Posts Tagged ‘cancel culture’

Has Anyone Explained the Words “Streisand Effect” to Ohio Right to Life or Rep Max Miller?

Posted: August 19, 2023 by datechguy in abortion, politics
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One of the truths of life is that everyone makes occasionally makes mistakes, and when one does the best way to deal with it is to acknowledge it and move on.

Such was seemingly the case in Ohio when Rep Max Miller (R-OH) inexplicitly had a hissy fit when a woman with barely over 7000 X (twitter) followers tweeted out one of the most basic tenants of Christianity:

Congressman Miller treated this as an anti sematic remark rather than as a Christian professing Christianity and demanded she pull the tweet. As you might guess the national pushback was rather swift and so bad that even Illan Omar was dunking on him so he apologized leaving up the original tweet as it preserves the record.

That was seemingly it, one day story at best, stupid mistake quick correction down the memory hole it goes and a potential threat to his seat in congress gone.

Alas, it wasn’t that simple you see the lady in question above works for Ohio Right to Life and the congressman’s wife is on the board of that august body and while they were unable to create a victory in a critical referendum this month they were more than capable to getting vengeance for the unspeakable crime of causing him grief.

I can think of no thing that is more likely to encourage a GOP primary challenge to congressman Miller nor cause grief to the primary campaign of his wife’s father who happens to be running for Senate in the state than this.

Furthermore given Ohio right to life’s failure in their last campaign a move that divides and upsets their donor base is about as stupid as you can get.

Already the news stories have begun, the daily caller quoting the republic sentinel:

Marbach refused to delete the post from social media, noting in a response to Miller that Jesus said he is “the way, the truth, and the life” without whom one cannot come to the Father. “No one has hope outside of Jesus Christ and every knee will bow one day,” she added.

Right to life tried to get her to quit on their own she declined:

Marbach said in additional comments to The Sentinel that she trusts “God will continue to use this situation to bring glory and honor to his name.” She expressed hope that Ohio Right to Life would defend the lives of preborn babies in the state without political entanglements.

I suspect that God will take care of her, after all this is exactly what Christ predicted:

If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you,  ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin; but as it is they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me also hates my Father.

If I had not done works among them that no one else ever did, they would not have sin; but as it is, they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But in order that the word written in their law might be fulfilled, ‘They hated me without cause.’ “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

I have told you this so that you may not fall away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.

John 15:18-16:2

As much as this will be a pain to congressman’s Miller whose damage control has been undone it’s going to be a whole lot worse for Ohio Right to Life which is apparently more interested in cheap political infighting and using cancel culture for their own ends than the lives of the unborn.

I’d not want to be part of their fundraising arm after today.

…And Faith in Louisiana

Posted: June 12, 2023 by datechguy in catholic, catholic devotions, culture, Vive L'Empereur
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I Like to think I’m a faithful Catholic. I don’t miss a weekend mass, make daily mass when I wake up on time (I get home from work between 12:35-12:45 AM) regularly go to confession, host a show called “Your Prayer Intentions” on WQPH 89.3 FM Shirley/Fitchburg and even am the author of a book titled: “Hail Mary the Perfect Protestant (and catholic) Prayer”.

But this guy: Ross McKnight He’s the real thing:

McKnight is a descendent of those Arcadians who were expelled from Nova Scotia by the British during their conquering of Canada in the French and Indian Wars and made their way to Louisiana eventually becoming known as Creoles. He has not forgotten his ancestors embracing both the French Language and the deep Catholic faith that said ancestors share. He supports his family by raising animals poultry at his Farm in a manner that would make the greenest of greens blush with pride:

When you visit Backwater Farmstead, the first thing you’ll notice is the greenery. We committed a long time ago to running our animals in systems that contribute to pasture fertility, and so, at the root of it – so to speak – we’re grass farmers. When the grass is healthy, the diverse biota that the poultry munch on have a good habitat, and, believe it or not, grass itself makes up a significant portion of our birds’ diet.

