IMPORTANT DOC W A FEW GENERALIZATIONS& A FEW UNDEVELOPED POINTS
April 9, 2024
THIS IS CERTAINLY AN IMPORTANT DOCUMENTARY BECAUSE IT SHOWED HOW RELIGION & THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT HAVE BEEN CO-OPTED BY A FEW POWERFUL- & OFTEN RICH- LEADERS FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL AGENDA. PERHAPS THE MOST FRIGHTENING MOMENT CAME WHEN STEWART COPELAND REACTED SO ANGRILY WHEN A FEMALE QUESTIONED HIM ABOUT CALLING OTHER PEOPLE "DEMONS." INSTEAD OF CALMLY EXPLAINING THAT HE HAD BEEN MISQUOUTED (WHICH IS POSSIBLE), COPELAND GOT SUCH AN ANGRY & WILD LOOK IN HIS EYES & STARTED SHAKING HIS FINGER AT HER. I FELT THE SAME WAY IN THE FILM CLIPS OF PAUL WEYRICH. I FIRST SAW HIM BEING INTERVIEWED BY TOM SNYDER ON THE OLD "TOMORROW" TV SHOW WAY BACK IN 1980. WHEN MR. SNYDER ASKED HIM IF HE THOUGHT THAT A WOMAN WHO HAS AN ABORTION WAS COMMITTING MURDER, MR. WEYRICH SAID, "YES," AND, WHEN SOME MEMBERS OF THE STUDIO AUDIENCE STARTED GROANING, HE SAID, "I'M SORRY IF THAT SHOCKS ANYONE." HOW I WISH HE HAD RESPONDED BY SAYING, "NO WAY! THE WOMAN IS A VICTIM, TOO!" AND, OF COURSE, NOOONE COMES ACROSS ANGRIER THAN DONALD TRUMP. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW ANY RELIGIOUS PERSON COULD SUPPORT SOMEONE WHO MOCKED A PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED REPORTER, & ALSO BRAGGED ABOUT SEXUALLY ASSAULTING WOMEN, & , WHEN THAT INFORMATION BECAME PUBLIC, HE REFUSED TO APOLOGIZE, & CALLED IT "JUST LOCKER ROOM TALK." I ALSO THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO BRING UP JERRY FALWELL'S ONE-TIME SUPPORT FOR SEGREGATION & ALSO THE HATEFUL REMARKS HE MADE ABOUT GAYS, PAGANS, & FEMINISTS AFTER THE 9/11 TERRORIST ATTACKS. BUT PERHAPS THE FILM SHOULD ALSO HAVE MENTIONED THAT FALWELL LATER CONDEMNED THE LATE, UNLAMENTED FRED ("GOD HATES FAGS") & STRESSED AT THAT TIME THAT PEOPLE SHOULD LOVE GAY PEOPLE. PERHAPS FALWELL WAS TRING TO ATONE FOR HIS PREVIOUS ANTI-GAY REMARKS. (I DON'T KNOW IF HE EVER TRIED TO ATONE FOR HIS SUPPORT OF SEGREGATION). ALSO, I DON'T THINK THAT JON FAVREAU, THE FORMER SPEECH WRITER FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA, SOULD HAVE REFERRED TO PRO-LIFERS AS "RIGHT WING" BECAUSE MANY PRO-LIFERS SUPPORT LIBERAL CAUSES LIKE OPPOSITION TO CAPITAL PUNISHMENT & SUPPORT FOR GUN CONTROL & THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT & THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT. BUT, THEN AGAIN, THIS DOCUMENTARY DID WHAT GOOD DOCUMENTARIES ARE SUPPOSED TO DO: IT MADE US THINK ABOUT- & DEBATE- THE ISSUES THAT WERE RAISED.