(Part 1 of the three-part series: What We Really Need Now is “No”)

Just when I had almost purged the memory from my mind, the “pregnant man” re-emerged in the pop culture zeitgeist, and reminded me (as if I needed reminding) that the world is on the brink of losing whatever shred of rational bearings it still has left.

The pregnant man. Oh, the pregnant man. “He” (aka Thomas Beatie, formerly Tracy Beatie) first made waves last spring when (s)he appeared on Oprah, with a beard and a pregnant belly. (S)he gave birth to a baby girl last summer, which (s)he plans to raise with his/her wife/lesbian, Nancy. To read about the sordid biological minutia of all this, just google “Thomas Beatie Pregnant Man.”

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Proposition 8 would not have passed if it had not been for LDS (Mormon) money and manpower. For their hard work as participants in the process, this small religious group received some of the worst attacks of the political season. They were demonized and stereotyped by opponents of Proposition 8 and sometimes by the mainstream media.

Within the Republican Party the areas dominated by LDS members delivered for John McCain and Sarah Palin. Though not a monolith (paging Mormon Senate Leader Reid), the LDS are some of the most consistent pro-family voters in the nation. Prop 8 did not win on their votes (that took millions of people), but one reason it won was their know how and fervor.

Despite this fact at times a plausible Mormon presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, was the subject of unfair religious scrutiny. (Some forms of scrutiny of religion are fair, but some are just bigoted. Distinctions start here.) Too often people they have supported in the past were weak in their condemnation of such bigotry.

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Call me old fashioned, but I think it's time to start teaching morality again.  You know, like they did in the old days, only without the use of certain devices designed to elicit compliance, such as the rack, chastity belts, and wooden spanking paddles like the one my junior high gym teacher, Mr. Creel, used to carry around like a trophy.

The reason I'm floating this idea isn't because of the really nasty immoral stuff we continually see all around us, stuff perpetrated by rapists, murderers, and Reality TV producers.  Although these folks seem to grab an inordinate share of attention, both from the media and our criminal courts, they represent maybe three percent of the population, and with rare exception they are probably unredeemable. 

No, I'm thinking of a much larger percentage of people, decent folks who really would like to make good moral choices, but for the lack of some quality instruction, they sometimes have trouble distinguishing right from wrong and think nothing of the negative consequences of their actions.

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Wednesday night I was on a panel for a live simulcast at The Rock Church (San Diego) on proposition 8, which Californians will vote on next month. Prop 8 will overturn the recent ruling by California judges to allow same-sex marriage. While the economy and VP debates have been dominating the news headlines recently, this is one of the most important votes in the upcoming election. Let me respond briefly to the three questions I was asked.

Question 1:  Same-sex marriage doesn't do anything to me. Why should I be against it?

SEAN: When confronted with an ethical dilemma, we naturally ask how it affects us. But as responsible citizens who make choices that deeply affect other people, we should first ask, “What is best for society as a whole.” I don’t just have a responsibility to myself, but to others as well. That’s the essence of the golden rule.

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I recently learned about a book that some of you may already be familiar with.  It is called My Beautiful Mommy.  The website advertising this book summarizes the book this way, "Join a young girl as her Mommy goes through her plastic surgery experience, and learn how the entire family pitches in to help Mommy achieve her beautiful results."

Now here is a true sign of our times.  We now have a book to educate our children about plastic surgery once mommy has her mommy-makeover.  Because Lord knows we had better be sensitive about this sort of thing.  We wouldn't want our beauty enhancements to be mis-understood or anything.  Sheesh...

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Russian desires in Georgia are no riddle.

There is no question that Putin desires to restore Russian hegemony over those parts of the old Russian Empire and the Soviet Union where demographics and geography makes this possible. Georgia is one such place. While Georgia is a friend of the United States and is (on the whole) more free than Russia, it cannot defend itself against a concerted Russian attack. Geographically it is a hard place for America to help.

If Russia wants Georgia, then the bear will get her, but we don’t have to be happy about it.

Our response to Georgia must be more nineteenth century than twentieth.

Russia is trying to revive the “great game” amongst the powers in one the few regions where she can still play it. The clever British and French nineteenth century strategy of condemnation, arming her foes, and coaxing her to better behavior through flattery of elements of the aristocracy that aped British and French manners is a good strategy for us to follow.

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I love a bargain. Early in my adult life, when I was a struggling actress trying to make ends meet, I was a regular at Wal-Mart. I could (and still can) buy anything there. Make-up... clothing... household goods... gardening supplies... food... hardware... furniture... electronics... you name it. I used to come out smiling, eager to get home and clip the tags off my new purchases.

However, over the past few years, as I have learned more about the ins and outs of how these low prices are possible, I have changed my mind.

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You’d think we’d be tired of it by now, all the hide-and-seek sexual storylines between powerful people and the intern/nanny/prostitute/co-worker. We know what kind of shrapnel it sprays into the media marketplace—the thousands of editorial columns, the scramble for a photo, the hiring of public relations experts, and the scripted confession.

I’ve lived through quite a few decades of it now. The couplings come in many shapes and sizes, and the media coverage is proportional to the paradox of its partners; in other words, a televangelist with a salvation message and a centerfold is irresistible. A sermonizing governor and his call girl is spellbinding. The leader of the free world risking it all for a giggling intern is astonishing.

So now we have another one. Same old story. New details. Why do we still care? Fifteen minutes of scrolling around the internet reveal that most of our reactions fall into one of four categories: moral, political, scientific, or emotional. The moralists say, Look at that—another weak leader shows us his natural depravity. I’m so glad I’m righteous. The political analysts examine the fallout: How does this impact public opinion, the party, the campaign? The scientists try to explain to us the brain circuitry that allows men to stray and women to stay. And finally, the emotional PTSD folks are reminded of their own personal scumbag stories and tell the wives to kick ‘em to the curb.

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Or Our Very Religious and Somewhat Racist Nation

Standing in the entrance of Disneyland, I have often seen small children crying when their parents try to take them through the arches that lead into the main part of the park. At first I was puzzled by this strange reaction to the Happiest Place on Earth until it happened with my own children when they were small.

My wife and I discovered that the children were heartbroken to leave the most beautiful place (from a child’s perspective) that they had ever been. The entrance to Disneyland has flowers, lights, a train, and music they loved. Why leave?

We knew it was better, but they did not. Of course as parents we gently tried to help them let go of the one good place in order to go someplace so much better, but often they did not want to go and so the old good became a bad thing keeping them from better.

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If you want to know why we initiated the Purple State project, look no further than the murders committed Sunday morning at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church.   While 25 children sang songs from “Annie,” the gunman fired three blasts from a shotgun.    The seven people shot and two people murdered are the latest victims of the culture war.  

Sadly, this wasn’t the first shooting to occur at a house of worship in America and not likely to be the last.   Do we remember the four teenagers and three adults who were murdered at Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas in 1999?   Two more died at New Life Church in Colorado Springs last December.   (And as a nation we continue to support the right to shoot others over sane gun control policies).  

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