Herman Cain Records Moving 9/11 Tribute, Alex Pareene Calls It ‘Tasteless’

Posted on | September 9, 2011 | 73 Comments

First, watch Herman Cain’s video:

Alex Pareene of Salon calls it “incredibly tasteless” and a “monstrosity.”

Hey, Alex, since you’re offering your expertise in what’s “tasteless,” I got three words for you: Ping-pong balls.

We must never, never, never, never forget that, eh?

UPDATE: Welcome, Instapundit readers!

Category: Herman Cain

Comments

73 Responses to “Herman Cain Records Moving 9/11 Tribute, Alex Pareene Calls It ‘Tasteless’”

ThePaganTemple
September 10th, 2011 @ 8:29 pm

That image of the Palestinians dancing and celebrating is burned into my memory as much as the image of the planes hitting the towers. I’ve hated the lot of them ever since.
Brian Macker
September 10th, 2011 @ 8:33 pm

I’m not a leftist.
Anonymous
September 10th, 2011 @ 8:42 pm

Sure.
Anonymous
September 10th, 2011 @ 9:12 pm

Yeah, burned in your mind and mine, what about our kids, and all the people who haven’t seen those images for ten years?
Anonymous
September 10th, 2011 @ 9:46 pm

An’ awl the free ‘elf care y’ can stan’.
Anonymous
September 10th, 2011 @ 9:47 pm

That would be your supposed salvation.
Anonymous
September 10th, 2011 @ 9:58 pm

Maybe I’m just strongly affected, but even at ten years on, I still can’t make myself watch or listen to very much about 9-11.

And I’m not generally squeamish.
Anonymous
September 10th, 2011 @ 10:05 pm

There are many who find the scriptures spiritually uplifting and find great comfort from those words. The fact that find it a downer doesn’t make it so. That it’s such a downer for you and yet you spent enough time reading it to count dead people sounds positively masochistic. You assert repeatedly that God did such or God let that bad thing happen yet claim to believe that God is false. You can’t have it both ways if God isn’t, then he didn’t. I’ll never understand evangelical atheism.

That your efforts spent commenting here would be utterly wasted in terms of changing minds should have been apparent several comments ago, which leads me to conclude that your motivation is more emotional than intellectual. So which is it you hate more, songs with God in them, Religious Patriots or Black politicians whose Patriotism calls them to run for office?
FenelonSpoke
September 10th, 2011 @ 10:25 pm

Yes; I’ve read a bit of the Bible-once or twice in passing-when I didn’t have anything else to do. I’m a pastor with honors in the Old and New Testament from seminary. I note that just since you asked. Arguments with militant Atheists are of no interest to me.

Peace be with you.
FenelonSpoke
September 10th, 2011 @ 10:38 pm

I meant of course, people totalling up the number of people God -a God they don’t believe in. SNICKER:

This is what a Fundamentalist Atheist is:

You became an atheist when you were 10 years old, based on ideas of God that you learned in Sunday School. Your ideas about God haven’t changed since.

# You think that the primary aim of an omnibenevolent God is for people to have FUN.

# You believe that extra drippy ice-cream is a logical proof against the existence of God, because an omniscient God would know how to stop the ice-cream from being extra drippy, an omnipotent God would have the ability to stop the ice-cream from being extra drippy, and by golly, an omnibenevolent God wouldn’t want your ice-cream to be extra drippy.

# Although you’ve memorized a half a dozen proofs that He doesn’t exist, you still think you’re God’s gift to the ignorant masses.

# You believe the astronomical size of the universe somehow disproves God, as if God needed a tiny universe in order to exist.

# You think questions like, “Can God create a rock so big that He cannot lift it?” and, “Can God will Himself out of existence?” are perfect examples of how to disprove God’s omnipotence and ultimately how to disprove God. When someone proves to you the false logic behind the questions (i.e. pitting God’s omnipotence against itself), you desperately try to defend the questions, but then give up and go to a different Christian site to ask them.

# Related to the above, you spend a great deal of your spare time writing to Christian websites asking them these very questions.

# You declare on a public forum that you are “furious at God for not existing.”

# You spend hours arguing that a-theism actually means “without a belief in God ” and not just ” belief that there is no god” as if this is a meaningful distinction in real life.

