Important Senate Business: Condemning Ads
They took the time to condemn the [tag]MoveOn.org[/tag] Ad on General [tag]Petraeus[/tag] (LA Times story).
Now I don’t like the ad, and I don’t particularly like MoveOn.org, and I think private groups and politicians should go ahead and do all the condemning that the ad deserves. Though I’m an opponent of the war in Iraq, I think the ad deserves a good deal of condemning. But all of that, like the ad itself, is simply part of the free exchange of ideas that we have in this country. MoveOn.org gets to act irresponsibly; that’s their right. I get to loathe them for it; that’s my right. I get to think General Petraeus is wrong even though I loathe the ad attacking him, that’s my right. None of it is a matter for the law.
And of course one can point out to me that the Senate didn’t pass a law. It’s not binding. OK, fine. But if it’s not a law, it’s non-binding, and it just expresses their opinion, why bother doing anything about it in the Senate? This is not the only such resolution, of course, and they have varying relevance to the business of the Senate. But right now, our government lacks a coherent policy on terrorism, the president and congress are wrangling over just how to behave in Iraq, thus preserving the maximally nasty situation in which we hold on, but with no reason to expect success. At the end of the fiscal year, the Senate will be running out of time to accomplish important business like appropriations bills.
And here they are condemning an ad. Let them condemn (or condone) ads on their own time out on the campaign trail. That’s where it belongs.
Something weird happened around the time I read this. My cat jumped up on the fishtank—I know don’t think I’m a weirdo, there is a point. You see the ONLY place in my house my cat cannot go is on top of the fishtank. I have tried everything from yelling at her, clapping my hands, going up and throwing her off, giving her a swat, and throwing a mini temper tantrum. All it does is make her wait until I go away and jump up again this time with more force, maybe putting her paw in and playing with the fish. This time when she did that and I just looked at her from across the room and just ignored her, she waited about 20 seconds got bored and jumped off.
Now maybe this analogy is kind of dumb, but I think it is applicable nonetheless. I don’t think we should just ignore or turn a blind eye all the time, but I think by congress doing that it just pissed off this group. It made them want to fight harder and perhaps even drew more of a following. I had never heard of moveon…and if “they” would have just ignored the ad, I would never have heard of them.
Erin, I think you have a point. Sometimes my outrage at someone (and I am outraged at the ad in question) is diminished considerably simply because it is precisely what I would expect the group in question to do. It’s sort of like expecting a storm cloud not to drop its rain. That’s what it is–that’s what it does!
In this case, though, I think the Senate may have done just what you said–made the ad more popular and made sure more people heard of it. Of course, I have to admit that by blogging about it I did the same thing!
PS: I bought enchilada makings on my grocery run today. Guess what’s in store for you and Kyle.
I totally agree with you. With all the serious issues that need to be addressed, why would the senate drop everything just to focus on an opinion made by moveon.org. I do not agree with the ad at all, but it’s just an opinion. Why don’t they use the same kind of focus and determination in addressing issues that really effect the nation. I wish they would just please stop this. Enough is enough.
Enchilada makings…oh my heart is so sad I cannot come and eat them tonight!!!! Btw, when I said “they” should have ignored it…I wasn’t referring to you.:) (((hugs to you my friend)))