Personal Asides: Alas Poor Mark Kirk—Accused of Bio Fraud and Being Gay—by Liberals!...Ernie’s Back!

            Feast of St. Clotilde* 

         

                                   Poor Mark Kirk.

       Liberal Democrats seem to have a monopoly on sanctimony…until. Until they see an opening for one of their own, no matter how unworthy, to win.  The  pundit commissariat here has scourged Mark Kirk for stretching the truth on his military service.  At least he’s served in the military: the guy he’s running against hasn’t donethat. None of the commissariat bring that up.  Frankly, they are oh-so-happy to have something to rap Kirk with.  Before, the only thing going was Giannoulias’ mob connections and his family’s failed bank—and the liberals worried that this was all they had to run on against a blemish-free Kirk.  Supposedly.  

          Anything to take the heat off Alexi.  I can almost see in my mind’s eye the Dragon Lady of the Left, Jan Schakowky, beating her tiny fists on her desk with joy.   She along with Pelosi constitute female evil incarnate.  

      Now along comes the wanton blogger who’s dedicated to outing all Republicans who voted against repeal of don’t ask, don’t tell.  Kirk voted against it in the House so he’s named Kirk as gay.  I think: if Kirk is gay, isn’t it logical for him to vote against it to protect his privacy: privacy which since Roe v. Wade and it’s Blackmun-discovered “right” is incardinated among the highest of liberal virtues?  I thought maintenance and protection of privacy was one of the sacred rights and rites in liberaldom.  

         Not if you support continuation of don’t ask, don’t tell. I can understand…but still have a strong distaste for…social conservatives making the charge that Kirk is gay  as some did in the primary.  I understand it because it  flies in the face of the Judeo-Christian law that reserves sex for marriage.  When those charges flared during the primary, the pundit commissariat went tsk-tsk how awfully narrow-minded these right-wing bigots are. 

         But you see how liberals pounce to the same position when they have a chance to win.  Now the blogger is doing Schakowsky’s work…seeking to strip the veil of “hypocrisy” from those who would deny others the right to be prancing “outies.”  The pundit commissariat is silent. 

          Thus in one election cycle, the pendulum has swung from how awful to make a bigoted charge like that (this is when a conservative may gain the nomination on that issue) …to how awful to lurk behind the heavy curtained windows of personal privacy while voting to ban those who are open, front and above board (this is when a same-sex marriage advocating Democrat may benefit). 

     

                   Ernie Returns for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Part II. 

           [We welcome back my old mentor after a stint in Eternal Life where time does not exist,  discoursing with Aquinas, Tertullian and Augustine on subjects of mutual interest].  

           T.R.  Welcome back, Father!  

           Ernie: I do not wish to be rude but I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to get back to Eternal Life where there is no time. But I do this because it is important.  Where were we? 

           T.R.     You covered the ground pretty well, Father.  I think the Left has conditioned us all to think that homosexuality is irrevocable and unchangeable like one’s race and thus must be accepted  else one is a bigot. Giving rise to proponents who believe that to criticize the condition of concupiscence is itself bigoted.  In the meantime, let me tell you this: Both the Secretary of Defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs support legislation overturning Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.  The heads of the military services disagree.  

          Ernie.  But the secretary and the chairman are under the direct command of the president, are they not? The other chiefs of the services are farther down in the pecking order and are more likely to respect the specific needs of their branches rather than risk being replaced by the president.  

           T. R.     Exactly and political pressures are strongest when exerted on those who report directly to the president.  Now let’s consider the nature of homosexuality, whether or not it can be…as they say… “cured.” 

           Ernie.   I have read scientific treatises that say it can.  But I will surprise you that I am bored by this curative or non-curative issue.  Weakness toward homosexual attraction is just like weaknesses that afflict all men in their fallen nature.  All of us have weaknesses and the mission of man on earth is to subordinate them—not to shrug and say they are incurable.  Therefore you won’t find in me an inordinate interest as to whether it can be cured or not.  Immaterial.  The root cause of all concupiscence, all evil, is Original Sin. Original Sin clouds the mind from seeing the purpose of the sexual act: the purpose which is for the procreation and education of children.  There’s entirely too much psychoanalytic garbage contained in the study of homosexuality. 

