UPDATE at Bottom.
Satire and ridicule has its place, but we must be careful that our satire and our ridicule is properly focused. We should satirize and ridicule the sin, not the sinner. Consider this little joke that a Republican Party office holder passed out to his supporters just in time for Tax Day.
As Long As We’re Talking About Dems.
I got my hands on the opening day schedule for the Democrats’ convention this year. Here it is:
7:00 pm – Opening flag burning
7:15 pm – Pledge of Allegiance to the U.N.
7:20 pm – Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
7:25 pm – Non-religious prayer
7:35 pm – Ceremonial tree hugging
7:45 pm – Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
7:55 pm – How I Invented the Internet – Al Gore
8:15 pm – Civil Union Ceremony – Barney Frank presiding
8:35 pm – Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
8:40 pm – Our Troops are War Criminals – John Kerry
9:00 pm – Saddam Memorial Rally – Cindy Sheehan and Susan Sarandon
11:00 pm -Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
11:15 pm – Free the Freedom Fighters from Guantanamo Bay – Sean Penn
11:30 pm – Oval Office Affairs – William Jefferson Clinton
11:45 pm – Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
11:50 pm – How George Bush Brought Down the World Trade Towers – Howard Dean and Rosie O’Donnell
12:15 am – Truth in Broadcasting Award Presented to Dan Rather by Michael Moore
12:30 am – Satellite address by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
12:40 am – Nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton by Nancy Pelosi
12:43 am – Speech & Toast by Hugo Chavez to the departure of the Great Satan, G.W. Bush
12:50 am – Hillary proposes a toast to our 89 million new illegal Democratic voters
1:00 am – Ted Kennedy proposes a toast to the extinction of the Republican Party
1:05 am – Coronation of Hillary Rodham Clinton
1:30 am – Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
1:35 am – Bill Clinton asks Ted Kennedy to drive Hillary home
What is the problem with this little joke? Well, instead of ridiculing bad policies or foolish behavior, it ridicules specific people. This sort of humor and ridicule tends to backfire. Instead, chasing one’s opponents from the field of ideological battle, it unites one’s opponents in angry fury.
Look at the conservatives who succeed. Bob Marshall sticks to the issues. Fighting for principles, not against people, he takes the battle to the opposition, and he often wins.
Consider Bill Bolling. He is soft spoken and avoids casting negative aspersions. He strikes most people as reasonable. He does not go out of his way to antagonize people, but he wins elections, and he is a dependable conservative vote.
When we see someone taken with a bad idea or exercising bad principles, we should point to the bad behavior and its consequences. However, it is not our place or our job to condemn anyone personally. We were put here to love God and each other. We were put here to follow the Lord’s example and to set a good example for each other. We were not put here to hate each other.
UPDATE: Some Good Examples
After I got a comment, it occurred to me that I had given a bad example, but I had not given a good example. I like political humor; I just do not care for pointless ridicule. So here we go.
Chuck Asay (from here) is one of my favorite political cartoonists. He does not ridicule. He puts ideas in perspective.
In the cartoon above, Asay has drawn our presidential candidates realistically. If cartoon is effective, it is because Asay has the candidates expressing their own thoughts. Asay takes issue with their ideas, not the candidates themselves.
In this cartoon (above), the characters are doing a dangerous job. No one is ridiculed. The point is obvious. When coal mining is so dangerous, does it make sense to ban nuclear power?
In deference to the commenter, and because I like Steve Kelly’s work too (from here), here is one more cartoon. Because joke is on all of us, it makes fun of no one. Instead, it helps to lighten the burden we all share.
I get your point, but political humor and satire are my favorite topics. I like little stories that have a political or satirical punchline.
Steve Kelly, formerly of the San Diego Tribune, now in New Orleans, draws some of the funniest political cartoons, ever.
I agree entirely with the premise that we need more discussions about solutions and less slinging of insults.
I suppose we could have both humor and substantive discussions…
For an interesting read on this subject:
Political Humor by Charles E. Shutz (not Schultz)
J. Tyler Ballance – I will have to check out the book.
Keep in mind that I am not against humor. After seeing your comment, it occurs to me that I ought to have given an example of a good political joke.
FWIW, that particular “agenda” has been circulating the Internet for several years now. It was funny the first time I saw it. Now it’s just kind of old.
I get what you’re saying. But the thing about satire is that it must have an element of truth, and this list certainly does.
Mike – The joke does have an element of truth. That is not the problem with it. The problem is the aim of the joke. It encourages us to laugh at people, not at ourselves or at the silliness of an idea.
When a politician runs for office, he (or she) has a range of choices. He can elevate his own credentials, degrade his opponent, or do both. The first choice is the only honorable choice. In addition, if that politician truly wants a mandate and the respect of the voters, the first choice is the only choice that will give him what he wants.
When a conservative candidate attacks his opponent personally, he also increases his own chance of losing. When a conservative attacks his opponent, he gives his opponent the opportunity to avoid discussing the issues. When liberal is attacked personally, he can toss logic out the window. All he has to do is prove that he cares more about the People and that his conservative opponent is a negative campaigning meanie.