tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808754396447197712.post1370835926253497350..comments2024-01-13T06:54:21.252-06:00Comments on Shelf Inflicted: Banned Books Week, Censorship, and the High Price of ApathyDan Schwenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09430857663521602751noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808754396447197712.post-19625235453436168352013-09-26T09:24:29.204-05:002013-09-26T09:24:29.204-05:00I agree with all of the above, most particularly t...I agree with all of the above, most particularly the dry part. But, and this is crucial, the right-wingnut hysteria machine cranked up over gay marriage and it worked a treat on so many fronts. The annoying part for the wingnuts is they didn't get to stop the brainwashing of the post-1980 generation, so the people in power for the next ~30 years simply don't care about the issue. This book, though, is based exactly on what the idiots bray about publicly.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15481936090455797869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6808754396447197712.post-63604153150922184172013-09-26T07:32:25.428-05:002013-09-26T07:32:25.428-05:00Christian Nation was an interesting book of ideas,...Christian Nation was an interesting book of ideas, and one that did great job of following through on the implications of its premise, but I found it flawed in a number of areas.<br /><br />It bothered me that so much of the story depended upon coincidences, well-timed accidents, and government sanctioned murder. I also had an issue with the the almost single-minded focus on the evils of male homosexuality. It's Islamic terrorists hanging around airports with rocket launchers that initially polarize the nation, but they're quickly forgotten about in the need to stop gay men from kissing in public. Don't get me wrong, I get what Rich was doing in making the core struggle an internal one for the America people (The Blessing was probably the creepiest damn thing I've ever read about), but it felt like a significant plot thread was just forgotten about.<br /><br />As a cautionary tale and a philosophical exploration of what happens when the lines between church and state are erased, it was a fascinating read. It was a bit too dry to really be entertaining, but it was interesting to see how easily we can be convinced to give our freedoms away.Bob/Sallyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07830145891314387373noreply@blogger.com