises me that any writer would quote USA Today, citing reasons boys do not fare well in school. They have trotted out the same tired, stereotypical profile of the male student, Ritalin deprived, unable to sit still in class, disruptive, incapable of learning, as opposed to little Mary Sunshine, quietly turning the pages of her book, soaking up knowledge despite the chaos in the classroom.

I must the luckiest grandmother in the United States. My 18-year-old grandson graduated in June with a better than 4.0 GPA (achieved by taking college courses his senior year in high school). Was accepted at all six of the universities he applied. I guess he just swam off all that disruptive energy, while lettering on high school swim team, consistently winning in his event and playing goalie in Water Polo. Or maybe it was his parents, warning him he better behave in class and bring home good grades AND being actively participating parents in school activities. My 12 year old is a straight A student who has spent
all his school years mentoring slow students. (They call it “Study Buddy”) And my youngest, who just turned four in January already reads and can do simple arithmetic. The oldest, who watched C-Span with me so much in his toddler years he could recite the roll call of the Senate — Mr. Akaka, Mr. Baucus…

None of these children are exceptional. Of course, they are to me, as I was/am the “primary caregiver” (sounds like a zookeeper in a primate nursery) — I prefer the outdated “Granma.” You could devote a week to true stories like mine and better than mine. But you will never read about children like this in USA Today. Their lives are just not star-crossed enough to make heart-wrenching doom and gloom reading. If it “bleats” it leads!

When I read articles such as this, I am comforted by the knowledge that I know of at least three examples of male children who will not be adversely affected by teachers who prefer the docility of little girls. They will behave and what I have not already taught them, they will learn in school. Any interested parent “home-schools” from the day her child (or grandchild) is born. As a mother of two sons I can tell you, boys are teachable. Or educable, if you prefer teacher-speak.

If we want better educated children, first we need to inspire folks who make a baby to put more effort into the rearing of the child. Maybe sign a contract at conception, “I agree to dedicate the next 20 years of my life to the well being of this child I have chosen to bear.” Then we must abolish teacher unions and tenure, publish better textbooks and fine tune the curriculum — oops, I just went through the Looking Glass.
Diane Smith
South San Francisco, California

I have a modest proposal to resolve the travesty which is the subject of Mr. Zmirak’s essay. We must abort all male children. In a generation there would be no men of breeding age; college age or teen age. We older fellows could be tamed, feed and leashed; then taken to schools and paraded before the female children as examples of God’s excess. We could be vilified as the cause of all the world’s problems; diseases; scourges; and deficiencies. This would serve two feminist purposes: it would slander religion and serve the purpose of making males, not just useless, but harmful in the extreme.

Think of the wondrous changes it would make in America! Surely department stores would reallocate the 17 square feet they now use for men’s things. Cars would come in pastels and have built-in perfume atomizers; all shoes would be high-heeled and war would be a thing of the past. Whoops! That is until those pesky Muslims found out we had a huge reservoir of virgins, completely peaceful and available to slake their suicidal lusts. Wait! To survive in our post-feminist iteration, we have to do one other thing in addition to aborting all males. The only females allowed to born must be clones of Hitlery Clinton! That would scare all surviving males of whatever ilk! And our virgins would be secure.
Jay W. Molyneaux
Wellington, Florida

FUNERAL JIMMY
Re: Jay D. Homnick’s Winter Wonderland:

As you too, our dear friend, are a class act. We hope you sent this to the Patriot and they print it. We so agree with you. People can have political disagreements and that is fine. However, a funeral is not the proper format. I think the Democrats actions were a total disgrace and so very disrespectful of Mrs. King and the entire King family. We were especially disappointed in the former President Jimmy Carter. As a former president and governor, he should definitely know and follow protocol. We join you in being proud of President Bush and his beloved First Lady, Laura Bush.
Sam & Rose

A FEW THOUSAND CLOSE FRIENDS
Re: Rick Lundstrom’s letter (“Death for Dollars”) in Reader Mail’s Mockers of Religion:

