Can Anyone Read This Without Thinking The Words?

- An Obama Campaign Picture -

When I learned the message and meaning behind this T-shirt originated with the campaign managers of the person who is, arguably, the most powerful person alive on this planet, I was disappointed. I want to believe "innocence" and naivete" is behind it, but I suspect the "store" selling it at barakobama.com has it front-and-center for good reason. It appeals to the limit-pushing, line-dancing, edge-walking rebellion lurking in the most base aspects of human nature....so it commands attention.

I believe in free speech. I also expect those who are the best of us, the leaders among us, will do our best to lift public discourse and sensibilities; I don't assume our leaders will intentionally drag us to the very edge of civility.

When the Vice President spoke to the President in front of an open mic and said the words "behind" this little acronym, I thought, "Great. What an incredibly irresponsible example of crude and earthy language. The whole world has just heard our Vice President light-heartedly use an impolite word in such a way that it triggers a gasp from decent people across the country."

Do I think the Vice President of the United States of America can't use that word? Let me answer by saying, even if he can, I don't want him to lean over to one of my little granddaughters, give 'em a big smile and say, "Hi Sweetheart. I'll bet meeting me is a 'Big %*^&$%#@ Deal' for you!" I'd like to think he would have more respect for us than that.

Do I think the President can't wear a T-shirt around his house with an acronym on it? Even though he's temporarily living in a house he doesn't own, I'm not trying to censor his freedom of speech, and if he wants to teach his daughters to drop the "F-bomb" whenever they're at the mall with their friends, or meeting nice people at a party, or babysitting little children, that's up to him. But I will say I'd prefer he not ask the kids in our Granger Student Ministry to put on his "BFD" T-shirt before they come to church and serve our little children in the Granger Children's Ministry.

I've been deeply conflicted even writing this blog. Why? Because I don't believe it's possible for any person old enough to read my blog to read the words on the president's campaign T-shirt without thinking of the "word" behind the letter "F" ... and that is the issue.

When I first read the letters, "OMG" on a TWEET, I actually read them out-loud and translated them as "Oh, My Goodness!" When everyone stopped laughing at me, I learned the "G" didn't stand for "Goodness." The letter was intended to lessen the concussion of taking God's Name in vain. I was told the "G" stood for "God." I mentioned that using the letters "OMG" doesn't shift intent away from the words themselves, so you may as well use the words as use the letters, I was told, "Oh, don't think that. 'OMG' doesn't take God's Name in vain. When we TWEET 'OMG' we don't mean anything by it."

 Yiiii! Can't you see? That's the point! God says we shouldn't use HIS Name when we "don't mean anything by it." We are to honor God's Name, not reduce it to a common and meaningless word that communicates nothing.

Now, coarse and disrespectful language, which would have gotten any of us over the age of 40 years old, months of after-school-detentions if we would have said such things to our Middle School teachers, is common and accepted. Words that were profane 20 years ago, and NEVER uttered in polite society or used in polite conversations - are shouted in the marketplace, screamed on the sidelines, yelled on the courts and thundered from the stands of America's athletic fields. Apparently, they're also spoken in front of women and children without regret by the Vice President of the United States of America. 

And was the President concerned with the new level of base and earthy discourse? Apparently not. The Los Angeles Times quoted his statement about his Vice President's lack of propriety: "You know what the best thing about yesterday was? Joe’s comment."

Hilarious.

Now the President's campaign is using the phrase to raise money. The LA Times quoted Biden as he spoke in Cedar Rapids, Iowa: "I don't know why everybody thinks it's so darn funny.  I'm embarrassed as hell by it, but apparently we're selling T-shirts and making hundreds of thousands of bucks." 

Well now.

I guess he's not too embarrassed to capitalize on it.

As the money rolls-in, the students and citizens wearing those shirts will be strolling our beaches, walking our streets and roaming the hallways of our schools. Wherever they go, those around them will read the "BFD" letters and their minds will immediately translate those letters into the words they mean. No one will read the T-shirts without thinking, "Big %*^&$%#@ Deal."

