Chris Cooper: But He That Believeth Not Shall Be Damned

[marmar]

Published on Thursday, December 28, 2006 by The Wiscasset Newspaper (Wiscasset, Maine)
But He That Believeth Not Shall Be Damned
by Chris Cooper

If I were given to making notice of the arbitrary turn of the calendar, of investing a date with symbolic weight, or perhaps if I were just a well-socialized, gregarious, ordinary average citizen trying to do right by the traditions and follies of the society into which I was cast by the accident of birth, I would of course formulate a New Years Resolution. Were I such a person, and if, so constructed, I still found myself coming to this page to unburden myself of my urgent opinions and several suspicions, I might tell you that, beginning on the first of January, 2007, I shall no longer suffer fools.

Forget not suffering them gladly, a degree of limited tolerance many proclaim. I intend to cease tolerating them even grudgingly. I have more often than I am allowed full credit for not jacked my jaws or bled out my vitriol on the page of some small newspaper over backward, ill-considered, wrong-headed, stupid, corrupt, self-serving, venal, underhanded statements or behavior indulged in by persons who should know better or do know better but persist the worse fools for knowing and not self-correcting.

Yes, I have, I think, been reasonably reserved, almost reticent, making a fuss only when someone as powerful and well-connected as, say, Vice President Dick Cheney does something as reprehensible as getting beered up and blasting a bystander in the face with a load of bird shot at close range, then waiting an unconscionably long time before notifying the authorities. I did discuss this unfortunate incident, but you must believe me, I did not lay out the totality of my disgust on that or on many another issue. No longer. Henceforth I shall state clearly, if not always succinctly, the names of the guilty parties, describe the nature of their errors, and suggest forthrightly and volubly one or several remedial actions or penances such low-life individuals might undertake.

I'm new to this directness, so it may take me a few weeks into the new year to get the new program running effectively. If I seem to cut somebody an unreasonable degree of slack, please advise and I'll try to greet the next violation of decent behavior with greater vigor.

So how about this Congressman from Virginia, Virgil H. Goode, Jr. (Republican)? Is he an idiot, or just a jerk? By which I guess I mean to inquire, does he think he makes sense, or does he know how stupid he sounds and doesn't care? Is he pandering to a constituency so ignorant that he dares not reveal he's a tiny bit brighter than his supporters? No, there I go making allowances, and I said I wasn't going to do that any more. ...... (more)

The rest of the article is at: http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1228-27.htm