Wednesday
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9/15
A Little More Metaphor Abuse
Ok, back to allegory and metaphor, as per 9/12’s blog. Both are, of course, constructs useful for any number of things, ranging from the sublime to the patently ridiculous, as is made all too clear by my 9/12 entry. Anyway, before I go too far astray again, my point is that for a long time now I’ve been trying to think of a way to illustrate clearly and succinctly some of the differences between liberals and conservatives, especially where the all-too-broad topic of patriotism is concerned.
Heaven knows that there is no shortage of stereotypes to work with; but simply calling conservatives "mean spirited cynics capable of thinking only in dangerously simplistic absolutes" just isn’t very entertaining. Likewise, calling liberals "weak-kneed, treasonous America-haters" is, well, perhaps more entertaining, but needlessly mean spirited and cynical. Oh the irony.
Luckily enough, though, it seems that Al Franken has done the work for me on page 24 of his new book, Lies, and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. Franken points out that a common charge leveled against liberals in the post 9/11 world is that "we blame America first.", and that at every chance we get, we criticize America rather than celebrating it. So, I present to you Franken’s response, a deliciously succinct bit of metaphor, steeped in allegory:
"They don’t get it. We love America just as much as they do. But in a different way. You see, they love America the way a four-year-old loves her mommy. Liberals love America like grown-ups. To a four-year-old, everything mommy does is wonderful and anyone who criticizes mommy is bad. Grown-up love means actually understanding what you love, taking the good with the bad, and helping your loved one grow."
I swear, it just doesn’t get any better than that. Did it come across as smug, or maybe even a little snotty? Maybe so, and I say "so what?" It’s a turn of phrase as true as it is beautiful.
It seems these days that the political divide in this county is not only wider than ever and growing fast, but social and cultural rifts are spreading as well. And if so, I have no doubt that the Neanderthals like Bill O’Reilly and Ann Coulter will eventually fall by the wayside. After all, just as wildflowers eventually cover even the most toxic battlefields, I truly believe that paragraphs like Franken’s will prevail over all the distorted hyperbole in our lives that now masquerades as reason.
Wildflowers? Well then again, maybe I should lay off the metaphors for just a little while.
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9/15
A Little More Metaphor Abuse
Ok, back to allegory and metaphor, as per 9/12’s blog. Both are, of course, constructs useful for any number of things, ranging from the sublime to the patently ridiculous, as is made all too clear by my 9/12 entry. Anyway, before I go too far astray again, my point is that for a long time now I’ve been trying to think of a way to illustrate clearly and succinctly some of the differences between liberals and conservatives, especially where the all-too-broad topic of patriotism is concerned.
Heaven knows that there is no shortage of stereotypes to work with; but simply calling conservatives "mean spirited cynics capable of thinking only in dangerously simplistic absolutes" just isn’t very entertaining. Likewise, calling liberals "weak-kneed, treasonous America-haters" is, well, perhaps more entertaining, but needlessly mean spirited and cynical. Oh the irony.
Luckily enough, though, it seems that Al Franken has done the work for me on page 24 of his new book, Lies, and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. Franken points out that a common charge leveled against liberals in the post 9/11 world is that "we blame America first.", and that at every chance we get, we criticize America rather than celebrating it. So, I present to you Franken’s response, a deliciously succinct bit of metaphor, steeped in allegory:
"They don’t get it. We love America just as much as they do. But in a different way. You see, they love America the way a four-year-old loves her mommy. Liberals love America like grown-ups. To a four-year-old, everything mommy does is wonderful and anyone who criticizes mommy is bad. Grown-up love means actually understanding what you love, taking the good with the bad, and helping your loved one grow."
I swear, it just doesn’t get any better than that. Did it come across as smug, or maybe even a little snotty? Maybe so, and I say "so what?" It’s a turn of phrase as true as it is beautiful.
It seems these days that the political divide in this county is not only wider than ever and growing fast, but social and cultural rifts are spreading as well. And if so, I have no doubt that the Neanderthals like Bill O’Reilly and Ann Coulter will eventually fall by the wayside. After all, just as wildflowers eventually cover even the most toxic battlefields, I truly believe that paragraphs like Franken’s will prevail over all the distorted hyperbole in our lives that now masquerades as reason.
Wildflowers? Well then again, maybe I should lay off the metaphors for just a little while.
