Some seriously misdirected mail

I received both of these book club mailings this weekend. One is for American Compass, "The Conservative Alternative." The other is Black Expressions, "Getting connected through books."

A note to anyone who may be wondering: I am neither Black nor a Conservative, at least not in the sense that the term "Conservative" is used by those who embrace the authors featured in American Compass. One of the cover quotes is from that freaky skank Ann Coulter: "I am often asked if I still think we should invade their countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity. The answer is: Now more than ever." This is from her book How To Talk To A Liberal (If You Must). Her previous books had apparently self-descriptive titles like Treason and Slander; I rather hoped she would continue the series with books like Nutjob and Freaky-Looking Skank.

I didn't immediately toss both mailings because I thought it might be instructive to see what's being offered by both books. Black Expressions is not too enlightening, beyond Is Bill Cosby Right?, a response to a controversial speech given by Bill Cosby which "challenges Cosby's comments - and questions his commitment - to the black poor."

American Compass is more interesting. At first glance, it becomes immediately obvious that many of these books have one thing in common: a red, white, and blue color scheme. Zell Miller's cover photo from his book A Deficit of Decency is apparently one of the few available where he doesn't look like his head is about to explode with rage: the same photo is used twice on the cover of the flyer (one of those times it is flipped left-right, a major graphic arts no-no) and twice on page 4, as a background photo immediately above an image of his book. Judge Roy "Ten Ton Commandments" Moore is featured on page 8. Oh, and surprise, surprise: the Cons love the new Pope, formerly the ultra-conservative Cardinal Ratzinger.

I'll end with another cover quote, this one from Michael Medved's Right Turns: "...conservatives (sic) aren't just more astute and practical than their liberal counterparts, they are also happier, more fulfilled in their lives and their work."

Really? I'd say Mr. Medved has got that completely backwards. The conservatives I know are generally angry and miserable most of the time; during brief moments of clarity they are deeply conflicted. The most astute and practical people I know are liberals. And the happiest people I know are, too.