You're Damned If You Do
Wow. My last post generated 12 comments so far. That's nearly 12 times what I get on average.
So, from now on I'll only blog about Al Gore. People love to talk about him and disagree with me.
Speaking of, in one post, I was able to get people to disagree with me who have very opposite ideas about climate change, politics, and religion. Does this mean I'm somewhere in the middle?
I love it when people get incited and find messengers to shoot. It's a great phenomenon that is very helpful for getting things done and changed.
If you hate Al Gore, then it doesn't matter what his electric bill is or if he poops in compost toilets while living in a windmill. You may be a little happier when you fall asleep at night if you found out that he single-uses towels or replaces light bulbs daily and then crushes up the old ones and puts them in peanut butter sandwiches that he and Tipper take to homeless shelters every Wednesday.
Or, if you just want people to make a difference, you realize that Al is doing good things and you just try to highlight them. You can adjust for size and money what he spends on electricity. Yes, his very large house uses a lot of electricity. That's his choice that the sweet freedom of America brings. However, when measuring electricity, one should not look at the money spent. Once should look at nonrenewable resources used.
So, for those of you who think the Gores should move to a one-bedroom efficiency apartment and do all of their reading during the day (so they don't need to turn on any lights), where are your windmills and solar panels? Where is your air conditioner (I hope you don't have one)? Where is your hybrid?
And for those who think Gore's behavior negates the research done on climate change, gimme a break. Did you abandon baseball because Barry Bonds pumps his arteries full of cow hormones to hit homeruns? Did you abandon politics because of Watergate, White Water, or Iraq? Did you abandon flying because of terrorists or pilot error?
If you're someone, who doesn't enjoy sports, or vote, or travel, bravo. I would love to meet you in your isolation and give you a prize.
But, if you live in the real world, then you know that no one is perfect and the actions of one do not brand a group. You know that not everyone can be Superman or Wonder Woman or Jack Bauer or Oprah.
If you live in the real world, you know that things matter like your family, your job, your home, your legacy, and your neighborhood. And while we'd all like to be hybrid-driving, non-judgmental, freedom-loving, perfect people, we're not.
But we do all have 24 hours everyday. And at the end of them, we look back and wish we'd done things differently. We celebrate the small victories (like loving someone different than us, or recycling our morning newspapers) and we try to do it again tomorrow.
So before you string Al Gore up for all to see, or before you think that his electric bill or his boringness are killing baby seals, celebrate the good he (and you) is doing and try to do the same.
Blaming someone else is not an excuse for your inaction.
So, from now on I'll only blog about Al Gore. People love to talk about him and disagree with me.
Speaking of, in one post, I was able to get people to disagree with me who have very opposite ideas about climate change, politics, and religion. Does this mean I'm somewhere in the middle?
I love it when people get incited and find messengers to shoot. It's a great phenomenon that is very helpful for getting things done and changed.
If you hate Al Gore, then it doesn't matter what his electric bill is or if he poops in compost toilets while living in a windmill. You may be a little happier when you fall asleep at night if you found out that he single-uses towels or replaces light bulbs daily and then crushes up the old ones and puts them in peanut butter sandwiches that he and Tipper take to homeless shelters every Wednesday.
Or, if you just want people to make a difference, you realize that Al is doing good things and you just try to highlight them. You can adjust for size and money what he spends on electricity. Yes, his very large house uses a lot of electricity. That's his choice that the sweet freedom of America brings. However, when measuring electricity, one should not look at the money spent. Once should look at nonrenewable resources used.
So, for those of you who think the Gores should move to a one-bedroom efficiency apartment and do all of their reading during the day (so they don't need to turn on any lights), where are your windmills and solar panels? Where is your air conditioner (I hope you don't have one)? Where is your hybrid?
And for those who think Gore's behavior negates the research done on climate change, gimme a break. Did you abandon baseball because Barry Bonds pumps his arteries full of cow hormones to hit homeruns? Did you abandon politics because of Watergate, White Water, or Iraq? Did you abandon flying because of terrorists or pilot error?
