News Weakly - 6/12/21

Pesky Amendments
Dr. Naomi Wolf, an acclaimed feminist, was suspended from Twitter for "anti-vaccine misinformation." Some were delighted. "But some," the story says, "have voiced concern that her suspension was stifling free speech." Based on the story, she indeed spouted nonsense. However, there is no concern that it might be stifling free speech. It is, in fact, the point. We have handed over our right to express ourselves to a particular group of media moguls and tech companies who define "hate speech" as "what we don't want you to hear" and are supported by a younger generation that believes that "hate speech" is anything that makes them feel bad and does not believe we should have free speech. "Agree with us or shut up. (That goes for you on the Left, too.)" We don't need the 2nd Amendment and clearly we don't need the 1st, either.

The Hate is Strong with This One
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) visited her grandmother in Puerto Rico who still hadn't received aid after Hurricane Maria. She blamed Trump. So conservative commentator Matt Walsh started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for her "abuela." AOC and GoFundMe put a stop to it after the campaign had raised more than $100,000 and AOC is refusing the money. Others wondered why the socialist congresswoman didn't use her substantial wealth to help her abuela and it all seems odd that someone would be so worried about her sick grandmother that she would refuse to help or allow anyone else (especially not a conservative) to help. However, asking those kinds of questions isn't allowed.

Giving Back
No satire, no snark, no meanness here. A Harvard-bound Massachusetts high school senior -- her family immigrated from Ghana -- was awarded her school's "General Excellence Scholarship" which included a $40,000 scholarship. "It is such a great honor, but I also know that I am not the most in need of it," she said and asked that it be donated to someone going to community college. That's class. That's generosity. That's kindness.

Apology
At 19, Ellie Kemper took part in a debutante ball where she was named "Queen of Love and Beauty" at the 105th Fair Saint Louis. Ellie Kemper, now a 41-year-old actress, is apologizing. You see, the ball was "unquestionably racist, sexist, and elitist." She wrote, "I acknowledge that because of my race and my privilege, I am the beneficiary of a system that has dispensed unequal justice and unequal rewards." Ellie Kemper apologized, then, for being a white teenager who won a beauty contest. Note: There were no racist connections between the Fair Saint Louis except that there could have possibly been some individuals who were racist among them. They were "racist" simply because they were "a lily-white group." It's all a lie.

Apology II, the Sequel
White actresses aren't the only ones. The (apparently mostly white) state of Oregon is right there, too. They felt the need to alter their state song because it had "racist language." "What racist language?" you ask. In the first verse it says Oregon was "conquered and held by free men; fairest and the best." Wow! Seriously racist, right? I mean, it couldn't refer to humans (race aside) who wanted to be free (not as opposed to "slave," but as opposed to "roped into the greater group of humanity on the continent") (you know, like the whole "live free or die" mindset). So it could only refer to some white supremacist kind of thing. (Like when we sing "Fairest Lord Jesus" and we're talking about Yeshua, the white guy.) These are manufactured problems foisted on us without cause, but we will submit or else.

Back Hand
This one stinks to high Heaven. (Almost literally.) Russell Moore was the head of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission until he recently resigned to go to work for Christianity Today. (Bad choice if you ask me. Christianity As It Should Have Been would have been better.) Turns out that Moore wrote a letter to the president of the SBC, J.D. Greear, and the Washington Post and therefore the world got ahold of it and read it. In it Moore accused the SBC of issues concerning sex abuse and racism and such. He accused them of covering it all up. It's all bad stuff. What I'm wondering is why Moore wrote a letter to Greear to get this cleaned up rather than speaking up himself? Why did he remain silent when it came up? Why did he not call believers to task for their sin (Gal 6:1)? Why did he not follow Christ's instructions (Matt 18:15-20)? The SBC and the people in it are far from perfect -- as in all churches -- but you'd like to think that leadership -- especially someone like the head of an Ethics Commission -- would have the courage to follow Scripture and do the right thing rather than telling someone else to do it. Christians err. It just pains me when it's so public and so radical.

Funny and Not So Funny
The report is out that Pride Month has been canceled after it was revealed that the LGBTQ community culturally appropriated the sign of the Noahic Covenant. In other news, after the Suns eliminated the Lakers from the playoffs, LeBron and teammates have decided to boycott the playoffs because playoffs are racist and white supremacist. Finally, in a suprise move, Democrats are demanding that Republicans pay them reparations for freeing their slaves.

All that is good, clean satire. Satire is characterized as attacking human foolishness or vice through irony and wit. The Bee doesn't do news; it pokes fun at some silly ideas with humor. But, in spite of the satirical nature of the Babylon Bee, the New York Times decided to label them a "far-Right misinformation site." The Bee has demanded a retraction. The Times isn't moving much. Because fake news and opposing conservative humor is what they do.