Poor, deprived Pat Robertson: his mother never served him macaroni and cheese - ever. Then again, since it's a "black thing" the son of quintessential Dixiecrat father Senator Absolom Willis Robertson would have been shielded from such fare.
The problem with chalking up his ignorance to senility is that he's been senile for the last 40 years.
URGENT UPDATE: My bad. Check out the answers given by Harty for his 2008 campaign. They're as disturbing as hi "Siberia" comment!
Martin Harty, a Republican New Hampshire state senator, is 91 years old. It is possible that he has turned senile. It is also possible that he will be shipped to Siberia.
It's sad when someone becomes so senile that he doesn't resemble a human being. The question that comes immediately to mind: has he actually outlived his usefulness? In the case of New Hampshire state senator Martin Harty, his philosophy of getting rid of useless people might return to bite him in his wrinkled old ass.
Think Progress: Barrington Republican Martin Harty told Sharon Omand, a Strafford resident who manages a community mental health program, that “the world is too populated” and there are “too many defective people,”according to an e-mail account of the conversation by Omand. [...] Harty confirmed to the Monitor that he made the comments to Omand.
“I wish we had a Siberia so we could ship them all off to freeze to death and die and clean up the population...Hitler did something right, and I agree with (it).
The "I was kidding" defense.
Harty has absolutely refused to apologize for the remarks, saying he was kidding her because she was an "unidentified caller."
"I was kidding with her ...It was a girl that wanted money for the crazy people... a good percentage of the homeless people are mentally disturbed." Unfortunately, he overstepped the bounds of humanity in his "kidding" by referring to any form of eugenics or genocide. He can, of course, place the blame of his comments on his age, since he was first inaugurated last January, making him the oldest "freshman" Republican office-holder in the country.
The issue of age and mental stability may not lie in Harty, however, but in his constituents. After all, you have to wonder about a populace who votes in a politician simply because of age. Because if you try to find out anything about "Marty Harty" you don't find much.
A plebecite of "No Response"
- Does Marty Harty even exist?
Go to the website for Vote New Hampshire, a site supposedly devoted to "connecting voters to candidates. The results will surprise/shock you. In Harty's candidate profile, which includes age, gender and all political positions, the only answer is: "no response."
Gender: No response, Religion: No response, Education: No response, Civic: No response, Military: No response, Political: No response.
And accomplishments: No response. Maybe Marty Harty is so old, he's turned translucent - or completely invisible.
Ditto on the website for Project Vote Smart:
Representative Marty C. Harty refused to tell citizens where he/she stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2010 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.
This candidate has demonstrated 0% courage during the test.
There is NO email for the senator and only the New Hampshire Republican Party references him - vaguely, making "connecting" very difficult for someone like Sharon Omand. At this point, the question of Marty Harty's existence comes into play and wild conspiracy theories against New Hampshire's Republican Party could start to sprout.
The Concord Monitor (unfortunately) was able to get a hold of him in response:
Harty said nature has a way of "getting rid of stupid people," and "now we're saving everyone who gets born."
He's so senile, he's pissing off Republican-based pro-lifers. Not good. Pat Robertson pissed off a multitude of Christians with his Haiti-contract-with-the-devil comments. They tried to cover it all up with a kind of senility defense, but it didn't work.
So now the focus needs to shift to the New Hampshire Republicans who voted-in Harty for no reason at all other than he's very old and very senile. If you research the demographics of Barrington, NH, the place (and its newest educational make-up - an all-white, upper-middle class charter school), might give you a better picture: Harty has obviously had no contact with emotionally or financially disabled people. None. Zip. And the area looks as if it wants to stay that way, with help from the Republican Party. Sharon Omand may be a humanitarian in a developing sea of intense contempt for everyone else. True, the area is very, very small, so let us hope it is in no way representative of a larger trend.
It's a wonder that gay Americans are as patient as they are with some of these Religious Right wingers
- Cenk Uygur, The Young Turks
Patient? Sorry Cenk, not me.
I have a Google Blog Alert for Pat Robertson giving me the latest news and comments about our illustrious Religious Right Leader, so I was surprised to see that blog roundup smny.net was running comments on a piece that occurred 1 year ago. Then I read the comments. Take two:
Pat Robertson makes me feel ashamed of being a human being
and the more pertinent:
WOW The sad part is people believe this sh*t.
THE SAD PART
Asking for Pat Robertson's advice is like asking a parrot for directions to the nearest hospital: you might get an answer, just not the one you need right now. Of course, Robertson is always full of it. Advice, that is. Ask me what else he's full of some other time. His book, Bring It On, is chock full of wisdom and knowledge no Christian household should be without.
For example:
Just what is Islam and why do those people hate Americans so much?
