Headache Day
Woke up with a headache this morning, dammit. I hate days like this that start off in pain.
Evan reports the power is back on at their place, after 114 hours of cold and dark. My friends in Burien also got their power back on yesterday. I'm definitely thankful that we were not without power as long as that. Can't imagine what kind of state I would be in.
While I'm crabby and hurting, I might as well rant about the outrageous bigotry exhibited by Virginia Congressman Virgil Goode yesterday. According to the C-Ville Weekly (and picked up by TMP Muckraker, Virgil Goode's response to Minnesota Congressman-elect Keith Ellison's desire to be sworn into Congress on the Koran instead of the Bible. In a letter sent to his constituents, Goode seized the chance to use Ellison's religious beliefs to go off on the following rant:
Get this straight, Virgil Goode: Keith Ellison was born and raised Detroit, Michigan. He was raised Catholic and converted to Islam as a college student. He married his high school sweetheart and has lived in Minnesota for 17 years, since moving there to go to law school, raising a family and practicing law. Unlike you, Virgil Goode, he is not tied to bribery scandals and has no associations to people like Mitchell Wade or Duke Cunningham or any of the other utterly corrupt white guys who have made careers out of bilking American taxpayers. Or how about this little disconnect: Virgil Goode voted to allow school prayer during the vaunted War on Terror and supports a constitutional amendment to allow school prayer... unless, it seems, those praying might be Muslim like scary, scary Keith Ellison. (I mean, really, how dare he want to use the actual holy book of his religion in the staged photo-op portion of the swearing in? It undermines the very fabric of our American way of life!) No wonder the Christian Coalition gives Goode a 100% rating for "family values".
Virgil Goode is an embarrassment and should be ashamed of himself. Of course, that would require him to have shame, which he clearly does not. Regardless, the "values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America" that I grew up in include tolerance, grace, religious freedom, freedom from persecution by the majority, and judging a person by the content of his character. I find Virgil Goode's character lacking.
This guy is almost as worthless as Jack Kingston, he of the "Keeping us up here eats away at families. Marriages suffer. The Democrats could care less about families -- that's what this says." whining over being expected to *gasp* actually work five days a week in Washington. You know, unlike the average taxpaying American for whom he supposedly works...
Ok, rant off. Time to dig up some more pain killers. Rosie the dog is coming to stay with us for a week and I need to get things into some basic order before she shows up!
Evan reports the power is back on at their place, after 114 hours of cold and dark. My friends in Burien also got their power back on yesterday. I'm definitely thankful that we were not without power as long as that. Can't imagine what kind of state I would be in.
While I'm crabby and hurting, I might as well rant about the outrageous bigotry exhibited by Virginia Congressman Virgil Goode yesterday. According to the C-Ville Weekly (and picked up by TMP Muckraker, Virgil Goode's response to Minnesota Congressman-elect Keith Ellison's desire to be sworn into Congress on the Koran instead of the Bible. In a letter sent to his constituents, Goode seized the chance to use Ellison's religious beliefs to go off on the following rant:
...if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran. We need to stop illegal immigration totally and reduce legal immigration and end the diversity visas policy pushed hard by President Clinton and allowing many persons from the Middle East to come to this country. I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped...
Get this straight, Virgil Goode: Keith Ellison was born and raised Detroit, Michigan. He was raised Catholic and converted to Islam as a college student. He married his high school sweetheart and has lived in Minnesota for 17 years, since moving there to go to law school, raising a family and practicing law. Unlike you, Virgil Goode, he is not tied to bribery scandals and has no associations to people like Mitchell Wade or Duke Cunningham or any of the other utterly corrupt white guys who have made careers out of bilking American taxpayers. Or how about this little disconnect: Virgil Goode voted to allow school prayer during the vaunted War on Terror and supports a constitutional amendment to allow school prayer... unless, it seems, those praying might be Muslim like scary, scary Keith Ellison. (I mean, really, how dare he want to use the actual holy book of his religion in the staged photo-op portion of the swearing in? It undermines the very fabric of our American way of life!) No wonder the Christian Coalition gives Goode a 100% rating for "family values".
Virgil Goode is an embarrassment and should be ashamed of himself. Of course, that would require him to have shame, which he clearly does not. Regardless, the "values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America" that I grew up in include tolerance, grace, religious freedom, freedom from persecution by the majority, and judging a person by the content of his character. I find Virgil Goode's character lacking.
This guy is almost as worthless as Jack Kingston, he of the "Keeping us up here eats away at families. Marriages suffer. The Democrats could care less about families -- that's what this says." whining over being expected to *gasp* actually work five days a week in Washington. You know, unlike the average taxpaying American for whom he supposedly works...
Ok, rant off. Time to dig up some more pain killers. Rosie the dog is coming to stay with us for a week and I need to get things into some basic order before she shows up!
Deja vu for me to see Congressman Goode's name again, as he represented me in the House throughout my years in Hell/South Boston.
During my time there, he was elected to the House as a Democrat, an Independent, and a Republican. Looking at these recent quotes, it looks as though he's switched over to National Socialist.
If his remarks disgust you, I won't tell you how popular they are with his constituents. I for one am immensely glad to no longer be among them.
Your No-Longer-Trapped-In-Halifax-County Pal,
C. McGlothlin, M.Ed.
Well said, Nik. I'm down with a headache and nasty headcold the past two days. Came across Virgil Goode's comments earlier today and just about lost it.
Although, to be fair, he's probably too dim to know what the Koran is anyway.
Well researched rant. Thanks for doing the legwork. ;)
Two years ago Goode was re-elected with 64% of the vote. Last month he was re-elected with a comfortable 59% of the vote. That's southern Virginia for you.
Spike
Jack Kingston was re-elected uncontested in 2004, but only won with a hefty 68% this time around. That's southern Georgia for you.
Spike