Am I the only one getting creeped out by this Sanders/bird stuff?

[sufrommich]

From Sanders Reddit page:
This is too coincidental.
You're telling me a sparrow, which is said to be the only bird around when the crucifixion of Jesus happened, and became a symbol of triumph after long suffering, landed on a podium inside of a building where there was a rally with 25,000 people on the same day as Good Friday, the day we commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, where a 74 Jewish guy is preaching world peace, compassion and love, is a coincidence? I don't believe it. I'm not even religious. But this is too coincidental, to be a coincidence.
It could be any bird, but it had to be a sparrow.
It could be any place, but it had to be this place.
It could be any day, but it had to be this day.
It could be any rally, but it had to be Bernie's rally.


Now it's showing up here too. Yikes. This is heading into cult territory.

[Socal31]

1. Same here.

It is a cardinal rule that the raven lunatics belong to the fringe wings of the political spectrum.

[sufrommich]

2. Ha! Thanks for the early morning laugh.

[kjones]

29. Uh oh, I've got some competition in the pun department! nt

[fun n serious]

3. We have a lot of birds here in Portland

Most of them are sparrows. Many Portlanders have a tattoo of a sparrow on their hand. Sparrows are very very common here even a nuisance to some. We are bird city... So not so strange. I thought it was cute no matter whose Rally it is.

[classof56]

41. Well, our state motto IS "She Flies With Her Own Wings"

Me, I can't stop smilin' when I watch this, from clear over here East of the Cascades.

[fun n serious]

47. Alis volat propriis

[2naSalit]

4. For those who need

to cling to little symbols for hope or whatever, I guess it makes them feel better but the religious connotation is too much for me.

[SCantiGOP]

66. I have been noticing this

Messianic, almost Christ-like depictions of Sanders. He will soon start to heal the sick.

Clinton, on the other hand, could raise the dead and they would call it practicing medicine without a license and demand a federal grand jury investigation.

[2naSalit]

69. Sad but true......nt

[quickesst]

5. They can have them

Don't know why they're getting so worked up over something that happens probably about a gazillion times a day all over the world. Besides they're pretty filthy


Do sparrows carry diseases?

Yes. Sparrows, and their droppings, can present a health hazard to people, pets and livestock. Although typically a problem only with large accumulations of droppings, many diseases can be transferred from sparrow droppings including histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, toxoplasmosis, encephalitis and more. Always exercise caution when dealing with bird droppings. Sparrows also play host to ticks, fleas, mites and lice. These parasites can infest buildings, which can then be transferred to people and animals.




http://www.crittrcatchr.com/animal-control-critter-problem/urban-wildlife-nuisance-animals/sparrow-problems-in-the-greater-cincinnati-area.html

[stopbush]

6. A good laugh!

Religion is like that.

[72DejaVu]

7. I watched that and when Bernie laughed

I thought that if he was that guy more and less the guy who screams and waves his arms like his hair is on fire, I might like him.


Oh, and it was a finch.

[livetohike]

11. I didn't watch the video. I'm a bird watcher, so I'll go

watch it

[Rose Siding]

8. Never heard so much booing in a rally about world peace.

I think the bird was a Democrat and part of the establishment.

[Thinkingabout]

9. Good thought, like the saying a little bird told me.

[betsuni]

12. Sparrows visit my balcony garden all the time, including Good Friday.

Probably will on Easter. Mostly to drink from the trays of potted plants. I fed them for a while but my husband got mad because they were impolite and relieved themselves all over the place: "A balcony is not a toilet," he said. He was sensitive about such things because a cat had decided that his parking space in our building's garage was the ideal litter box. Once as we were coming back from a walk he spotted the perpetrator and shouted, "That's the one, THE POO KITTY!" Later he saw it lounging on a neighbor's stoop and took pictures with the zoom lens. He was a little obsessed. Why were all the animals shitting on him? What had he done?

[kstewart33]

13. LOL. nt

[Walk away]

14. What kind of bird would want to feed on Bernie's crumbs of Stale Rhetoric????????

A Sea Gullible? A Cuckoo???

[OhZone]

15. lol

hahahaha

[bravenak]

70. Haa!

[riversedge]

24. LOL I actually tuned in last night--msnbc

was carrying his speech--? from WA. Anyway, he spent 10- 15 minutes mocking Hillary about turning over the transcripts. Got the crowd all cooked up. I found his tone condescending. How are the transcripts helping Americans in their daily lives??

[Bleacher Creature]

39. He's STILL on the transcript nonsense?

It's such a dumb issue that I just assumed it was his online supporters pushing it at this point.

That's just sad. Not much more I can say about it.

[BlueCaliDem]

36. ROFL!

[Godhumor]

16. I wonder if the bird tweeted about the encounter n/t

[OhZone]

19. Oh, God!

I should steal that for the pun thread on my forum.