Muhammad claimed to have had a series of dreams and visions in which a being he called "Allah," who was the moon god among the deities in Mecca, a city in Saudi Arabia where Muhammad's father was the keeper of three hundred sixty stones, including a black stone which was probably a piece of meteor... The moon god (the symbol of Islam is a crescent moon) supposedly appeared to Muhammad and revealed to him the tenets of Islam...The name [Koran] means "recitations," possibly because it was meant to be read aloud, but more likely because it was delivered orally by Muhammad to his friends, who wrote it down.
Huh?? WTF!?! Bring It On is proof that Robertson's senile imagination took hold at least seven years ago (some say much earlier - about 1988 when he ran for President). For starters, Islam is an Abrahamic religion and follows closely the precepts of Judaism in that it recognizes Adam, Abraham, Moses and (from Christianity) Jesus. The Jews were known as The People of the Book and the Bible was greatly revered and respected. The history of Muhammad's father is not known. Wherever Robertson got the keeper of the stones bit is anyone's guess. "Allah" is probably derived from Aramaic and means "one, incomparable God." The "moon god" did not appear and reveal secrets to Muhammad, but rather the angel Gabriel did.
One more important note: reading about the Qu'ran will present a clearer picture of Islam's intents and purposes and will accentuate the similarities between Islam and Christianity, some things Robertson would never want you to know. Today's evangelizing Imam need only a television camera and a suit to look like they're on a 700 Club of their own. And after reading the Qu'ran, look to the Old Testament of the Bible, then ask yourself if the Abrahamic religion of Moses is still a "religion of peace."
Of course, even Robertson agrees that some of the questions he answers in his book are somewhat strange, but let's face it, anyone who asks Pat Robertson about anything these days is quite clueless. The man never ceases to amaze people which the broad spectrum of what he doesn't know. At the drop of a hat (or less), Robertson will tell you what's wrong with wearing a tattoo ("it's pagan and ugly") to declaring bankruptcy (it's Christian depending upon the amount).
Robertson never mitigates his tone either. Whether it's making pronouncements about "Haiti's pact with the devil" or feminism turning women into lesbians and witches, he never misses a beat. After all, he reasons, he's only the messenger of God and God's demands. And he doesn't care what people think about his advice. There is no quibbling about it. Robertson/God has spoken.
So in The 700 Club segment in question, Pat Robertson took to the airwaves to mete out his sage advice to a mother whose question was:
How should we, as parents of a homosexual son, handle the ongoing challenges facing us such as staying true to our faith and following the commandment "love your neighbor as yourself?" This is very difficult for us. - Teresa.
Robertson then proceeded to question the age of the son - as if he knew what he was talking about and the age would determine his answer (Not!)
Then he pondered the idea of there being "real" or "fake" homosexuals by calling them "so called" homosexuals and trying to distinguish between "homosexuals because of biological problems" and the rest of us, who, in his view were "made homosexuals BECAUSE OF A COACH OR GUIDANCE COUNSELOR, or some other male figure who has abused them." Then came the hard line zinger: tell him the "truth" because "I love you" and "the Bible says that this is an abomination before God."
"I mean if someone is on the way to hell, you have to rescue them."
Recently, Pat Robertson gave advice to a woman whose husband was constantly flirting with other women. His advice? Make yourself prettier and get over it.
I've read just about every name people have called Pat Robertson and most of them banish him to some remote alternate reality reserved for the inane footnotes of history. The problem therein lies that while we should not listen to what he says, we need to listen to (and monitor) the people who DO listen to what he says.
And while there are some who think that Robertson's just another example of a snake oil salesman falling in love with his own snake oil, there are too many people in America who touch their TV screens in hopes that Pat Robertson will heal their hemorrhoids.
When Christofascists start to bash their own, it's a truly wonderful sight: they turn away from hating everyone else and jockey for a slug at the worst of them just so they can look good in comparison. It's so deliciously rare that many of us ordinary people forget our struggles and stare in amazement ... and amusement. And when the MSM delves into past unpleasantness involving the said Christofascist, a pattern of vile un-compassionateChristofascists then turn on the person with lightning speed. While they do not devour him (although they want to), they make it known to everyone that such behavior is beneath them.
Now here's the official backpeddling from Robertson's PR team:
His comments were based on the widely-discussed 1791 slave rebellion led by Boukman Dutty at Bois Caiman, where the slaves allegedly made a pact with the devil in exchange for victory over the French. This famous history, combined with the horrible state of the country, has led countless scholars and religious figures over the centuries to believe the country is cursed.