And if this isn’t enough to prove his environmentally sound credentials his company Backwater Foiegras as the name implies produces this very French delicacy along with specialty poultry seasonally. French Guinea fowl, Freedom Ranger chickens, Pekin ducks, and geese and Creole Bresse chicken. their diet: pasture, corn raw milk from the family cow. No GMOs and a local breed of sheep as well who are as his site indicates: “strictly grass fed”

But Mr. McKnight is dedicated to more than supporting his wife and five kids by raising animals, he’s dedicated to his Catholic Faith. So at the beginning of the month of June, a month long dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by the Church, suggested the following antidote to the “coup of the month of June”

1. As is our tradition, enthrone the Sacred Heart in your home this month, and place your family under the protection of the furnace of Christ’s most merciful love.

2. Wear the Sacred Heart as a badge wherever you go! If you know your history, you’ll know that it was meant to be the livery of France (and was that of the Vendéens)!

3. Pray the Rosary for the conversion of souls. Pray it in French.

4. Check out my most recent journal entry on our website.

For God and the King! For God the King! Pour Dieu et Le Roi ! Pour Dieu Le Roi !

A very French Catholic post by a proud Arcadian Catholic.

Alas however some of his biggest buyers, no matter how much they might like the quality of his products and his methods of farming, can not tolerate any dissent to the march of Pride month, particularly one based firmly in faith and as the Federalist reported the responses came fast and furious.

Within a few hours of his Instagram post, several of McKnight’s customers, some of whom he had a personal relationship with, began canceling their orders. This included McKnight’s biggest clients — two high-end New Orleans restaurants that previously committed to buying from him throughout the summer.

And how did he respond? Well in the way you might expect a Faithful Catholic to respond

Since his Instagram post, nearly two-thirds of McKnight’s business has evaporated, putting him and his family in a dire financial situation. Yet when interviewed by The Federalist, McKnight expressed a baffling sense of peace and even joy. “There’s that animal need to have food and shelter and clothing — certainly,” and “I’m concerned,” said McKnight. “But I don’t know how to precisely explain myself … I’ve lost everything overnight, but the suffering is valuable,” he said. 

That last sentence could have been written by St. Faustina herself. He had this to say in his latest response on Instagram:

It would be difficult to miss the fact that we are Catholics who sincerely hold what Holy Mother Church teaches.

Subsisting upon the realities of the Faith instills certain motivations and desires, one of those well-ordered desires being to make beautiful things, hence the very existence of our foie gras farm.

Recently, we received two texts from two restaurant owners who have decided that they’ve had enough of our Catholicism based on our latest Instagram feed post and have cancelled their large, recurring orders.

One of these restaurant owners had a long-standing relationship with us.

While we’ve never required our customers to pass a litmus test before serving them, it seems our values, which come from lives lived as Louisiana Catholics, are considered unacceptable by some.

We count it a privilege to have lost much.

It is an honor to participate, through the suffering of our family, in the triumph of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

As I said at the start of this post I like to think I’m a faithful Catholic but I’ve never had to risk all to back it up. At my age I have few ambitions left, but as the culture continues to sink and the price of faith continues to rise in our society my ambition would be to be to match the faith of Mr. McKnight when and if the time for testing comes.

Postscript: I’m not a foiegras guy but if what he’s selling is something you might find appealing you can check it out here.

Definitions Under the Fedora: Safe, Woman, Illegal, Disinformation and Truth

Posted: March 6, 2023 by datechguy in abortion, covid, culture, the courts
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I wasn’t aware of the suit against Pfizer claiming they violated their contract with the Government over the COVID vaccine and thus doesn’t have immunity over their delivered vaccine. Given the ads constantly be running on radio about watching for signs of heart issues that are sponsored by them (ads we didn’t see three years ago) they might be worried but all of this depends on how the court defines “Save and effective”. If they make sure it’s defined in their favor it all doesn’t matter.

