This relates to my post earlier today. In the comments to that post people brought up some great points about how, after all, we must be fair to Cardinal George. I agree; I am never not for being fair to anyone. (And I hadn’t been unfair to the Cardinal in my post, insofar as in it I never mentioned my personal feelings at all.) Like I think most people do, I have a great deal of respect for Catholicism. Of course I also understand all that’s wrong with it—but, again, fair is fair. Whenever possible I try not to throw out babies with bathwater.
The hubbub around Cardinal George happened as a result of this televised interview with him.
Give it a watch.
Pay particular attention to the moment (which begins at about 1:03) when Cardinal George responds to the interviewer asking him if his analogy to the KKK isn’t “a little strong.”
Watch George as he says, “It is. But you take a look at the rhetoric.”
Watch then as he drops his eyes, and very quickly says in a chickenshit little sing-song voice, “The rhetoric of the Ku Kluk Klan.”
He can’t even bring himself to say the name.
When you’re done with the whole thing, go back, and freeze the screen at 1:17, right after George says, “But you take a look at the rhetoric,” and before the interviewer says “What rhetoric?”
Look at the sheer, vile arrogance of his gaze.
There it is.
There’s the hatred.
There’s the evil, as pure as pure gets.
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