Some Old Fart Doesn't Know [2009]

[Originally posted 2 July 2009]

I

’m in a nasty mood right now, so I say thank the gods for the Alvin Sun-Times of Alvin Texas. Under the title “Young People Don’t Know” the Alvin Sun-Times presents a screed by one W. Edward Murphy so stunningly clueless, so absolutely idiotic, as to be my perfect punching-bag for this session. Of course it’s not going to surprise you that I’m off yet again in pursuit of some poor clown who used some fake quotations to enliven his pitiful attempt at an editorial. But this is even more priceless. Here’s a list of his fake quotations in order:

§  The Patrick Henry “religionists” quotation.

§  The George Washington “God and the Bible” quotation.

§  A George Washington “personal prayer-book” hodge-podge.

§  The Jefferson well-worn Bible frankenquote.

§  The Jefferson “best friend of government” quotation.

Are you beginning to get the picture? What if I added that he begins with the following claims:

§  “Of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, 52 of 55 were deeply committed Christians.”

§  “The congress formed the American Bible Society…”

§  “The congress … voted to purchase and import 20,000 Bibles for the people!”

Yes! Not only is this guy so pig-ignorant that he mistakes a 1956 newspaper for Patrick Henry, and a fake prayer-book for Washington's that isn't even in his handwriting, he gets the number of signers of the Declaration of Independence wrong and fancies that congress formed the American Bible Society! Yes, you guessed it—this W. Edward Murphy lifted his “facts” straight from that “America’s Christian Roots” e-mail that was circulating a few years back.

Unbelievable. And Murphy wonders why we don’t find these fake quotations in schoolbooks. Could it be, oh, say, because they’re all fakes? No, it has to be some sort of crazy conspiracy.

It occurred to me, like a lightning flash, reading the quotes of these great men, that the degradation of our morality, of our political corruption, can be laid at the feet of our public educational establishment.

In the next column I will be specific about the history and decline of our educational establishment, and the ravages it has wreaked on our nation, particularly our children.

Okay, fine, but I believe I’ll pass on that somewhat dubious pleasure, W. Edward Murphy. Quasi-plagiarism and fake quotations do not inspire me with any confidence in anything whatsoever you might have to say. Get your facts straight, and do your own damn research instead of lifting it from some idiotic e-mail, and then maybe you might have something to say that’s worth listening to. Until then, forget about it.

[daveawayfromhome commented on the original post:]

“It occurred to me, like a lightning flash, reading the quotes of these great men, that the degradation of our morality, of our political corruption, can be laid at the feet of our public educational establishment.”

Starting, of course, with his own education.

[And King of Ireland added:]

I used to run in these circle until I realized one thing:

One guy they all prop up as an authority states something, they all take it without criticism (because if you actually ask questions you are a rebel), and run with it before they check to see if it is true.

This is not just with the whole Christian Nation topic. Most of these people were birthed into a system and are indoctrinated. They have no belief system of their own. When they are challenged they deny the obvious if it conflicts with anything they have been taught thinking that they are on a slippery slope.

Most throw it all out in college when confronted with other ideas.