March 20, 2012 6:23 AM

If you're an athlete who wants to make a political statement, at least know what you're talking about

THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD

(apologies to Keith Olbermann)

Philip Rivers

That Philip Rivers, the starting quarterback for the San Diego Chargers, is a good ol’ boy is no great surprise. A native of Decatur, Alabama, Rivers has never been reticent about his religious beliefs. A devout Catholic who believes that chastity needs to be taught to teens, he’s even described chastity as a “lost art.” No reasonable person should have been expecting him to endorse Barack Obama, but his endorsement of Rick Santorum seems to be based on some…um, poorly-informed beliefs.

“I am supporting Rick Santorum for President because of his stance on issues that attack vital Christian values our country was founded upon: no abortion, upholding traditional marriage, defending religious freedom, no euthanasia. Rick Santorum will also fight to create jobs and expand opportunities for all Americans. I am proud to endorse Senator Santorum and do what I can to help him secure the Republican nomination for President of the United States.”

I may be a heathen Liberal (probably an oxymoron), but when I read “issues that attack vital Christian values our country was founded upon,” I’m thinking about freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and freedom of assembly. I’m not thinking “no abortion, upholding traditional marriage …no euthanasia”…because those just simply aren’t the pillars upon which our democracy rests. I stayed awake through enough Sunday School classes during my dissolute youth to remember that there’s no mention of abortion, same-sex marriage, or euthanasia in the Bible. The problem with Rivers’ thought process is that he’s twisting Scripture to fit his prejudices, and he’s just wrong.

Perhaps Rivers could have been more honest by owning up to the fact that he thinks a candidate should reflect his prejudices, which is fair; that’s generally why people vote for as they choose to. Rivers’ dishonesty lies in pretending that his narrow Conservative religiosity is what this country was founded on…which just simply isn’t true.

An athlete like Rivers has as much right to speak his mind as any other American, and some athletes do use their notoriety to push their political/religious beliefs. Such is the beauty of the 1st Amendment. Unfortunately, the 1st Amendment is no protection from ignorance, bad information, and/or intellectual/moral laziness…all of which Rivers seems willing to openly display.

I don’t expect to agree with Philip Rivers…about anything, really. That said, it shouldn’t be too much to expect him to actually know something about the subject he choose to discourse on. Or does looking like a poorly-informed ignoramus really not bother him?

blog comments powered by Disqus

Technorati

Technorati search

» Blogs that link here

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on March 20, 2012 6:23 AM.

Today on "People Unclear On The Concept".... was the previous entry in this blog.

Hitler said that upon taking power he'd eliminate a woman's right to control her body is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.

Contact Me

Powered by Movable Type 5.12