           Take for instance a young man who is powerfully drawn…more powerfully drawn than most…to women.  He cannot go into a coffee shop where they abound, cannot view television where they abound without experiencing carnal desires.  What does he do?  Go to a psychologist or psychiatrist?  Of course not!  He uses his will to restrain himself, And he follows the precepts that Aquinas himself set forth—precepts on the basic inclinations of man. I will regard myself as having failed if you cannot recall them. 

            TR.  I think I can. The first is to seek the good, the highest good, which is eternal happiness with God. 

             Ernie.  And when you concentrate on that you know by will and reason that this is not to seek illicit sexual pleasure. 

              TR.  The second is to preserve yourself in existence. 

             Ernie. Exactly. Ensuring your good health. Taking care to look both ways when you cross a street.  

              TR.  The third: to preserve the species. 

              Ernie.  That means to unite with a woman in your case so as to continue the generations.  That utterly rules out homosexuality. And don’t give me that rot about the deep and caring love of one man for another.  That can be done without sexual congress.   

               TR.  Then to live in community with other men.   

               Ernie.  That is what Aristotle meant when he said “man is a political animal.” 

               TR.  Finally to use one’s intellect and will—to know the truth and make your own decisions.   

              Ernie.  This means as we have talked so often before to nurture the inclinations to make man achieve his final nature which is eternal happiness. So you see I am impatient about those who give up and say I can’t help myself!  I love drink!  I love another man!  I love another man’s wife!  I love this waitress and wish to have intercourse with her!  That is will and it must be exercised just as one exercises one’s body in a gymnasium.   So you will see that I am not interested in pseudo scientific studies that say men are born homosexual, born hopelessly addicted…all that rot.  The curse of your society, Mr. Roeser, comes with its failure to understand the need for its dependence on God and the reasons he made us.  Added to which is the supine nature of the will.  We say I am drawn to a man; I can not help it!  Nonsense!  You look at the objectives you have just enumerated and by God you will to be different!   

                  TR.  “Don’t ask, don’t tell”? 

                  Ernie. The best rule was the one by which the military service was governed by which was that yielding to homosexuality is a disorder…a disorder of the will and failure to recognize the moral law… and that when one does, he should be expelled. The next best rule was “don’t ask don’t tell.”  The worst of all possible conditions is the rank permissiveness that allows those who practice homosexuality and are proud of it to enter the ranks of the military services. That may well be the dissolution of the once great military services of the United States.  

         TR.  I have the feeling as with all other incentives of the Obama administration, it will be defeated. 

         Ernie. Let us so pray.  This proposed law as with so many others of liberaldom rhapsodizes about secular jurisprudence.  And secular jurisprudence cannot work. Every society has to have a god or an ultimate authority. If it is not the real God then it will be a god of man’s own making. That’s what you have to face with Mr. Obama and his ilk.  May God have mercy on you. 

             TR.  Thank you, Father. 

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        Saint Clotide [AD 545].  She was Queen of France, the wife of Clovis, King of the Franks. A Burgundian princess, she was spotted by Clovis who was entranced with her beauty and wisdom; they were married in 492. Clotide encouraged Clovis to abandon his idols and become a Catholic.  When their first son died in infancy, Clovis reproached her but she bore him another son, then a second son and a daughter.  Meanwhile Clovis was engaged in a hot war against the Alemanni.  He prayed to “the God of Clotide” for victory, was granted it and was baptized. In those days baptism was often saved until the end of life, but Clovis negated this. 

         Clovis built a church at Paris, his headquarters and died there.  Clotide retired to Tours but exercised a political role through her two sons.  The sons were assassinated and her daughter married to the Visigoth Amalric died at about the same time. Clotide lived a devout life, serving in the basilica at Tours, building churches and monasteries.  She is celebrated as the saintly ancestor to the French Kings.  She built churches at Laon, Andelys and Rouen.  She died on June 3 and was buried at Paris, in the basilica of the apostles, later called St. Genevieve.