ROMNEY CAUGHT ON TAPE: DEEP INTERPRETATION

The reality show that is the Romney campaign hit the rocks this week.

What no one has mentioned about the video is that none of the audience even coughed. No one stirred, fidgeted, or looked around. Does that mean they agreed with him? Not necessarily, but neither did they find his remarks outlandish.

And so, in private, these thoughts can be voiced. Hell, Paul Ryan says about the same things into any public microphone he finds live.

This is the ideology, often cloaked, rarely stated, tied with a bow. I admire Romney's boldness in stating it directly. How is he not a conservative now? Those calling on him to double down are the voices he should listen to. Why not have this argument out in the open, finally? Without the code words, without the dressing and drapery.

When the many conservatives pile on Romney now, it's a damn good spectacle. But what else have they been saying all along? About the same.

I'll take that debate. Then let the vote happen. Romney did not back off. Good first step.

THY NEIGHBOR'S ASS

I've NEVER, EVER seen the Ten Commandments posted in front of ANY church in my life.

I found a story of an attempt made quite some distance from the church, in New Jersey no less. Not the Bible Belt exactly, and they got them wrong! (There's an extra-points bonus error that the author of this amusing tale missed.) A search around brings up a smattering of these monuments actually in front of churches!

The above is an example of the standard boilerplate black granite, again being unveiled in front of some unsuspecting court house. I think there's a factory, since the blocks of rock all look the same. Note that the Tenth Commandment is shrunk down into, "Thou shalt not covet." This is clearly a big error, and a bearing of false witness in and of itself.

I thought that coveting is what makes people buy shiny new cars. Coveting is the very basis for the advertising industry. Good conservatives believe in coveting as a supreme value, above almost all others. Greed is God in Ayn Rand's world. Knock over those old ladies and grab that brass ring.

So, why do fundamentalist Christians INSIST these slabs be placed in front of court houses? Why not just slap them up on their own grounds, facing outward? Perhaps because that could be bad for business, especially that tiny one about adultery. Without breaking that Commandment, no soap opera would exist. What? The members might get a little squirmy if they had to walk past that holy suggestion every Sunday? Not possible!

The good Christians here have gone out of their way to avoid all that "thy neighbor's ass" wording, which might make 13-year-olds shriek in hysterics. The link above lists a number of translations, only one of which substitutes "donkey" for ass. Donkey? Guffaw.

But no, these people haven't even taken that coy approach, coveting is coveting and they don't like it. Covet a seashell you see all gleaming and pink down the beach, which is free and owned by no one? Stop it this instant. Drop that seashell and run from the wrath of Yahweh.