Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/04/26

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] Chernobyl Legacy
From: walt at waltjohnson.com (Walt Johnson)
Date: Wed Apr 26 06:43:02 2006
References: <C0745B8B.FDA9%bdcolen@comcast.net>

Marc:

I covered  news events from the early 70's until the mid 90's and I'd 
like to think my rationale is based on objective observations. I agree 
with your statement about many left-wing Christians but the activism 
with that group seems to be on a different level.  I've seen the 
right-wing variety of Christians spit, throw stones and yell obscenities 
at others who didn't share their world view.

In the late 80's and early 90's there were rocket launches at KSC with 
vehicles containing nuclear power devices. Naturally, the "left-wing" 
hordes of environmentalists, peaceniks, quasi-anarchists, and hippies 
were out in force. On the distaff side we had the "right-wing" toadies 
consisting of super patriots, bible-toting soldiers of God, 
self-proclaimed heavenly missionaries and others of that ilk. All in 
all, it became a fairly good representation of Reagan's America Once you 
see a Baptist preacher waving a bible and stating "God wants us to have 
nukes in space" it becomes hard to forget.

I'm sure there is a vast difference between your  ( and Buckley's) 
right-wing view of the world and what exists here in the bible-belt. 
Unfortunately, rationality is not preached in Sunday schools and that is 
a bit unnerving. Wrap a towel around Jerry Falwell's head and his views 
become almost mulla-esque. BTW, Covered Falwell at a press conference 
once and was impressed with his straight forward approach and apparent 
honesty. Still, he is one of those who feel it is their right to make 
everyone toe God's mark and that is unacceptable.

In all honesty, I've never,ever,ever ...seen a right-wing political 
activist who didn't have a bible somewhere handy. What is even more 
bizarre might be the number of "God-fearin Christians" with a bible in 
one pocket and a 9mm in the other.

Peace

Walt

p.s. I disavow any political affiliations, right or left. Politics and 
religion are much akin to medieval plagues.

>>>the  reactions of our own  (edited out in my original post) Christian
>>>Right salivating over a "commie disaster" is hard to deny.  Holier than
>>>thou always strikes me as the unholiest of all.
>>>      
>>>
>>Walt
>>
>>I am not certain why you insist on conflating Christian and Right-Wing --
>>many Christians are rather Left-Wing politically, and many Right-Wingers
>>are agnostic, if that matters a bit.  And I do not recall any of the sort
>>of polemics of the sort you describe when the Chernobyl disaster occurred -
>>and at that time, I was rather active in what you would probably describe
>>as "Right-Wing" politics.  I do recall a lot of comments from engineers
>>about the various warnings the West had sent the USSR over the decade or
>>more prior to the disaster about the dangers they were running. though.
>>    
>>
>


In reply to: Message from bdcolen at comcast.net (B. D. Colen) ([Leica] Chernobyl Legacy)