Alright. I’m back. For real this time. I should also be returning to the same schedule I pretended to keep earlier, which is to say, Sundays to be sure.
For today:
It’s rare when I target someone personally. I mean, it’s just not the thing to do. It distracts from the issue at hand. Sure, refuting a specific argument is fine. But going after someone personally? It just isn’t done. By me, at least. Except when it is.
Today’s target: Tunku Varadarajan.
Why? Because the following passage caught my attention:
“If anyone thinks that’s unpalatable, subversive, Commie and un-American, I’d like to meet for a duel at dawn by the skating rink at New York’s Central Park. (Pick your weapon, Michelle Malkin and Glenn Beck …)”
Now, what he’s referring to is Obama’s address to the nation’s schoolchildren. Which, I’ll have you know, I do not feel is a bad thing. The man’s a speaking president, as it were. Giving inspiring speeches is what he does. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t be turning that talent to inspire kids to work hard in school. Certain parties (i.e. Malkin and Beck) seem to take issue with this. Why? Because of a bit in some letters sent out to teachers where kids are supposed to think about questions like “What is the president trying to tell me?” and “What is the president asking me to do?” They seem to have construed this as some sort of attempt by Obama to get kids to lobby on his behalf. But I have some advice for them:
“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”
Granted, they might not appreciate that sentiment, as JFK was a Democrat, but still. It’s a good saying.
So. Given that I seem to be agreeing with Mr. Varadarajan, some people might wonder why I’m upset with him. Go back and reread the bit of his editorial I quoted. I’ll wait.
Can you see the part I take issue with?
I highly doubt the guy would actually show up for a duel if someone took him up on the offer. Unlike, say, Hal Siegal (aka Therion), who I fully believe would fulfill his offer of settling lawsuits against him via Trial By Combat should someone feel the burning desire to take him up on it. (Also Saxton Hale, but as he’s fictional, he doesn’t count for the purposes of this discussion).
My point is this: Don’t offer to duel people if you don’t intend to step up to the plate if they want to pitch. Which is a terrible, terrible metaphor gone wrong, but still.
Also, don’t forget that dueling is illegal in the US! That’s right, it’s against the law! Now you know! And knowing is half the battle! And the other half is comprised of excessive exclamation points, obscure references, and incomplete sentences, apparently!
Oh, one more this about his column before I go. This bit here…
“Call me naïve, but I believe that Americans ought to accord their president a formal, ex officio respect, irrespective of party affiliation. He is, after all, the president of all of us (whether we like him or not), and it is unseemly that we should withhold civility from him on grounds of political disagreement.”
Now, since this is the first time I’ve ever seen this guy’s column, I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt. I’m going to assume that he was equally upset when all those democrats were hating on Bush a few years ago. So well done, Mr. Varadarajan! You are truly a paragon of sincerity, and the front line in the ongoing fight against hypocrisy.
And there you have it.
Tags: Advice for Republicans, Education, Obama, Politics
