Posted by Parker English
on 7/4/2009, 10:34 am, in reply to "Re: Scandals"
70.181.59.171
Speech doesn’t have to be completely original to be thought-provoking. “Yes we can!”, for example, provoked some cynics to think Obama worth a try. True, even if one might complain the cynics were suckered.
One thought Carter’s comment should provoke is that talking seriously about his sexuality need not eliminate a political leader’s respectability. At least, not when it’s combined with speech about avoiding pride and condemnation when considering other people’s behaving in sexual ways he deliberately avoids. Pretty profound idea I think, and pretty fundamental to some religions: avoid self-righteousness. And a pretty profound medium for it, an upscale skin mag just before the big election. Within that medium, Carter’s comment could not avoid public attention. In effect, he was asking us to join him in being realistic about a certain spiritual approach to community.
Failed, of course -- comment more ridiculed than pondered because most of us focused simply on its lust-in-my-heart component which, taken just by itself, does seem a little indiscrete for a public figure.
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