The Saint Kansas Mission Statement

So, why did I start this weblog? Simple. There's just too much garbage out there going unanswered, so I wanted to contribute some acoustic tile to the liberal echo chamber.

Specifically, this bit of hate speech from The Village Voice was my final straw:

The Jews don't believe in the imagination, partly because so few of them have one, but mostly because it gets in the way of their chosen work, which is to destroy the human race and the planet. Human beings, who have imaginations, can see a recipe for disaster in the making; the Jews, whose goal in life is to profit from disaster and who don't give a hoot about human beings, either can't or won't. Which is why I personally think they should be exterminated before they cause any more harm.

Oh wait, did I say "The Jews?" So easy to lapse into cliche. No wait, the original quote -- from, um, a theater review? -- was about "Republicans." The whole paragraph is a kind of "EZ Hitler Speechwriter" though; just plug in "homosexuals" or "capitalists" or "Phish fans" and you're there. And need I point out the irony that these are the words of a theater reviewer...one whose job is to criticize what others work to create from their imaginations. (Yes, fans of Michael Feingold are welcome to forward their appreciation of his vast body of work to shitcan@saintkansas.com.)

There's so much that goes unanswered that needs to be confronted. I'm a Republican, and a human being, and I have an imagination. I write songs. I write poetry. I've smashed more bass guitars on stage than you have. I have a master's degree in literature. I can read a few languages. When I'm not busy trying to destoy the human race and the planet, like many non-Republicans, I enjoy music and movies. Imagine there's no heaven? It's easy if you try. Imagine a (mostly) vegetarian Republican who rides public transporation and enjoys Blue Velvet and Victor Davis Hanson and Aphex Twin? It's easy if you...have an imagination.