Misguided Sympathies
Written by Ray Coover
December 17th, 2007

A disturbing and misguided trend has been gaining support recently in America and it’s time we looked at some of the root causes and discussed the possible oversights of the movement in general. It would seem, at least to me, that many Americans who reside on the left wing, secular progressive side of the political and social spectrum have developed a less-than-passive animosity towards citizens whose convictions lead them at all to the right. This animosity regularly manifests itself in a game of intellectual one-upmanship that many secular progressives insist on playing. No laughing matter, this game has in my opinion, led many left-leaning individuals to support some very misguided causes in an effort to assert themselves as morally and intellectually superior to the masses of Americans with whom they reside. A perfect example of this situation are the growing number of people in this country who find themselves empathizing with, and even excusing the actions of, violent criminals and sex offenders. I have been forced to conclude that this stems from the aforementioned intellectual competition as I have been at a loss to find a more plausible explanation. By supporting the causes of some of the most despicable criminals in our society, many of these sympathizers find themselves on an island populated only by other far-left, secular-progressive individuals, an island where they can plant a flag of moral supremacy and claim that it is they alone who truly possess the capacity for compassion and understanding. Of course, this movement ignores the plight and suffering of the most important individuals involved in these crimes, the victims. While the islanders will insist that they have the victims at the very forefront of their agenda, alongside the perpetrator of course, see how many of them can actually name the victims of the criminals whose causes they so fervently defend. My guess is you’ll find that number to be disturbingly low.

Unfortunately for the victims of these deplorable crimes, there is nothing unique or enlightened about feeling compassion for them, quite the opposite actually. You find yourself sympathizing for the victims of heinous crimes as a totally natural reaction to the horrible circumstances they’ve been forced to endure. As a result of this almost reflexive response, feeling sympathy and compassion for these people gives you no cards with which to play intellectual one-upmanship. Because of this fact, because there is no moral ammunition to fire from the trenches of the victim, many secular progressive individuals have decided to let their sympathies fall on the side of the perpetrator of these terrible crimes. While none of these individuals would ever admit to marginalizing the plight of victims, that is exactly what this movement amounts to, intentional or not, a marginalization of victims and their suffering.

There are a myriad of excuses that secular progressives can point to when defending the actions of predatory felons. Economic inequality, government indifference, mental illness, inept educational practices, and many more all theoretically combine to turn what would otherwise be an upstanding member of our society into a vicious criminal. This is an enormously misguided and counterproductive way of thinking. There is no doubt that injustice and inequality exist in a society that is home to 300 million people, but to allow that fact to create an atmosphere where even the most horrendous criminal actions are defensible is just unacceptable in the plainest sense of the word. Where are all the marches for those determined, commendable citizens who rose above these hindering circumstances to become productive and successful members of society? While most in the movement would certainly agree that those individuals who rise above adversity deserve our respect and admiration, championing their accomplishments holds no moral or intellectual weight. Basically, there is just no cheese in that tube for elitists in the secular progressive camp. For someone looking to claim the moral high-ground, supporting the cause of a downtrodden criminal is a very appealing proposition. Feeling sympathy for the victim is too sensible and common, there is no controversy to use as a catalyst for debate. So instead of the victim’s rights, and instead of those among us who triumph over adversity, far left elitists latch onto the causes of predatory criminals so that they alone may sit atop their imaginary hill waving a flag of moral and intellectual supremacy.

Look, the bottom line is this: doing something unpopular because it sounds compassionate in theory doesn’t make you smart. I think it’s high time that intellectual one-upmanship took a backseat to some old-fashioned common sense. Violent criminals and sex offenders deserve harsh punishments that separate them from society where their potential victims attempt to live in peace. The mental illness excuse is all but exhausted, what about the mental illness that develops in a child who is repeatedly molested by someone he or she trusts? What about a woman who needs therapy after a rape and never fully heals from the emotional distress? What about a child whose father is murdered over a few dollars in his wallet? These considerations are to be subordinate to the needs of a convicted felon? Obviously, those among us raised in less-than-favorable surroundings are at a disadvantage and are going to be more prone to commit crimes, but that fact certainly does not justify violating another human being’s natural rights. Instead of rationalizing and excusing the actions of predators, let us stand behind those in our society who have taken responsibility for their lives and risen from the valley of inequality, further encouraging others to follow in their footsteps. There is no excuse for violent crime and child predation, and I think it’s time that the far-left stop trying to find one. As always, I’m sure we can find another, less harmful playing field on which to play intellectual king of the hill.


