Many things about liberals frighten me; this hypocrisy indicates a blindness, a deliberate refusal to see, that I can add to the list.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Trent Lott vs. Harry Reid
Finally—I’m riled about something again! But I don’t know that there’s much of a point commenting on Trent Lott vs. Harry Reid. I, of course, think it’s horribly hypocritical to force Trent Lott to resign and then find nothing wrong with Harry Reid’s comments. When Obama was running for president, Reid said that he had a chance of winning because he was “light-skinned” and because he spoke “with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." Lott said, “I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either.” Thurmond was anti-civil rights at the time he ran—more than 50 years before Trent Lott made that statement in an event held to honor Thurmond. Lott (who was, incidentally, 7 years old when Thurmond ran for president) made a statement with no overt racism; our country has had so many problems during the last 50 years that it seems to me somewhat racist to assume that he was referring to racial problems. Reid’s statement, on the other hand, was overtly racist. Well, it would be in the mouth of a conservative. I, frankly, don’t consider either racist, but what’s good for the goose should be good for the gander. Unfortunately, liberals—not liberals only but liberals definitely—are so hypocritical that an apology for a remark that they would certainly consider racist if it were from the mouth of a conservative is good enough, while an apology for a remark that was not overtly racist wasn’t sufficient and required the speaker’s resignation.
Many things about liberals frighten me; this hypocrisy indicates a blindness, a deliberate refusal to see, that I can add to the list.
Many things about liberals frighten me; this hypocrisy indicates a blindness, a deliberate refusal to see, that I can add to the list.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
It’s My Body, and I’ll Eat If I Want To
The woman shifted restlessly, reaching to loosen her seatbelt and cursing to herself when she remembered that it was as loose as it could get. Why did these airplanes always have such short seatbelts?
She glanced at her watch. At least another hour before they landed. She hated flying. Sitting in first class barely made it tolerable.
She picked up a magazine, but as she was browsing through the pages, she began to feel lightheaded. It had been three months since she’d been diagnosed with diabetes, and she was still learning how to manage it. She’d last eaten just before going to the gate, so . . . hmmm. She needed some carbs now. And some protein to keep her blood sugar from spiking and then plummeting. Smiling for the first time since she’d boarded the plane, she reached into her purse for a small package of Hershey’s Kisses and pressed a button to call a flight attendant.
“What can I do for you?” asked the young woman who appeared almost instantly.
“I’d like some peanuts”
“I’m sorry—we don’t give out peanuts any more. So many people are allergic these days.”
“I’m not.”
“Yes, ma’am, but someone near you might be. And some people are so highly allergic that just the scent can cause a reaction.”
“Listen to me, young lady.” The woman sat up straighter “I have diabetes, and I need some protein. So you just bring me some peanuts this minute.”
“I can bring you some milk. Milk is a good source of protein.”
“I’m lactose intolerant.”
“Let me see if there are other options.”
“I am not feeling well, and I want peanuts right now!”
By now other people had noticed the exchange. “Wonder how she developed diabetes?” the man across the aisle muttered to his wife, rolling his eyes.
The woman, her face becoming flushed, ignored those around her. “My blood sugar is dropping even as we speak, and I need those peanuts!”
The flight attendant was wringing her hands. “Ma’am, if someone has an allergy, the scent of peanuts could cause a reaction, maybe even a strong reaction. People can even die from the allergy. Maybe—“
“I don’t care about someone else’s allergy! I care about my body. Don’t I have a right to control what’s going on with my own body?”
“Of course, ma’am. But what about the rights of someone who might be harmed? Maybe I can find a piece of chicken or—“
“I don’t like chicken. I want peanuts!”
“Excuse me, ladies. Is there a problem?”
The woman looked past the flight attendant to see a tall young man. “This girl won’t bring me any peanuts.”
“I apologize, ma’am. I’ll have some for you in just a moment.”
