NCIS in Kookville

Here is an example of why the religious right is often just as deluded and demented as the hard left.

This nutball actually goes on a multi-page rant against a television show called NCIS, saying it is "anti-military," then further claiming it undermines American culture and is "discouraging our young men from enlisting to protect this country from global terror." Good grief.

Look, I don't even watch the series. Mrs Jar(egg)head loves it, however, and because we have an open-concept home, I will often catch portions of it in passing, or while I'm in the kitchen concocting my latest Master Chef creation. I'll admit the show is a bit silly, but it's fiction; that's kind of the point. And it can often be quite funny, as well. Mark Harmon plays the quintessential retired Marine Gunny. The character is gruff, faux-irascible, witty, and hard working -- pretty much paralleling every Gunny I served under during my time in the Corps. But here's what Christboy has to say about Mr Harmon:

[A] shell of a man whose puzzling performances are robotic, devoid of hope and irritating.

Everybody's entitled to their opinion, and this guy doesn't like the character -- or the man, apparently. Fine and dandy. But here's where it really gets one step beyond:

We once had tv shows like the Rockford Files to turn to each week. This was a fabulous educational experience, with James Garner pursuing thrilling, authentic-feeling adventures while living in a trailer on a gorgeous California beach. He was strong and tough and wise and got beaten down a bit. There was an inexpensive taco shack a short walk away. He fought thieves, dirty land developers, the “syndicate,” drug smugglers and corrupt politicians but always had time to rescue a beautiful lady. The police, hardworking and underpaid, were always heroes in the end, too. Rockford’s father Rocky, superbly brought to life by veteran actor Noah Beery Jr., was a fantastic parental figure and even though this show didn’t air on Sundays, I liked to imagine they all went to church on that day.

A "fabulous educational experience"? "Authentic-feeling"? Seriously?

If this were on The Onion, it'd make some sense as a spoof article and be worth a laugh or two. Unfortunately, however, it's on a site called "Christwire," and it's depressingly serious.

Before any Christians out there get on their high-horses, I'm not claiming this guy represents all Christians, and I'm not saying that he's not entitled to voice his opinion. He's an extreme right headcase, and I realize as much. But groups of people like this are making it increasingly difficult to attract a more diverse voting base to the conservative side of the fence, abetting the defections of "undecided" voters in general elections. When that happens, we end up with infantile leftists such as Obama in the White House. And that path leads us as a society to a place we don't want to go.

Many of the right wing talk show hosts push absolute solidarity and hard-liner attitudes as the way to resurrect the Republican party as a conservative bastion. I disagree. One of the past strengths of the GOP was its inclusiveness. If you start pounding the pulpit and making irrelevant things like gay marriage a touchstone issue of the party, you start to alienate people who might otherwise have voted with you.

My wife and I have several gay friends. With her working for the school district, we could hardly avoid it even if we wanted to, as the percentage of homosexuals in teaching -- and especially in administration -- is quite high compared to most other professions. And we all get along quite well. In fact, several of the parties we've hosted recently have consisted of over 50% of gay couples. Many of them (but not all) are conservatives, and are very traditional in most of their social and economic views. They don't want to vote for a guy with a red star on his forehead any more than I do. But if radical right elements, like those represented by Christboy above, start to "take the party back to its roots," you'll end up severely limiting the choices of people who don't fit the Bible-thumping mold, since they won't feel welcome in the GOP. Neither, for that matter, would I feel welcome. There are far more important issues facing this country than whether Jane and Jill are sleeping together. If it offends you morally, so be it. Be offended. But don't make it a cornerstone of the party platform, or we'll end up with an increasingly incompetent parade of politically-left neophytes in Washington.

If in doubt, recite this to yourself: it is not the government's role to legislate morality. Whether fetuses have souls or homosexuals will burn in brimstone is meaningless next to the possibility that the entire country will be gutted by despotic leftism. I assure you that given the choice between Mao Tse-tung's "purging" of 50 million people or having a hardworking neighbor who happens to prefer the company of his own sex, every Chinaman alive -- and those who no longer are -- would heartily pitch in and help Twinkletoes move into his new home.

Anyone who reads this site for any length of time knows that I'm pretty far to the right of center on most issues. In fact, I've received emails (always anonymous and always vulgar) which labeled me "barbarian" or "nazi" on more than one occasion. My preferred choice in the last election certainly wasn't McCain. But if the conservatives keep infighting about issues that make no real difference in the governance of the country, we'll lose it entirely. Are you really telling me it was worth it to keep Guiliani down because he's pro-choice, and then end up with Obama in the Oval Office?

Priorities, ladies and gentlemen. We're losing them, and we won't find them again in staid passion plays or burned-out abortion clinics. I'm sure this little screed would (and will) earn me the "neo-con" appellation from quite a few on the right; that's fine, I'll live with that as long as the mutual goal is accomplished. First, win the battle. Then worry about the war.