According to a Disgruntled Atheist
Written by Ray Coover
November 9th, 2007

The frantic nature of today's materialistic society has given rise to a growing number of atheists, agnostics and non-religious individuals in general. Not to say that it is specifically the materialistic nature of today's America that has caused this, but it is certainly a noteworthy coincidence that the most materialistic nations on earth boast the largest percentages of non-religious individuals. Some people drift away from religion because of a lack of faith while others are simply following trends. Either way, the number of people falling into this group is growing and the movement is gaining importance in the political landscape as a large portion of this crowd consists of young people who will soon shape the face of America. Specific statistics regarding this movement are hard to come by because non-religious individuals are by nature a very loosely organized or even completely unorganized group of people, many of whom consider themselves to belong to no particular group at all. The most glaring testament to the growing number of non-religious individuals in our society is the tendency towards non-religious sentiments in the media and in public venues of all kinds. Secular-progressivism and moral-relativism are increasing in popularity and strength while traditional values suffer and weaken throughout our society.

I am an atheist, in spite of my determination to feel otherwise and in direct opposition to my personal feelings regarding morality and many social issues. Depending on the day you ask me I hover somewhere between atheism and agnosticism, but suffice to say I have no real faith in the existence of a supreme being and have yet to experience anything on a personal level that would lead me to believe otherwise. Unfortunately, I have recently come to view my personal beliefs as a burden, and I attempt to carry it quietly. This wasn't always the case as I was raised Catholic and for a very long time I conducted myself as best I could in an attempt to seem spiritually secure. Since deciding that Catholicism was not for me I've attended a myriad of churches and temples that spanned a solid sample of Eastern and Western religions in an attempt to find a spiritual branch I could latch onto. I've always been fascinated by the faith of others but for one reason or another I've been unable to find a similar faith within myself. I was, and am, discouraged by this but because I truly feel no divine attachment to spirituality I am able to carry on without any concrete inconvenience. The burden I spoke of earlier refers not to my lack of faith but to the growing number of atheists in our society who shun traditional values and carry themselves with an air of undeserved superiority; this is a group of people I want to distance myself from as much as possible.

It would be a relatively safe assumption that the average atheist would feel alienated from Christianity and religious people in general, but in my case I find the opposite to be true as it is other atheists whom I feel truly alienated from. I am proud to be part of a society that was founded on Judeo-Christian principles and in contrast to most atheists I've met I feel that Christianity serves a meaningful purpose in our success as a people. To be honest, if I could somehow discover within myself the capacity to faithfully follow a particular religion, I would happily do so. Christianity has been instrumental in guiding our society's moral compass for centuries and to think that without Christianity America would have achieved the same success is, in my opinion, incredibly misguided. I feel that having faith in a higher power is a beautiful aspect of human nature that unfortunately some of us must do without. However, I refuse to allow my lack of faith dictate where my moral compass points and I choose to lead my life as a person who accepts and embraces the traditions of this country and hopes that the Judeo-Christian principles this country was founded on continue to thrive for generations to come.

Many atheists today carry with them a sense of superiority that naturally isolates them from much of our society. This feeling of superiority is commonly derived from the idea that atheists enjoy a higher sense of awareness, far from the world of make-believe in which most of society resides. I think it is important for atheists to keep in mind that perhaps it is the faithful among us that know something we don't. Belief in a higher power is not a prerequisite for common courtesy and if atheists acted accordingly more often I'm certain that countless useless arguments would be avoided. Of course, there are two sides to every coin and it wouldn't be fair if both weren't at least briefly discussed. Often alienated from the religious majority, years of condemnation can form a defense mechanism amongst the non-religious that manifests itself in the air of superiority many atheists project. Depending on a person's upbringing and environment, often a lack of faith is very much looked down upon and can leave a young atheist with a lot of resentment that evolves into a condescending attitude. I have experienced this urge to condescend firsthand but I always remind myself that it may be my own beliefs that are misguided and regardless of this fact, no one deserves to be patronized for such things.

I choose to distance myself as much as possible from the crowd of atheists who view religion as outdated and prejudice and instead align myself with Christian principles and values, all the while harboring no religious belief structure of my own. It's an odd existence and I often feel divided about my place in society, but I think that if more atheists would conduct themselves with a little more respect for tradition and the values that this country was founded on we could all coexist with a lot less friction. Oddly enough, I see no problem with seeing "In God we Trust" on my coins and saying "One nation under God" in my pledge of allegiance. I love when a stranger offers a "God bless you" and I never mind saying grace before a meal when I'm a guest in someone's home. I don't need to believe in God to appreciate the traditions and sentiment associated with these things, and I wish more atheists felt that way. It is these traditions that have helped make America the beautiful place it is today and it is through the continuation of these traditions that we will continue to prosper as a nation.