Hey, President Obama: Where have all the civility police gone?; Update: Signed, sealed, delivered
Words. Just words.
Yesterday, Democrat Rep. Gabrielle Giffords returned to the House floor for the first time since the horrific January 8, 2011 Tucson massacre.
She received a warm, bipartisan, prolonged standing ovation. It was a nice moment.
But also a surreal one.
As you’ll recall, within minutes of the shooting, Tea Party-bashing, Palin-bashing recriminations and accusations clogged the Internet and airwaves.
As you’ll recall, liberals blamed everything from cross-hairs to the phrase “job-killing” to the perennial bogeyman “talk radio” for a lone loon’s homicidal spree.
As you’ll recall, President Obama brought his campaign to Tucson and gave a national sermon about the need for civility. We’re One America. Together We Thrive. And all that:
But at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized – at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do – it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.
Scripture tells us that there is evil in the world, and that terrible things happen for reasons that defy human understanding. In the words of Job, “when I looked for light, then came darkness.” Bad things happen, and we must guard against simple explanations in the aftermath.
For the truth is that none of us can know exactly what triggered this vicious attack. None of us can know with any certainty what might have stopped those shots from being fired, or what thoughts lurked in the inner recesses of a violent man’s mind.
So yes, we must examine all the facts behind this tragedy. We cannot and will not be passive in the face of such violence. We should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of violence in the future.
But what we can’t do is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on one another. As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let us use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy, and remind ourselves of all the ways our hopes and dreams are bound together.
But over the course of the debt-limit negotiations, the preponderance of unhinged, blame-assigning, violent image-invoking rhetoric has come from the White House and its allies — from the president himself accusing Republicans of holding a gun to the head of the American people, to Steny Hoyer using Russian roulette imagery, to the latest outbreak of Tea Party = suicide bombers, fraggers, jihad, and terrorists.
At 12:15pm Eastern, after the Senate finishes voting, President Obama is scheduled to give a statement in the Rose Garden on the debt deal.
I will remember his words from January. Will he?
If this tragedy prompts reflection and debate, as it should, let’s make sure it’s worthy of those we have lost.
Let’s make sure it’s not on the usual plane of politics and point-scoring and pettiness that drifts away in the next news cycle.
The loss of these wonderful people should make every one of us strive to be better, to be better in our private lives, to be better friends and neighbors and co-workers and parents.
And if, as has been discussed in recent days, their death helps usher in more civility in our public discourse, let us remember it is not because a simple lack of civility caused this tragedy — it did not — but rather because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to the challenges of our nation in a way that would make them proud.
We should be civil because we want to live up to the example of public servants like John Roll and Gabby Giffords, who knew first and foremost that we are all Americans, and that we can question each other’s ideas without questioning each other’s love of country, and that our task, working together, is to constantly widen the circle of our concern so that we bequeath the American dream to future generations.
They believe — they believe and I believe that we can be better. Those who died here, those who saved lives here, they help me believe. We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another, that’s entirely up to us.
And I believe that, for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us.
That’s what I believe, in part because that’s what a child like Christina-Taylor Green believed.
Imagine — can you imagine for a moment, here was a young girl who was just becoming aware of our democracy, just beginning to understand the obligations of citizenship, just starting to glimpse the fact that someday she, too, might play a part in shaping her nation’s future.
She had been elected to her student council. She saw public service as something exciting and hopeful. She was off to meet her congresswoman, someone she was sure was good and important and might be a role model. She saw all this through the eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol that we adults all too often just take for granted.
I want us to live up to her expectations.
I want our democracy to be as good as Christina imagined it. I want America to be as good as she imagined it. All of us, we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations.
***
More:
Jonah Goldberg has had enough.
From comments, MChristian writes: “Yesterday on Ace of Spades, I saw the newly coined word, Tearrorist. I like it and I’m going to start using it.”
Townhall’s Guy Benson notes that no less than four New York Times columnists have attacked conservatives and Tea Party activists as terrorists over the past week.
***
Update: The Senate passed the debt limit increase deal. Obama took to the Rose Garden immediately after to exult about new “investments.” The White House announced at approx. 2:05pm Eastern that the deal had been signed into law by the president himself.
The Autopen is apparently on vacay, along with the Democrat civility police.
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What is remarkable about much of the commentary here is the outrage about how the split-government sausage-making machine predictably produced a sausage – in the form of a debt ceiling compromise that almost nobody likes – because the alternative was even less palatable.
When I wrote some time ago about what I refer to as “Tea Partier Hubris Syndrome,” part of what I had in mind was the possibility if not likelihood that some in this movement would overestimate its power in the short term, set their immediate expectations too high, and then over-react at the sense of crushing disappointment that they brought upon themselves.
And so it has come to pass.
The notion of some that after the 2010 election the tea party influenced House of Representatives could do more than simply block what Obama and the Senate Democrats were seeking (e.g., in the present case a debt ceiling hike with no spending cuts and/or tax increases) is precisely such an over-estimation of capabilities. Now comes the also-predictable sense of rage and irrational desire for internecine revenge on the part of certain adult two-year-olds who, no matter how hard they stamped their feet and how long they held their breath, didn’t get everything they wanted.
