[Rick Nebiolo]

John,

You wrote: " Rick, I read the rest of Noonan's speech,"

If it sounds like a speech it should, since she wrote it in the form of a letter to her friend.

"and, of course, I can't find much to praise, except perhaps for her admiration of Adlai Stevenson, who once said, "In America anybody can grow up to be president. That's just the chance you'll have to take." (Isn't that enough to merit admiration?)

Stevenson was good with words. BTW, in the fifties' the Democrats were a different party. I would have voted with them back then.

"Note her highly unethical wording when she calls the Democrats the pro-abortion party."

She actually wrote: " but a party of often warring pressure groups. The pro-abortion lobby, the affirmative-action lobby, other lobbies.

I agree that pro-life lobby would have been better, but it isn't highly unethical. That issue uses polarizing rhetoric on both sides.

"Wouldn't you object if I called the Republicans the anti-women party.'

Yes. It would be a cheap shot and an unfair analogy. So called "woman's issues" aren't as ideological or polarized as the abortion (ok, right to chose) issue. There are many woman's issues (or issues that have greater importance to women in general), and in many cases the conservative or Republican positions on issues are favored by women.

"Furthermore, she attempts to polarize an issue that many Americans really aren't that extreme about to begin with. Remember, polls show that 70% of Americans favor a woman's right to choose, but also oppose abortion as a means of birth control. Noonan, though, can't seem to accept this, and her stance should provoke readers to question her inflammatory rhetoric."

Read the following passage again.

" The Democratic Party has grown not less radical on abortion, but more. Your party won't even agree to ban third-term abortions--which is the abortion of a baby who looks and seems fully human and capable of life because he is. The Democrats oppose parental consent even in the cases of 14-year-olds who are themselves children. It opposes directing doctors to inform frightened young women before an abortion is performed that there are other options, other possible paths.

This is so radical. So out of touch with the feeling and thought of the vast middle of the country. So at odds with our self-image as a nation. We think we try to protect the vulnerable. We think we're kind.

Read stripped of your filter, Noonan's comments are reasonable IMO. The Democrats are the party out of touch here.

"She also asserts that Democrats are snobs--and, losing all credulity, uses busing in Boston to make her case."

She primarily makes her case using gun control and other issues. She makes a good case IMO.

"In another end run, she accuses the Dems of robbing poor people through unjust taxes."

I reread the essay. I can't find anything remotely resembling what you alluded to above. Perhaps a quote from the text would help me.

(Conveniently, she can't quite remember if she gave the poor woman who had lost her money a handout. Yet, her memory seems not to have failed her when recalling other significant moments from her past.)

At first, her not remembering giving the women money struck me as odd too. But I just rethought this. My guess she probably gave the woman money and probably remembers it. But she might have wanted to sound self-effacing, and decided to write that "I helped her report it and I think I gave her money."


"Andy has already provided trenchant commentary on Noonan's association of the Democrats with Mao, et al., and I think you must even find her position at least vague here, if not completely duplicitious."

Maybe.

"I think, though, what bothers me most about Noonan's writing--and much conservative rhetoric as well--is the buried claim that the past was--and always will be--better than the present."

Well, I can't argue with buried claims. I'd just like to see you address the specific passages above.

<snip more "buried claim of the past" stuff>

"yet, she can't remember if she gave the woman on the subway a few bucks. I'd remember, and I know you would, too."

I may or may not remember (I'm very worried about losing memory these days), but I might very well write it the same way as Noonan did unless giving the money was central to the story. I'm self-effacing [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] as you well know.

BTW, we should get Andy and Nancy online on this forum to join the argument. Getting together once every few years in their kitchen just isn't enough. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Regards,

Rick "the imbecile"