Critique Of An Unthinking Man, Pt. 3

This piece builds on the discussion of Robert A. Hall's "I'm Tired" begun in Part 1 and Part 2. I'll continue to respond to Mr. Hall's countless complaints. He writes:

I’m tired of a news media that thinks Bush’s fundraising and inaugural expenses were obscene, but that think Obama’s, at triple the cost, were wonderful. That thinks Bush exercising daily was a waste of presidential time, but Obama exercising is a great example for the public to control weight and stress, that picked over every line of Bush’s military records, but never demanded that Kerry release his, that slammed Palin with two years as governor for being too inexperienced for VP, but touted Obama with three years as senator as potentially the best president ever.

Wonder why people are dropping their subscriptions or switching to Fox News? Get a clue. I didn’t vote for Bush in 2000, but the media and Kerry drove me to his camp in 2004.

First, I'd assume people are dropping their subscriptions to magazines and newspapers to opt for digital versions, but that's the least of my concerns here. The major difference between President Obama's and President Bush's campaigns funds were where they came from: Obama hitting a new record for individual contributions, while Bush had more corporate funding- a legitimate difference for the big bad media to point out.

I hadn't noticed a lot of people complaining about President Bush's exercise regimen, but if they were, I agree that that's a petty thing to criticize a President on and I'd rather have an executive in good health than not. As for John Kerry's military record as compared to George Bush's, I don't think there's much of a comparison, as one was injured in combat and the other couldn't hack the Air National Guard. As a whole, I admit that there was some fascination in the media over Obama's campaign and how different a candidate he was than those in the past, but the evidence just doesn't seem to point to the collusion against conservatism some seem to see.

I’m tired of being told that out of “tolerance for other cultures” we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in America, while no American group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach love and tolerance.

Well, that's the difference between a free and open society and a less progressive one- it's the sacrifice our founding fathers made when they wrote the Constitution and allowed for freedoms of religion and speech. If you'd like to be the one to call for rolling back the First Amendment, you have that right, but I think you might be met with some push-back.

I’m tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate. My wife and I live in a two-bedroom apartment and carpool together five miles to our jobs. We also own a three-bedroom condo where our daughter and granddaughter live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of Al Gore’s, and if you’re greener than Gore, you’re green enough.

No one is allowed to debate global warming? Was there some new law passed (in violation of the First Amendment) that I'm not aware of? Or is Hall saying that the evidence so overwhelmingly stacks up against him that every time he tries to deny global warming people refuse to take him seriously? There's a difference between "not allowed" and "not swayed." To be honest, it does sound like Mr. Hall lives a fairly carbon-low lifestyle, and that's to be commended.

I’m tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off? I don’t think Gay people choose to be Gay, but I damn sure think druggies chose to take drugs. And I’m tired of harassment from cool people treating me like a freak when I tell them I never tried marijuana. Update: People have written to tell me I'd have more sympathy if this was close to me. It is exactly having seen the destruction of alcoholism and herion addiction in my own family that makes me pretty itolerate of people who are willing to destroy the people around them to indulge themselves.

I can't pretend to know what Mr. Hall's family has gone through as a result of alcohol and drug abuse, so I won't expect him to feel a certain way. I do know that alcoholism has run through a fair portion of my family (which would lead someone to believe there's something hereditary about it) and find it interesting that Hall claims there is no drug or alcohol addiction disease but alludes to "alcoholism and heroin addiction."

As with any mental illness, it's certainly difficult to accept that someone's behavior is a symptom of their disease and there does exist a great amount of personal responsibility attached (just as a schizophrenic with violent tendencies has a responsibility to take meds to keep himself from being a danger to others). However, Mr. Hall's disbelief in a disease known as "addiction" simply flies in the face of every credible medical and psychological journal, study and definition of disorders. He's free to believe what he likes- and thanks to the First Amendment he dislikes so much, even to espouse his beliefs- but that neither makes what he believes true nor credible.