Comment Archives: stories: Columns: Last 30 Days
Re: “Charlotte's Catholic liberals are wary of Bishop Peter Jugis”
Why did John Grooms wait to the end of the piece to clarify he's a "lapsed Catholic"? He makes mention that Salon.com's Joan Walsh is also Catholic. Part of the problem in the debates about the HHS mandate, the redefinition of marriage and abortion is the constant opinion of so called "Catholics". I tend to think of it as on par with Taco Bell being authentically Mexican. Taco Bell may play to the image and have a Chihuahua on their ads, a Hispanic person with a new meal, but ask any real Mexican or Hispanic about their food and they'll tell you "ah, that ain't Mexican, or that ain't Hispanic". The "Chinese food" we eat is something you will not really see in China or most Chinese eat, it's an American "idea of Chinese food". John Grooms, Joan Walsh, Nancy Pelosi, Kathleen Sebelius, Joe Biden, etc are not REAL CATHOLICS they are only an "idea of Catholics". If you do not believe the Catholic Church was instituted by Jesus Christ and has authority, the Pope has authority and is the vicar of Christ, the only place for sex is in a marriage between a man and a woman (anything else is a mortal sin), contraception is a mortal sin because it is a deliberate rejection of the life giving aspect of sex, the Real Presence etc, then guess what? YOU'RE NOT CATHOLIC! Being baptized in the Catholic Church, attending Mass weekly or every now and then, being in a ministry, etc, those things are PART of Catholicism, but by far not the core of it, especially if you don't BELIEVE! So please, be sincere and honest. To say you're Catholic but support infanticide, redefining marriage to accommodate persons with same-sex attraction, sex divorced from the natural law is about as ridiculous as a Vegan who eats animal flesh and dairy but calls himself vegan because he sometimes doesn't eat meat and has a vegan book and attended a few of their meetings. John Grooms, please be sincere and honest with yourself first so you can be so with others. If you do not believe the teachings of the Catholic Church, then you're not Catholic. It kills me how people can believe certain teachings and doctrines of the Catholic Church are wrong and evil BUT STILL CALL THEMSELVES CATHOLIC! What???? Are you serious? In a country where there are thousands of Christian church's with different beliefs, different religions or no religion, you continue to sit and be part of an institution that you believe to be heavily flawed. Where are your principles? Do you have any?
Re: “Bright yet bittersweet goodbye”
Mark, I hadn't seen this until today. I really enjoyed your work on CL. I wish you and Tarrah the absolute best. I know CL remains in good hands with terrific people like Ana and Matt Brunson on staff. Again, all the best to you, my friend.
- Arthur Murray
Re: “A former zombie model becomes editor”
Congrats on the new gig, Kim! Could not have happened to a nicer, more talented person :-)
Re: “A former zombie model becomes editor”
Can't wait to see what Creative Loafing has to offer next! When I moved here it was the first resource I used to learn where the nightlife was happening, the hottest places to eat and catch up on local news. I've always enjoyed articles and reviews written by Kim Lawson and other CL staff. I can already see the efforts to expand the growth of the Loaf in recent weeks! I couldn't be more excited to see what develops in the future!
Re: “Questions about disability”
Thank you so much for your thorough and thoughtful comment msmelrichard! I especially liked what you said about how we'd view these individuals if society didn't dictate that they were disabled. It's given me a lot to think about. Thanks again!
Re: “Questions about disability”
My brother has cerebral palsy, so I don't really notice when there are others around who are disabled. If someone speaks to me directly that is disabled (I've worked in several restaurants, etc), I treat them like anyone else unless it's clear they need me to slow down, explain more clearly, and then I do but not in a condescending way, just as I would with a person who has never been in a Starbucks and didn't know the difference between a latte and a drip brew. Again, I grew up around not only my brother, but people from his summer camps, Special Olympics teams, etc. so it's kind of second nature. Also, my kids have been around their uncle since their birth, so they have the same kind of inherent acceptance, I think.
My brother has never commented on what it feels like to be stared at...I don't know if he even acknowledges or cares. He's extremely happy and content with life, likes to talk to lots of people, so he works on a college campus where he can meet and talk to lots and lots of people, and he LOVES it. If he's ever been treated differently or poorly, he's never ever mentioned it. Like I said, I don't know if it's even on his radar is someone is staring.
Don't pity them. Admire them, and even envy them a little. My brother seems to have sailed through his teens and twenties with an enormous social life with no worry about what he's going to wear or who's talking about whom or keeping up on gossip...he's SO in the moment it's glorious! He's never met someone he can't befriend in just a few moments. His disability seems to break down social barriers and he has a charm that radiates through it so that he can make anyone smile. That's a gift, and many of his disabled friends are the same way! It's like...if society didn't dictate that they were disabled, perhaps we would think they are actually above us in some way, with their endless love and boundless enthusiasm, curiosity, and zest for life!
To help with your kids, see if you can't volunteer, as a family, with a local Special Olympics or some other event or organization for the disabled. Immersion is key, as I've found with my kids...if you plunge them into an environment, they'll adapt way quicker than you and quicker than you would imagine they could! My kids have volunteered at food banks, shelters, and many other organizations where they are surrounded by people of all different races, backgrounds, etc.
Good luck, and thanks for being sensitive and empathetic enough to reach out and want to help your kids be more compassionate! Great mom!
Re: “Are the Avett Brothers America's last great rock band?”
I've tried to like the Avett Brothers; really, I have. They seem to be all the rage...like pop country from Nashville. Sure, some of the lyrics are good, it's just too bad you have to wade through all of the whiny, over stressed vocals and music that sounds like someone trying to remember what a MTV reality show soundtrack would be with a banjo.
Re: “GOP turns N.C. government into a whorehouse”
Sorry, but we kicked out a bunch of the whores over the past several elections and sent a couple to jail. What we have are responsible people who know how to read a financial statememt and are trying to keep us out of the same mess that too many states and the Federal Government find themselves in. In addition they are unwilling to sell our state out to the Fed Gov by borrowing money we can't easily pay back.