[Godhumor]

21. Feel free! I believe sharing is a cardinal rule n/t

[OhZone]

22. Ha - I'll use that too! nt

[Politicub]

17. I think the Bernie bird blessing sounds like a dispatch from the North Korea news service

Tomorrow is Easter so maybe he'll lay a golden egg of peace on stage, use it to make a blessed omelet and feed it to the crowd. His single egg will be enough to feed all - a special Bernie version of loaves and fishes.

[shadowandblossom]

56. ...

I don't know if I want to cry or laugh.

[OhZone]

18. Reminds me of that idiotic conspiracy nutcase -

Dan Bidondi talking about the birds at the Vatican.

Dan is Alex Jones's sidekick.

Yep, like I said, many BS fans are decending toward Alex Jones fans.

[ismnotwasm]

20. I've been taking a break

Just found out about this. If one looks at the entire response to Sanders objectively, especially the various unmerited and ridiculous comparisons to "Alphabet" leaders--MLK, FDR, JFK, and yes, JC, (even Obi-Wan-Kenobi) the response is not surprising.

This kind of psychological response is seen in established religions as well as cults. A search for meaning, a validation of beliefs. While the response is initially pretty funny, you are right, it quickly becomes deeply creepy and disturbing.

And if we are going there, a bird indoors is not nessisarily a "good sign". Just sayin.

[mcar]

23. That is chilling

[Tarc]

25. It is weird as hell to see people act like Christian mystics on the Du

to embrace this bird thing like a religious icon is creepy.

It's just a bird.

[Koinos]

32. And many of his supporters are atheists.

Go figure. Is Sanders the new religion?

[Hoyt]

26. If it happened to Clinton, they'd claim she set it up.

[workinclasszero]

27. I think the Bernie hero worship turned into a cult

a long time ago.

Its pathetic and ridiculous IMO.

[Walk away]

28. Bernie should heed the warning!

“It doesn’t take long for your fortunes to turn. One second you’re fluttery as a bird, the next you’re on the ground with your wings clipped.”
― Saim Cheeda

[DemonGoddess]

30. K&R!

It's BEEN in cult territory, for quite awhile now.

Love the puns everyone!

[BlueMTexpat]

51. My thoughts too!

And I LOVE the puns.

[Loki]

31. Its the bird I most often see at Home Depot!

n/t

[COLGATE4]

33. Well, seeing as it was a Finch and not a

Sparrow seems to blow that whole orgasmic exercise to hell.

[Cha]

35. I guess they do look a little alike.. so it was decided it was a finch? This is the

second time I've heard that.

And, yes it blows the whole sparrow thing out of the water.. if it were just a finch looking for a sip of water.

[Koinos]

34. It creeps me out too.

But I am not surprised. For many of them, it has been "Saint Bernie" for quite some time.

It is definitely a personality cult for many Sanders supporters. Their icon can do no wrong.

If he becomes the nominee, it will be a miracle; and followers will petition Pope Francis to begin the canonization process.

Sad to see people swept away by strong emotions. I guess even atheists need some form of religion.

[Satch59]

37. I think it's simple...

All that finger waving is just ripe for birds to try to land on, like a tree in the wind...

NY & PA primaries can't come soon enough...his rhetoric is just so old now...have not seen any of his speeches that say anything new and his supporters just cheer on the cue lines. Where are the small moments that we've all seen of Hillary and a few people, really listening to their life stories.

Just don't get "the bern"...

[Buzz cook]

38. Let them have their fun

While it is a bit disturbing to see some people devolve into superstition and "wu" for the most part there's no harm in it.

[Lucinda]

40. I'd have been impressed if he had opened his water bottle for the poor little thing

it was probably thirsty

[NastyRiffraff]

42. This is just...just...

Weird. And creepy. We're not heading into cult territory; we're deep into it and building houses in it.

[Starry Messenger]

43. The threads about it are insane.

Magical thinking writ large.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

44. At least it didn't poop on him

[BlueMTexpat]

53. Supposedly a bird's pooping

on someone means good luck! http://glo.com/living/the-meaning-behind-common-superstitions-7020.gallery?photoId=42455

The fact that the bird did NOT poop on Bernie might not bode well for him.

[Treant]

45. Eh, people do that.

Therefore I must be St. Francis himself for making friends with many animals in the gardens, yes?

No. It simply shows that I'm out there a great deal, I'm careful to act in a non-threatening manner, and can be relied upon to carry things they like to eat.

I haven't hand trained any birds, but have had finches and sparrows land next to me. And once, a hummingbird sit on me for a moment.

[shadowandblossom]

46. Jesus...

That is creepy... and cultish... That person will probably sign up for a free Scientology audit or something when Sander's doesn't become the nominee...

[William769]

48. You are not the only one.

[JSup]

49. Some of them...

...(I can only count two of them) have been comparing him to Jesus for a while now.