In Minnesota they’re having fun adjusting definitions of “woman” as a Transgender Powerlifter has won in court against the US Powerlifting federation. Apparently under Minnesota law, at least according to the court, to stop a man who believes himself to be a woman from competing against other woman is discriminatory and traumatic.

Hey if at least one justice on the Supreme Court can’t under oath define what a woman is how do you expect judges on the Minnesota courts to do so.

If they lose their appeals my advice is to drop all segregation by sex in powerlifting. I suspect once the prospects finishing in a medal round disappear so will these “woman” from competition.

Over at Legal Insurrection there is a piece about Germany banning protests against abortion as the “40 days for life” movement has come there and made quite a splash.

The left fear is always a good sign but there was something in the piece that jumped out at me:

Currently, abortion is illegal in Germany, but women and their doctors do not face penalties if the pregnancy poses a health risk to the woman or in cases of rape. There is also a loophole under which an abortion may be carried out within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (14 weeks since the last period) after mandatory counseling.

emphasis mine

That seems a rather flexible definition of the word “illegal” in my books, but to a person of a certain age Germans finding a loophole allowing them to kill undesirables is almost tradition.

The Twitter files keep coming out an the government’s use of the word “disinformation” to justify their actions is looking worse and worse as the New Neo reports:

Maybe GEC’s involvement was a secret, but it was no secret – to anyone paying attention – that vast numbers of Twitter accounts were being censored for fairly ordinary viewpoints, the majority of them on the right. It wasn’t limited to Twitter, either – YouTube was heavily involved.

I can vouch for the Youtube censorship but to me the real key line of the story (other than this being,surprise an Obama initiative is this:

The center has a budget of roughly $74 million and “reportedly gave to at least 39 different organizations, whose names were redacted” in an inspector general report.

I submit and suggest that this was, and still is, all about funding leftist front groups to point to their political enemies to have them censored.

Land of the free my ***

Just over two thousands years ago Jesus Christ said:

you will know the truth, and the truth will set you fre

John 8:32

Apparently Scott Adams has confirmed this is true

This makes this particular bit about the Scott Adams story, via Roger Kimball, particularly interesting:

Oh, the howls of outrage that comment elicited! The woke beast was awake and on the prowl. “Dilbert has been cancelled from all newspapers, websites, calendars, and books,” Adams said. Why? “Because I gave some advice everyone agreed with. (My syndication partner canceled me.)”

Once whetted, the appetite of the woke beast is insatiable. A day or two later, Adams reported, “My publisher for non-Dilbert books has canceled my upcoming book and the entire backlist. Still no disagreement about my point of view. My book agent canceled me too.”`

It is true, by the way, that “everyone agrees” with the point that Adams made. Everyone knows it is true. But no one is supposed to admit that it is true. Adams made it all worse by observing that “There is nothing more painful to me at this stage in my life than to walk down the street and hear footsteps . . . then turn around and see somebody white and feel relieved.” Oh, wait. I got my notes confused. That wasn’t Scott Adams. That was the professional black Jesse Jackson in 1993. 

Perhaps the word “cancelled” might have to be redefined

Christmas musings from an alienated “bah humbug” conservative in a Blue State

Posted: December 25, 2022 by John Ruberry in Blame Trump, blogs, culture, doctor who, News/opinion, opinion/news, politics, Uncomfortable Truths
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Blogger on the right with a friend near Augusta, Georgia in 2021

By John Ruberry

Last week my wife was invited to a party hosted by one of my daughter’s friends. 

Who wasn’t? Me.

There was some-and-forth, but my daughter explained that the host, who has been to my home and whose mother I’ve known for years through an old job, didn’t think I’d be “comfortable” there. After some probing, it became clear that it was my conservative political views that were the problem for them. 

