Whenever you try so hard to make a point to impress an audience, you are apt to become unbalanced or even become what you abhor in the other person.
You conveniently forget that there is none righteous, no not one. You paint the bleakest, most negative, darkest portrait of the opposing individual to buttress your position and render yourself as pure and as blameless as the Virgin Mary.
With the beam firmly lodged in your own eye, you persist on uncovering and dislodging the moat in your brother’s eye.
You assume the prideful stance of the Pharisee looking askance at the humble Publican who has realized and acknowledged that he has fallen short of the mark.
If and whenever you are called to account for your statement or action after a protracted campaign to wiggle out of the dilemma and your back against the wall, a la Alex Rodriguez, you offer a perfunctory, half-hearted apology, breezily claiming it was a misstep, onetime, uncharacteristic error in judgment or a conspiracy by the leftist liberal media. Nevertheless, with the other guy, hopeless and unregenerate as he is, it is his character, nature and way of life.
Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York who has seen his place in the spotlight diminished, has stated that President Obama does not love America. The President - to his credit - has not even dignified such a statement with a response. Rudy Giuliani, whose personal errors and moral failings are well documented, should familiarize himself with the biblical passage, “Let he who is without sin amongst you cast the first stone.”
In a recent column, “Hold everyone accountable to the truth,” about the embattled news anchor Brian Williams, conservative columnist Larry Elder mentioned all the misdeeds of liberal or left-leaning individuals. He went to great lengths to describe and expose the sins of CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, CBS’s Steve Kroft, Hilary Clinton, Sen. Tom Harkin and Sen Richard Blumenthal ending the piece with, “Not to worry, though, Brian Williams still has options. He can announce his candidacy for the 2016 presidential race-as a democrat.”
With an incomplete picture reflected in the above assertions, one could be left with the assumption that all people who would vote democratic or who entertained liberal policies would be unpatriotic, homosexual, unemployed, welfare-busting, non-taxpaying cheats—the dreaded 47%, per Mitt Romney, who lacked and did not exercise personal responsibility for their own lives.
The obvious inference being that those who voted Republican or who embraced their policies are flag-waving patriots who would never contemplate or condone wrongdoing. They are all square-jawed, upright, genuine stalwarts who are the backbone of this country.
Except for Spiro Agnew, the vice president who resigned his post after being accused of bribery, conspiracy and tax fraud.
Except for Richard Nixon who defiantly stated, “I am not a crook,” yet was forced to resign the presidency.
Except for the Iran Contra scandal that ensnared Oliver North, Chuck Colson, repenting later and founding Prison Fellowship, and the Reagan White House.
Except for Herman Cain who abandoned his quest for the presidency under a cloud of sexual misconduct.
Except for Columba Bush, wife of potential presidential candidate Jeb Bush, who was detained and fined for lying on a customs declaration at the Atlanta Airport on 1999.
Except for George Rekers, a Baptist minister and former Florida state witness in a homosexual adoption case, who railed against homosexual activity and was photographed in the Miami International Airport, deplaning from a vacation with a gay “rent boy” who performed “personal massages and valet duties” for him during the trip.
Except for former Idaho Senator Larry Craig who was arrested for suspicious activity and lewd conduct at a toilet in the Minneapolis airport. If you recall, he stated that it was a misunderstanding because he has a “wide stance” whenever he is in a toilet stall. The arresting undercover officer, according to Mr. Craig, misconstrued his actions.
Except for conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh who was addicted to prescription pills and had to reach a legal settlement after a three-year investigation to avoid prosecution for doctor-shopping and prescription pills abuse. He pled guilty to one charge to avoid a potentially nasty trial.
Except for Congressman Aaron Schuck who is being accused of billing taxpayers more the $10,000 for personal trips including one to a Chicago Bears football game.
Surprisingly, not one of these instances found its way into the column of Mr. Elder. Is it because they are Republicans? These glaring omissions underscore a basic human flaw and weakness- our willingness to throw the other guy under the bus while downplaying or ignoring our own shortcoming and failure. “It’s all the other guy’s fault, forgive us and overlook our minor insignificant trespasses, but drop the bomb on the other guy.” Do you remember the servant in the Bible whose master forgave him a huge debt, yet he refused to extend the same favor and compassion to a fellow debtor who owed him a few pence?
Nothing has really changed from the day Adam scolded and chastised God for creating the mess in the Garden of Eden. In his feeble attempt to absolve himself of all blame and responsibility, he arrogantly accused God, “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I did eat.”
V. Knowles is a husband and father with an interest in penning issues that serve to uplift mankind. He melds his love for Classic literature, The Bible and pop culture - as sordid as it may be - into highly relatable columns of truth, faith and justice. Hence the name: Just Thinking. If he's not buried in a book or penning his next column, you may find him pinned to his sectional watching a good old Country and Western flick.