School Records
No, this is not going to be a column about Donald Trump, who is apparently trying to get his face in the news again over Barack Obama's college records. Instead, we are going to feature a cartoon about education, from Joshua L. Eisenstein, PhD., in collaboration with cartoonist Sushila Oliphant.
Before we get to the cartoon, though, just a short word about a completely unrelated issue. Richard Mourdock, Republican Senate candidate from Indiana, is currently in the political hotseat over his comment that a baby conceived in a rape is a "gift from God" and "something God intended to happen."
Mourdock is being attacked for his callousness, but he's really just opening up a very old can of theological worms, best expressed as: "Why does God let bad stuff happen?" It's tough to reconcile a being who is supposed to be omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent all at the same time, because it will lead you back to unfathomable questions like "Are rapes something God intended to happen?" Not being a member of the clergy, we're going to leave this theological conundrum for others to delve into, and focus on the political implications instead.
If you take Mourdock at his word (in his semi-apology), he was really just talking about the baby and not the rape. OK, but that still leaves his extremist position -- no abortion, ever. We could have written about this today, but we have already written this column, first about Herman Cain, and then we re-ran it for Todd Akin's benefit. So we're just going to encourage you to follow either of those links, to discover how Democrats should really be attacking this increasingly-standard Republican position, by using the phrase "fatherhood rights for rapists."
To put it another way, instead of rewriting this same column, we've got a cartoon today, from our favorite writer on the subject of education. And the grim choice voters face in the upcoming election. Enjoy!
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
This quote put me in mind of one of the few quotes I remember from a long-ago professor who observed that many frame morality as a conflict between "GOOD vs. EVIL" whereafter they proceed to outline how their view is the GOOD one. Much of the hottest rhetoric on any such controversy comes from people who refuse to recognize that such issues almost always involve, not an "Either / Or," but, rather a conflict between one "goodandevil" and another "goodandevil" mix. Hence Mourdock, et al, consider ONLY the baby's "good" and dismiss all other possibilities. Needless to say there are others who do exactly the opposite, but thoughtful folk are usually left, scratching their head, and wondering at just how complicated such a problem is. Those are the ones I want to hear, but they don't get much play on Fox News or their opposites.
Would like Joshua to explain the cartoon and how it came about.
Completely off-topic, but I am thinking of dressing up as Mitt Romney this Halloween. I cannot think of anything scarier in the world just now ;) Plus I can carry around a binder full of women and fire people.
On topic again, the Republican rape chart: http://angryblackladychronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/gop_rape_advisory-chart.gif
I knew something would have to give the moment that the President said he "liked" the term "Obamacare" in the first debate.
I was just talking to a Republican in Arizona, he used the word, and then added, "It shouldn't really be called Obamacare; it wasn't his bill, really, that Congress passed."
Joshua, your cartoonist is terrific. Suggest smaller ears on O next time. He's a small-ears guy.
Would like Joshua to explain the cartoon and how it came about.
you'll have to wait for the follow-up article, due sometime after the election. ;)
CB,
yes, sushila really is outstanding. she's apparently a distant cousin of the well-known political cartoonist pat oliphant. i came up with the initial concept, but the money coming out of the candidates pockets was all her.
~joshua
michty6 -
RE your Hallowe'en comment... still trying to come up with themes for this year's Jack O'Lanterns...
any suggestions anyone? Republican horror stories? Democratic horror stories? Let me know...
-CW
Joshua -
Just wanted to second that -- Sushila is indeed an excellent cartoonist! She's got a pretty weighty last name to live up to, at that...
:-)
-CW
I did indeed dress up as Mitt Romney. Or as I called myself Mich Romney. I'll maybe post a photo. It was fun. The best part was when I was walking around telling people to vote for Romney saying things like 'poor people don't deserve healthcare' I got a lot of angry responses from people who thought I was being serious! Aside from this, I can tell you one thing: Canadians do NOT like Romney!
I did indeed dress up as Mitt Romney. Or as I called myself Mich Romney. I'll maybe post a photo. It was fun.
You simply HAVE to post a photo!!!!!! :D
Michale...