Some interesting but unconnected items. Well, sort of connected. They all involve the brain dead.
First off, a few weeks ago the contents of a letter by the Archbishop of Canterbury (written several years ago) was revealed. In the letter Williams controversially wrote:
“I concluded that an active sexual relationship between two people of the same sex might therefore reflect the love of God in a way comparable to marriage, if and only if it had the about it the same character of absolute covenanted faithfulness.”
Now the “leaker” of the letter says why she did it.
[Times UK]As for why I decided to offer his letters to the public arena, I have written to Dr Wright at length, but suffice it to say that as events moved from GAFCon to Lambeth I became almost sure for various reasons that the liberals knew far more about Dr Williams’s personal views than the traditionalists did and, if so, the balance should be redressed.
Sheila Liaugminas has a very interesting post about the very ambiguous but potentially lethal diagnosis of the Persistent Vegetative State. Read Does the brain create the mind?
And finally, a story that needs absolutely no comment. (I mean that)
[Ananova] Bungling [Polish] engineers have been left red-faced after building a railway tunnel that’s too small for trains to actually fit through.
The costly mistake was only discovered when inspectors measured the finished tunnel in the Polish capital, Warsaw, and realised the roof was so low that no trains would get under it.
August 15, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Pope John Paul II was a Pole. Does that make him brain dead, too? What about Marie Curie or Chopin? They were Polish. Were they brain dead? What about me and my family? We’re all Polish. Are we all brain dead? For the life of me, I will never understand why in our age of political correctness, slurs and stereotypes against Polish people are still ok. The bigger mystery is why this appears on a Catholic blog. So much for being charitable. Did it ever occur to you that maybe we Polish people are just a little sick and tired of hearing Polish jokes and being constantly portrayed as stupid? Did it occur to you that engineers make errors all the time and projects fail or need to be corrected in all parts of the world? Yeesh.
August 15, 2008 at 6:48 pm
dmrk,
Dude! Get a gripski!
It is a funny story. Period. I put no commentary or anything else.
I have great respect for the Polish people and have written about them several times including a piece entitled How the Polish Saved Civilization
What I don’t have respect for is oversensitive weenies in perpetual pursuit of being offended. Not that that description applies to you….
August 15, 2008 at 7:07 pm
I think the Poles are smart. Keep the transport down and support the local economy.
August 15, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Dude, I’m not a dude. I’m a lady. And if I only had a nickel for every time I hear “Get a gripski!” or “Lighten up” when my heritage is made fun of, I’d be soooo rich. So what if you wrote a nice article about the Poles previously? Is that supposed to make calling Poles brain dead on another occasion ok? The point is, I see and hear this kind of junk all the time in the mainstream media. I just want to know why it needs to be perpetuated on a Catholic website. Is it kind? Is it charitable? Or is it unkind but ok because it’s funny?
I’m not some “oversensitive weenie in perpetual pursuit of being offended”. I’ve had to listen to Polish jokes and being made fun of because I’m Polish all of my 40ish years of life. Yeah, it hurts and gets offensive after a decade or two or more. You’d feel the same if it were you. Is it too much to ask for it to stop already?
August 15, 2008 at 9:21 pm
dmrk,
You wrote “So what if you wrote a nice article about the Poles previously? Is that supposed to make calling Poles brain dead on another occasion ok?”
Let me say this slowly so you can understand. I .. Did … Not … Call … Poles … Brain … Dead.
I linked to a story about a group of dopey engineers (who happen to be Polish) because it is funny. Whether you find it funny is irrelevant. It … Is … Funny!
It is beyond reading between the lines to infer or even to suggest that I am implying that I am impugning the intelligence of all the Polish people. I certainly am not.
I am, however, suggesting that those particular Poles will likely have their MENSA applications turned down.
I am sorry you have been made fun of all all your life. Shame that. However after this little conversation, I am entertaining the possibility that it had nothing to do with you being Polish.
August 15, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Bravo, Patrick.
I can see her mistake, because “the Poles” is the descriptor in the headline for that bit, but then I asked myself, what if it were the Lithuanians, or the Germans or the Chinese? I could easily see “Williams, PVS, and the Irish” and EVERYONE knows that ALL Irish people are smart! (Sorry, couldn’t help it…)
Kate
August 15, 2008 at 10:04 pm
iiimm sorrry if i … hic … ofeendeed anyone … hic …. itzz not my fawlt … hic … im Irish … and drunck …. hic ….
August 15, 2008 at 10:23 pm
“However after this little conversation, I am entertaining the possibility that it had nothing to do with you being Polish.”
Wow. I’m just really astounded. I’m sorry if my tone was defensive or angry, but honestly, is that what we say to fellow Catholics?
It can be inferred that you are impugning the intelligence of all the Polish people when the name of the post includes the word Poles, the third sentence says that all 3 items of the post involve the brain dead, and you add the word Polish between bungling and engineers which wasn’t in the original story. Just look at the comments on the website you got this from if you don’t think bigotry against the Polish is alive and well.
You yourself didn’t like how Mark Shea broadly painted all Traditionalists as hate-filled nuts. Your brother in the post about Harry Poole doesn’t like moviesthat portray Christians as lunatics, homophobes, etc. I agree with that. I am just asking why can’t you see that maybe Polish people don’t like seeing themselves always portrayed in a bad way either. I would never dream of saying to him “hey, lighten up, dude. It’s just funny to say Christians are lunatics and murderous monks.” I would never then reply that he was a weenie for being offended or offer up that there is something wrong with him if people are making fun of his faith. I just don’t understand what seems to me to be a double standard.
Gotta go now. Gotta get ready for church.
August 16, 2008 at 12:19 am
dmrk,
Truce.
It certainly wasn’t my intention to insult you or anyone else. It was a funny story that was slightly funnier because it played to a type.
I don’t think there is any real or insidious historical bias against the poles that has relegated them to working in Home Depot or TGIF because of perceived lack of IQ so I didn’t see the harm.
I don’t view all stereotypes to be taboo. Unless that stereotype resulted in any real oppression, I don’t think anyone should get exorcised about it. Honestly, if I found a story about some Irishman who was so drunk he fell off Blarney castle, that would be equally funny.
Anyway, if you were insulted, I am sorry. I meant it in good fun.