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The "wardrobe malfunction" that was "experienced" by Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake in Houston was a wake-up call to many in CONUS that we do indeed have a problem and that our society as a whole has had an obvious and major malfunction requiring True and United correction. Many cynics, however, read into the reaction to the "wardrobe malfunction" as simply the insular, prudish, backwards-thinking "Religious Right" (presumably all white and hence bigoted) going at it again. Implicit in that assumption, therefore, was a racist assumption that somehow African Americans and other races (ie, "minorities") somehow approved of what they saw. The reaction to the "wardrobe malfunction," however, could only have occurred to the extent that it did if in fact the reaction was universal and hence one that transcended ideological, philosophical, economic and demographic (ie "racial") lines. Some people contended that the reaction to the "wardrobe malfunction" came from those who simply were from an "older" generation that had never watched MTV. That, my friends, was the ultimate mistake in such flawed understanding. Most of the parents with kids that were annoyed by this visual assault were ones that grew up and came of age during MTV, BET, and the like (to name only a few). They know what they’ve seen and what’s capable of being shown on MTV and the like at times. The actual "wardrobe malfunction," and for that matter even the crotch-grabbing by Puff and Nelly, were nothing new (personally, given how Hip Hop has at times become the whipping "boy" for ills that actually extend to all of popular culture, I was somewhat relieved that my two rappers and Kid Rock got off fairly easy in the backlash that followed, and that the majority of the wrath instead was focused on the two main culprits). Most of the people that saw all this had in their time seen much worse. The straw that broke the camel’s back, however, was the blatant attempt to shove the concept of public immodesty (in this case nakedness) down peoples’ throats live and in front of one of the larger worldwide audiences---adult and child alike---and somehow bring it off as just simply the way things are or should be (cf Genesis 19:9).

A further annoyance and insult was the blatant insinuation that it’s perfectly okay and to publicly violate someone’s modesty, and that it’s perfectly okay and even obligatory for the violatee to routinely accept this gesture from the violator as somehow perfectly normal and hence something to be done in front of others (as opposed to privately ‘gettin’ down’ in preparation for some monogamous act of conjugal bliss, in which case it might be relatively kosher to have a prospective violatee ’naked by the end of [the] song’). The "malfunction" epitomized the extent to which objective moral standards of decency and civility had been lost, and now people were being coerced into accepting all this as a "new" (cf Ecclesiastes 1:9-10) and "wonderful" (cf Isaiah 5:20-21) manifestation of the supposed "liberty" that we have to ‘do as we please’ (cf Genesis 19:8-10) with and especially to one another, and to advertise the moment with any and all. People had lost their patience (cf Revelation 10:6), had literally seen enough, and were suffering from an acute case of "illness and fatigue" that would be dealt with by taking off "The Belt" and going after the media responsible for it, and the underlying cultural attitudes, philosophies and possibly even intent driving it (cf Proverbs 1:7; 29:15; 26:3; Isaiah 5:20-25).

Forsaking the TRUTH
The Culture of Perpetual VictimHood that has progressively permeated so much of society in the past few decades and which attempts to rationalize any kind of behavior----regardless of how destructive for individuals and society as a whole---has ultimately had some odd side-effects. This "culture," which at times almost has the nature of a philosophy, ideology and ultimately a false theology, makes excuses for any kind of behavior, then demands recompense for the alleged causes of such behavior as a means of punishment and revenge at worst, and at best in order to "level the playing field" in the name of "equality" and "justice," as opposed to the kind of reconciliation, solidarity and personal and collective growth that only occurs when individuals realize they must Truly change if they want their lives to Truly change (cf John 12:24; Matthew 5:29-30; Mark 8:34-36; Dives in Misericordia, elements 119-123; 144-148). Basically, in the "divorce" of Mercy from Justice by forsaking the Truth that keeps them together (cf Psalm 85:11; Summa theologiae, I, q. 21, a. 2), the following has all too often resulted:

• A false "Justice" that, devoid of Mercy, is a form of self-righteous vindictiveness, often-times rooted in brute force and shear hatred (cf Revelation 2:1-7).
• A false "Mercy" that, devoid of any love of Truth or respect for Justice, ends up tolerating any kind of behavior, attitude, or life-style, no matter how harmful to individuals or society at large (cf Revelation 2:18-29).

Moral Anarchy Leads to a Dictatorship of Relativism
In an amoral and ultimately immoral human ecology, even where otherwise just laws exist, their interpretation, implementation and enforcement depend ultimately and exclusively on judges (cf Judges 21:25; Summa theolgiae I-II, q.95, a.1. obj.2), which is just one step away from dictatorship (1 Samuel Ch 8). Unfortunately, in such a system of unjust judges permitted by a society that has forsaken Truth and Righteousness, even a democracy becomes a thinly disguised form of totalitarianism (cf Evangelium Vitae, elements 20 and 70).

