How many civilians have died around the world...?

[porphyrian]

...while we've been wasting media attention on a vegetable and a Pope? Are we to believe that they are more important than, say, a man who died trying to protect his family from armed militants in Africa? Or maybe more important than any of the babies who starved to death in the last week in the Ukraine? How about the number of soldiers dead in Iraq? I'm so fucking sick of the value of people's lives being determined by how readily they can be used to manipulate public opinion, and by the amount of time spent by people not on the media's payroll spreading this toxic distraction.

[NNN0LHI]

1. As for the Mrs. Schiavo stuff look at my sig line

[porphyrian]

2. Good sig. - n/t

[jdj]

3. get with it baby, it's p.c. to be all griefstricken and try to shut

everyone else up tonight.

How many kids starve to death every single day? I also wonder how many do because of attitudes like you know whose about birth control...one of the first things George W. Bush did when he got into office was to put a lockdown on aid workers talking about birth control. It kills me also that people who get all upset about paying with their tax money for third world abortions have no problem paying for forced abortions in China by shopping at Walmart.

[porphyrian]

5. Yeah, I guess I lack the requisite amount of hypocrisy...

I'll try harder. Maybe I could be a pro-life, pro-death penalty guy and not adopt any children.

[Tweed]

4. How many lives have Pope John Paul II and the Catholic Church

helped and made better? The Pope is the spiritual leader of over 1 billion people and has traveled the world to highlight many social injustices. He helped end the Soviet communist regime.

There's this great thing called 'Google'. Google: Pope, John, Paul, and History. You will be AMAZED at what you find!

I agree with you that most of what the media covers is absurd. I don't care about Schiavo and I don't care about Michael Jackson.

I do care about the Pope though. He was a great man who did many things to help out the world.

Here's an idea. Check your anti-Catholicism at the DU Front Page and post some information to back up your posts next time. :hi:

[porphyrian]

7. Give me a break.

The Pope was an OK man. He was only great compared to past Popes, and he was in no way greater than, say, the nine year old girl who burned to death saving her younger sister from the fire in her house. I'm not anti-Catholic, I'm anti-person worship. Get over yourself.

[Tweed]

8. Hahaha

Get over myself? You gave me a nice laugh. Here's a hint, you aren't correct on everything. If anyone needs to get over themself, it's you.

No one is worshiping the Pope. They are remembering the great deeds he did on the day he died. We will hear about him tomorrow, the big news show day and we will hear about the new Pope for a couple of days too. Otherwise there will be a little bit of coverage. The next Pope could have huge contributions to social justice. This stuff is big news. It's not non-news like what dominates the media.

[porphyrian]

10. Ooooooo...

"Here's a hint, you aren't correct on everything."
A hint? I never claimed to be correct on everything, I'm just stating my opinion. I still think you need to get over yourself.

"No one is worshiping the Pope."
Are you really that ignorant or just unobservant? Maybe you aren't familiar with the definition of worship - 1. The reverent love and devotion accorded a deity, an idol, or a sacred object. 2. Ardent devotion; adoration. While not everyone worships the Pope in both senses, many do in at least one, and only someone who is completely blind would deny that.

My point still stands - the Pope's life or death is not more important than the life or death of the other people who live and die that no one will hear about because the media and its pundits will only talk about the deaths of two people for over a week.

[RevolutionaryActs]

9. "Check your anti-Catholicism at the DU Front Page"

DU is a Catholic site? If it, I will gladly give in my resignation. Because I thought DU was a site for progressive Democrats and Liberals to come and talk politics, not a religious site.

[Tweed]

11. Ummmm..... I looked over my post.... I'm not sure where I made that claim

I would hope everyone would check their bigotry at the DU Front Page be it towards Catholicism or anything else. Posts that bash something without any facts should not be tolerated here at DU. Do you disagree?

[RevolutionaryActs]

12. What bashing?

The poster was asking a question.


Also I never said that was you said, I was also asking a question.

I would hope people would check their bigotry at the front page too, I think people are merely giving criticism of some things(admittedly, it's not the best time for it, but this is a free country), that does not mean they are bashing anything or anyone.

[Tweed]

13. Sorry, but suggesting that the passing of the Pope is irrelevant....

is Catholic bashing. The Pope has championed many social justice causes and has done much to make the world a more liberal place. While he holds some conservative values as well, his accomplishments and real world change lean more toward the liberal side.

To suggest that the death of a great spiritual and secular leader is non-news is bashing and probably rooted in some anti-Catholicism feelings.

[RevolutionaryActs]

14. Did they say it was irrelevant?

I didn't see that.

They asked why it is that we must be so wholly devoted to this one news story? Yes, it is a big deal, he's been pope for 30 years and has done good things. But why must that be the ONLY news. Not everyone is Catholic, not everyone is as deeply affected by this as others. So why can't we have room for other major news stories?

[porphyrian]

16. Hypersensitive much?

I don't hate Catholics, I hate people who think their dead family/friend/hero is more important than mine or anyone elses, and I don't want it stuck in my face constantly.

[ramapo]

6. 410,959 Children

Today's Parade Magazine's front page headline:

"Every year 10 million children worldwide die from preventable diseases."

That's more than 27,000 a day, 1,141 an hour, 19 per minute...about one every 3 seconds. Pretty sobering isn't it? Probably 50 children have died in the time it's taken me to reply. I'll bet more than a few live right here in the good ole' USA.

So when these assholes say they value life, they're blowing bullshit.

on edit: I figured these jerks spent 15 days pontificating about Schiavo.

[porphyrian]

17. Where is the public outcry about all of these children?

I guess they aren't economically or politically viable.

[beam me up scottie]

15. Dead on.

"the value of people's lives being determined by how readily they can be used to manipulate public opinion"

That's why my tv is dead.
Amazing more can't see it.