Head for the Hills!!

Two recent media items caught my attention as prime examples of the willful ignorance that seems to pervade our culture. There seems to be a toiling, sweating, grunting, fighting effort to ignore traditional rational human thought. Day by day, the modern atheists walk around, seeking truths to turn on their heads, like so many stones.

First, there is the case of the Maine Middle School that has garnered national attention by approving a plan to allow birth control to be provided free of charge by medical personnel to students. The specific mode of the contraceptive is “the pill.” Further oddity – the school physicians authorized to distribute this pill are not required – nay, not authorized – to inform the parents of the 11-to-13-year old child, and hence, the child’s regular physician may never know that his patient is being medicated.

Forget, for a moment, the obvious medical wisdom issues at stake, such as the one above, and the fact that there is robust evidence that prolonged use of the pill is, if not dangerous, at least possibly detrimental to the overall health of a woman – so let’s start them on it at the age of 11.

Forget, if you must, that there is no legal way that an 11 or 13 year old can engage in sexual intercourse that I am aware of. At least, there is no one who can legally engage in intercourse with a child of that age.

One of the main proponents of this measure said the following (my paraphrase): “We can keep our heads in the sand about whether or not these young people are having sex, or we can do something to decrease the instances of teen pregnancy.” No one bothers to put any serious energy into stopping the culture of sexual immorality. We just hide (or kill) the “symptoms.” The institutions of sexual license and death – and do not presume that to be a hyperbolic epithet – such as Planned Parenthood continue to peddle their wares.

The second instance is that of a proposed plan (and I do not remember the location) in a U.S. hospital, pending probable court approval, to have a druggie “safe room.” This concept is already in practice in parts of Canada. The idea is that heroin addicts can come to the free clinic, (BYODrugs), and shoot up in the presence and supervision of a nurse, who can monitor the needle stick, and the dosage used.

The justification? This will prevent dozens of unnecessary drug overdose deaths.

Both issues use the “women-will-seek-an-abortion-anyway” justification.

These issues are not worth argument, not at all. There is no need to pick them apart. I feel as though our society is sinking further and further into this weird mire, and I find myself dissecting issues, coming up with arguments against certain things, until I realize exactly what I am trying to argue against.

And with that realization, I increasingly wonder why anyone should ever have to make this argument at all.

Beer Reviews

Last night I splurged a little and got two four-packs of beer that was supposed to be extraordinary.

First, there was the Wexford Irish Cream Ale (in a can). Not a particularly bad mug of beer, but it seemed to be nothing more than an uneventful coffee stout with a fairly good head. The flavor was bitter, but not smooth or intense. It did look nice, when poured down the side of a mug -- it looked like creamy coffee, until I realized that was millions of tiny bubbles, which took 3 whole minutes to form the inch-thick head, leaving a deep amber beer beneath. But overall, it was a disappointment, especially for the $7.99 paid for a four-pack. I won't buy again.

Second, there was the Dogfish Head Midas Touch. The recipe is supposedly based on the chemical residue found in vats in the tomb of an ancient Turkish king, perhaps the man behind the Midas legend. At any rate, it's not fit for king or peasant. I should not have paid $11.99 for four of these. I would not pay $.99 for ten of these! It's supposed to be a unique creation, blending malted barley with Muscat grapes, honey and saffron. I am not averse to sweet beers, but the taste is best described as what one would achieve mixing some cheap malt beer with concorde grape juice. It was horrible. And I consider myselve blessed that two of the four beers broke on the ground as I carried them inside.

The Important Business of Government

I find two recent declarations of Congress, both of which have received loads of media attention, to be not only ridiculous, but distressing.

The first declaration was one strongly condemning the ad taken out in the NYTimes by MoveOn.org featuring the now infamous statement "General Petraeus or General Betray-Us?" The second declaration, not yet passed, condemns remarks by Rush Limbaugh in which he used the descriptive "Phony Soldiers," apparently meaning to describe soldiers who lie about having been in combat in an effort to discredit the war.

Without significant comment on the incidents (I think the one comment by MoveOn was very stupid and wrong, and the comment by Rush was pretty stupid, but probably right), one concerns me is this: as the nation is in two agressive wars, faces a possible economic crisis, has no long term budget plans passed, etc., our glorious legislative body -- which keeps trying to convince us of how important they are -- concerns themselves with condemning the statements of private U.S. Citizens or Corporations, purely for political capital.

Yes -- both resolutions are equally bad. I understand one of them, supporting a senior military commander, has more merit, but both are bad government business. Even if we stop short of saying that this kind of government condemnation of the free speech of individuals strikes close to the heart of what this nation was founded to prevent -- the unnecessary intrusion of government into the private lives of its citizens -- we can still say that it only discredits the Congress, if it has nothing better to discuss.

Babette's Feast

Last night we watched Babette's Feast again -- it's been probably 8 years since I've seen it. What a lovely film. I was particularly struck by the words of the ederly General Lorens Lowenhielm as he stands following the meal. It is a beautiful thought:

"Mercy and truth have met together. Righteousness and bliss shall kiss one another. Man, in his weakness and shortsightedness believes he must make choices in this life. He trembles at the risks he takes. We do know fear. But no. Our choice is of no importance. There comes a time when our eyes are opened and we come to realize that mercy is infinite. We need only await it with confidence and receive it with gratitude. Mercy imposes no conditions. And lo! Everything we have chosen has been granted to us. And everything we rejected has also been granted. Yes, we even get back what we rejected. For mercy and truth have met together, and righteousness and bliss shall kiss one another."