Spanish Debate Inspires its Own Argument
It was supposed to be a historic, uplifting event: The first televised debate of major political candidates held entirely in Spanish. Both Democratic contenders for Texas governor are Mexican-American, so the plan seemed to make sense.
First, they’d debate in English. Then, an hour later, they’d discuss issues in Spanish. But negative public reaction led one candidate, Dan Morales, to back off. He wisely proposed interspersing English explanations in the second debate, so as not to divide voters along language lines.
The debate’s organizers and the other candidate, Tony Sanchez, bitterly objected — saying English didn’t belong in a Spanish debate. Ironically, many candidates — including President Bush and Al Gore — sprinkle Spanish phrases in their English speeches. But mixing English into a Spanish appearance becomes oddly controversial!
Such idiocy shows the need to affirm English as our official language. In our increasingly fractured society, it’s one of the few forces that can keep us together.
Britney’s Bad Conduct
No one expected artistic brilliance from the movie debut of singing sensation Britney Spears, but we might have hoped for ordinary decency. Instead, her film Crossroads is a disgrace — encouraging wildly irresponsible behavior from her teenage fans.
In the film, Britney plays a high school valedictorian from Georgia who defies her father for a cross-country road trip with two friends in the car of a mysterious ex-con. Along the way the film endorses teenage drunkenness, out-of-wedlock-birth, and impulsive tattooing, while the heroine joyously gives up her virginity to the former prisoner she’s met only days before.
Many parents know about Britney Spears’ public commitment to Christianity and virginity, but she chooses to send a very different message in her wretched film.
I’m not preoccupied with whether or not the pop star has remained pure in her private life — but we should all care about the public message she’s sending to our unsuspecting daughters.
Democrats, on the other hand — before finally reconsidering in the face of public pressure — insisted that voting in major elections should involve fewer precautions than renting a video or buying a beer.
The chances of vote fraud are already huge. Ninety-five percent of so-called “motor voters” who registered when getting their driver’s licenses never vote, but their names remain on the rolls, waiting to be abused.
Sure, it would be good if more Americans voted. But we should encourage their participation by treating voting more seriously, not handling it more casually and sloppily.
New Film about Lent is an Offensive Ordeal
Supporters of traditional values might initially welcome a new film comedy about a hip, single guy who gives up sex for Lent — especially when film bears the Biblical title, 40 Days and 40 Nights. Unfortunately, this disgusting dreck destroys those expectations — it’s offensive, unfunny, and not at all romantic. The movie treats the idea of six weeks without sex as unnatural and sick, so much so that even a Catholic priest in training is shown fooling around with a nun. There’s also a supposedly comical vision of Jesus carrying the cross, winking lewdly at the main character. The gorgeous, always available women in the film aren’t impressed by the main character’s attempts at self-control — instead they’re disgusted, even
horrified.
It ought to be possible to make an entertaining, even important film about the power of abstinence and the enhancement of romance through sexual self-control. But 40 Days and 40 Nights definitely isn’t it.
Michael Medved hosts a nationally syndicated daily radio talk show on which these editorials were aired. You can visit his website at www.michaelmedved.com.
