Winning the Cultural War

[Fred181]

I just recently added this to a different thread in support of an opinion, however I think that it is an important enough subject to warrant its own thread. This was a speech given by Charlton Heston (yes the president of the NRA whom I would very rarely agree with, but everyone has their shining moments) at Harvard Univ in 1999. I appologise for its length, but it is worth reading...
http://193.78.190.200/historic/files/heston.htm

[seretogis]

A sample:

Let me back up a little. About a year ago I became president of the National Rifle Association, which protects the right to keep and bear arms of American citizens. I ran for office, I was elected, and now I serve ... I serve as a moving target for the media who've called me everything from "ridiculous" and "duped" to a "brain-injured, senile, crazy old man." I know ... I'm pretty old ... but I sure Lord ain't senile.

[..]

For example, I marched for civil rights with Dr. King in 1963 – long before Hollywood found it fashionable I might say. But when I told an audience last year that white pride is just as valid as black pride or red pride or anyone else's pride, they called me a racist.

I've worked with brilliantly talented homosexuals all my life throughout my whole career. But when I told an audience that gay rights should extend no further than your rights or my rights, I was called a homophobe.

I served in World War II against the Axis powers. But during a speech, when I drew an analogy between singling out innocent Jews and singling out innocent gun owners, I was called an anti-Semite.

Everyone I know knows I would never raise a closed fist against my country. But when I asked an audience to oppose this cultural persecution I am talking about, I was compared to Timothy McVeigh.

I especially identify with the third paragraph that I quoted. Some groups have replaced their need for "equality" with that of "superiority" and attempt to pass it off as the former. It's sad, and unfortunately accepted by the media.

[Pennington]

Good old Charlie is a very smart man, but he is also very charismatic. This is a bad combination, as he has strong views, yet he is fairly popular. This makes him a spokesperson and a target for anyone who is pro-gun control. He could be the most liberal person in every other regard, but as long as he is the head of the NRA he will be called a homophobe and racist just because doing so would rile up those groups on the left and gain more support for gun control from those groups.

[fnaqzna]

"brain-injured, senile, crazy old man."


Good enough... NEXT!

[Lebell]

Originally posted by fnaqzna
"brain-injured, senile, crazy old man."


Good enough... NEXT!

It's very easy to marginalize the man and ignore his words instead of addressing them head on.

[Phaenx]

Equality to superiority, that's about right. What's the deal? Affirmative action, equal opportunity employment quotas, someone should start a group or something. It's going to be a very hard thing to fight as well since you're almost garaunteed to be written off as a crazy racist biggot, by now it looks even impossible to turn around.

[XenuHubbard]

What he says sounds good. The problem is that a lot of other things Heston has said have sounded very bad to me - and totally opposite the good things I've read above.

Both knee-jerk morons and people with brains have called him names. In this message, he dismisses the knee-jerk morons. This is smart, since it also takes care of the valid criticisms from a PR point of view.

[Fred181]

Originally posted by XenuHubbard
What he says sounds good. The problem is that a lot of other things Heston has said have sounded very bad to me - and totally opposite the good things I've read above.

I couldn't agree with you more. I am far from a fan of CH, however that shouldn't degrade from the rare truth that he speaks here.

[Xell101]

It's going to be a very hard thing to fight as well since you're almost garaunteed to be written off as a crazy racist biggot

Tis incredibly annoying. Everytime my anti-AA opinions come into a discussion it always ends with them failing to understand anything I said whilst steadfast in their new belief I'm a closet biggot in denial who thinks they are stupid because they disagree.

[Zeld2.0]

The irony in all this is that the next generation descended from the immigrants will be the ones saying "damnit don't give them <insert newest mass of immigrant group> benefits."

The nativism in this nation has always been in this cycle and probably will continue for a long time.

All i can say is, if its equal keep it that way. if its not, then equalize it - and equal means equal.

[sportsrule101]

The man was smart, he was as good at politics and giving speechs as some liberals. Which is why they clashed so much.