Illustration by Josh Hagler

Friday September 21, 2001

To 99 percent of Americans, the thought of gaining political ground on the basis of last week's terrorist attacks is not a viable consideration. But there still lingers that one percent, that shameless group of individuals who show no remorse while allowing their political feelings to supersede what is truly important at the moment.

For the most part, the members of the press handled themselves with class. Other than the whining of ABC's Peter Jennings regarding the location of the president on Sept. 11 (why he flew to an air force base, why he didn't immediately go back to Washington, etc.), and Tom Brokaw repeatedly referring to Bush as "President Clinton," there was little to complain about. The footage shown during the day of the attack of people jumping out of offices in the World Trade Center was in extremely poor taste, but that's another issue.

Going beyond the national media, some people on each side of the political aisle haven't behaved themselves at all. Some are already aware of the disgusting comments presented two days following the attack by Rev. Jerry Falwell, a conservative religious televangelist who doesn't know when to quit running his mouth. While I've never been a fan, I usually give Falwell credit because he always speaks his mind, whether anyone likes it or not. But last week, he crossed the line in a big way.

While making a guest appearance on "The 700 Club," a conservative Christian hosted by fellow televangelist Pat Robertson, Falwell made such idiotic remarks as, "God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve," referring to homosexuals, abortionists and feminists who he claims defy God. He insinuates God allowed these attacks against America. Later in the program, he gets more specific in his criticism, saying "The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked."

And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad.

"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way - all of them who have tried to secularize America - I point the finger in their face and say, 'You helped this happen.'"

The audacity - not to mention timing - of this statement is nothing less than reprehensible and a slap in the face to the vast majority of conservatives who don't even take this garbage into consideration.

Many on the left are also guilty of the same kind of politically oriented speech. In Monday's Wildcat, there was a news piece titled, "March calls for peace, end to racism," which covered a supposed anti-racism march around campus. The rally of approximately 200 students Sept 14 was intended to be a march to help stop prejudice and threats toward Americans of Middle Eastern descent, but turned into nothing short of a far left, anti-military political rally.

One man, an elementary school teacher who decided to bring his two children with him to the event, criticized the government for spending $40 billion in relief funds for the victims when they should have spent the money on public education. A female student decided this would be a good time to advocate women's rights, complaining of the way women were mistreated within the Taliban. A man in the military said American soldiers want peace more than anyone, but would be willing to fight for our country and our freedom - he was booed off the stage.

If any of these people were personally affected by the events on Sept. 11, as some of them claim to be, they would not have attempted to use what happened as a steppingstone to further their politics - especially not three days after the attacks occurred.

The time will come when political debates are relevant once again, but now is not that time. In the spirit of unity, the Young Democrats and College Republicans will be holding a joint voter registration booth on the Mall next week.

The rest of us would be wise to keep this example of the strong, unified American spirit in mind during this time of crisis, and keep politics on the back burner for the time being.