Demagoging tragedy

Frankly, I don't know which sickens me more: the abhorrent mass murder committed by a sicko-psycho in Arizona that also left Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords critically wounded, or the reaction to her wounding in the media.

Big Media (the BM for short) -- the same BM that demanded that we "not rush to judgment" following the Ft. Hood mass murder by a sicko-psycho -- rushed to judgment bigtime this time.  "Right-wing rhetoric" was blamed by some, an ironic claim, it turns out.  The shooter was described as "quite liberal" and a "political radical" by classmates.

Turns out when it comes to hateful rhetoric, the left doesn't fare too poorly itself.  Caribou Barbie hung in effigy.  Il Duce quoted as saying, "If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun". Ironic.

  Sarah Palin Caribou Barbie was blamed for "putting a bulls-eye on Rep. Giffords", an ironic claim, it turns out.  A Daily Kos blogger said that Giffords was "dead to me" just two days prior to the attack.  Not quite a bulls-eye, but ugly nonetheless.

Of course, Faux News came out all in defense of Caribou Barbie.  What?  You expected differently?  Regardless of where you get your news, children, you're gonna get spin.

Naturally, the Tea Party was blamed as well.  Yeah, all of that "hateful rhetoric" about sticking to the Constitution really makes folks want to kill their Congress-critter [/sarcasm].

Naturally, the Succubus of State had to weigh in, calling the shooter, "an extremist".  Takes one to know one, I suppose...

But the simple fact is that the shooter is mentally unbalanced.  How unbalanced?  Enough to where his college classmates were scared of him.

No one is blaming Caribou Barbie, or the Tea Party, or even Calvin Klein for this kook who castrated a journalist.  Not the right political angle, I suppose.

Look, it's no secret that I hate Team Donkey and Team Elephant equally.  Anyone who thinks that either of them is "the good guys" is drinking the Kool Aid.  But the partisan demagoguery on display the past two days has been nauseating.  And frankly, you have to ask, if the wounded Representative had an 'R' after her name, would there be all of this finger pointing and whining about "hateful political rhetoric"?

I think you know the answer to that question...

Something different

Too often this blog is nothing but a giant bitch fest.  Bitch, bitch, bitch.  Moan.  Complain.  Grumble.  Kvetch.

Not today.  Today I wanted to share something I stumbled upon while reading Will Griggs's excellent article entitled Shadows and Foreshadowing at Nagasaki.  The "something" to which I refer is this paper written by scientists and engineers detailing their findings in the wake of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombings of August 6th and 9th of 1945.  The paper was published on June 29th, 1946, so it contains none of the faux PC bullshit hand-wringing or political overtones we've come to associate with present-day reporting on that topic.

I highly recommend giving it a look.  I found it quite enlightening.

Same shoe, different foot

In all of the hullabaloo about Shirley Sherrod being accused of racism, being forced to resign her government job at the prodding of the Duce administration, and then being exonerated and restored to a position at the USDA, one extraordinarily large question has remained unanswered: wither those who have worn the scarlet "R" prior to Ms. Sherrod?

Video taken out of context showed Ms. Sherrod expressing some extremely hateful sentiments ("let his own kind help him" was my favorite).  However, Ms. Sherrod, in the 24-year-old video, was using those hateful sentiments to make a point: that she came to the realization that her thoughts about the white farmer were bigoted and she vowed to change and never again let such thinking impact her decision making ever again.

I'm glad that Ms. Sherrod was able to return to her employment.  The haste with which she was "encouraged" to resign was beyond ridiculous.  Nice show of leadership, Duce.

But I return to the question I posited in the first paragraph: wither those who have worn the scarlet "R" prior to Ms. Sherrod?

Who will reclaim the reputation of Al Campanis?  Mr. Campanis was the general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1980's.  He was no racist; it could be argued that he provided more opportunities in Major League Baseball to minorities than any other GM of his era.  Yet one bad Nightline interview torpedoed his otherwise stellar career.  Paradoxically, the one opinion he expressed that drew major scorn upon him - that blacks weren't built for swimming - has been scientifically proven based on navel position!  Mr. Campanis is dead, but certainly his memory deserves to be expunged of the scarlet "R", does it not?

