Comments on: The Pot calls the Kettle Black http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2007/02/19/the-pot-calls-the-kettle-black/ Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:13:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Teresa Nielsen Hayden http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2007/02/19/the-pot-calls-the-kettle-black/#comment-72393 Teresa Nielsen Hayden Wed, 21 Feb 2007 21:03:55 +0000 http://www.benedictionblogson.com/?p=2966#comment-72393 Donohue is paid those rates because he's a political operative, not because he's a religious leader. Does anyone honestly believe he's shocked by Amanda Marcotte's language? If so, I'm surprised he's survived as long as he has. I'm puzzled by all the commentators who use the same terms to characterize Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwen's language. Marcotte has a rough tongue and a somewhat combative temper--which is her right, in a society that professes to value free speech. Melissa McEwen's content may honestly offend people who've never before encountered criticism of the church, but her language and affect ought not have raised such a storm. Neither woman is particularly remarkable for anti-Catholic writing. Our culture tolerates Jack Chick's comics and Dan Brown's novels. Marcotte and McEwen are trifles. Why should Donohue go after them? I have to believe the blow was aimed at Edwards' campaign, not his bloggers. That's considerably more troubling than anything Marcotte or McEwen said, and a much more serious misuse of religion. Donohue is paid those rates because he’s a political operative, not because he’s a religious leader. Does anyone honestly believe he’s shocked by Amanda Marcotte’s language? If so, I’m surprised he’s survived as long as he has.

I’m puzzled by all the commentators who use the same terms to characterize Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwen’s language. Marcotte has a rough tongue and a somewhat combative temper–which is her right, in a society that professes to value free speech. Melissa McEwen’s content may honestly offend people who’ve never before encountered criticism of the church, but her language and affect ought not have raised such a storm.

Neither woman is particularly remarkable for anti-Catholic writing. Our culture tolerates Jack Chick’s comics and Dan Brown’s novels. Marcotte and McEwen are trifles. Why should Donohue go after them? I have to believe the blow was aimed at Edwards’ campaign, not his bloggers. That’s considerably more troubling than anything Marcotte or McEwen said, and a much more serious misuse of religion.

]]> By: BD http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2007/02/19/the-pot-calls-the-kettle-black/#comment-72296 BD Tue, 20 Feb 2007 06:00:03 +0000 http://www.benedictionblogson.com/?p=2966#comment-72296 I don't see William Donohue as representative of Catholics I know and love. You are correct, yahoos did come out of the wood work. None of my Canadian Catholic friends I asked this past week are aware of him, that's not a bad thing. I was pleased to see US Catholics online speak up and express their displeasure at Donohue's decision to pick this fight and how he politicizes. They were clear he lacks compassion and kindness and is intemperate, preferring shameful character assassination. It was also not surprising the Family Research Council endorsed his decision, which he didn't protest, even though at least one of thier members (Al Mohler) has made strong anti-Catholic remarks. I don’t see William Donohue as representative of Catholics I know and love.
You are correct, yahoos did come out of the wood work.
None of my Canadian Catholic friends I asked this past week are aware of him, that’s not a bad thing.
I was pleased to see US Catholics online speak up and express their displeasure at Donohue’s decision to pick this fight and how he politicizes. They were clear he lacks compassion and kindness and is intemperate, preferring shameful character assassination.

It was also not surprising the Family Research Council endorsed his decision, which he didn’t protest, even though at least one of thier members (Al Mohler) has made strong anti-Catholic remarks.

]]> By: Mark Byron http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2007/02/19/the-pot-calls-the-kettle-black/#comment-72284 Mark Byron Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:11:19 +0000 http://www.benedictionblogson.com/?p=2966#comment-72284 You're largely right about Bill Donohue, Bene. We're used to seeing minorities of the left having media reps whose job it is to get indignant over stuff; Donohue is the Catholic analog to those other minority professional-snit-throwers. Donohue can heave a snit a country mile. He gives good quote and is usally itching for a fight; he makes Bill O'Reily look bland and tactful. He seems to be on every TV news show booker's Rolodex and usually delivers a good food fight with whatever liberal has stepped on Catholic sensibilities in the current news cycle. The two women bloggers were too coarse for a mainstream liberal candidate to have on their payroll, one that would hope to appeal to swing Christian voters (be they Catholic, evangelical or mainline) in both primaries and the general election; Edwards' team should have done a better job of picking their blog outreach folks. That being said, it quickly became a nasty pile-on for the two Edwards bloggers; everyone and his uncle on the right side of the Blogosphere gave them both barrels. Too many folks on the right return the ladies' bile toward conservatives in kind. I try to avoid such right-left food fights, since it only makes the yahoos on both sides look good. You’re largely right about Bill Donohue, Bene.

We’re used to seeing minorities of the left having media reps whose job it is to get indignant over stuff; Donohue is the Catholic analog to those other minority professional-snit-throwers. Donohue can heave a snit a country mile.

He gives good quote and is usally itching for a fight; he makes Bill O’Reily look bland and tactful. He seems to be on every TV news show booker’s Rolodex and usually delivers a good food fight with whatever liberal has stepped on Catholic sensibilities in the current news cycle.

The two women bloggers were too coarse for a mainstream liberal candidate to have on their payroll, one that would hope to appeal to swing Christian voters (be they Catholic, evangelical or mainline) in both primaries and the general election; Edwards’ team should have done a better job of picking their blog outreach folks.

That being said, it quickly became a nasty pile-on for the two Edwards bloggers; everyone and his uncle on the right side of the Blogosphere gave them both barrels. Too many folks on the right return the ladies’ bile toward conservatives in kind.

I try to avoid such right-left food fights, since it only makes the yahoos on both sides look good.

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