BLESS HER HEART

As a young boy growing up in Oklahoma my fellow Southern Baptist church members used to identify absurd behavior, intellectually challenged conversation, or actions for which they might normally characterize as ‘just plain crazy” in a way they thought might be less confrontational. They would simply say “bless their heart.” Well, we here in the good ole U.S. probably should adopt that saying for all of the crazy talk from one of our own, Sister Sarah Palin…”bless her heart, she just doesn’t know any better.” That’s just the way the brothers and sisters at the local Fundamentalist Southern Baptist Church would phrase it.

This week at the Long Island Association in Woodbury, N. Y., she gave a backhanded slap to the First Lady for advocating breast feeding. Breastfeeding. Really! Forget that as governor she had signed a proclamation that was almost word for word what Mrs. Obama’s advocacy stated…”bless her heart.”

But, I won’t stop there…there’s more…much more.

"As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where– where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border." This was Sarah explaining why Alaska's proximity to Russia gives her foreign policy experience. It comes from an interview with CBS's Katie Couric, Sept. 24, 2008. Say it with me now…”BLESS HER HEART.”

"The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society,' whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil." Sarah in a message posted on Facebook about Obama's health care plan, Aug. 7, 2009. (By the way…the death panel apparently sounded so good that some of Sarah’s Republican colleagues in the Republican dominated Arizona Legislature actually passed legislation which effectively created a “death panel” for patients awaiting Medicaid assistance for transplant operations.) With enthusiasm this time…BLESS HER HEART!”

This is my personal favorite. "All of 'em, any of 'em that have been in front of me over all these years." This was Sarah unable to name a single newspaper or magazine she reads The interview once again was with Katie Couric, CBS News, Oct. 1, 2008. Sarah also referred to this as a “gotcha” question…that’s right asking her what she reads was a trick question in Sarah’s mind. Just the ladies this time…BLESS HER HEART.”

"Well, let's see. There's ― of course in the great history of America there have been rulings that there's never going to be absolute consensus by every American, and there are those issues, again, like Roe v. Wade, where I believe are best held on a state level and addressed there. So, you know, going through the history of America, there would be others but ―" Sarah unable to name a Supreme Court decision she disagreed with other than Roe vs. Wade, interview with Katie Couric, CBS News, Oct. 1, 2008. Once again…”Bless her heart.”

"'Refudiate,' 'misunderestimate,' 'wee-wee'd up.' English is a living language. Shakespeare liked to coin new words too. Got to celebrate it!'" This in a Tweet sent by Sarah in response to being ridiculed for inventing the word "refudiate," proudly mistaking her illiteracy for literary genius, July 18, 2010. Prayerfully this time…”Bless her heart.”

"But obviously, we've got to stand with our North Korean allies." This was Sarah’s response after being asked how she would handle the current hostilities between the two Koreas, being interviewed on Glenn Beck's radio show, Nov. 24, 2010. Of course, North Korea isn’t an ally of the United States…that would be South Korea. Those on the front row…”Bless her heart!”

"Especially within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn. That is reprehensible." Sarah defending her fiery campaign rhetoric in the wake of the Arizona shooting massacre by invoking a phrase ("blood libel") that typically refers historically to the alleged murder of Christian babies by Jews, Jan. 12, 2011. Regarding this statement don’t let the fact that the most famous of the victims of this event was Congresswoman Gabrelle Giffords, who is Jewish. Now let’s let our Jewish friends join us…”Bless her heart.”

"We used to hustle over the border for health care we received in Canada. And I think now, isn't that ironic?" This was Sarah admitting that her family used to get treatment in Canada's single-payer health care system, despite having demonized such government-run programs as socialized medicine that will lead to death-panel-like rationing, March 6, 2010. I’m running out of groups…but, how about everyone without health care insurance this time…”BLESS HER HEART!”

I have family that believes this woman could actually function as President of the United States. I on the other hand have to agree with Keith Olbermann…”that woman is an idiot!”

(Softly this time.) Bless her heart.

AN ARAB MODEL FOR RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE

Tahrir Square and the citizens of Egypt provided a model for those of us who proclaim we live in the United States, “a Christian nation,” would be well to observe and follow.

As the counter protest of the government police instigated by the party of Egypt's President, Hosni Mubarak, sought to create violence amongst a peaceful protest Muslim’s and Christian formed a most unique and inspiration model that I would hope fundamentalist Christian in the our country, the United States, could and will follow. As Muslims gathered to offer prayers in the middle of the Square, the Christians formed a ring around the Muslims to protect them from outsiders as they prayed. Later on when Christians gathered to offer prayers of their own the Muslims responded in kind by forming a ring around the Christians so their prayers could go on uninterrupted. It was a moving and inspirational scene.

It’s time for us to respect all points of view, Muslim, Christian…even atheist. We all have sooner or later got to admit, at least from a religious point of view, that we just don’t have all the answers. Any, or all, of us could be wrong about our faith. Because we don’t have all the answers we have to give persons of other points of view respect to express their faiths with the same hope that fundamental Christians express their own.