How did my town get so lucky to have such a...religious person running for office?

Although I was born in Detroit itself, like so many Detroiters in the 1970s my family moved to a suburb of Detroit called Livonia when I was 10. I haven't lived in Livonia in nearly 25 years, but my parents still live there in the same house where I spent my teen years. So the politics of the town occasionally still piques my interest. Sometimes they turn really nutty, such as this year's City Council election. The city posted videos of all the candidates answering the following questions:

The following are 10 of the 11 candidates running in the Livonia City Council Primary election on Tuesday, September 15th. (Citing personal time constraints, Candidate Mark McCusker declined to participate.) The top eight finishers in the election will advance to the general election in November. Each Candidate was invited to make a personal introduction and answer two questions:

  1. Knowing there is going to be reduced revenue, what are you willing to do with the City budget and how will that affect attracting businesses to Livonia?
  2. What difference can you make as a member of the Livonia City Council?

The vast majority of the answers are of no interest whatsoever to those who do not live in Livonia. (I suspect they're not of that much interest to a lot of people who do live in Livonia, either.) It's typical fare.

There is one exception though. (You didn't think I'd bore you with a post about the town where I spent much of my youth if there weren't something that would interest you, did you? Self-indulgent I may be, but not that self-indulgent. I hope.) Check out the video for the following candidate:

Glenn Moon.

Watch the video to the end. It's worth it. Then check out Mr. Moon's MySpace page. I love the part where he lists his influences. God and Casey Kasem, oh yeah!

How did my old town get so lucky as to have a candidate such as Mr. Moon?

ADDENDUM: I should have known. The Glenn Moon video's been posted to YouTube:

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Great a religious nut who thought the blues brothers was a documentery...

The religious nuttery isn't even the worst part: Near the middle, he says that unless all city employees agree to work for a year for one dollar, they should be terminated from employment, and their job responsibilities distributed to others.

...This fellow is simply insane.

By Adam Cuerden (not verified) on 23 Aug 2009 #permalink

God can't be said without Jesus Christ, and most of the time, Jesus Christ can't be said without Lord, Saviour and Messiah.

You could cut half off that vid just by scrapping all the redundancy. Unless he's not trinitarian, once you invoke god, don't you automatically invoke all the other ones?

Also, all his practical suggestions are picking up litter, city civil servants working for free, and being more considerate of your neighbours.

Erm, this man sounds like he belongs in the pulpit, not the city council. Referring to god with as many as five separate words at a time works better there.

So, are you supporting him?

hmm.

He's either utterly bonkers or the best satirist since Colbert. One or the other. You decide. If it's the latter - let's get the man his own TV show. If the former - perhaps a padded cell is more appropriate...

The thing is, though,...prayer works.

By DrWonderful (not verified) on 23 Aug 2009 #permalink

Sokal?

And what is with the refusal to use the word "of" or "the"?
I

This guy sounds like is right on the cusp of a breakdown. Wouldn't want to be around when he (hopefully) loses. I hope the people of SE Mich can see through this BS.

By franz dibbler (not verified) on 23 Aug 2009 #permalink

ZOMG! It's Dr. Bronner!

I hope he wins. Those city council meetings would be SO interesting!

btw, does this guy do whatever it is he does for $1 a year?

God must hate prepositions. Or at least Moon thinks so.

By 'Tis Himself (not verified) on 23 Aug 2009 #permalink

I've got two kids, and like a lot of dads, I probably go on too many tirades. I'd always worried that I was way over the edge, and was at the edge of what any fathers ever did.

I fear that no more. This guy has shone me that I a far from the wackiest loon in the world, and given me absolution. On the other hand, I have seen what I may become, and I hereby resolve to make sure that reason shall never leave me, as it has this poor person.

By spudbeach (not verified) on 23 Aug 2009 #permalink

Somehow I don't think this Moon is going to be as successful as his relative.