It was on the day he lost Missouri, trying to remember the words... ah, yes; something about the Jewish carpenter losing to the money-changers or something.

I am religious and found it rather offensive but didn't bother 'alerting'.

[shadowandblossom]

54. I've seen a couple of people do that too.

I know most Sander's supporters aren't like that, and sorry.

[JSup]

57. It's alright...

...being a Hillary supporter, Christian and gay, I have developed a thick skin regarding those matters.

[Tanuki]

59. With the bird incident, things have reached a fever pitch at Camp Wishful Thinking and we are

coming close to "and the Holy Spirit descended as a dove" territory.


Honestly, when I first saw the bird clip on tv I thought it was charming, but it doesn't take long for Bernie's online fanboyz to ruin anything, including their candidate.

[shadowandblossom]

50. someone took note of your post in the Sander's Group

"Just saw a post over in Hill camp and they are a bit befuddled about the bird


I do not necessarily subscribe to "religious" dogmas but I accept that this wondrous manifestation of life may indeed move in mysterious ways.
What you see is what you get and a tiny sparrow has opened my heart to the possibility of peace once again.
I hope some day they will join us ------etc."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1280157857


Some of the responses...:

Bernie's responce : "That is really a Dove asking for World Peace"

you can't make that shit up. All that and this happened to a Jewish candidate in a Christian Country, on Good Friday, who has voted against Wars in the Mideast - now what are the odds of that ..


And yes it has made a lot of religious folks ask their self the question - is this Devine Intervention



response to the response was


3. I think Bernie was just a amazed as anyone else who witnessed this event

And in his wisdom he went straight for the metaphor.

[shadowandblossom]

52. Uck.

"in his wisdom" I didn't even read the rest...

[SanDiegoDem]

55. okay...

Besides the odd remark by the Sanders supporter: "I'm not even religious" while spouting all manner of religious trope,
what exactly is the point of the bird-Bernie connection? Are they saying Bernie is Jesus or Bernie has been visited by Jesus, or
Bernie is the new Jesus...
That's a bummer of a burden to be placed on some innocent sparrow. Did the sparrow leave some droppings on the podium? cause that would just be the BEST. How would they spin that anointment?

[JSup]

58. Like so:

Did the sparrow leave some droppings on the podium? cause that would just be the BEST. How would they spin that anointment?

As manna from the heavens; put it on your tongue and experience holy bliss.

[Agnosticsherbet]

60. We should be thankful a kitten did not drop out of the sky and land on his podium or we would see

[workinclasszero]

62. Hymn No 1 in the Church of Bernie

[BlueMTexpat]

61. Per Smithsonian Magazine, the

sparrow is the most common bird in the world. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-story-of-the-most-common-bird-in-the-world-113046500/?no-ist

If this bird was actually a finch rather than a sparrow, finches are also quite common in the US. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finch

What would really have been impressive - and perhaps even worth ascribing mystic symbolism to - would have been if one of these had made an appearance at Bernie's rally: http://www.iwebstreet.com/top-10-rarest-birds-in-the-world/

Otherwise, meh. I would have had the same reaction if this had happened to Hillary, although I can only imagine the reaction of Bernie's supporters had that been the case. She would have been accursed of "pandering" to the "bird" vote - and that is likely one of the nicer comments.

If anyone is a birder, which I am not, although I do appreciate having them around, here are some birding basics: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/birding/birding-basics/common-birds-north-america/

And yes, I do find the behavior creepy. What finally and completely turned me off were earlier comparisons of Bernie to Jesus. I am an agnostic (recovering Catholic) and religious comparisons about ANY candidate for President are OTT unless they are comparing the tolerant behavior towards all that most mainstream (both Christian and non-Christian) religions routinely preach, IMO.

[Mosby]

63. where can I find the video?

[KittyWampus]

64. Are we sure it wasn't a miniature F-35? Cause you know the F-35's sitting in VT

only drop bombs of Love and Peace.

[Setsuna1972]

65. same here

I'm like, so ? Big deal

[nolabear]

67. I get that it's a sweet, charming moment, but all perspective seems lost.

People that I would otherwise have thought were relatively rational are having religious hysterias over it. I don't want a leader elected in a religious hysteria. It's not God, it's not a sign from Mother Nature, it's not magic, it's a sweet bird.

By the way it wasn't a sparrow. It was a house finch. So so much for the portents and spells.

[Gothmog]

68. This bird stuff is strange

[Hekate]

71. The bird video was cute, but that Reddit thing is cultishly creepy....

It's religion all right ("I'm not even religious" -- yeah, sure) all drenched in syrup to the point of nausea.

Bernie and the Bird was kind of heartwarming, but what his acolytes choose to do with it is not.

[trueblue2007]

72. i love both our dems and thought the bird think was cool.

and i'm an animal lover ....