Given the eclipse of the pure, True Light of the moral and hence Eternal Law, it should thus be no surprise that much of the world has been plunged into a dark new barbaric age (cf Divini Redemptoris, element 21; Evangelium Vitae, element 21) of lawlessness, since the most grievous and licentious of behaviors are tolerated, celebrated and in some cases sanctioned by law under the guise of "freedom and equity for all." More like a freedom to be abused equally by any and by all, and to do likewise to any and to all (cf Genesis Ch 19; Ezekiel 16:49-50).

Chastity requires self-control. Gluttony in one area (be it sexual or with regard to food or drink) invariably indicates gluttony in other ways. Such gluttony is actually a form of idolatry. Idolatry in any form is a "no no" and as such will, if left unchecked, invariably lead to the worship of false gods, above all that of self, or some kind of addiction that is essentially a co-dependent "relationship" with a false god----the worst one of course being money (cf Matthew 6:24; Philippians 3:19). This in no way can lead to a respect for either a Law or a Law Giver. Such idolatry can only lead to a lack of charity both toward God and our fellow man (cf Ezekiel 16:49-50). Since charity and chastity seem to go hand-in-hand, it thus follows that, if a person lacks one in any way, then they’ll also ultimately lack the other as well. Offenses against chastity in the use of the sexual faculties invariably lead to acts that are not open to life [ie, contraception, abortion, homosexuality, bestiality; etc (cf Leviticus 18:1-21)]. At the very least, they will tend to reduce interactions between the two sexes into opportunities to use each other as "mere objects of selfish enjoyment" (cf Humanae Vitae, element 17).

The Truth that unites Mercy and Justice unites rather than divides, since it has a special, inviting sweetness to it that gives peace (cf, Dignitatis Humanae, element 1) because it gives Life (cf Ezekiel 47:1-12; Revelation 22:1-2). Such unity in diversity is possible because it is arranged organically in accordance with the Truth, and each of its members has mutual respect both for themselves and for each other and their right to live in the Truth that their very Life depends on (cf Summa theologiae, I, q. 21 a.1; a.2; a.4). Such respect in pure charity for the dignity of others presupposes respect for their bodily integrity, which of course respects modesty, decency and ultimately their own chastity and that of others. Consequently, in "spirit and in truth" ---not out of a fear of censorship (cf 1 John 4:18) or a taboo-like repression of what’s really contemplated in the dark recesses of the mind and heart (cf Matthew 5:28; 6:22-23; 15:19-20), there would be no "wardrobe malfunctions."

The ‘Problem’ We Had in Houston: Fort Sumter of the Culture War?
In 1996 Peter Kreeft published a book titled "Ecumenical Jihad." The basic thrust of the book is that there is a Natural, Moral, Eternal and Divine Law that can be apprehended by nearly anyone of goodwill regardless of a person’s religion (be it Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist or whatever), and that all such people of goodwill are capable of uniting in a common "culture war" in restoring Truth, Righteousness, Mercy and Justice to a world sorely in need of it in order to preserve Human Life. An ecumenical jihad, if you will. Thus the title of his book.

‘Tear Down This Wall’
The "Red State" mentality of 1964 didn’t win elections then and neither did it win in 2004. The "Blue State" mentality of 2004 didn’t win elections then, and neither did it win in 1964. Nelly and Tim McGraw both come from "Red States" of 2004. Many 1964 "Red State" people and many 2004 "Blue State" people are confounded by their recent collaboration. Others see the future. It takes courage to cross barriers, and requires the kind of courage that can only be grounded in love (1 John 4:18)---True Love which can transcend the guilt of many transgressions. It takes great love to see (cf Ephesians 1:18) that it’s simply not true that behind every rapper (or for that matter any African American male under 40) is some thug capable only of spewing the most vile words or participating in the most licentious and violent of behavior, and that though the "sins" of Cornell Haynes may be as ‘scarlet’ (in the sense that he also participated in the spectacle that ended with the "malfunction" and consequently may have also been required by the FCC to bring his checkbook down to the courthouse, and furthermore drew heat for his Tip Drill video), his great love (cf Die For You, from the Suit album) will in the end cover many sins as well (cf Luke, 7:37-47; 1 Peter 4:8; Proverbs 10:12). It takes great love to see (cf Ephesians 1:18) that it’s simply not true that hidden in the heart (cf Matthew 6:22-23; 15:19-20) of every white boy from ‘Nashville’ (or for that matter any "Red State") that values his wife and kids is some Bible-thumping, cross-burning, clinic-bombing bigot (or, to use the words from a 1980 movie, ’a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot’).

With Love united in the Truth, however, it's only a matter of time before this attitude of social (ie, racial), economic and ideological isolationism and classist confrontationism that has occurred even within the African American community comes to an end. In their own words and in their own ways, people of all races are uniting in a common campaign for decency and civility, and once again saying "tear down this wall," since only together---in ‘Spirit and in Truth’ (cf John 4:21-24)---can we ‘overcome’ and ‘save our lives in an extraordinary deliverance’ (cf Genesis 45:7) in winning the World War for Life (cf Evangelium Vitae, elements 17, 58-59).