# You consistently deny the existence of God because you personally have never seen him but you reject out of hand personal testimony from theists who claim to have experienced God as a reality in their lives.

# You can make the existence of pink unicorns the center-piece of a philosophical critique.

# You insist that “the burden of proof is on he that alleges/accuses”, and “it’s impossible to prove a negative”, then state “That’s what Christians do. They lie. Their most common lie is that they were once atheists.” When reminded about the burden of proof bit, you reply with, “Well, prove Christians don’t lie!”

# You adamantly believe that the “God of the gaps” idea is an essential tenet of orthodox Christian faith espoused by all the great Christian thinkers throughout history.

# When you were a child, someone came down with a deadly disease and prayed and prayed for God to take it away. God did not remove the disease and your friend died. You ask other Christians why they had to die when they were such a nice person and never harmed anyone. Dissatisfied with their answers, you suddenly decide that there is no God and that all Christians are nothing but lying, conniving con artists and hypocrites….all that is except for your friend who died.

# You call a view held by less than ten percent of the American public “common sense”.

# You’re a spoiled fifteen year old boy who lives in the suburbs and you go into a chat room to declare that, “I know there is no God because no loving God would allow anyone to suffer as much as I…hold on. My cell phone’s ringing.”

# You attack your fellow atheists, who hold the “belief that there is no god”, calling them “liars,” and state that, “I do not deny the existence of any god. I just don’t believe in any.” Then you tell someone that their God is “made up.” When someone calls you on this, you state, “I never made such a claim.”

# Going with the definition of “without a belief in God”, you insist that all people are born atheists, and that dogs, cats, rocks, and trees are as well. You make statements like, “My dog is an atheist. Ask him about his lack of belief.”

# You believe that if something cannot be touched, seen, heard, or measured in some way, then it must not exist, yet you fail to see the irony of your calling Christians “narrow-minded”.

# You say that there is no God and that those who believe in God do so in blind faith, yet your claim that there is no God also rests on blind faith.

# While you don’t believe in God, you feel justified on bashing God or attacking those who believe in something that you KNOW doesn’t exist, fighting against or even discussing about a non-existent being are the symptoms of mental illness!

# You complain when Christians appeal to their emotions when justifying their belief in God yet you feel justified on appealing to your emotions for lack of belief in God.

# You blame God for the starvation, sickness, pain and suffering in the world…when, indeed, it is MAN’s greed, politics, selfishness and apathy that not only causes, but also ignores the sick and the starving masses. We aren’t our brothers’ keepers….but we should be.

From the internet
Anonymous
September 10th, 2011 @ 11:43 pm

What is needed is for a video montage showing scenes from the 72 massacre with contemporary statements from the statements from the terrorists and their backers. It should continue through the 93 bombing, the embassies, the Cole and so forth using video where possible accompanied by statements from Islamic leaders. When ever possible use a split screen with say scenes of the towers coming down or people jumping along side views of Arab celebrations. Not just attacks against but the recent murders of Israelis alongside of Gaza and west bank celebrations. We are engaged in the 1400 years war if our leaders won’t show it someone else will have to.
Casey Tompkins
September 11th, 2011 @ 4:04 am

Sorry, but I find his choice of “God Bless America” a bit creepy. I get what he’s saying, but the theme of the song severely clashes with the theme of the video. Maybe if he had chosen “Battle Hymn of the Republic” instead…

Another possibility would have been a silent video. Once I managed to ignore the singing (professional advice: let someone else sing next time) I found the images quite haunting.

Alternative: instead of singing, recite the 23rd Psalm.

I’m guessing The Warrior Song would be over the top.
ThePaganTemple
September 11th, 2011 @ 12:11 pm

I think he was trying to portray a contrast. How somebody like him feels about America, as expressed in “God Bless America”, juxtaposed against the background of the 9/11 attacks. It brings home how and why this event was so traumatic for so many of us. Believe it or not, there are some people right here in this country that still don’t quite get it.

It’s only too bad he didn’t think to add snippets of the video of the Palestinians celebrating in the streets.
Brian Macker
September 11th, 2011 @ 1:46 pm

I don’t see many politicians at wakes, funerals or memorials stopping at the end and saying, “Vote for me for president”.    It makes it seem like that’s the real or only reason they showed up.   Likewise a video memorial.    Had he not put that “Me for president 2011” I wouldn’t have called it pandering.     It’s different that what I’ve seen before.      Whether he sincerely believes in a god or not is besides the point. It was tasteless, and out of the ordinary.

