Columns
18 February 2012
RUMINATIONS: Raymond BillyWhen I think of my home state of Louisiana, the phrase “Laissez les bons temps rouler” (French for “let the good times roll”) truly captures the festive essence of the place. It's not just a Mardi Gras thing. So when I heard that nearly half of all Louisianans identify themselves as conservative — making it the fifth most conservative state in the union by self-identification — I was a bit surprised, given the staid connotation of the word. The closest Louisiana comes to conservatism is the outmoded tradition of Russell Kirk. If the state actually adhered to that tradition, it might be far better off than it is today. Instead, the facade of Kirkean philosophy is there without its underpinnings.Kirk, who died in 1994, espoused a brand of conservatism much different from today's more individualistic, market-centered ideology. His was a more paternalistic, top-down conservatism — with the Christian church at the top. He believed the church was best able to provide moral training for people and (by extension) for families and (by extension) for communities. Kirk did not admire the kind of “personal responsibility” mentality that modern conservatives champion — where personal happiness is the incentive. Kirk believed people owed it to their communities — not just to themselves — to be self-disciplined and prudent. In his view, neighbors have the right to demand virtue of one another in the name of community well-being. Shared culture and shared traditions were also hallmarks of Kirk's very communitarian conservatism because they promote camaraderie and cohesion.
Louisianans definitely share Kirk's regard for tradition and community. After Hurricane Katrina ravaged South Louisiana, preservationists worked to thwart any rebuilding plans that would clash with the historic French-creole architecture that characterizes the region. Their efforts were an affront to contemporary conservatism's impulse to let the free market dictate what should be built — and how — with no regard for such sentimentalism. New Orleans also commissioned the development of the Musicians Village, ensuring the city would not lose its starving artists amid a storm-induced diaspora. Retaining native sons and daughters has been key to the city's creative continuity — in music, architecture and cuisine — for generations. The state has the largest population of homebred residents in the country.
The state is also one of the country's most religious, and Catholic residents have had particularly palpable cultural influences there. But it is in the area of religion that the state has less in common with the Kirkean tradition. Add a comment
16 January 2012
UNDER THE WATERFALL: Patrick ButlerLately it seems I'm hearing more people wishing that what happens at Christmas can last all year. I think it can — if we take another look at what really happened on Dec. 25, 2011.For some, Dec. 25 is simply another day. But for approximately 1 billion people on the planet, Christmas Day — and hopefully its lingering perspective — is a time when the mind-boggling notion of the reality of God comes home.
Consider what people are "saying" at Christmas day by their actions. They are “commenting” on the nature of life and makeup of the universe. They are affirming there is an all-encompassing being throughout the vast reaches of space; there is an eternal Spirit inside our own bodies that sets us apart from animals; there is an intelligence that far outweighs our own, where wisdom, discernment, insight, understanding and knowledge resides; there is more to this rock we live on, in the remotest part of the galaxy, than meets the eye.
And that life itself is a “miracle” of an experience, so precious it cannot be found elsewhere in our solar system. Yet, in the darkness of space, we are not alone.
And by default, these beliefs say that – evolution or not – there is a God, therefore there is a purpose, therefore there is a standard and therefore there is a way we should then live. That's how Christmas can linger in the heart and mind. Add a comment
