It just pisses me right off...

The Daily Utah Chronicle

Call Me A Blaspheming Liberal...

By: Andy Thompson

Issue date: 8/7/06 Section: Opinion

Save the world, right?

This is why we're here: to learn, educate and develop our talents to sustain a prosperous future.

Of course, there's money, but that's just a tool.

The question remains: As the privileged few emerge to make decisions for the most powerful and influential country in the world, what do we need to do to ensure a place and a future for our children? Sound like a campaign speech? It should be.

Slap a Greenpeace sticker on the bumper, don't shop Wal-Mart and vote democratic. That's one path to happiness and salvation.

Another is to ride a bike, mute the commercials (or listen to NPR-where there are no commercials, just contributions), buy wind power and drink all-natural juice.

I know. I'm a screaming liberal. But I'm pretty sure the activities above are in line with what's written in your local Bible, Koran, Talmud, or anything by L. Ron Hubbard. Love thy neighbor, live modestly and reproduce-the cornerstones of life.

That's why I don't understand how the most religious communities in this country scoff at conservation, sacrifice and charity.

You'd think that after hearing about it every week for an hour, the religious right would comprehend the layers to living right. Yet, when listening to pundits like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and Anne Coulter berate public transportation and cast environmental groups as marginal terrorist organizations, one has to wonder what's being taught from these holy books.

It's not just the talking heads. Their politicians care little about the fundamental concepts that are the pillars to all religion. Instead, they enact laws allowing corporations to pollute the rivers and skies while enabling them to elude taxes for the cleanup.

The political right-the far right, emboldened by the righteous-will keep your heart pumping artificially against your loved one's wishes, but it won't fund the research needed to overcome disease. It will impose views taken from ancient books about the origin of man on the education system, and then dismiss science that indicates harmful, man-made global warming as little more than speculation.

All in the name of religion. But, behind the sanctimonious mask is money. Global warming is bad for business, as is subsidized health care, public transportation and free thinking. The majority of ideas from the left are bad for the bottom line, but necessary for our future.

The public needs to reflect on what it truly values. Do toys and luxuries trump community and goodwill? Life is not about dying with the most money. The best we can hope for is to leave an impression upon the world that will not have future generations hating us.

Here, atop the hill at the U overlooking Salt Lake City, we as students have an opportunity to see past the sphere of public consciousness that corporate interests control. The public has been lulled into thinking that, for the most part, things are fine; and big business maintains this veil. There is evidence, however, that everything is not OK. Consumer habits and treatment of the environment need to be altered. We as students have the power and influence to spur that change and bring our core values into the public consciousness.

Editor:

In his argument against conservatives, Andy Thompson cited three of the most ridiculous devotees: Limbaugh, O'Reilly and Coulter. So is liberalism to be defined exclusively by people like Franken and Maher? Utah's conservative political culture is strikingly naive and it also breeds liberals, like Thompson, who are only liberal to define themselves in relation to a demonized, conservative ideal. This political mudslinging just reveals Thompson's immaturity. Religious people "scoff at conservation, sacrifice, and charity?" You're not going to relate to too many people outside of Salt Lake's polarized populace with this kind of stereotyping. Critiquing the concrete policies and platforms of conservative elected officials is one thing but implying that there is not one religious person who rides their bike or hates Wal-Mart culture is absolutely ridiculous. You know, two-party politics often reeks of elitism and slander. Name-calling across the aisle and ridiculous stereotyping are all too common. Yes, there are problems with many facets of each side's doctrine. This is all the more reason to be levelheaded and mature (which Thompson obviously isn't) in a search for solutions to the nation's problems. Lester B. Pearson said that "politics is the skilled use of blunt objects." Thompson just tried to perform surgery with a spoon. Well done.

"Windypops"
First Year Student
School of Medicine