Endorsements help authentication - Around election time we often see endorsements. When we have not yet made decisions about our votes, such authentications from trusted sources can help us make up our minds. For example, The Washington Post endorsed James Web for Virginia Senator. The New York Times endorsed Ned Lamont for Connecticut Senator. And the The Houston Chronicle endorsed Carol Keeton Strayhorn for Texas Governor. (see *More useful endorsement references below)
In a related meaning of the word, if I (endorse) write my name on the back of a check I deposit to my bank account, I am saying that I authorize it to be deposited. In other words, "you can take it to the bank," it is authentic. This brings me to the central point of this post. More and more of us now have made up our minds that the current Republican administration is not authentic. They cannot be trusted with the truth. Look at the following recent little episode, for example.
Endorsement or denial, which is it? It does not seem to work quite that way in the Bush administration. Regarding the torture technique of "water-boarding," many of us believe it was authorized, so much so that "you can take it to the bank." Veep Cheney says it is a "no-brainer." Our current president has said we do not torture, however. Is the current denial believable? A USA Today (10/28/06) story denies torture is practiced by U.S. Yeah, Right!
President Bush said Friday the United States does not torture prisoners, trying to calm a controversy created when Vice President Dick Cheney embraced the suggestion that a "dunk in water" might be useful to get terrorist suspects to talk.
Testimonial, this you can believe - Our current president endorsed the teaching of intelligent design in schools last year, according to an article by AP at SF Gate.com.
President Bush said Monday he believes schools should discuss "intelligent design" alongside evolution when teaching students about the creation of life.
During a round-table interview with reporters from five Texas newspapers, Bush declined to go into detail on his personal views of the origin of life. . . .
"I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought," Bush said. "You're asking me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different ideas, the answer is yes."
The theory of intelligent design says life on earth is too complex to have developed through evolution, implying that a higher power must have had a hand in creation.
Vindication or attack - Our current president's endorsement was not vindicated, however, by one of his own judicial appointees, however. On (12/20/05) the AP on MSNBW/MSN.COM reported that a federal judge has barred the teaching of intelligent design in the Dover, Pennsylvania school system. Quoting from the story,
U.S. District Judge John E. Jones delivered a stinging attack on the Dover Area School Board, saying its first-in-the-nation decision in October 2004 to insert intelligent design into the science curriculum violates the constitutional separation of church and state.
It should take more than "trust me on this," to believe a testimonial or an endorsement. Blindly acceeding to so-called authority makes us sheep. Make up your mind using the more trustworthy authority of law, the weight of history, a track record, or the collective judgement of a trusted organization or institution.
More useful endorsement references:
- *NARAL Pro-Choice America - list of pro-choice candidates running for office
- *MoveOn.org - Members endorse for 2006
- Wikipedia - more on the word "Endorsement"
My "creative post" today at Southwest Blogger is about the books I read, a "book meme."
2 comments:
excellent, informative post. i wish more folks dug a bit deeper beyond the attack ads that circulate this time of year.
B. Thanks, as always, for your very kind comments. I apologize for my tardiness in getting back to you. And I'll add that I have also posted replies to your other recent S/SW comments. Check below.
One more week!
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