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Winning the Cultural War

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

A sample:

Quote:

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.

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.

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

Good enough... NEXT!

Quote:

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.

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.

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.

Quote:

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.

Quote:

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.

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.

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