Originally published on Facebook on 24 November 2014, and very appropriate for the political silly season.
One key question we appear to have forgotten is, “Such as?”
It isn’t always that question; sometimes, the statement leading up to it will require a different ph…rasing for clarity. But it’s always an important question.
For instance: the fat-cat Congressman who says, “We’ll protect the environment, without going to extremes.”
You ask him, “Okay. So how have you done so?”
“What?”
“You say that you’re interested in protecting the environment, as long as it’s not going to extremes. What actions have you taken in Congress to protect the environment?”
“Well, I voted for {name of bill}.”
“In fact, you were the key voice watering down that bill, which now effectively increases drilling rights on public lands. Before that you fought that bill with every fiber of your being, finally signed it as a political compromise only when you were given vast pork as a concession, and have since fought like a dog to repeal it. So, if there are actions short of what you call extremism that you would take in favor of the environment, without fighting them tooth and nail, name some. What specific actions have you initiated, yourself, to protect the environment? Name one. Just one.”
“Jobs–”
“Not the question I’m asking. Name one.”
{Crickets}.
Donald Trump: “I’ve always been a great friend to the Blacks.”
You ask him: “How?”
“What?”
“What have you done, aside from hire a few, to help the Blacks?”
“I created jobs!”
“Jobs were race-neutral. They also benefited you. They were not actions specifically taken by you, to help Black people. One can argue that you’re a job creator, but the specific claim coming from that that you’re a great friend of the Blacks, period, appears to have have no actual meat to it. Have you endowed scholarships? Given to black charities? Done anything, in fact, but question the citizenship of the only Black President?”
{Crickets.}
How’s this one? “I live according to the precepts of Jesus Christ.”
“Which ones?”
“I fight gay marriage!”
“He never had a thing to say about that. What else?”
“I give to the church!”
“The church post-dated him. What specific words said by Jesus Christ do you follow?”
“I’m for families!”
“Jesus was against wealth. He was for feeding the hungry. He was for forgiveness. How have you lived according to those precepts, aside from giving your church the occasional box of canned food you’re not using?”
{Endless circles}.
“Such as?” is a valuable question. We need to remember it.
Comment By: Morgan Smith
November 24th, 2015 at 11:18 am
Luke 14:26
“If any man come to Me and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.”
Comment By: Chris Barkley
November 24th, 2015 at 12:19 pm
I can confirm what Steve Jarrett wrote; Mr. Sturgeon signed several of my books in the same manner. What a gentleman he was…