If you're someone, who doesn't enjoy sports, or vote, or travel, bravo. I would love to meet you in your isolation and give you a prize.
But, if you live in the real world, then you know that no one is perfect and the actions of one do not brand a group. You know that not everyone can be Superman or Wonder Woman or Jack Bauer or Oprah.
If you live in the real world, you know that things matter like your family, your job, your home, your legacy, and your neighborhood. And while we'd all like to be hybrid-driving, non-judgmental, freedom-loving, perfect people, we're not.
But we do all have 24 hours everyday. And at the end of them, we look back and wish we'd done things differently. We celebrate the small victories (like loving someone different than us, or recycling our morning newspapers) and we try to do it again tomorrow.
So before you string Al Gore up for all to see, or before you think that his electric bill or his boringness are killing baby seals, celebrate the good he (and you) is doing and try to do the same.
Blaming someone else is not an excuse for your inaction.
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Comments (6)
9:42 AM
Hey Sam,
I am a frequent reader of your blog and subscriber to CoolPeopleCare.org. Perhaps your right about all this environmental stuff and Captain Planet (erh. Al Gore) should be hailed as our global savior. Or may global weather patterns fluctuate from time to time. Perhaps what we have learned from the hundred years or so of our weather science is that every 40 to 50 years temperatures go up and then go down globally. What would really scare us is that micro-organisms in the ocean might have more to do with our atmosphere than what we could ever do. I don’t know. What I do know is that you can’t be against homosexuality and then get caught in a long term relationship with a male prostitute. You can’t live in Alaska and complain about the long winters. And you can’t be the leader of the environmental movement and then use that much electricity, fly around in private jets, and live in giant castle above approach. Christians should be better stewards of the environment. That is one of our jobs (see genesis). We should also look for ways to make the world a better place. This isn’t by smacking Al Gore in the face. Perhaps we need a new leader. Someone who is willing to say enough is enough and then make the necessary sacrifices required to be that leader. Don’t you make sacrifices every day to become the person you think you should be. Forgive us who feel that Captain Planet isn’t measuring up to his ideal.
Brandon
12:44 PM
Jack Bauer's not real?
GEEZ ... I guess next you'll tell me that Macgyver and Walker, TX Ranger aren't either ...
Hank Hill, Matlock, ... the list goes on and on.
My life is one big disappointment, as Sam shatters my reality one post at a time.
Think I'll put in some compact fluorescent bulbs, which are FULL of mercury and have to recharged at a facility 100 miles from here or disposed of at an expense greater than the cost of the bulbs themselves, lest I ruin the soil with my new bulbs.
That'll make me feel better.
1:00 PM
Rob-
There is no need to drag Walker, TX Ranger into this. I assume you only disgraced the name of Chuck Norris out of anger. Therefore, I forgive you.
Sam
2:43 PM
He's not talking about Chuck Norris, Sam. He's talking about Ricky Bobby's sons. ;)
1:44 AM
oh contraire. i AM wonder woman
11:24 PM
Hi Sam,
As a graduate student (at your school, in your NT class) who reads your blog and drives a hybrid car, I'm alarmed by the the comments in your post and in a couple of responses that hybrid cars "ain't cheap" and "everyone would drive one if we could afford them." My car was not the cheapest thing I've ever bought, but it certainly wasn't expensive as far as cars go. I thought it was important to have a hybrid car, so I got one, and now anyone who sees it says, "Ooooh, a hybrid car," or makes the rubbing-fingers-together gesture to indicate that I must have huge financial backing to afford such a vehicle. I don't. I have a reasonable car payment and a car that doesn't use very much gas. How did hybrid cars suddenly become status symbols? This is not what I was after when I bought it. And making a big deal about how expensive hybrid cars are doesn't help things, because number one, they're not necessarily expensive (in the grand scheme), and two, caring about what your car does to the environment shouldn't be relegated to elitist categories. Let's just encourage everyone to try to get one at some point. Once hybrid cars become class symbols - or even worse, symbols of "the left" - then we all lose.
mmr
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