“But—“
The man quelled his junior flight attendant with a look. “Take a break”
The woman sighed, relaxing as she opened a Hershey’s kiss. It hadn’t even completely melted in her mouth before the man was back, carrying a silver tray that held a crystal dish, a wine glass, and a small bottle of champagne. “Please allow me, ma’am.” With a smile he set the crystal dish, full of peanuts, in front of her. “May I pour you a glass of champagne?”
“Yes, thank you.” The woman watched him pour as she reached into the dish. Peanuts were the perfect complement to chocolate.
The seat two rows up and across the aisle began to shake. People looked in that direction as they heard a gasping sound. A girl fell from that seat, clutching her throat. The junior flight attendant rushed to her side and tried to loosen her clothing. “Somebody see if she has an epi pen!” she yelled. A man went through her bag but found nothing. The girl was convulsing, her face turning blue.
The woman glanced out the window as she took another peanut. She was feeling much better now.
She glanced at her watch. At least another hour before they landed. She hated flying. Sitting in first class barely made it tolerable.
She picked up a magazine, but as she was browsing through the pages, she began to feel lightheaded. It had been three months since she’d been diagnosed with diabetes, and she was still learning how to manage it. She’d last eaten just before going to the gate, so . . . hmmm. She needed some carbs now. And some protein to keep her blood sugar from spiking and then plummeting. Smiling for the first time since she’d boarded the plane, she reached into her purse for a small package of Hershey’s Kisses and pressed a button to call a flight attendant.
“What can I do for you?” asked the young woman who appeared almost instantly.
“I’d like some peanuts”
“I’m sorry—we don’t give out peanuts any more. So many people are allergic these days.”
“I’m not.”
“Yes, ma’am, but someone near you might be. And some people are so highly allergic that just the scent can cause a reaction.”
“Listen to me, young lady.” The woman sat up straighter “I have diabetes, and I need some protein. So you just bring me some peanuts this minute.”
“I can bring you some milk. Milk is a good source of protein.”
“I’m lactose intolerant.”
“Let me see if there are other options.”
“I am not feeling well, and I want peanuts right now!”
By now other people had noticed the exchange. “Wonder how she developed diabetes?” the man across the aisle muttered to his wife, rolling his eyes.
The woman, her face becoming flushed, ignored those around her. “My blood sugar is dropping even as we speak, and I need those peanuts!”
The flight attendant was wringing her hands. “Ma’am, if someone has an allergy, the scent of peanuts could cause a reaction, maybe even a strong reaction. People can even die from the allergy. Maybe—“
“I don’t care about someone else’s allergy! I care about my body. Don’t I have a right to control what’s going on with my own body?”
“Of course, ma’am. But what about the rights of someone who might be harmed? Maybe I can find a piece of chicken or—“
“I don’t like chicken. I want peanuts!”
“Excuse me, ladies. Is there a problem?”
The woman looked past the flight attendant to see a tall young man. “This girl won’t bring me any peanuts.”
“I apologize, ma’am. I’ll have some for you in just a moment.”
“But—“
The man quelled his junior flight attendant with a look. “Take a break”
The woman sighed, relaxing as she opened a Hershey’s kiss. It hadn’t even completely melted in her mouth before the man was back, carrying a silver tray that held a crystal dish, a wine glass, and a small bottle of champagne. “Please allow me, ma’am.” With a smile he set the crystal dish, full of peanuts, in front of her. “May I pour you a glass of champagne?”
“Yes, thank you.” The woman watched him pour as she reached into the dish. Peanuts were the perfect complement to chocolate.
The seat two rows up and across the aisle began to shake. People looked in that direction as they heard a gasping sound. A girl fell from that seat, clutching her throat. The junior flight attendant rushed to her side and tried to loosen her clothing. “Somebody see if she has an epi pen!” she yelled. A man went through her bag but found nothing. The girl was convulsing, her face turning blue.
The woman glanced out the window as she took another peanut. She was feeling much better now.
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