Bill Scher: Oh-So-Sensitive Conservatives Get Their Feelings Hurt By Pelosi and Hoyer

[marmar]

from OurFuture.org:



Oh-So-Sensitive Conservatives Get Their Feelings Hurt By Pelosi and Hoyer
By Bill Scher

August 10, 2009 - 12:31pm ET


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Conservatives -- newfound lovers of political dissent -- are so very OUTRAGED at Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer for their USA Today oped, which says: "These (congressional town hall) disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views — but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. Drowning out the facts is how we failed at this task for decades."

As you can see, the two did not call the act of protest un-American. They did not call the expression of conservative views un-American. They did not call anyone who has gone to a town hall un-American. They said the "drowning out of opposing views" is un-American.

Further, they were referring to the act of suppressing speech, not to the loyalties of individual people. There is no implication that anyone -- even those who have been trying to drown out the views of others -- lacks patriotism or traffics in treason. Their use of the word "un-American," charged it may still be, but clearly in reference to the "American" ideal of free speech, not "American" in terms of citizenship. The backdrop of the health care debate itself is in far different context than the use of such terms when debating war.

But conservatives, long the biggest enforcers of "political correctness" as it suits their political ends, were quick to find offense -- even if it required twisting the words around. "They simply have decided to call protests 'un-American," wrongly writes Hot Air's Ed Morrissey. They are calling "good Americans who are tired of being lied too as 'un-American' when they approach their representative with questions" really wrongly writes QandO. ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2009083310/oh-so-sensitive-conservatives-get-their-feelings-hurt-pelosi-and-hoyer