When in a divided government the irresistible force (the tea party movement) meets the immovable object (its counterpart among the hard-core left that currently holds the Democratic Party in thrall), neither side is going to get its way. Instead, the most likely outcome will be what has taken place: an agree-to-disagree stopgap measure, pending the next election.
Long-term thinking dictates that in such a case the practical strategy is to work toward doing well enough in the upcoming election to gain the strength necessary to break the deadlock on favorable terms.
Short-term thinking, on the other hand, focuses on looking for “traitors” in its own ranks so that they and other “undesirables” may be purged and the newer, smaller, more “pure” group that emerges can stamp its feet and hold its breath with even more impotent rage than before. The notion, for example, that Allen West and others recently elected with the approval of the tea party if not under its banner should now be thrown out of office because they didn’t kowtow to the two-year-olds on the debt ceiling issue is a perfect example of this Reign of Terror mindset in action.
We didn’t get into our present fiscal fix overnight, and the way out is going to have to be the the result of grinding, incremental progress instead of passion-fueled desire for instant gratification with no regard for adult-world realities. The tea party has made significant progress in a brief period of time when it comes to slowing down the descent of our government into insolvency; that we haven’t reached the desired outcome, and that more work remains to be done, is not a sign of failure or “betrayal” but rather but rather a call to continue building on a foundation of success.
The only way to screw that up would be if the “all-or-nothing, right-now” types in the movement succeed in portraying partial success as failure, and attempt to impose what they have expressed as a “Then better a quick end under Obama” philosophy which is really nothing more than a self-serving temper tantrum.
I never knew “tar baby” was a racial slur. I thought it was situation from which it was difficult to extricate oneself. Next thing you know, someone will find the astronomical term, Black Hole, offensive.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/06/11/naacp-urges-hallmark-pull-racist-card-shelves/
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/07/09/dallas-county-official-black-hole-is-racist/
You mean like this?
I didn’t either, being a Duke alum, that’s what I called the unc tarheels.
Speaking of the tarheels will UNC have to change their team names. After all that has a double slur in leftist thought as tar is black and in the Muslim world refer to one as a part of the bottom side of a foot would be very offensive.
Europe on brink of major financial collapse.
H-m-m-m-m-m. That sounds like familiar. Isn’t there another country following that path? One that is now preparing to launch the mother of all quantitative easing attempts to dwarf the first two that didn’t work? Oh yeah! The US! Well we are not Greece and that should make the difference.
O-o-o-o-o-h yeah. This is going to be really good.
Not to mention that the Tarheels were North Carolina’s contribution to maintaining slavery. As an Illini fan, I found it interesting that Chief Illiniwek was considered insulting and was banned by the NCAA, but Tarheel was ok.
You know Phil, maybe the US can pick up Europe chief. I think more likely China and Saudi Arabia will by it and replace the Europeans with there own people. We could see a massive migration. It will be the next Trail of Tears.
On August 02, 2011 at 05:50 pm, spaceycakes said:
Could be worse, could’ ve been the banana hammock.
Pure defeatist nonsense. Here is my point from another thread. If Boehner, Ryan, Cantor, McConnel, et. all were serious about “winning” (they NEVER were) here is what they could/SHOULD have done IMO.
Option 1: Pass Cut, Cap, and Balance, send it to th Senate and shut up. There are 23 Dem Senators up for re-election in 2012. You get 3 of them it passes the Senate.
If it fails in the Senate or Obama vetos it, you look him in the eye and say, “Fine, that was our plan. Give us your plan.” The just sit there. Their monkey.
Option 2: You tell Obama, “If you want a $2.3 trillion debt increase you can have it for a $2.3 trillion cut in spending. The OMB said Obamacare would cost $2.3 trillion over 10 years. You sign the legislation repealing Obamacare which 60% of the population wants repealed and you get your debt increase. Even trade. Otherwise, no deal.
THOSE ARE STRATEGIC STRIKES.
Millions are suffering. Instead of helping the people they chose to cover their political rear ends. But they chose to wimp out , because they were so scared of what people might think of them. Pick any option that has 60% public approval and beat the Democrats about the head and shoulders with it. These are winners. Attack for once in your sorry political lives.
Yes, I am a former guerrilla fighter,I fought and was wounded in Vietnam. I am a Terrorist. There I admit it. Now I wish to go back and reread von Clausewitz, have a glass of Patagonian Malbec with my Partagas Black Label 1845 and contemplate my uncouthness.
Sorry for my lowly outburst. ( tongue firmly in cheek)
Flyoverman, good strategies, I like it.
The disconnect in my opinion is between those who saw this as a skirmish, and those who saw it as a major battle.
I saw it as a major battle. The reason is that the situation right now is so critical, we don’t have the time to wait till 2013 to fix this.
