"Mexicali Blues" Dept.
(For Securing Our Southern Border)



A hat tip sombrero tip is due to the Texas Cowgirl on this one...

"Crying 'Wolf'" Dept.
(On The DaVinci Code and Movie Protests in General)

I seem to be one of the few Christians who has not blown a gasket over the whole DaVinci Code situation. Perhaps the reason for this is my operative presupposition lo these many years of watching movies like this bomb at the box office time and again. That may explain part of it but the other is an instinct that the repetitive shrieking by various religious groups about the latest movie "abomination" almost always gives the movie in question publicity that it generally does not need. (The media maxim "there is no such thing as bad publicity" comes to mind here.)

That is not to say that on occasion it is not appropriate for practical or tactical reasons to register a public protest of course. And I would not be telling the truth if I did not admit that I have on occasion done this -particularly in 2003 and 2004 with two movies that were released in 2004.{1} But those were exceptions to the rule for reasons which I made clear in the respective postings dealing with them.{2}

It seems as obvious to me as the sun rising in the east every morning that a protest that has a hope of success needs to be carefully undertaken. That means picking targets with care and not bitching and moaning about every poorly made and religiously/morally objectionable movie that is made. For to do this is to emulate the fable about The Boy Who Cried 'Wolf' and I cannot see how that helps in the culture wars.

But as usual though, Santatyana's dictum is probably going to be ignored by those who act in this fashion until the time a real wolf is at the doorstep...at which time no one will believe these people when they resort to their predictable whining and complaining yet again.

Notes:

{1} Those movies were The Passion of the Christ and Fahrenheit 9/11. My reasons for selecting those movies can be ascertained in the threads listed below pertaining to each movie --not everything which was blogged on these matters at this humble weblog but certainly most of the postings:

The Passion of the Christ

Dialogue on Mel Gibson's Movie--Parts I-II (circa October 4-5, 2003)

On "Traditionalism", "Antisemitism", and Mel Gibson (circa November 18, 2003)

Miscellaneous Morning Musings on The Passion of the Christ (circa February 20, 2004)

More on the Mel Gibson/Hutton Gibson situation (circa February 22, 2004)

Guest Editorial on Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ --By Mark Downey with Commentary by I. Shawn McElhinney (circa February 24, 2004)

Briefly on The Passion of the Christ (circa March 2, 2004)


Fahrenheit 9/11 and The Passion of the Christ

A Tale of Two Movies: Fahrenheit 9/11 vs. The Passion of the Christ (circa July 15, 2004)

Fahrenheit 9/11

Some Links on Joseph Goebbels Reincarnated Michael Moore (circa June 27, 2004)

Fifty-Nine Deceits in Fahrenheit 9/11 (circa August 24, 2004)

Miscellaneous Thread For Viewing (circa October 18, 2004)

A Weblog Amendment (circa October 22, 2004)

{2} Or in summary form, with Gibson's movie I did not feel the hubbub about it was warranted since (i) it started before the project was even completed and before the movie hit theatres and (ii) I was disgusted at the double standards employed by almost all of its critics. With the Moore movie it was another reason altogether: it got a ton of publicity and was packed with countless Goebbelsian deceptions intended to sway a voting audience in a crucial election year. For that reason, I allowed the Alexander Hamilton side to my tendencies a bit of free reign to do whatever I could do to undermine that movie having an effect.

Dr. Edward Peters clarifies contribution to Neo-Conned, IHS Press (Christopher Blosser)

To remind readers of the context behind that series (and why Dr. Peters' stance on this matter is admirable), the following two threads will hopefully assist in clarifying the matter for those who are interested:


On IHS Press, Potential Fascist Connections, Antisemitism, Etc.

From the Mailbag (With Chris Blosser)

While more could be noted, that will suffice for now except to once again commend Dr. Peters for placing principle above ideology on this matter.

Points to Ponder:

A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin. [H. L. Mencken]

Greg Mockeridge returns from blogging hybernation to weigh in on illegal immigration and the contrasts in viewpoint as espoused by Cardinal Roger Mahoney of Los Angeles and the late Pope John Paul II.

"No 'Golden Sombrero' For Us" Dept.

Those who find offense at the above title really need to lighten up a bit. Having noted that, We at Rerum Novarum would be remiss if for a fourth year in a row{1} a May 15th went by without mentioning that this is the anniversary of an important social encyclical titled Rerum Novarum by one of history's greatest popes (Pope Leo XIII). Those who are interested in seeing a pre-emptory condemnations of marxism a quarter century before the Revolution of 1917 are advised to give that writing at least a cursory reading.

Note:

{1} In Our defense, the subjects in past years which were predominent on those days were a resumption of dialogue with Reformed writer Tim Enloe (2003: the war was heavily in play around that time too), the Iraqi Prison "scandal" and outrage over the beheading of Paul Johnson (2004: election stuff was also the focus at that time), and nothing being posted on this date last year. (Among the subjects in mind at that time was a proposed dialogue with the aforementioned Tim Enloe on foundational presuppositions which thus far has not occurred.)

"NostraShawnus" Dept.
(And additional brief musings of your humble servant at Rerum Novarum)

The speech President Bush will give tonight will vindicate yet again a prediction made by your host at Rerum Novarum - in this case one that was made explicitly last year:

And (of course) if President Bush and the Republicans start talking about securing the borders in 2006 --and I predict that they will-- ideological enemies who want to publicly opine as to why this was not a concern for President Bush and many of the Republicans for the last five years will not in doing so find any criticism from this writer, that is for sure. [Excerpt from Rerum Novarum (circa December 31, 2005)]

Though rarely does your host mention correct predictions{1}, this time it seems opportune if for no other reason than this one highlights why so many people are sick of politics and are willing to consider third party options. For the two-party system more than at any time in American history has become a Scylla and Charybdis situation{2} so often that it is to the point of redundency to point it out.{3} While more could be noted than that, what is noted here will have to suffice for the time being.

Notes:

{1} Notice for example that prior to this point, the prediction of who would be elected pope in the conclave of 2005 was not mentioned. (More could be noted but that suffices for now lest We appear to be less-than-properly-humble.)

{2} A Brief Digression on the "Scylla/Charybdis" Conundrum of American Political Parties, Etc. (circa May 24, 2004)

{3} There have been many threads posted to this weblog on the third party concept -some of which are not even a couple of weeks old.(The most recent of which can be viewed HERE.)