Some of the highlighted words are buzz-words added to the context to make it seem as if Pat Robertson didn't just pick his vast knowledge on the subject out of a hat. Of course, when you view the entire footage of The 700 Club segment you realize that Robertson knows nothing about Haiti's history:
On 22 August 1791, Boukman presided in the role of houngan (priest) together with an African-born priestess and conducted a ceremony at the Bois Caïman and prophesied that the slaves Jean François, Biassou spiritual power of the forest and the ancestors, was sacrificed, an oath was taken, and , and Jeannot would be leaders of a slave revolt that would free the slaves of Saint-Domingue. A pig, which symbolized the wild, free, and untamableBoukman and the priestess exhorted the listeners to fight bravely against their oppressors. Days later the Haitian Revolution began.
Soon after the uprising began, French authorities captured Boukman and executed him by beheading. The French then publicly displayed Boukman's head in an attempt to dispel the aura of invincibility that Boukman had cultivated. However it remained strong, and their attempt failed.
And ever up-to-date wikipedia:
In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the ceremony over which Boukman presided was called a "pact with the devil," responsible for a "curse" on the country, by Pat Robertson, host of The 700 Club on the Christian Broadcasting Network. Various prominent, mainline Christian voices have criticized Robertson's remarks on the Haiti crisis as untimely, insensitive, and not representative of Christian thought on the issue.
"It is absolute arrogance to try to interpret any of God's actions as a judgment against this person or that person. & Our duty as Christians is to try to help these people pray for these people and to help them."
- Dr. Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church of Dallas
"He must have misspoken."But we need to get on the path of helping people right now. God loves the people of Haiti. He hasn't turned his back on Haiti."
- Franklin Graham
These were, of course, shining examples of pots calling the kettle black. Suffice it to say, however, that Robertson's little anecdote was received by other professionals as being in poor taste. Some even think that he's possessed by Satan:
It appears that televangelist Pat Robertson is in the thrall of Satan, according to spiritual warriors, Drs. Valerie Tarico and Marlene Winell. “It’s the only possible explanation,” said Tarico. “How else can we make sense of his repeated attempts to humiliate both God and Christianity in the wake of recent natural disasters.”
[Dr. Winell] “Demons need a host, and they can jump from one person to another,” she explained. “We know this because Jesus cast demons out of a possessed man and into a herd of pigs. The pigs drowned themselves, the same kind of self-destructive behavior we are seeing in Mr. Robertson. It is possible that he was infected at or around the funeral of Dr. Jerry Falwell. In hindsight we can see that Dr. Falwell was possessed by a similar—possibly the same-- demon.”
And to give Rev./Dr./Broadcaster Robertson his due, there were some supporters:
"What the Robertson bashers left out is that finally, and with great compassion and concern in his voice, Pat said, "They need to have, and we need to pray for them, a great turning to God and out of this tragedy I am optimistic that some good thing may come, but right now we are helping the suffering people and the suffering is unimaginable."
- Gary Cass, Christian Anti-Defamation Commission
Does God hate Haiti? God hates sin, and will punish both individual sinners and nations ... The earthquake in Haiti, like every other earthly disaster, reminds us that creation groans under the weight of sin and the judgment of God ... In other words, the earthquake reminds us that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only real message of hope.
- Albert Mohler, the Southern Baptist Convention
Now several questions come into play: will Robertson himself issue some defense for his righteous intolerance and the denegration of an entire country? Probably not: his "apologies" for condemnation have, in the past, been choreographed rather sloppily giving the impression that he doesn't really care what people think.
Another question lies in the context of which his "philanthropy" is placed: is he really just a benevolent but senile old man? This is getting to be his milieu-du jour. He may not like it, but the public is becoming increasingly annoyed at his utterings and mutterings. When you mention his name, eyes roll and people get that What-the-hell-is-that-old-coot-up-to-now? look. "Did he leg press an elephant this time?" "Which town is going to get a fearsome meteor shower because someone hung a gay rainbow flag in front of their home?" "What did God tell him this time? Any good bets on the fifth at the racetrack?" And at the end of each instance, Robertson seems oblivious to the contempt at which he is held.Senility can create an alternate reality for some people.
In the past, Robertson has hidden behind God and His Bible to cover embarrassments. Will he hide behind Scripture ... or a diminished mental capacity? If he does either, he's a coward of the first order. The man is not senile. He is not frail. He is not a "religious fanatic." He shouldn't be hiding behind a dogma so righteous and rigid it would deflect the slings and arrows of the strongest detractors merely by being Holy Scripture. The man is guilty of arrogance, maliciousness and, most of all, stupidity. But not senility.
Pat Robertson listens to no one. The voices of Haiti's dead should be ringing in his ears right now because he has slandered them in a cavalier fashion and he will react to a catastrophe thinking himself to be The Good Samaritan. But his contempt for humanity shines through his veneer.
It always has.
It's amazing that people are just realizing it.
Below is a segment of The 700 Club in which Pat Robertson tells viewers that 40,000 college professors are "communists" some of them are "murderers". He thinks they "beat up" students while brainwashing them.
Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.
Mark Twain
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