*PHEW*

Indeed, I am still alive. I’d say I’ve been resting after graduation during my semester off before grad school, but that wouldn’t quite be true. Work is horrendous right now with a new cataloging system that produces lots of work for me. I guess I’m the only one with patience enough to sit and figure out how everything has changed. Unfortunately, my pay doesn’t reflect this. 😉

I’m also working on our new project of selling unneeded gift books. In the past, unneeded books were all but given to a company that in turn sold them for profit. Others might have gone to the “Oscar File” (my name given to the dumpster). At any rate, it’s a good thing finding homes for books that we may no need that were donated to the Library. (See our listings here.)

In other news…

Since Bill “O’Really?” was on “20/20” last night, I felt it my “calling” to address a bit of what he said about “traditional/moral” America and how we should preserve those ways. He pretty much said that it was his calling to save the country from “secular progressives” who want drastic change—i.e., removal of religion from our traditionally religious culture. (They don’t so much say “Christian” anymore—I guess they’re more politically correct than they’d admit.)

Did you  know, Billy, that in 1790 when the country was but an infant only 5 percent of Americans had formal ties to a church/synagogue? Or that by 1910, that number was only 43 percent, and much of that increased was because former slaves attached themselves to the one institution NOT controlled by southern white politicians? Never mind that the majority of passengers on the Mayflower were fishermen and NOT pilgrims. (Only one quarter of the adults sailing were Church of England separatists.) The pilgrims that WERE there believed that any government force outside of their community should have NOTHING to do with its religion—otherwise they’d have stayed in Europe under governments that DID entwine themselves with religion. ¹

Sure it’s true that immediately after independence many American church leaders wanted to instill their beliefs in the government to preserve THEIR ideals. Thus they quickly worked to become the very oppressors that had just broken from. But that only proves that any “downtrodden” group will QUICKLY become the oppressor if given the chance, not that the PEOPLE wanted any of what they preached.

America was founded on ideals of progressive change. Again: otherwise, everyone would have stayed in Europe to maintain their TRADITIONAL ways. So saying our traditional values are traditionalism is an idiotic assessment of history.

Did you also know, Billy, that “In God We Trust” did not appear nationally on money until 1864, and it was not considered a “motto” until 1956 during anti-communist hysteria. “Under God” also did not show up in the “Pledge of Allegiance” until the Red Scare, in 1952. Incidentally, the original “Pledge” was indeed written by a Baptist Minister in 1892—but he also happened to be a socialist. Not only that, but it was written not as reverence to the flag, but as an advertising campaign to sell more flags! ²

As for the media being controlled by progressives? Um. Well. Media by NATURE is a progressive thing. It changes, it grows, and new types of media are invented almost daily. How in hell could it be “traditional” or “conservative.” There’s another idiotic assessment of history, Billy. If media were to be traditional, we’d be going down to the town crier to hear the news in the town square. And yes, many of these were controlled by church leaders even though they did NOT control most of the townsfolk.

This doesn’t mean that Americans can’t or shouldn’t live a life of spirituality or even religiousness if they choose. Indeed, it all ensures that they CAN—free from abuse of religious/political power and overzealous ambition of priesthood. That’s what those pilgrims and other early American Christians fled in the first place!

So, Billy, what are you trying to preserve? Perhaps anti-communist hysteria because it sells books? It sure as hell ain’t American heritage you’re preaching, so stop giving us that bullshit.

It should also be noted that his nobleness, or “Traditional Warrior” as he calls himself now, was on 20/20, not to save the country, but to push a book to pay for his upscale home on Long Island, NY. He also recently settled his very morality-inspiring sexual harassment lawsuit.

On a happier note…

“South Park,” which does a kick-ass Billy by the way, starts its 10th season of irreverence on October 4. It will be a full ten years old next August. The show of course is not art, but it certainly is a much needed shot in the arm for uptight pretentiously “traditional” America.

1. Jacoby, Susan. Freethinkers. Henry Holt: New York. 2004.
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance