My seven year old has a love for all things American Girl. For her birthday, we made a weekend trip to take her to The American Girl Place in Chicago. If you aren't familiar, the American Girl dolls are a line of dolls from America's past. Each has a story relating to the general life of kids throughout America's history. The dolls have all the usual accessories, but they also come with a series of books that tell the story. McK first fell in love with Addy, an African American slave girl. She could't read the stories fast enough. McK cried as she and her mother read the trials of a young black girl in 1860s America. I know the story of Addy showed McK how lucky she was to born at her time, place and circumstance.
But now, the Christian Coalition is all up in arms over American Girl's support for Girls, Inc. which used to be known as Girls Clubs. American Girl is sponsoring math, science, and athletic programs at Girls, Inc. Apparently, Girls, Inc. also believes in health education which includes reproductive health. Well, this is where the CC gets all up in arms. Nevermind that the money from American Girl will not go to those programs. Doesn't matter - they're going to boycott the store after Thanksgiving anyway. What a load of crap. F- James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Jerry Fallwell and the rest of the lot. They don't have the market cornered on morality. If I have to choose between a company that promotes reading, science, math, history education over a group that continually spews hatred and exclusion in the so-called name of God, then that's a pretty easy choice.
8 comments:
You might be surprised but I agree with you, J. For me, it's not what they protest so much as HOW they protest. It's alienating to those that don't share their opinion. Heck, it's usually alienating to me even when I do share their opinion.
Oh yeah, that was me...dempseybrazil
not surprised at all, K. :o)
This whole thing smacks of attention whoring. If they've got a problem with Girls, Inc., then take it up with them. They're just going after American Girl because it's so darn popular right now. James Dobson can rot in hell.
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James Dobson can rot in hell?
Eep, J. See what I mean? They've alienated you and gotten you to do the exact thing they are doing. They'd say people are going to rot in hell for the support of Girls, Inc. and now you're saying it about them. That's why their tactics annoy me so much. They alienate people where there could be productive dialogue. But productive dialogue is not what they're after, I guess.
actually, that would probably be too good for him ;o)
OK, K, I sense I may have offended you with the "rot in hell" comment. My whole problem with this bunch is that they aren't the least bit interested in religion when they get involved in politics. It's all about power. The power brought about by getting the masses all riled up about a hot button issue, so they'll send in more money "to fight the good fight against policy X." The power to be able to remove someone from consideration for the Supreme Court because they don't follow their ideology. These conservative Christians aren't the least bit interested in overturning Roe v. Wade. You know why? Because then all the sheep in the congregation would quit sending in the money because the problem would be solved. The money goes away, their goes their power.
I'm not a one issue person. But if these guys are so outraged at the lack of morality in our society, then where the hell is the outrage because their President lied to send us to an unjust war resulting in the ripping apart of 2000+ American families? Well, that issue won't raise millions of dollars for their "cause," so they remain silent.
So, that's why I despise these people and everything they represent.
Hummmmmmmmmmmmm. I guess I'm mellowing in my old age. Maybe I have become my own thinker. I agree with you on the American Girl thing. As a matter of fact, I'm moving from the right to the center. Used to be on the far right. You might find this hard to believe but I have voted for a democrat or 4.
No, J, you didn't offend me. Actually, I agree with you far more than I disagree. The whole problem is that their kind of rhetoric creates far more alienation than it draws people to their cause. The "rot in hell" comment only caused me to say "eep" because of hundreds of years of the church telling people they will rot in hell for this or that action when in reality it's an issue of the heart. So no you didn't offend me, because it's the kind of language the "church" started hundreds of years ago.
Faith and politics are two completely different issues. My faith certainly affects my politics but in ways more far reaching than the typical Christian right. Don't get me wrong. I'm all about thinking about spiritual and eternal issues. You know where I live and why I live here. I just wish the Christian right could talk about faith without sounding like assholes. But then again, you said it. It's not about faith for them. It's about the issue. Their god is the issue.
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