I also get that you believe you have the privilege of expressing your religious beliefs in conjugation with a tragedy and I can’t.    If I do what you guys do all the time it is hateful.    I just don’t believe in double standards like you seem to.

The religious are constantly using tragedies to propagandize for your various religions.     Survive a plane crash and it’s all about how god intervened.   If so then why didn’t he intervene for the other people? Were they less worthy.    Hell you guys pray to win football games.
Brian Macker
September 11th, 2011 @ 3:18 pm

Is that what pastors who graduate with honors do? Read the bible when bored?   I’m still not clear on why you said “supposedly”.   If you read the bible you know that the old testament has a blood soaked god.    No I didn’t count up all the causalities myself. I did verify the work of the guy who did.
He wrote a book called “Drunk with Blood”, the title of which is a quote directly repeated in the bible several times referring to god’s sword, etc.

Using your definition of a “fundamentalist atheist” I’d have to say I’m not one.   I don’t even know what “omnibenevolent” means.   I’ve never ever met or read about any atheist claiming that omnibenevolence would entail making ones aims fun.   I don’t even think the primary aim in regular human benevolence is fun.

I won’t address the rest of you long list because it is equally inaccurate.

I’m not quite sure why you make the statements you do. You say “supposedly” and you just wouldn’t do that had you read the bible.   You say you only read the bible when bored. You’ve never met me yet you have this list of 22 things I believe.   All based on the fact that I don’t believe in something.   I don’t believe in leprechauns either. What can you deduce from that?

It ever occur to you that people who don’t believe in something do not neccesarily share any other traits.   They may, but may not.

You are just being silly in claiming that in order to count bible murders, or say that God is a bad character as described, that one has to actually believe in him.    I don’t have to believe in witchcraft to state that Harry Potter was the good guy and Voldermort the bad guy.   Supposedly it is god that is the good guy in the bible but when you actually read it he’s the one instigating all sorts of trouble. He’s acts the way any tyrannical despot would. Go to North Korean and you’ll see the same need for leader worship you see in the bible. A leader worship where your entire community is exterminated for any lack of deference, or merely because one side is the chosen people.

He doesn’t even treat his chosen people very well but plays all sorts of manipulative games to get them to tow the line. God sells the Jews into slavery at least four times, only to turn against his business partners in slavery once the Jews have suffered enough in his eyes, I guess.   Motivation isn’t really fathomable for someone with even a small amount of moral understanding. Yes even a child of ten has a better sense of morals than God shows in these stories.

After the second time god does this I’m chuckling to myself thinking how the kings and rulers he sells the Jews to are saying, “Errr… I just saw what you did to the last guy you sold the Jews to. I’m not sure I want them. Hell, you should be paying me to take them.”   By the fourth time it’s hilarious.

There is absolutely no reason this can’t be read as the fiction it is. So don’t pretend I’m being intellectually dishonest with myself. That’s a non-starter.

Especially when your religion is based on the concept of faith, defined as believing in something despite the lack of any credible evidence and regardless of any evidence against. A faith that vilifies the tree of knowledge as if it were a sin to know, and vilifies doubt in the story of doubting Thomas.

Also, don’t pretend that you can deal with a ten year old’s questioning. You can’t even do that. Which is why you have concepts such as Doubting Thomas, and make asking questions a sin. To terminate discussion on any subject which you cannot handle.

At least you no longer kill questioners under color of law like you used to.   Well at least some of you don’t. The Muslims still do.

The message you need to take away from 9/11 is that it’s at least one bad thing you can’t use nonbelievers as scapegoats for.   These guys clearly were theists.

