October 01, 2001

 

A TIME OF WAR, AND A TIME OF PEACE / A TIME TO BE SILENT, AND A TIME TO SPEAK

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The events of September 11th have brought out heroism in many, especially those in the trenches, who provided emergency services, at great personal risk. Certain of these people were sworn personnel, and others were just ordinary civilians. Some of these heroes became victims themselves. This, tragically enough, is the real world.

Then, there is the fantasy world. Actually, there are many fantasy worlds, but we will concern ourselves with only two of them: academia and entertainment.

As we enter these environments we are reminded that when Demaratus was asked whether he held his tongue because he was a fool or for want of words, he replied, "A fool cannot hold his tongue." (Plutarch)

University of Texas journalism professor Robert Jensen, referring to the September 11th attacks, raised some eyebrows when he stated in the Houston Chronicle that "...this act was no more despicable as the massive acts of terrorism -- the deliberate killing of civilians for political purposes -- that the U.S. government has committed during my lifetime."

Trust me, Jensen is not merely some anti-American Leftist college professor. Check out his website. There you will see that besides being a self-hating American, he is also a self-hating Caucasian, a self-hating Christian, and even a self-hating male.

There were many angry calls for his dismissal. After all, why should the taxpayers of Texas not only support this schizophrenic wretch, but enable him to poison thousands of young minds? Let him go to a private institution like his fellow seditionist Noam Chomsky, if one would even have him.

Jensen, however, has friends in high places. University president Larry Faulkner rejected suggestions that Jensen be fired, but called his views a "fountain of undiluted foolishness." Gosh, Larry, that's JUST what I would want in a tenured professor: a fountain of undiluted foolishness.

In days long past, the academy was a place for great thinkers to think great thoughts, undeterred by the vicissitudes of the outside world. Now, it is a place where sick minds can run amok without any fear of retribution, where the tuition keeps increasing, and the alumni are hit up for cash nonstop--on both sides of the grave.

Then there is Bill Maher, host of "Politically Incorrect," a TV show that inexplicably moved from Comedy Central to ABC. In response to guest Dinesh D'Souza's assertion that people who are willing to die in service to their cause, whatever else they may be, are not "cowards," Maher said: "We have been the cowards lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away. That's cowardly."

While D'Souza betrayed an incredible lack of understanding of the nature of virtue, in that courage, which is part of fortitude, can only exist in the pursuit of good, it was clearly Maher's remarks that caused an outcry. Sears, FedEx, and other advertisers dropped his show, prompting Maher to issue a craven and ridiculously disingenuous "clarification."

In the past, Maher has tastelessly made fun of Ronald Reagan's Alzheimer's Disease and mercilessly ridiculed Kathy Ireland's pro-life views while she was a guest on the show, knowing that he would have nothing to fear, since he was well within the prevailing politically correct modality. This pathetic little man, who calls himself a Libertarian, but is nothing more than a garden variety overly self-assured sophomoric liberal, now finds that he may have pushed the wrong button, the button that could derail his improbable success.

But, Maher has a champion--none other than the reliably hilarious media hack Arianna Huffington, who has made a career out of being on the wrong side of every issue, including being married for years to a man who eventually came out of the closet. Arianna is urging her readers to sign a petition to save poor Bill's show. She closes the column by quoting Benjamin Franklin (or so she claims): "Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech."

Noting that this quotation does not appear in either Bartlett's, Columbia, or Simpson's, the leading reference works, it is the liberal commissars of political correctness, including Maher, despite the name of his show, who are the biggest threats to our free speech. Ms. Huffington should consider these thoughts of Franklin...

"Those disputing, contradicting, and confuting people are generally unfortunate in their affairs. They get victory, sometimes, but they never get good will, which would be of more use to them." (from his autobiography)

and

"We must indeed all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." (addressed to John Hancock at the signing of the Declaration of Independence)

I for one am sick to death of the endless array of moronic self-styled television pundits, who pontificate only in their well-protected forums. These blow-dried pencil necks or jumped-up feminists, whose flagrant ignorance in no way impedes their discourse, would be far better served by holding their peace, and thanking God that they personally know nothing of war.


 

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