By Pierce R. Butler (not verified) on 23 Aug 2009 #permalink

@Ramel I totally had flashbacks to the Blues Brothers, too

I've taken the liberty of transcribing this speech, as I'm sure its popularity is already assurred. I've added some punctuation, although I'm not sure what to do with "Evil One Spirit Realm Devil Satan" other than leave it like that...

===
My name is Glenn Moon.

I participate this election motiviated by Holy Spirit from God in name Jesus Christ.

I seek to fulfil my spiritual duty and responsibility - lead this world of lost human souls to reach eternal salvation from Heavenly Father Almighty God through God's Son Jesus Christ, Lord, Savir [sic], Messiah.

We, City Livonia, must eliminate from within our city borders premeditated murder, fetal homicide, child killing - "abortionist", smooth-sounding word representing most evil action ever perpetrated by human beings in history of human beings.

We, City Livonia, must eliminate imposition-of-self-upon-neighbor peace disturbance. Heavenly Father Almighty God in name God's Son Jesus Christ, Lord, Saviour, Messiah, decreed through power Holy Spirit - no more "Love your neighbor as you love yourself", we human beings must love our neighbor as we would have God in name Jesus Christ love us, remembering always, when we cease to exist as living, breathing human beings, upon our human demise, death, there is spiritual judgement from God in name Jesus Christ.

We, City Livonia, must eliminate individual pieces of trash, more lightly referred to as "litter", found on ground and human-constructed ground surface. Livonia, pick up your trash!

Until we, City Livonia, find ourselves worthy to receive future worldly financial blessing from God in name Jesus Christ, this is what we, City Livonia, must do. Starting with our highest-paid city employee, we will ask city employees - "Are you willing continue your employment with City Livonia, time period duration one year, in exchange financial reimbursement one dollar?" If city employee fails to submit self to holy will of God in name Jesus Christ, agree remain employed salary one dollar, we, City Livonia, are commanded by God in name Jesus Christ terminate employment, eliminate employment designation, distribute job responsibilities to other City Livonia employees.

Livonia, suburb Detroit, Michigan, United States of America, Chamber of Commerce requests I, Moon, describe what difference I will make as elected member City Council Livonia. We, City Council Livonia, will refuse to serve Evil One Spirit Realm Devil Satan. We, City Council Livonia, will seek to be obedient to holy will of God in name Jesus Christ, through power Holy Spirit from God in name Jesus Christ, we will stand in victory and truth to glory Heavenly Father, Almighty God in name Jesus Christ, Lord, Saviour, Messiah.

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father Almighty God, in name Your Son, Jesus Christ, Lord, Saviour, Messiah, we pray: Lord, in name Your Son Jesus, through power Your Holy Spirit, please lead us in your way. Thank you.

Let's go, Livonia!
===

On the "imposition-of-self-on-neighbor" issue, see http://villagethinker.wordpress.com/2009/08/18/raving-nutbag-running-fo…

That guy looks just like my dad.

Love the phrase, "human-constructed ground surface"! Although, why he felt constrained to use the whole string, "Heavenly Father ... Messiah", and then limited himself to "city Livonia", I don't understand.

It should have been, "Human-constructed ground surface Livonia", at least.

He talks like a bottle of DR bronners magic soap!

Think this guy subscribes to the TimeCube theory as well?

I see that a lot of his MySpace friends are trumpeters. Very apocalyptic!

By Aaron Baker (not verified) on 23 Aug 2009 #permalink

I will strike down upon thee with great vengence and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brother and you will now my name is the Lord when I lay my vengence upon thee.

By Sid Offit (not verified) on 23 Aug 2009 #permalink

I love the fact that his platform consists of ending the "most evil action ever perpetrated by human beings in history of human beings", and litter control.

for some reason this guy reminds me of the man in san francisco who murdered harvey milk and someone else in city government. this man needs to be evaluated by professionals to determine whether he is a danger to himself or others.