What's become an "inside the beltway" joke is degrading the discourse of polite society, undermining the stature of our great political leaders and fueling the aggressive rebellion of young people across the country. 

I DO NOT CARE what words the president says to his wife in their bedroom.

I DO CARE what words he uses in front of my wife, my daughters, my grandchildren and the impressionable people of this great nation and watching world. I DO CARE that words are used respectfully, honoring those who hear them.

Is it illegal to wear a "BFD T-shirt" around town?
     Probably not.

Is it helpful to wear a "BFD T-shirt" around town?
     Certainly not.

Do I hope to see kids wearing "BFD T-shirts" to Summer Camp?
     No.

The President should discontinue the public use of this explicit and disrespectful phrase. I expect better of him and I expect more of everyone elected to lead our society toward a better tomorrow.

Anyone occupying the highest office in the land should act with restraint and avoid disrespecting so many to impress so few. 

Proverbs 14:3  -  Frivolous talk provokes a derisive smile; wise speech evokes nothing but respect. 

Comments

[Mike Campbell]

+1

[John Leek]

I too was disappointed as one who has supported the President. That's clearly not an example of good leadership.

[R W]

Ephesians 4-29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

With my paraphrase of "No unwholesome print or suggestive words"

Always has been a favorite scripture of mine.. One I try to live by, and i wish more would too.

Thanks Pastor..

[Carole]

Amen. Thank you.

[Kathy Guy]

Because the acronym has become common, it's more often used to express an attitude of apathy as if saying, "Whatever." In those terms, it's really not used accurately in the slogan.

To answer your question, I did read it without translating the words. I thought, "Oh yeah, the Supreme Court is making some decisions this week on Healthcare Reform. This will be interesting to see what they decide."

I do understand your perspective. It will upset many. However, I was upset when the GOP candidates dismissed Rush Limbaugh's recent base and earthy discourse about the young female law student as "that's what entertainers do." In that case, our President called the young woman to offer encouragement.

None of us would want our character assessed on just one aspect of our opinions.

[Mark Beeson]

Kathy Guy - You say you were "...upset when the GOP candidates dismissed Rush Limbaugh's recent base and earthy discourse..." You have information I need. Can you site one specific instance, using their own words as you quote them, where any candidate, of any party, "dismissed" Limbaugh's statement - for which he publicly apologized? The quotes I've collected indicate the candidates saw his apology as appropriate. I haven't heard any candidate for public office say anything other than Limbaugh shouldn't have said what he said. You obviously have a reliable source I've not read. I've heard people say, "that's what entertainers do" in defense of Bill Mahar's statements about candidates for political office, but your knowledge of multiple GOP candidates who didn't think Limbaugh was right to apologize is important. I thought the candidates affirmed his apology. I'm glad you have new facts to offer.

[Wilma ( & Rex) Ellsworth]

Very disappointing...I would never have expected that from our government. You write this well and I, and I'm sure many others concur. What happen to respect and honor from our highest office? So many politicians and the political office make me so sad as they don't live lives that honor and respect others. Seems like it should be second nature to human beings but I guess not. Certainly as Christ followers and those who claim to be Christians, as our President does, it should be their way of life...Hmmm. Oh and like you OMG never meant Oh my God to me. I can't even read it that way. I prefer to think it's oh my gosh but I choose not to use it in fear someone might think I'm saying "oh my god".

[Sherry Ingle]

Amen, Pastor, Amen!!!

[Kathy Guy]

Mark Beeson - I've not normally seen you respond to comments on your blog. I'm honored that my facts can be helpful to you.

They were from various sources, however, one specific is from Eugene Robinson's column in the Washington Post.

Below are the direct quotes from each of them. Mainly I was referring to the comments before the apologies started. Rather than dismissed, minimizing is a better description of how I heard their comments.

Romney: "I'll just say this, which is, it's not the language I would have used." I wondered if he shared the opinion of Limbaugh but just would have said it differently.

Santorum: "He's being absurd, but that's you know, an entertainer can be absurd." Asking women to post videos of themselves in sex acts so that he and others can watch might have been described more harshly than absurd.

