Sunday, October 19, 2008

OF DIGNITY AND RESPECT

WARNING: THIS WILL BE A MOST UNUSUAL POST...FOR THOSE ACTIVLY WISHING TO LEARN ONLY.

Stay with me...I'll get to the point.

One of my favorite pass-times is to go blog surfing.

I go to a blog and then visit as many of the blogs on that blog's blog-roll as possible.

You see some interesting things, some you might not have wanted to see, but on the whole, pretty interesting.

As I blog surfed along, I kept seing comments by one Satyavati devi dasi.


If you like unusual (and can take a blatantly liberal blog), you can visit her at her site called: The Road To Braj is Strewn With Thorns, http://roadtobraj.blogspot.com/.

I have visited her blog and was quite taken by it in many ways.
Recently, she showed up in the comments section of my post, "Important or Not?"

Her comment was: McCain is an old man. Should he keel over in office, God forbid, and Caribou Barbie have to take over, what military experience would she have that would qualify her?

If she has none, would that be as much a negative against her as you claim it is against Obama?

Just asking.

My response was: Satyavati devi dasi: "Just asking" my hind leg!

Why do you people stoop to such low levels?

You were not "just asking," and you know it.

That was a set-up born of your propensity to bash anything non-liberal.

Now Sarah Palin may not have been in the military, but she is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the State of Alaska, and has the power to call out these forces to execute the laws…

The governor may proclaim martial law when the public safety requires it…
Really would help if you knew what you were talking about instead of just smarting off on various blogs on which you wish to cause trouble.

Nevertheless, come back any time...if you think you can take it.
Check this link: http://www.akguard.com/

The reason I was so set off by her comment was her snide reference to Governor Sarah Palin as "Caribou Barbie."

If the content of Satyavati devi dasi's blog is any indication, she is a person of at least moderate intelligence, perhaps higher.

She also seems to have certain social skills and is in an honorable profession.
Why she can't speak of Governor Sarah Palin without resorting to sophomoric terminology, I can't say.

The only thing that comes to mind is that she is too emotional, too illiterate, or too closed minded to dare to show respect to a top State official.

I know she's not too illiterate, so that leaves too emotional or too closed minded.
She's of a liberal mind-set, so you KNOW she could not possibly be closed mined.

Liberals pride themselves on being OPEN minded, unless, of course, that open mindedness has to include people of the Chrsitian faith or those who are politically conservative.

So let's just say she's too emotional.

At any rate, it all gives me an opportunity to lament how uncivil we have become as a society.

Rather than involve ourselves in meaningful dialog, we would rather resort to cute little snidisms or name calling.

I would like to encourage you, Dear Reader, including, but not restricted to, Satyavati devi dasi, to try to stick to reason and logic, rather than emotionalism when the subject is the person who may be "second in command," and maybe even "in command" of the greatest nation in the universe, The United States of America.

To treat each other with dignity and respect will result in better dialog and even the possibility of minds being changed.

Editor's (that's me) note: It might rightly be pointed out that I routinely refer to Barack Obama as BO.

The reason for that is that (surprise!), those are his initials! Get it? Barack Obama...BO.

I am certain that he is as proud of his initials as he is of his middle name, don't you think?


Oh, and Satyavati devi dasi, please tell us how to pronounce your most unique name.

6 comments:

Satyavati devi dasi said...

Well.. I've never been the subject of anyone's entire post before.

Let me start with the basics. One, my name is pronounced exactly as it's spelled, with the exception of the first A being more like an O sound: Sot Yah Vah Tee. My middle name is devi dasi, pronounced like davey dossie. The name is Sanskrit and is a religious one. Satyavati means 'the abode of truth'.

Next. I'm not, as you correctly divined, closed minded.

Especially about religion, which an indepth perusal of postings on my blog (I don't expect you to do this) would tell you. Comparative theology is actually one of my favourite topics, and I have never, ever 'bashed' a religion, Christian or not, because to do so would actually violate my own.

'Caribou Barbie'? That's just plain funny. It tickles me and I felt like using it. One of the fabulous things about America is our right to say the President's an idiot, or call a Governor Caribou Barbie. Wouldn't you agree? It's the cornerstone of the Bill of Rights, isn't it?

So apart from a nickname, I was asking a legitimate question regarding what I perceived as a double standard put forth on the blog here in terms of what qualifies a person to be, potentially, the second in command of the country.

Now, the question didn't really have anything to do with whether I thought she was or wasn't qualified: it was really specifically focused on why military experience, or the lack of it, would qualify or disqualify one person but not another. I was pointing out what I perceived to be a disparity of the yardstick, if you will.

Now, the fact that I don't consider Sarah Palin to be qualified as second in command, potentially in charge herself is today, at least as far as I'm concerned, validated by the concurring statements of Colin Powell, a Republican, one of the most highly decorated military men alive, and certainly universally, and deservedly respected.

As far as being emotional: I think that it's very easy for people to misconstrue things like that. I think I make a point and put it across pretty clearly. It should also be noted that the mindset of the reader has an impact on how what is written is perceived.

Apart from all this, thanks for all the hype. I feel like a celebrity.

Joe said...

satyavati devi dasi: Thanks for the heads up about your name.

I am so GLAD you are not closed minded. I was a little confused about that.

Once upon a time I scowled at my daughter, and she mocked me by imitating my scowl right back at me.

It made me break out laughing, and she thought she was out of trouble.

"Not so," said I. "I can punish you when I am laughing as easily as I can when I'm not."

Don't tell anybody, but I laughed at the name "Caribou Barbie," too.
However! I still think it rings of disrespect.

Colin Powel may be a Republican, but he has not espoused traditional Republican values for a long time...ergo I was not surprised by his endorsement of BO.

Furthermore, he is not my idea of the ideal representative of the military. My father was.

But he can endorse whomever he wants (and I'm sure he is happy that I have given him that permission).

Enjoy your celebrity! Glad to be of service.

(BTW: If you did not do so, you should click on the link in my post. You'd get a smile out of it. A sardonic smile, but a smile, nonetheless.)

Satyavati devi dasi said...

I guess I should also say that 'devi dasi' means 'servant of the Goddess', which would render my whole name 'servant of the Goddess Who is the abode of truth'.

Now that you're thoroughly confused, I'll just say that this refers to Radharani.

Just for the sake of being complete about it.

Xavier Onassis said...

I'm makin' ya famous! http://hipsubwg.blogspot.com/2008/10/in-which-i-joust-with-yet-another-right.html#links

Joe said...

I have no interest in whether or not you censor your blog (or your individual posts' comments).

I believe you can write what you like on your own blog, just as I can write what I like on mine.

The feds can't keep either one of us from doing what we want.

By the way, I do not censor you when you are respectful and thought provoking, but I don't allow more than moderate disrespect here.

Thanks for the fame...even though I have to admit that there is some fame I could do without.

It's more like infamy.

Mark Smith said...

Being the Gov. of Alaska makes Palin as qualified as Ronald McDonald. A child can see that Palin was picked as a running mate to pick up the votes of the embittered Clinton supporters, and the Democrats who are liberal so long as that doesnt include a president with a funny name and dark skin. So no she isn't qualified, and the fact that she equates being able to see Russia from her front porch, as Foreign Policy experience is not only laughable, but insulting to anyone with a modicum of intelligence. Every major political figure is at one time or another made light of. Some just deserve it more than others, she happens to be one of them. A female version of W hinself, Bush light if you will.