Thomas M. Finch – 12/19/04

This page was last updated on December 21, 2004.

Is lying moral?; Thomas M. Finch; Beaver County Times; December 19, 2004.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“Just when I think the furor over the election is finally dying down, I’m forced to read outlandish statements from James Irwin of Brighton Township proclaiming how ‘fortunate’ we are that Bush ‘still leads this great nation.’ (‘Reclaiming moral authority,’ Thursday)”

[RWC] Who held a gun to Mr. Finch’s head and made him read the letter?

“I want to make three points.

“1) Don’t rub it in my face that Bush is still president. I didn’t vote for him, and he did not win Pennsylvania, and he did not win Beaver County. If you want to brag about that smug, incompetent, lying warmonger, move to Ohio!”

[RWC] What is it with the name-calling? Get a grip and grow up. Also, provide evidence that President Bush is incompetent, a liar, and a warmonger. I don’t believe President Bush is smug, but who cares if he is? If you oppose any president because you believe him to be smug, you’re hard up for reasons to oppose him.

“2) Freedom of religion - and separation of church and state - is part of our Constitution, not because we need to protect religion from government, but because we need to protect government from the religious zealots who want to shove their beliefs down everybody else’s throats.”

[RWC] Separation of church and state is not in the Constitution. The 1^st Amendment to the Constitution clearly and simply states that Congress cannot establish a national religion. In fact, though the Constitution prohibits Congress from establishing a national religion, it does not prohibit states or other levels of government from establishing religions. Scary, huh?

Where did the phrase “separation between church and state” come from if not the Constitution? It’s from a letter President Thomas Jefferson sent to the Danbury (Connecticut) Baptist Association. In his letter, Jefferson confirmed that Congress would “make no law respecting an establishment of a religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, ‘thus building a wall of separation between church and state.’”

Does Mr. Finch realize protecting religion from government is the same as protecting government from religion? In both cases the objective is to protect everyone from “zealots who want to shove their beliefs down everybody else’s throats.”

“I’m against abortion and consider myself ‘moral Christian’ just like all you deluded Bush-voters. But you cannot legislate morality. Thinking that the government should be responsible for shaping everyone’s moral outlook is not only wrong, it’s scary.”

[RWC] Ah, name-calling again, the refuge of a person without a logical argument. Nearly 60 million voters are deluded? It’s too bad because I agree with the final two sentences in the paragraph.

“3) He was re-elected as president more than a month ago, and he has a Republican-controlled Congress, so why is abortion still legal? The Republicans like to push that warm and fuzzy pro-life button at election time, but nothing ever changes, and abortion still remains legal, and babies keep dying.

“When abortion is still legal four years from now (and we’re finally rid of ‘his royal highness’), I hope you all look back on it and remember how you wasted your vote.”

[RWC] Mr. Finch, laws making abortions in general illegal have been struck down over and over again for the past 30 years. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled they are unconstitutional. Therefore, Congress and the President could pass anti-abortion laws until they were blue in the face and the Supreme Court would declare them unconstitutional. Though a majority of Americans oppose abortion, an amendment to the Constitution would not pass because of the high threshold – 2/3’s of both the House and Senate and 75% of the states must approve amendments.

The only realistic way President Bush can have an impact on abortions in general is when he appoints judges who believe in strict interpretation of the Constitution. It’s these very nominees Senate Democrats filibuster because these nominees tend to believe the Constitution does not guarantee a “right” to abortion. Despite his claim that he opposes abortion, I’m willing to bet Mr. Finch would find these nominees unacceptable.

“What’s so ‘moral’ about lying to the American public, wasting lives in a useless war and devastating our economy by catering to big business at the expense of the middle class?”

[RWC] What are the lies, Mr. Finch?

Our enemies want to kill us and have been killing American citizens for decades yet Mr. Finch apparently believes we should do nothing. Perhaps he should find a serviceman or servicewoman who served in Afghanistan and/or Iraq and tell him/her their effort is a waste.

Can Mr. Finch provide evidence that President Bush is “devastating our economy by catering to big business at the expense of the middle class?” If so, why didn’t he present it?