Sunday, February 29, 2004
Roger Seymour, the Local Zealot
(this article was previously published in the Manhattan Mecury in February 2004)
In response to Roger Seymour’s rhetorical question in Sunday’s editorials where he asked, “What are liberals running from? What are they so scared of? What threat does the “true” Gospel message of love, restraint, morality, self-discipline, self-denial, servitude, obedience, grace, compassion and forgiveness pose to their world?”; I say, YOU, Roger, we are scared of YOU and others like you. You insist that everyone see the world in black and white just as you do. You insist that everyone refuse to acknowledge the gray areas in life just as you do. You insist no one evolve. You insist that yesterday was always better. You insist that the only folks worthy of your “compassion and forgiveness” are those that believe exactly as you do. Everyone else be damned.
You belie yourself when you insert the word “true” in your statement regarding the gospel. You assume that everyone else’s experience of the gospel is false. No one else’s point of view or sharing of experience will ever be valid for you, will it? You hate everyone who doesn’t agree with your intolerant, bigoted, myopic (you need to look that word up, Roger?) view of the human experience. In your tirade you reference a book that was published in 1995. Have you read anything else since then, Roger?
Its YOU we are scared of, Roger, you and the rest of the simple-minded control freaks that sneak their way into our local politics and seek to subjugate the rest of us with their self-righteousness. Folks like you, Roger, consistently condemning others and then pointing to yourselves as the victims. How disdainful is that? Your opening statement that you “feel sorry for people like Janet Heeter.” is pretentious. No one believes you feel anything but contempt for Janet Heeter.
You closed your mind and you threw away the key, Roger. You stopped learning and growing a long time ago, secure in the belief that you knew it all. You have denied yourself the experience of self-realization and continued growth. You have denied yourself the pleasure of getting to know and love people who might be nothing like yourself. Have you ever bothered to get to know a gay person, Roger? How about black folks, Roger? Got any Jewish friends? You know, like Joe Lieberman? How about Mexicans, Roger? How about some of those “decadent” Europeans? I think your experience of humanity must be very limited, Roger, otherwise you could not believe some of the ignorant things you profess. You mention the virtue of servitude, Roger. Who do you serve? Is self-righteous ignorance your master, Roger? You are scary.
In response to Roger Seymour’s rhetorical question in Sunday’s editorials where he asked, “What are liberals running from? What are they so scared of? What threat does the “true” Gospel message of love, restraint, morality, self-discipline, self-denial, servitude, obedience, grace, compassion and forgiveness pose to their world?”; I say, YOU, Roger, we are scared of YOU and others like you. You insist that everyone see the world in black and white just as you do. You insist that everyone refuse to acknowledge the gray areas in life just as you do. You insist no one evolve. You insist that yesterday was always better. You insist that the only folks worthy of your “compassion and forgiveness” are those that believe exactly as you do. Everyone else be damned.
You belie yourself when you insert the word “true” in your statement regarding the gospel. You assume that everyone else’s experience of the gospel is false. No one else’s point of view or sharing of experience will ever be valid for you, will it? You hate everyone who doesn’t agree with your intolerant, bigoted, myopic (you need to look that word up, Roger?) view of the human experience. In your tirade you reference a book that was published in 1995. Have you read anything else since then, Roger?
Its YOU we are scared of, Roger, you and the rest of the simple-minded control freaks that sneak their way into our local politics and seek to subjugate the rest of us with their self-righteousness. Folks like you, Roger, consistently condemning others and then pointing to yourselves as the victims. How disdainful is that? Your opening statement that you “feel sorry for people like Janet Heeter.” is pretentious. No one believes you feel anything but contempt for Janet Heeter.
You closed your mind and you threw away the key, Roger. You stopped learning and growing a long time ago, secure in the belief that you knew it all. You have denied yourself the experience of self-realization and continued growth. You have denied yourself the pleasure of getting to know and love people who might be nothing like yourself. Have you ever bothered to get to know a gay person, Roger? How about black folks, Roger? Got any Jewish friends? You know, like Joe Lieberman? How about Mexicans, Roger? How about some of those “decadent” Europeans? I think your experience of humanity must be very limited, Roger, otherwise you could not believe some of the ignorant things you profess. You mention the virtue of servitude, Roger. Who do you serve? Is self-righteous ignorance your master, Roger? You are scary.
