Thursday, April 1, 2010

Baby simple: Two wrongs don't make a right, no matter what "side" of the political spectrum you're on

In reply to: Evan Coyne Maloney’s Trip Down Memory Lane : Founding Bloggers
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Yes, people are making that claim.

I having trouble finding much of anyone, but--as I said in my original comment--I will grant you that there probably are a few somewhere...

Moreover, they make excuses just like you are doing.

Excuses?

I'm pretty sure I said that anyone who holds up signs with bigoted or eliminationist rhetoric is wrong, no matter what political side they claim to be sympathetic towards.

I also said that there is a degree of hypocrisy among those who stay more quiet when their own side engages in such behavior than they are when the other side does.

but I, just yesterday, heard someone on the left suggest that if there is any violence precipitated by the tea party ralliers, that certain people (mostly affiliated with Fox News) should be held accountable – that they would be to blame.

It's kinda hard to comment, because I didn't hear what you heard, but I would say that when elected or media personalities--who because of their position in life, have a bigger megaphone and more folks who trust what they say--engage in exaggerated eleiminationist rhetoric, they do bear some moral responsibility when individual citizens act on what they hear. That's a whole other thing than suggesting they should bear legal responsibility... (I'd be most vehemently against that, and if that's what the person you heard was suggesting s/he's a loon.) That's true whether the megaphone/violent act happens on the left or on the right...

Sorry you don’t like the reminder, but I am not at all surprised.

I have no problem seeing and condemning those liberals who are violent, vandals, or bigots (in fact, I posted the very same video at my own blog, and linked back to this post, as well), and I'm kinda surprised that TeaTime believes I said anything of the kind in my prior comment.

My position is, the initial response to bad acts are to condemn them, not to point out that the other side also commits similar bad acts... In baby-simple kid's terms, two wrongs don't make a right. If Hitler signs are wrong, they're wrong, no matter what the politics of the person getting the splinters from the signpost are. I'm sorry if I was in any way unclear the first time, but I hope I've clarified my position in this second comment...
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Not sure whether I'm still moderated on FB (some blogs only moderate you the first time, I hear, and I didn't see the "this comment is awaiting moderation" notice I saw yesterday), but then, I'm also thinkin' I may start to post all my commentary here, and this'll make a nice transition post, if I decide to do so... 8>)

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