SOME GREAT READING IN THE WEEKLY PLANET TAMPA BAY

Wayne Garcia is a former political consultant, and writes an occasional column called Political Whore in Tampa Bay's alternative publication The Weekly Planet. He also appears on various television chat shows across the area. His column this week makes interesting reading.

Garcia spoke with Roy Kaplin recently about religion and politics. Dr. Kaplin, who is a professor of African Studies at the University of South Florida, is the special adviser for the local chapter of the National Conference for Community and Justice (originally known as the National Conference of Christians and Jews) and helped put together the Tampa appearance last week by Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu. A few of Kaplin's comments from the interview, with a few of his most important points (IMHO) highlighted:

There is a segment of our society that has been able, because of their diligence and their hard work and their right to do that, [to elect] officials for the specific purpose of implementing their so-called moral agenda or character development scheme, as if it is the only path to righteousness and salvation.

And I find this very distressing.

Some individuals, out of the goodness of their heart and the best intentions in some case, not all but some, they mean well but they do not understand that there are different paths to enlightenment and salvation - if you believe in that. To try and speak on behalf of everybody is a very negative message and it's counterproductive.

This is the great challenge of our society today, and indeed our whole world, because we must learn to respect other points of view.

...how do you get people to understand or respect difference? That's the key. If we don't learn to do that, I don't hold out much hope for civilization.

It's a great nation, but it's not a great Christian nation. It's a very diverse nation, where you have about 6 million Jews, maybe 8 million Muslims, 2.5 million Buddhists, you've got all kinds of people. And they're increasing in numbers, so much so that the white Christians will just be another group at some time in the future.

Multiculturalism is not asking anybody to give up their identity and to blend into anything at all. It's "Keep your identity, be proud of your identity and respect others for their identity." It's to learn about the differences out there. Some of these folks who look very different from you are going to be your boss.

BTW: The Weekly Planet is hosting the next of it's "Political Party" talk show series Monday evening at 7:30 in the Shimberg Playhouse at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Centre. Among those on the panel: Tampa adult entertainment king and political activist Joe Redner, GOP consultant Renee Dabbs, gay rights advocates Rev. Phyllis Hunt and Nadine Smith, and WFTS-TV 28 news anchor Brendan McLaughlin. It's free, and I would think it will be an interesting time for us political geeks. Too bad some of us have to work and won't get to enjoy the event.