Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Extend the TSA to All Public Places!

Rep. Robert Brady, D-PA, says he will draft a bill criminalizing the use of language or symbols that could be read as threats to members of Congress.  I will resist my nearly overwhelming urge to call Mr. Brady a denigrating name that begins with "m" and ends with "n."  Read more about Mr. Brady's plan here.

99.99999999% of all Americans would never contemplate and certainly never do what the deranged subhuman Jared Loughner did, even though most of us might be willing to make some remark about physically damaging a member of Congress.

After all, even that bastion of moral rectitude, Paul Krugman, spoke of burning Senator Joe Lieberman in effigy.  As little as I respect Paul Krugman, I don't think he should be put in jail for making colorful remarks.  I'd sooner want Rep. Brady in jail for wanting to criminalize particular patterns of speech.

Thankfully, we don't live in a society of sociopaths who are out there breathlessly hanging on every word uttered by some conservative radio talk show host that might incite them to violence.  Perhaps Mr. Brady  doubts his own inability to remain calm when others use strong political language.  Maybe other members of Congress should be worried about hanging around in the House chambers with him.

I grow really weary of the likes of Rep. Brady and all the others in our society who are oh so willing to use the force of government to compel the rest of us to do whatever it is they think we should be doing.  They are cowards.  If you want to compel me, get in my face and give it a go.  Stop proposing to use the force of government to play out your aggressive tendencies.

Rep. James Clyburn, D-SC, thinks the TSA should give all members of congress special treatment in airports.  He evidently doesn't feel safe milling about with the hoi polli.  I wonder if Mr. Clyburn would support having the TSA expand its operations to all public places? 

Mr. Brady and Mr. Clyburn both appear to belong to a class of spineless wimps, who like the Wizard of Oz want to sit behind a curtain and manipulate the rest of us with the force and guns of government.  Go away Mr. Brady; leave us alone, Mr. Clyburn.

Now that I'm done ranting, please understand that I, like you, feel grief and sympathy for the victims of Jared Loughner.  His actions are despicable and revolting.

But just as surely as Loughner was immoral in his use of force to compel six people to die, people who want to compel others with the force of government are also immoral.  People who do what Jared Loughner did are subhumans.  The rest of us do not need to be compelled by the likes of Mr. Brady and Mr. Clyburn to behave morally.

But I'm not so sure about Mr. Brady and Mr. Clyburn, themselves.  They appear to be quite comfortable with the idea of using force to compel all the rest of us.

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