I also think those of us more inclined to be Tea Party conservatives still don’t really see the GOP as an ally. Instead we are suspicious of it and see it as being on probation. When the old guard starts calling us hobbits and not capable of governing, it re-enforces our suspicions.
We will see these battles continue till the election. I think the Democrats attack on the Tea Party will fail, and any Republican who doubles down like Mc Cain did will only incur greater distrust.
I think we could well see a third party or independent movement if the distrust grows to a critical mass.
By the way, thanks to Frank and Dodd (and Brown and some other RINOS) I just got a notice that my credit card has an annual fee. So I will just call them up and will have one credit card.
You know, just when I’d come to terms with being called “a racist” and before that ” dumb-a__ed ‘murican.” Now, I’m “a terrorist”.
Doggone-it! Make up your freaking minds!!
/status-quo-enabling-challenged, ‘murican, Marine Mom
P.S. Debbie W-S? Don’t make me use MY honors-student’s skills (MOS 0351 – LOL) on your home when he comes back from the place with the mountains.
Why are most of the “Conservative” Punditry saying a cut that amounts to less than 1% (and most of that such vapor as “look, we’re not going to Afghanistan 10 yrs from now! That’s a big cut!” The are a series of accounting tricks, as were Stinky’s HealthCare numbers!) are “the best we can do”.
I’m sorry. That’s a ridiculous position!
If that really *is* the best we can do, there’s no use in fighting… all our substance has *ALREADY* been burned away — only the bones remain.
When I was growing up, Tar Babies were licorice candies in the image of small black children. They were sold in the penny candy aisle for $.02. Of course, at the same time, they were selling packs of candy cigarettes for a nickel.
But I do remember Mom reading Uncle Remus stories to me. After being trapped by the Tar Baby, Brier Rabbit screamed, “Please don’t throw me in the briar patch!” which was exactly where he wanted to go. Unfortunately the Repubs threw the Dems into the briar patch which is exactly where they wanted to go!
Boehner & McConnell NEED to be thrown into the briar patch. And being a constituent of Boehner’s, I will work tirelessly to toss the RINO out!!
Bless you. I have been trying to make that point for two days. I found your comments compelling.
In VirginaPatriot’s honor ….
(sic?) “I’m beginning to think we can’t vote ourselves out of this!”
Least us not forget … “BACON AKBAR”
Amen and amen.
It isn’t that we “didn’t get everything we wanted”. We got nothing we wanted, or at least I got nothing I wanted. Boehner says he got 98 percent of what he wanted, which was apparently a steaming pile of excrement that the D and R leadership could blame on the TEA Party.
The only praise I have heard of this deal is about symbolic stuff, moral victories, and all that. Yes, as usual, the DC compromise means we get the symbolism, and they get the stuff they actually wanted.
For those who have discussed why a primarily conservative country continues to produce decidedly non-conservative leadership, an interesting quote:
How does a “cut that is less than 1%” actually result in an 8% increase in spending from this year to next? That is the lie that Paul Ryan keeps pounding out every time I see him interviewed. Man, did we ever get bamboozled that that guy. Once they start speaking in beltway bafflegab, it’s time to go.
Hey OK_Loyalist. if yu remember him from your youth, the former band leader and WMT Radio Host Leo Greco died today. Nothng posted, but it is on Facebook.
He was in his late 80′s and still working every Sunday morning. The Sunday Morning Czech Party.
And a onea and a twoa…..
Speaking of WMT …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xjbjvl3ySI
Thanks, OK! I just needed to cool down a bit.
My sentiments exactly!! Thanks for articulating them for me.
A word of caution for all conservatives…be very very careful in your use of the word “black”, lest it be construed as racist. We already know they have called “black hole” and “niggardly” and “tar baby” racist terms. They aren’t. Pretty soon, we will have to remove the color “black” from the Crayola box. So watch your words carefully. /sarc. off
OR, you can find all the ways to use the word “black” and drive them nuts with it.
I’m pretty sure my wife told me she had heard someone take “pot calling the kettle black” as racially-charged.
So is “Whigger Please” racist ?
For the dems it is do as I say, not as I do.
WOW………….
I told you I was A Cedar Rapidian
Yeah, budget cutters…throat cutters…they are all the same.
My words are not slurs.
You aren’t going to find conservatives to replace Republicans in the primary process (at least not enough to make a difference), and you know it. The party itself stands for Big Government, just like its so-called “opposition”.
This budget is proof. Please don’t tell me you mean to argue that these so-called “Tea Partiers” had any kind of significant impact. That’s just foolish.
The Republicans ditched conservatives a long time ago. Reagan was elected DESPITE the party, don’t forget, and all you see the party doing now is running hard and strong against what he stood for.
Even Reagan would be inadequate at this time in history. We now need a Jefferson, a Madison, a Henry, or a Washington. Where are you going to find THAT in the Republican Party? The closest you will come is the ever-nutty Ron Paul. If that is the best you can do, I’ll pass.
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
If you believe there was a surplus in 2001, I have some really nice oceanfront property in Colorado to sell you … oh yeah, and a gorgeous bridge in Brooklyn!
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com