By Texas Reader (not verified) on 23 Aug 2009 #permalink

for some reason this guy reminds me of the man in san francisco who murdered harvey milk and someone else in city government. this man needs to be evaluated by professionals to determine whether he is a danger to himself or others.

Yeah. I might not go that far, but this man is definitely not fully rational. A commenter over on the Pharyngula thread linked the voter guide for the Livonia election (http://www.lwvnww.org/files/vg_9-09_livonia.pdf). Part of Moon's contribution:

IMoon.Glenn born into humanexistence
1958May22 hospitalHarper
USAMichigan_Detroitdowntown
additional biographical information
may be studied from internetaddresses
www.myspace.com/mojazzorch
www.circuspace.com/profile/glennmoon
www.myyearbook.com/moonman1111
www.facebook.com/familymoon1111
IMoon running for citycouncilLivonia
seeking to fulfill my spiritual duty and responsibility
lead this world of lost humansouls
to eternal salvation from
HeavenlyFatherAlmightyGod
through GodSon
JesusChristLordSaviorMessiah
relevant quality is fact I am
worldhistoric spiritualleader
prophetofGodinnameJesusChrist
I have been spiritually blessed by
GodinnameJesusChrist through power
HolySpiritfromGodinnameJesusChrist
to have witnessed worldhistoric acts of
GodinnameJesusChrist including
2001January30 cemeteryWalledLake
suburbDetroitMichiganUSA
spiritualresurrection BrideChristKellyCockerham
relevant skills include
written and spoken ability to
communicate with other humanbeings

(all punctuation, or lack thereof, in the original)

I'm happy to sneer at genuine, more or less rational fundies, but mocking people who are actually, demonstrably insane leaves me a little queasy. This guy needs help.

By mad the swine (not verified) on 23 Aug 2009 #permalink

Typos in transcript at: motiviated, fulfil, Saviour (unless he's hiding a British accent; appears twice), judgement.

I'd vote for him, just for shits and giggles, but I'd like to ask that he adopt a few of Jello Biafra's campaign planks. No cars within city limits and all bankers within city limits during regular business hours must wear clown costumes.

I'll give him this, he puts teh crazy front and center, so he's obviously not ashamed of it. Any city that would elect him deserves to have him.

And the Lord did Grin, and the people feasted upon antelopes and aardvarks and breakfast cereals. . .

This guy is nuts. a religious nut of the first water.
Hopefully he is not violent.

Well, a fellow named "Moon" who's a genuine lunatic. Imagine that!

"relevant skills include written and spoken ability to communicate with other humanbeings"

Oh really?

By Ginger Yellow (not verified) on 24 Aug 2009 #permalink

Lune

He speaks like he has a mental disorder, other than the obvious religious one, not sure which though.

we're gonna need a bigger sack.

Hey! I love Dr. Bronner soap! Though I *do* notice the similarities in sentence structure, content and pure unadulterated CRAZY. Crazy as he may have been though, Dr. Bronner's company is one of the most employee oriented in the country and his sons still make regular charitable contributions to environmental and fair labor causes. They've also gone Fair Trade for most of their ingredients. It makes me feel much less dirty for having something covered in religious crazy in my bathroom. Which is good...since it's soap. **waits for the groans**

By Stacey C. (not verified) on 24 Aug 2009 #permalink

He may SOUND like a bottle of Dr Bronner soap, but he doesn't contain delightful minty soap. The bottle of Dr Bronner soap is thus far superior.

By MissyMiss (not verified) on 24 Aug 2009 #permalink

This is the biggest Mooninite threat since the Boston-lite brite incident.

OMFGodinnamejesuschristlordmessiahsavior, someone get this man some help.

He makes the phrase "Vote Hamster for Batman" seem rational.

By Dave Robinson (not verified) on 25 Aug 2009 #permalink

Holy Crap!

By The Blind Watchmaker (not verified) on 25 Aug 2009 #permalink

I live in livonia, I'm in Stevenson Class of '13. This guy really puts us to shame... but most of the people in Livonia are crazy anyways, so I'm used to it.