Who will reclaim the reputation of Jimmy the Greek?  He made off-hand comments to a TV reporter at a bar that ended up costing him his career.  His crime - stating that blacks had been bred to be big and strong during slavery - was insensitive and un-PC...but also historically accurate.  I mean, what slave owner wants a crop of Urkels in the fields?  He was fired by CBS Sports and never worked in TV again.  Mr. "Greek" is dead, but certainly his memory deserves to be expunged of the scarlet "R", does it not?

Who will reclaim the reputation of Trent Lott?  His comments in praise of Strom Thurmond - that the country would have been better off had he won election to the Presidency as a pro-segregation Dixiecrat in 1948 - were in reference to his political stances in general.  The fact that he had run as a pro-segregationist probably didn't even cross Lott's mind.  There are plenty of reasons to despise the big-government whore that is Trent Lott.  But what of the scarlet "R"?  Can his reputation be cleansed at last from that moronic smear?

The blathering heads of CNN were in high dudgeon on Tuesday about the whole Sherrod affair.  But....where were they when Messers Campanis, "Greek", and Lott were being pilloried?  If the sound you hear is that of crickets chirping, then you've comprehended my point.

It's time for the smear of "RACIST" name-calling to end.  Now.  It was bullshit 20 years ago when Al Campanis had his career ruined.  It's bullshit now when Shirley Sherrod nearly has her career ruined.  Stop it!  We're not little children.  You or I can have an opinion that is offensive; said opinion should NOT ruin our life!

It's time for the professional race baiters and racial ambulance chasers like Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson to be shown the exit.  

It's time for America to grow up. 

Colin Quinn - role model

I was never a fan of Colin Quinn before.  I thought he was a big tool.  How wrong I was.  I just happened to catch the last few minutes of the Joy Behar show (a show I normally wouldn't watch on a bet) and witnessed this exchange (the subject being Jesse James).

BEHAR: I see, well he did have a little bit of a Nazi thing, he dressed up like a Nazi. But he`s just --

QUINN: Oh so what, I like the fact -- here`s how politically correct our country is. That he`s actually more horrified, the worst part is that people think he`s a racist. That`s how politically correct our country is. All the other stuff, like, whatever, but people might perceive me as a racist. I`m sick of it.

BEHAR: What are you sick of, which part?

QUINN: People acting like racism is the worst crime than murder in the (EXPLICATIVE DELETED) country.

MO ROCCA: Well he didn`t murder -

QUINN: That`s what I`m sick of.

MO ROCCA: Did her murder somebody?

QUINN: Well it`s funny you bring that up -

BEHAR: What are you saying?

QUINN: I`m saying did you see how he goes the worst thing of all is people think I`m a racist.

BEHAR: Yes, yes.

QUINN: Right. I`m saying this -- the culture that we live in, everything else is -- if you`re a racist that`s the worst thing in the country.

BEHAR: Well he`s saying it`s worst than being a philanderer. I agree with that. Don`t you?

QUINN: No I don`t.

BEHAR: Because racism causes more trouble than philandering.

QUINN: I don`t know about that, not in this country.

BEHAR: Not in this lifetime for you but other people in Arizona, for example, they`re having problems.

QUINN: You`re right, I can`t believe that -- that`s brutal, trying to get people to show their I.D.

BEHAR: Yes.

QUINN: Anyway --

MO ROCCA: should we be talking to Paula Abdul?

QUINN: That`s brutal.

BEHAR: OK speaking of "AMERICAN IDOL" --

QUINN: I had to show I.D. to get into this building.

That. was. AWESOME!  "I had to show I.D. to get into this building."  Priceless.

He's right.  He's absolutely right.  People view racism as worse than cheating on your spouse.  Worse than beating your children.  Worse than embezzling, fraud, or lying under oath. 

Notice how both host Behar and guest Mo Rocca kept trying to change the subject.  The truth tends to bring out that reaction in the politically correct.

Colin Quinn, I salute you.  You're an American Hero.