Gingrich: Silence. He didn't have any comments until after Limbaugh made an apology in response to many of his sponsors pulling their advertising dollars. When he normally is a man of many words, he thought that Limbaugh's apology for "insulting word choices," was "appropriate." A man who has had three wives might not feel comfortable throwing stones, so he may be very wise indeed. However, groveling or begging by Limbaugh for mercy could have been described as appropriate.

Paul: "I don't think he's very apologetic....It was his bottom line he's concerned about." Forgive me. He is the exception in the GOP field. I mistakenly only paid attention to the GOP candidates who were trying to protect their personal power and position rather than the single one who was genuine and transparent.

You noted in your post that Biden made an open apology for his comments that were intended to be private. While I'm sure our SMT always uses appropriate and respectful language, I know there are decisions and conversations that might be misunderstood if they were made public when they were intended to be kept private. It's difficult for our nation's leaders of both parties who have every action and word disected or picked up on a microphone.

Thank goodness we have all been offered forgiveness for our very human mistakes.

[Will Cramer]

I agree with Kathy Guys' comment, "Thank goodness we have all been offered forgiveness for our very human mistakes."

[Mark Beeson]

Thanks Kathy.
Santorum said Limbaugh’s comment was “absurd.”
Romney said Limbaugh “used language he would not have used.”
The Huffington Post reported Gingrich said on NBC’s Meet The Press, "I think it was appropriate for Rush to apologize and I'm glad he apologized."
Paul not only condemned Limbaugh’s statement, he also denounced Limbaugh’s motives in making it.
Now everyone is caught up on the GOP candidates’ comments on Limbaugh’s comments.

[John Leek]

I would affirm a desire to heighten discourse no matter the political party. (Though I don't think the writer does this I would also affirm a desire to hold those in currently elected office to a higher standard than those seeking it.) Thank you Mark.

[Mark Moreno]

Mark. When I first saw this story on the news I would like to say I was shocked. Admittedly, I was not. The complete lack of morality of any kind in our nation’s leadership seems to have passed rampant and moved right on to a full blown epidemic. It is disturbing, to say the least, that our kids have to be exposed to this type of vulgarity. We might expect this in today’s media culture where any kind of moral compass has long gone by the wayside in exchange for fleeting moment of unheralded popularity. The reality is that our leaders should be above the fray and have enough judgment and good sense to know better. Those who chose to run as, and are chosen to be leaders actually need to lead. Their leadership should not only be spoken but it should be by example. The lack of leadership from those in power is so disappointing that there are barely words to describe it. What is even worse, they are completely unaware they are falling short.

[Dale Shafer]

Thank you for calling this out, Pastor. It is completely unnerving to think that this type of message (especially representing a campaign for the Office of the President) is acceptable - and warmly embraced by the public!

As others said in the other comments above, I could care less to debate the Limbaugh versus Maher issue - while what they say matters, they are little league in comparison to what we should expect from elected leaders.

[Kim]

Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts on this, Mark. It's my hope that our president had no clue this was on the site. Now that some light has been shined on this- maybe it will be quietly removed. It took courage for you to publicly step out on this one. I'm grateful for your courage.

[James]

Pr 15:2 "The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours out foolishness."
Mt 15:18 "But the things which come out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile the man."
I find it interesting that you say using the word God is using His name. God is not His name, it is a title like Lord. His name is Yahveh/Yahweh as He said of Himself. His earthly name is Jesus as the angel commanded Mary to name Him. I find it strange that in all the world the name Jesus is used vainly! Not Muhammad, Buddha, Kristna, Confucius, and the like! FYI(LOL), I would not want my Granddaughters to marry a politician!!:o)

[susan]

Thank you pastor Beeson, I have been very disturbed by this and the dishonor Mr. Obama has made of the office of the president.

[John Leek]

http://scottystarnes.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/306575_10150997358969474_1670391527_n.jpg

And now congressional republicans stoop to the save level. :(

[Jo Blacketor]

Agreed.