February 18, 2010
Much Ado About Nothing
HuffPo writer Sam Stein is having a hissy fit because an unidentified speaker at a Washington state Tea Party meeting engaged in a bit of flippant hyperbole, stating that she wanted to treat Senator Patty Murray like the character Jake from Lonesome Dove, and have her hung for running with the wrong crowd.
Was the speaker really calling for a lynching? No honest person can watch this video clip and come away feeling that this woman was actually advocating Murray to be hung. It was obvious hyperbole, and a bit of political theater... nothing more.
Could Stein have argued that this exercise of free speech was over the top, without casting it as a death threat? Certainly.
But that wouldn't mesh with his goal of trying to smear all Tea Party activists for the words of one speaker.
If only they'd hung Murray in effigy! That seems to be approved political speech on the left. At least, it is as long as it's them hanging a Republican in effigy.
Posted by: flenser at February 18, 2010 10:32 AMI must disagree with you on this. I can't, in good faith, let it go. Hyperbole isn't an immunity to say any ole thing. Being angry isn't an immunity.
The "They do it too", isn't a good enough defense. We all know that Libs would love to hang Palin, Bush, Cheney, McCain, and US Servicemen in general. How do we know? Because they constantly scream it, hang and burn their voodoo models, and other Libs attack those who denounce it. I often confront jv-liberals to see if they are a-ok with this. I'm astonished that they proudly defend it.
When you go after Huffpo on this issue, it makes it seem like you're defending/advocating it.
What I'm doing is calmly and politely raising my hand saying "I'm firmly against hanging Senator Patty Murray. You should be too."
Posted by: brando at February 18, 2010 11:33 AMIt might not have been a good thing to say, but clearly it was not a real threat.
Posted by: MikeM at February 18, 2010 05:54 PMbrando:
Since nobody is actually calling for her hanging, your 'point' is meaningless.
Posted by: ECM at February 18, 2010 08:03 PMHyperbole??? HYPERBOLE!!!???
13 coils wasted!
(sarcasm button "Off")
Posted by: Earl T at February 18, 2010 09:39 PMECM, wait a sec. You're attacking the wrong person. I don't want to commit murder, because I'm a good person. I know that you actually believe that's meaningless, as you say.
But it isn't.
I actually do mean that murder is wrong. That's the point. With no sarcasm quotes.
But with truth.
Posted by: brando at February 18, 2010 10:17 PMPictures are hung; people are hanged (killed by hanging by the neck.) Pet peeve.
Posted by: Mahon at February 19, 2010 12:30 PMTwo words: David Carradine
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at February 19, 2010 12:45 PM
