The day after I mention the cult of personality that is tearing at the fabric of our nation, we are all pissing ourselves silly about Ed Schultz and Laura Ingraham. Schultz tries to be hard hitting and funny and he used an unfortunate slur toward Ingraham. He issued a sincere apology and has been suspended without pay until further notice.
It's hard to feel bad for Ingraham. She's divisive and not above slurs herself however we on the left pride ourselves on being above that type of talk...we are not as events turn. Even this author let out a few ad hominems and red herrings in light of the Giffords shooting, we are rapidly disintegrating into what we despise. If we hold the mirror up to Big Ed we see ourselves. "If it's okay for them, it's okay for us"
It's okay if we're Sam Kinison or George Carlin or even "Blue" to observe things that are not right and holler the emperor HAS no clothes, it is disturbing when a congressperson or the president says "you lie" or "the Constitution is just a God damned sheet of paper". When you get to gender or orientation or race issues, one better have their ducks in a row. If the best thing I can say to someone of difference than I, is to point out said difference, it speaks ill of me. Laura Ingraham is not vile because she's a woman, she's vile because she's a disgusting shill. Herman Cain is not disgusting because he wants to run against BHO, he's disgusting because he likes to play fast and loose with his concept of the Constitution and his idea of Foreign Policy. Rush Limbaugh is not divisive because he's a fat drug addict, he's divisive because he "wants America to fail."
When words are bandied about to elicit reaction, we can not be surprised by a reaction. Perhaps Ed was channeling his inner Dan Aykroyd a one time employee of NBC, But what a comedian says and what a person of a certain respect says IS two different things. When Ed bandies that word that he used about Ingraham, it doesn't only hit Ingraham or Megyn Kelly or any reich wing woman, it implies he thinks that of Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Mika Brzinski (sp) et al.
You're better than slurs Ed. We get the gist that Ingraham is a vile creature and your apology does sound sincere. You're the one though that has to reign it in because a situation like this gives the reich wing pause to say "SEE! They are just as bad". Enjoy your vacation and think twice before you bandy slurs about
They don't even say "as bad." They refuse to acknowledge any wrong doing, finger pointing, far worse slurs or downright threats. What we have to do, though, which is why Ed has to apologize, is be better than that. It does no good (other than to relieve tension) to slander the person or his party and rationalize that, "they do it, too." Two wrongs don't make a right. I agree with this post, "a blues clue": We must use intelligence, respect and fact to counter those with whom we disagree. We have to remember that "arguing with people who have no claim and make no sense" well, makes no sense. We simply have to disengage from the mischief and keep an open mind to ideas that support the common good.
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