Maher and Civility

I want to be up front on this; I enjoy saying things to see how people react. In certain situations it can be fun and it can lead to a civil and interesting discussion. I saw a clip of Bill Maher and he referred to the NRA as the 'assassins lobby'. I have never thought that Bill Maher was a polite person, at least on camera. He may be charming and interesting in 'real life'. I find his positions politically bizarre and I am sure the Founding Fathers would look at him as some kind of alien life form. Here you can find some links to clips and Hugh Hewitt's assessment of Maher and others like him. I think it is spot on. I wonder why politicians who seem to think civility has ebbed never ever refer to the entertainment and the pseudo-news businesses and their effect on society?

The President's speech was oratorically good and he emphasized improving how we treat each other. Because we disagree on things does not mean we cannot be civil. In my mind it also means we do not have to give up passion. I listened to part of it on the radio in my car. I was unsettled by the immature collegiate atmosphere that I sensed with my ears and mind as I listened; not seeing what was going on. Many pundits have lauded the speech, excusing the atmosphere as an Irish wake-like milieu, but I believe it showed in itself a lack of civility, a lack of compassion, a shallowness of feeling towards the victims and their families. A true leader while at the podium would have said directly, in no uncertain terms, "This is not the place for loud applause and cheering." The retreaded theme on the shirts that were passed out only added to, what I sensed at least, the mockery being displayed as solemn recognition over the deep seriousness of the brutal act and it's consequences.

I did not see civility coming to the soldiers slaughtered by an Islamic fanatic nutcase at Ft. Hood. The President declared that we not jump to conclusions. Yet, the major shakers and screamers in the media within hours were blaming this tragedy on everyone and everything except what it was, a disturbed, damaged, pathological human being. I want to declare, unabashedly, I did not have anything to do with it, nobody I know had anything to do with it; it happened because of a choice this suspect made with his diseased mind. No politics, no Tea Party, no NRA; the foundation of this could have been family, maybe peers, who knows. What bothers me is how more than a few people think it was caused by rhetoric, talk radio, etc. Are there really that many ill-informed, ignorant people out there?

Now, we have, probably in the moment of a delusional attack in his own mind, Rep. Peter King in NY(R) who wants a law to forbid anyone being within 1000 feet of a federal official with a weapon. Why is a federal official any better than the rest of us? No, I do not want people out shooting them, but from a governing standpoint it would not hurt if we did have quite a few less federal officials. 1000' is 3 and 1/3 football fields. I wonder, why this episode has had such a profound effect? Here near my home a few years ago a guy went into a mall, Trolley Square, and started shooting and killing. Is it really manifestly more terrible because a judge and a US Representative were shot? Are they really more important than the rest of us? Maybe Vince Flynn is to blame. He wrote a novel, Term Limits (a great read by the way if you want some action and intrigue) which describes the Speaker of the House and a Senator being assassinated in an attempt to get the Congress thinking correctly about their duties, how they spend and tax and waste. Do we know if Loughner read Term Limits. Get Mitch Rapp on the case. Maybe every member of Congress should read it.

I am thrilled to hear Rep. Giffords appears to be improving. Whether she will be fully functional is unknown and maybe unknowable. Certainly, pain and destruction has affected many because of one person's actions. I fear we will see it again sometime.