We’re kinda sick of you theists publicly blaming us for all the evil in the world. That’s part of our motivation for expressing our own opinions publicly. You are clearly wrong, but faith blinds you.   Non-believers are not one big amorphous mass of “fundamentalists” or “vermin” as Chuck Coffer described anyone who didn’t believe his personal “truth and light”.
Brian Macker
September 11th, 2011 @ 3:44 pm

Adobe_Walls,”You assert repeatedly that God did such or God let that bad thing happen
yet claim to believe that God is false. You can’t have it both ways if
God isn’t, then he didn’t. I’ll never understand evangelical atheism. ”
You’ll never understand that nonbelievers take the bible as a work of fiction, and find fault in the behavior of a fictional character? Yet guys like you, ThePaganTemple to be precise, think guys like me can’t comprehend simple concepts like symbolic stories? Little kids grasp that Aesop fables aren’t really about rabbits and tortoises. That the whole point of the story is about morality. Yet you assume that to criticize the behavior of the rabbit entails believing that he really exists? A lazy rabbit that races with turtles? Give me some credit.If only you truly took your stories as purely symbolic half the battle would be won. The other half being that many times the moral of the stories in the bible are downright evil.So I assume you never read fictional stories that have any moral component, and never try to make moral judgments about fictional book or movie characters. Otherwise in your mind you would be compelled to believe in Darth Vader, or Tom Sawyer.Do you actually think before you write what you wrote above.Perhaps you can explain further exactly why I’m compelled to believe in fictional characters. Darth Vader “did this or let that bad thing happen” yet he doesn’t exist. If you started claiming Darth Vader was pure good and that he had the ability to stop 9/11 then I’d be asking the same questions. I’d be asking how a pure good being like Darth could let that happen if he actually existed.We only move outside the realm of fictional acts in fictional books because you claim these fictional characters operate in the real world. I don’t see any angels floating around, or devils, or talking snakes, nor unicorns, or any of the other stuff in the bible either. If it’s fable then label it as such. Don’t claim actuality for fictional characters, and worse claim that secretly I believe as you do but just won’t admit it.I think it quite clear I don’t believe as you do.
Brian Macker
September 11th, 2011 @ 3:51 pm

Why, because your pastor told you that anyone who doesn’t believe in your “truth and light” is vermin? I think it perfectly understandable to be offended by the absurdities of religion that bring us things such as 9/11, and the Inquisition. It’s also perfectly understandable to find offensive the use of a public tragedy to advertise for ones campaign. As if other politicians actually enjoyed the event.
Brian Macker
September 11th, 2011 @ 4:09 pm

“Wait…that’s not even within the realm of imagination, is it. Sorry.”

That’s part of the pandering.    You are supposed to believe that his opponents are really really bad people for not using a tragedy to their advantage.   In fact you are supposed to believe his political opponents secretly are in favor 9/11.     A sentiment expressed by at least one commenter here.

That’s why some the other side are even finding it monstrous. I think that a little overblown. I think tasteless is the proper description. Although opinions will vary.

In case you don’t get it they have further standards that I don’t at all share.   They really sincerely believe that showing the actual videos is a way of pounding the war drums, and of sabre rattling.    The do find it monstrous in that way too. Which is ridiculous.

They also have some glaring double standards with regards to saber rattling.    Democrats totally ignore when their own side does it.   I think because they think they are the adults and Republicans the children or something.    I’m not sure.

Personally I’m not very impressed with either side.
FenelonSpoke
September 11th, 2011 @ 4:18 pm

My comment about reading the Bible was a sarcastic one in regard to your silly comment asking if I read the Bible. Why would I have commented in the first place if I hadn’t read the Bible? As for the rest of your post, I scrolled on by. I don’t open the door to Atheist prosthelytizers.
guest
September 11th, 2011 @ 4:42 pm

I ask you and the above person…. why….. is that really your statement? what basis is your opinion? what are your facts? Can you truly stand behind your facts or emotion of this? Really say something or be quiet. I believe in true gut facts left right odd follow the crowd doen’t matter but say something not ‘firetruck’ himself really? It says nothing but profanity at it’s lowest level. So you do not like what Herman did here say it say why back it up with your opinion. Firetruck himself says NOTHING at all!
The Camp Of The Saints
September 11th, 2011 @ 9:25 pm

September 11th: Look Back In Anger…

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God thrust into hell Satan and all the evil s…
guest
September 12th, 2011 @ 2:18 am

By the way I do think it was a Moving video. I just needed to blow off some steam. I do not want the left seeing talk from ‘us’ like that. We are better than that and should present ourselve like adults no matter how bad ‘it’ gets. Sorry if you are offended.
Anonymous
September 12th, 2011 @ 5:40 am

I’m sort of surprised he didn’t try to sell some Godfather’s pizza in the middle of that piece of shit.