Just a private affair for 20,000 close friends and family… and government officials. Private? Give me a break — they had to use a stadium and the media were all present. It was a memorial service turned into a pep rally where the Senate leadership and Republicans who had been invited and attended were booed. Tasteless, inappropriate and boorish just as the same behavior was at the King services by the same types of boorish people.
GMS
Wayne, Pennsylvania

OUT OF HER SHEEHAN
Re: Ben Phillips’ letter (“CNN Ripples”) and R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.’s Woolsey-Eyed Democrats:

This is to Mr. Ben Phillips, I also lost a son early in life, and have two grandsons that are in the Air Force. The only problem I have with Cindy Sheehan is the dishonor she is giving to her son, Casey. He did not give his life for the Iraqi people, but fighting terror over there so his family, you and all of us would be free to say stupid things and make fools out of ourselves and get by with it. Casey was not drafted and he did not go just once, it seems if she really cared anything for his memory she would honor what he wanted to do with his life, not what she would have wanted him to do.
Elaine Kyle

When Ben Phillips uses the term “Iraqi people” he apparently means not the majority that have voted at risk to their lives but the minority that are willing to murder innocents. These are the same people Cindy Sheehan calls “freedom fighters.” Who knows, when they use the term “American people” maybe they mean the KKK or some other violent fringe group.

Cindy Sheehan seems like a person who was mentally ill before the death of her son. I feel sorry for her but detest those like Mr. Phillips who try to hide behind her skirts to make their ridiculous points. When people like Mr. Phillips cull through all the parents of dead soldiers to find ones that make their arguments and then use them as shields they have reached a very low level.
Clifton Briner

CREDIT TO DELANO
Re: Lisa Fabrizio’s The Raw Deal:

I’m a WWII vet. I agree with your comments on FDR, even though I considered him to be “God” at the time.

But let’s cut FDR a little slack on Eos (executive orders). WWII was not his only war. He was at war with the Great Depression. It was a rather futile effort. FDR never found the formula no matter how he tried. It was the war that put America back to work and turned the economy around, not FDR’s remedies. All those alphabet agencies, where it was tax money being spent, spawned the welfare state, but a rather benign one as compared to the LBJ “War On Poverty,” which actually was a war on taxpayers.
G.B. Hall
Marietta, Georgia

CHICKEN LITTLES
Re: Christopher Orlet’s Fear and Cowering in the Press:

Christopher Orlet made a good argument until reaching his conclusion. Yes, the media is waving the banner of freedom of speech because collectively they’re confused and frightened by Muslim reaction to being humiliated over the insult to their religion.

In Western societies, the rules of engagement allow the media to attack and insult any religion for no particular reason. You can sense the media’s bewilderment. What’s wrong with these Muslims? Why don’t they understand? An editor or cartoonist could have his throat slit on the way to the parking lot and that’s not right or fair because freedom of speech trumps any and all religious considerations.

Apparently, the media has confused Muslims with Christians when it comes to turning the other cheek.

Orlet’s concern when the press casually insults Islam is that we gave in to threats of retaliation. So what? The press hit on Muslims solely to provoke a reaction and now we have to defend the Western media? We have cops and courts of law for that. If a throat is slit, the justice system will pursue the knife wielder and the media can take satisfaction that Western style justice will prevail. Or, maybe it won’t prevail. But, if we’re lucky, those of us disgusted by the media’s actions won’t be in the line of fire when a Muslim tenders his rebuttal.
Patrick Skurka
San Ramon, California

I do hope we have many images of the faces of these mobs of fascists burning and killing just because their sensibilities were aroused. The liberals are probably worried that the Christians here in the USA will be taking lessons right about now. They think they have them subdued because look at all the inflammatory anti-Christian cartoons they previously published and nothing happened?
So we don’t have the Islamic fanatic subdued yet. I could have told you that one — so it comes down to stupidity large and in charge in this situation.

It’s really no different than stirring up a nest of hornets — “Hey — dare ‘ya to stick your finger in that hole?”. They’re like children.
Cheers!
Brian
Jackson, Michigan

Can you, or anybody else for that matter, shed any light on how the tens of thousands of Muslims can be outraged and deeply offended by the cartoons without having seen any of them? The Islamic press didn’t show them in their papers or on TV, and the Danish newspaper is not on sale in these countries either.
Russ Hugi
Belmont, California

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