Date Posted:22:24:16 05/15/07 Tue Author: TastingTheBlood Subject: Rudy Guiliani... Gadianton???
The following was written by Gerald Hansen, Jr, in an article called, "The Terrifying Book of Helaman" in which he discusses in large part the involvement of the Gadianton Robbers in Nephite society.
"The blindness and ignorance of the Nephites caused by the seduction of wealth produced another problem in their society, a pseudo-patriotism that threatened personal liberties. When Nephi began to criticize the status quo, those with status sought to silence him. They did it in the name of what we see some today call patriotism, which amounts to hype and cheerleading for those that follow and condemnation for anyone that opposes. The normal tactic is to portray ourselves as stalwart, loyal, good guys (even if we are not) and to cast doubt and aspirations on the morals and motives of those with different ideas. The corrupt government officials employed this very tactic when Nephi spoke out against their practices. The dishonest judges made it appear that he was the one who was disloyal, charging him with reviling against the people, the law, and the judges (Hel 8:2, 5). In reality, the whole thing was merely the corrupt judges’ way of trying to get rid of, or at least to discredit, a man who was calling them on their wickedness. Mormon says the "judges were angry with [Nephi] because he spoke plainly unto them concerning their secret works of darkness" (v 4).
"What they were doing is perhaps best summed up by Professor Hugh Nibley, "You can get away with anything if you just wave the flag" (Zion 54). Shouting down opponents with labels and innuendo, and playing up your own loyalty and patriotism, may be effective in silencing the opposition, but it could be disastrous to republics and democracies, since the genius of free societies is the wisdom that comes from compromise and discussion. We often forget that our own constitution – a document we consider inspired – was hammered out in just this way. Free societies need differing viewpoints. For all the boasting we do about the freedoms that exist in our society, we tend to forget that history shows that we are capable, during a crisis, of intolerance and frenzy as described by historian William E. Leuchtenburg:
In the year 1919, Senator McKellar of Tennessee advocated sending native-born American citizens with radical beliefs to a penal colony in Guam. South Carolina’s James F. Byrnes asked for the intervention of the federal government to balk an uprising of Negroes that he declared Reds were planning in the South. Some New York school teachers were dismissed after a campaign to determine "Who’s Red and Who’s True Blue." General Leonard Wood, the army chief of Staff, noted his approval of a minister’s call for the deportation of Bolshevists "in ships of stone with sails of lead, with the wrath of God for a breeze and with hell for their first port." "If I had my way with these ornery wild-eyed Socialists and I.W.W.’s," shouted the evangelist Billy Sunday, "I would stand them up before a firing squad and save space in our ships." In Indiana a jury deliberated two minutes before acquitting Frank Petroni, who had shot and killed a man for yelling, "To hell with the United States!" The great Red Scare of 1919 was underway. (66)
"When we consider these kinds of fanatic acts done in the name of patriotism, we are shocked into realizing that when we shout down our opponents, whether we do it with labels like liberal or conservative or unpatriotic or atheist or communist, or with imprisonment, as we did with the Sedition Act of 1798, or simply by physical or social intimidation – when we silence divergent voices, we eliminate discussion and inhibit our ability to correct our problems."
When describing why, perhaps, the terrorists hated us enough to attack us on 9/11, Ron Paul tonight offered the explanation that it is due to the fact that we have been meddling in the middle east's business for far too long and that they are probably sick of it.
Well, here comes Rudy Guiliani who speaks up and says that of all the ridiculous attempts to explain 9/11 that he's heard, he has "NEVER" heard that one before and that Dr. Paul should take back that statement. Guiliani mentions, "I was there on 9/11" The crowd goes wild in support for Guiliani's statement.
Go back up to the top and read the quotes again. Except, this time, replace Nephi's name with Ron Paul's name. Replace the Nephites with the Americans.
Rudy Guiliani and anyone who supports him and cheered him tonight are Gadianton Robbers.
