Addressing the country in the wake of the Tucson tragedy. America's Enduring Strength...We are passionate and we are committed.
It's been nearly 5 years now since I started blogging, concerned about state and national fiscal issues, my own village, and the state of the media. (Funny how these seem to be recurrent problems--perhaps more uncivil to some questioning is in order, not less, hmm?)
Having been the subject of whispering campaigns and called an extremist for asking "dangerous" questions about local issues, I have the greatest respect for those who brave political correctness writ small and large. [And how could I forget being called a stalker by the NY Times]
The essence of American civil society is the freedom to debate.
And personal responsibility (and what of manners), not personal attacks, are the hallmark of a healthy society.
More. Jonah Goldberg. Why now and to what end?
More. Let's recall the most recent use of the phrase blood libel--well stated by law professor Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit, in the WSJ:
Jim Geraghty, NRO, with more.“So as the usual talking heads begin their ‘have you no decency?’ routine aimed at talk radio and Republican politicians, perhaps we should turn the question around. Where is the decency in blood libel?…“To be clear, if you’re using this event to criticize the ‘rhetoric’ of Mrs. Palin or others with whom you disagree, then you’re either: (a) asserting a connection between the ‘rhetoric’ and the shooting, which based on evidence to date would be what we call a vicious lie; or (b) you’re not, in which case you’re just seizing on a tragedy to try to score unrelated political points, which is contemptible. Which is it?
“I understand the desperation that Democrats must feel after taking a historic beating in the midterm elections and seeing the popularity of ObamaCare plummet while voters flee the party in droves. But those who purport to care about the health of our political community demonstrate precious little actual concern for America’s political well-being when they seize on any pretext, however flimsy, to call their political opponents accomplices to murder.
And the ever wonderfully irreverent Chris Muir, cartoon added above.
More. Big Government. Publius: Exclusive: Alan Dershowitz Defends Sarah Palin’s Use of Term ‘Blood Libel’
...I actually felt Sarah Palin was being blamed for anything and everything, and I wasn't the only one:
#blame palin, trending on twitter last night
More. JewsForSarah statement on Gov. Palin’s use of ‘blood libel’
Legal Insurrection.
...Or I could put it another way. The NY Times, the PC media, and the left are conducting a modern day Salem Witch trial. And it's just as hysterical--and evil.
...Beyond being fans of leftism, beyond being complicit liberals, beyond any shred of credibility or decency:
Behold the PC media.Journalism, like any business, enjoys great highs and suffers noticeable lows. Scandals of false stories have rocked no less than CBS and the New York Times in recent years. But this? This was different. This was a near-industry-wide failure. I will argue that this was the worst moment of journalism I have ever witnessed. This was not just an embarrassment, but it was a lie filled with such wishful hate as to damage the industry beyond repair to a huge portion of an audience already doubting or dismissing its credentials.
What's worse is that no one complicit in this horrific failure to the core of credibility of the profession much cares. If anything, what they are saying about the outright lie of linking the Arizona shooter to conservative backing is that the falsehoods don't matter. Because in the minds of these "journalists," the lies are not lies -- they are true.
...Can we say they did themselves in.
And Sarah is our standard bearer.
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