Savage: Hate-monger and bigot?
Michael Savage is anti-Catholic and xenophobic.
The talk show host has called for people to desecrate Mexican flags to protest some of the immigration proposals being discussed.
He slammed the Catholic Church at the same time alleging that the Church is behind this effort to help get new followers. He claims the Church is not motivated by compassion. He says it’s a business that wants to hoodwink these immigrants.
In his "honor," I post the Mexican flag.
Undesecrated.
posted by A Secular Franciscan | 8:30 PM
2 Comments:
I heard that particular show. I agree with you that it's wrong to go after the Mexican flag in counter-protest. Savage was also wrong to slam the church, but in that case his ire was roused by comments from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, and more particularly comments from Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles.
Savage doesn't understand how the Catholic church is governed. Had he done his homework (as he usually does), he might have noticed that national episcopal conferences have a reputation for freelancing around Catholic social teaching, but the definitive word on such issues comes from Rome.
Mahony's comments irked me, too. As many people have pointed out, he's long been in thrall to activist groups, and he willfully mischaracterized both current and proposed immigration policies in suggesting that it might become a felony to help someone without asking for his or her papers first.
So...to call Savage's tirade ignorant would be fair. But to call that talk jock himself anti-Catholic, you need a lot more evidence. He actually had high praise for John Paul II (I wrote about that here), and has frequently spoken of the church as a bastion of sanity in an insane world. Savage's problem isn't bigotry, it's that he sometimes forgets that saving souls encompasses more than the "borders, language, culture" crusade he's forever campaigning about.
With regard to your subsequent post, you're right that Chesterton would understand Savage, and Savage would not understand Chesterton. But Savage would respect Chesterton, and I think you owe Savage at least that much. The man is trying to defend the rule of law (however rudely and ignorantly), not trying to foment hate.
I have listened to Savage on several occasions. True, I have not heard more attacks on the Catholic Church, but I have heard him on a number of other topics.
Maybe it's schtick = but he consistently speaks in the most violent, offensive ways.
When it comes to Chesterton, based on what I have heard of his show, I honestly don't think Savage would understand a man of reason and compasion like Chesterton. Given his consistent lack of respect for others, I have doubts that he would respect Chesterton.
I regard Savage as a man of violence and hate who encourages similar feelings in others.
A millstone might be in order.
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