I pressed my daughter, “What kind of ogre do they think I am?” Well, I muscled my way into an invite–after all, I’ve lived all of my life in the Chicago area, so I know all about muscling–and do you know what? I showed up to the party. The guests found me whimsical and charming. In other words–I was lovable myself. 

Over on Facebook I’ve been unfriended by many old friends–now unfriends–and at least one relative over my posts there. 

In addition to my Sunday blog entries on this site I have my own blog, Marathon Pundit. The rollicking comment threads on my Facebook page–or more accurately, argument threads–bring traffic to my blog, and sometimes, here at Da Tech Guy. Friends–in the flesh ones that is–as well as co-workers, look forward to the next tiff on my Facebook page. I’m reminded of that constantly. And as I am now in my sixth decade, my real career, parts of which involve writing, is winding down. Moreso than ever, as William Shakespeare said to the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who, “Words are my trade.” Well, maybe not completely, but I do earn money blogging and I hope to earn more. 

Hey, I gotta eat.

And I absolutely do believe in what I write. And I voted for Donald J. Trump four times–twice in the Illinois Republican Primary and twice in the general election. I’m proud of those votes and I’m still 80/20 in regard to the former president. 

About those old friends: Many of them are carrying on without me. Sadly, but I suspect they see me as someone who has transformed himself into an SNL caricature of a conservative, a cross between the Muppets’ Sam Eagle and Archie Bunker, but sans the bigotry on the last one. 

I have long ears–and because of the blog–a long tongue. Oh, I stole that last line from Lawrence of Arabia. 

The invitations to get-togethers have stopped coming from most of them. I’ve been cancelled.

Bah humbug.

Oh, please don’t worry about me. I have a wife a daughter who love me. And many new friends. And I’m still in touch with some of those old friends. During my most recent vacations, in Alaska and Georgia, I re-connected with two of them–and I met a third friend in Texas, who I met through my blogging. That’s me up there on the right last year, with a high school friend who lives near Augusta, Georgia, who I hadn’t seen since we graduated so many years ago. That moment is my favorite of the current decade. 

A new friend–we met through Twitter–invited me for coffee when he visited Illinois this spring.

Even if I was really even partially Sam Eagle/Archie Bunker, your humble blogger is so much more. I work in an industry, automotive, that utterly fascinates people and I have numerous tips in regard to buying a car–without being ripped off. Your Marathon Pundit, currently nursing an injured hip, is really a runner. I’ve run 33 marathons. In addition to the blogging, I have another side hustle, stock photography. On the job, my real one, I’ve showed clients my portfolio, a couple of them are now selling pics online too.

I’m not a one trick eagle. 

Yet it is only Sam Eagle/Archie Bunker the liberals only see. Perhaps that is all they want to see. Such is life as a conservative in Deep Blue Illinois. 

Maybe I am the bad guy. On the flipside, I don’t believe so. According to a couple of polls, one here and another one here, it is the denizens of the left who are more likely to unfriend someone on social media than conservatives over politics. Oh yeah, liberals. The ones who so often have “Coexist” bumper stickers on their cars and “Hate Has No Home Here” signs on their lawn. 

Everyone is welcome in their world. Except for folks who don’t share their political beliefs. As for myself, I’ve never unfriended anyone on social media because of their political views.

Well, this is not the Christmas message you are accustomed to, but please let me reiterate, I am fine–please don’t tell Mrs. Marathon Pundit to hide the sharp objects. 

Christmas is a time for welcoming others. In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Scrooge’s nephew always invited the miser to his home for Christmas dinner. 

Next Sunday is New Year’s Day. As Robert Burns wrote, “Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never thought upon.”

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 

And God bless us, everyone.

Never forget.

Now it’s time for me to get dressed in my finest and head over to my sister’s home for a Christmas feast.

A special thanks goes to that friend in Georgia for permission to use the above photograph for this blog entry.

John Ruberry regularly blogs from the Chicago area at Marathon Pundit.

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