More Human Than Human?
by Your Diva, Robin Pastorio-Newman

Your Darling, Your Diva, Your One True Love gave up arguing politics after her braces came off, and chose instead to smile dazzlingly at her enemies. With Miss Manners as one's military strategist, one wins battles gently, delicately and with a surgical precision that causes combatants to drop spoons into their cornflakes and exclaim, "She got me! I'll never again vex that wily foe." Okay, their exclamation is generally unprintable, but opponents respect you. You're smarter than they are, and you're not wearing jewelry outside your evening gloves.

Style points aside, there's a great deal to be said for backing away from unnecessary conflict and firmly pursuing what conflict one must. However, there's no excuse for the breathless and evocative Fox News. Recently, Your Reclining Beauty spent a morning in hysterics watching a millimeters-from-slanderous-or-libellous-my-lawyer's-out-to-lunch Fox News report on Hillary Clinton's suggestion that illegal aliens should be compensated for World Trade Center disaster misery the same as U.S. citizens. It's scandalous, really. Reporters used such inflammatory language, callers-in to the - get this - news show were hard pressed to disagree without looking like flaming wussies.

Your Artful Drape is a free speech nut. Say what you will, you get to, good for you! Fox News's slogan ("We report. You decide.") is the biggest load of slick crap since canning day at the paté factory. Senator Clinton's intention of treating humans like humans in need of help and compassion despite accidents like birth location seems the only civilized, decent thing to do in the wake of uncivilized, indecent behavior. For us to act as if suffering is less important because of immigration status or tax receipts or SAT scores is to heap injury upon the already injured who, if one pauses to think, ended up illegally on U.S. soil by fleeing some already miserable, uncivilized, indecent, terrifying situation.

Please.

I'll say it again: please.

Your free speech is your right, and protected, and it's delightful that you can express your opinion, no matter how bigoted and hurtful. But realize that someone like Your Shimmering Vision is laughing hysterically when you talk.

My darlings, this is your chance. It's your most singular, startling chance to demonstrate the boundless kindness you would hope to be shown, were you in this awful situation. The ordinariness of suffering makes one hope for an ordinariness of compassion, but one seldom finds it. I have faith in you.

©2002 Robin Pastorio-Newman