Recent Comments

1. almost 15 years ago on Ted Rall

   I like Ted Rall’s comics. I like that they are provocative and irreverent. I like that he pokes fun at both the right and the left. I like that he’s been critical of Obama lately. Also, I have no love for Michael Jackson. I loved his music when I was 11 years old but I outgrew that a long time ago. I think Michael was ultimately a sad character- robbed of his childhood, abused by his father, forced to grow up in the spotlight. I don’t think this excuses all of his behavior, but it does help to explain some of it. Now, was MJ a child molester as Rall’s comic asserts? I don’t think he was. I’ve read ideas and looked at the available facts of the allegations and it seems more likely that he was the victim of his own naivety and the cunning of some shrewd gold diggers. I would generally expect Ted Rall to be more informed about this. There’s plenty of approaches that Rall could have taken to make a comic about the passing of MJ and the stupid media attention that it is getting. Unfortunately, Mr. Rall has missed the mark completely on this one. Too bad, as he is usually very insightful and funny.

2. almost 15 years ago on Ted Rall

   @deadheadzan, I guess that clinches it. The world now has irrefutable proof of some kind of life after death and the presence of spirits. Or, it could just be that you and your dad believe similar stuff and had similar grief induced hallucinations. Naw, that can’t be it. Nope. Proof positive of the supernatural. Next time can you get it on video for the rest of us? Thanks for sharing. :-p

3. almost 15 years ago on Ted Rall

   @progan01

   I can only see one angle by which I might be missing the point. And that is if you believe he’s promoting the idea, as put forth by Sam Harris, that we shouldn’t even need a word for atheism the way we don’t need a word for people who don’t believe in astrology.

   However, as you said, we live in a ‘god haunted’ country and atheists are alienated and therefore looking for sympathetic companionship. In light of this, I think that the 4th panel of the strip clinches my interpretation- Rall is mocking atheists for forming communities. His point here is misguided.

   BTW- what the blerg does Rall’s misguided mocking of atheist groups have to do with whether or not neocons or the “Christianists” owe us an apology?

4. almost 15 years ago on Ted Rall

   I’m a regular Ted Rall reader and normally I love his stuff. But, this comic is just wrong, so wrong that I had to go to his website, get his email address, and send him a note. Also, so wrong that I would also like to post the email I sent him as a comment here:

   Hi. I love your comics. Most of the time you are spot on and giving it to both the right and the left while being hilarious at the same time.

   You’re May 16, 2009 comic on atheism, however misses the point entirely. It is funny, but, the point that it seems to be making is that atheists are somehow disingenuous if they choose to espouse their convictions and to form communities. It’s like you’re trying to say that only theists should form communities. Well, unfortunately, you’re just simply wrong about this.

   I was raised as a Mormon. It took me 24 years to figure out what a twisted wreck of deceptions Mormonism is. But, once I left Mormonism, there was a void in my life- and that void was community. So, I sought community without dogmatism. I spent a decade attending a Unitarian Universalist congregation. The UUs do a pretty good job of building a church-like community where anyone who is open minded can come and be together. It was only after I saw the politics of the place, realizing that the minister was running the show and subverting the democratic process (something that UUs hold dear), that I decided to take a sabbatical from my UU congregation. But, I still wanted community, and this time I wanted community with atheists. So I sought out the local atheist group. It’s been two years now, and it’s not as big or exciting of a community as the UU congregation, but it’s growing and getting better.

   I hope you’ll forgive me for indulging in sharing a little of my personal history. I only hoped that telling a little of my story might help you see that the point that you’re making in your comic was flawed. It was funny, but flawed.

   Also, if non-golfers were subjected to the daily barrage of pro-golf propaganda like the pro-religion propagand that we non-theists are subjected to daily in the U.S., you would see communities of non-golfers spring up- if only so that the non-golfers could commiserate with each other about how sick and tired they are of hearing about golf. The addage about misery loving company doesn’t always mean that miserable people will try to make others miserable. Sometimes it means that we seek out others who know our pain so that we can support one another.

   Thanks for listening. Keep up the good work. And, please, consider printing a retraction.