NPR Proves It Ought Not Exist

The disgraceful behavior of (so called) National (so called) Public Radio in firing one of its journalists for not being politically correct enough has shown anyone who ever doubted it that it simply cannot be saved. NPR rejects The Constitution and it's protections, specifically because NPR favors some Americans over others...thus I believe American have the right, or duty, to reject NPR.

In the wake of NPR's firing of contributor Juan Williams over comments about Muslims, Mike Huckabee is calling on the next Congress to cut the radio network's funding when it convenes next year.

"NPR has discredited itself as a forum for free speech and a protection of the First Amendment rights of all and has solidified itself as the purveyor of politically correct pabulum and protector of views that lean left," Huckabee said in a statement provided to CNN.

Williams told Fox News host Bill O'Reilly on Monday that he gets "worried" and "nervous" on flights when he sees people wearing "Muslim garb." NPR terminated Williams' contract on Wednesday evening.

Huckabee said he "will no longer accept interview requests from NPR as long as they are going to practice a form of censorship, and since NPR is funded with public funds, it is a form of censorship."

I've never been a big fan of Gov. Huckabee, but he has it right here. I can only hope this acts as an additional rallying cry for centrists and conservatives as they go to the polls in a couple of weeks.

Really, I have just had it. I hope the Democrats get their asses handed to them in November. I'm tired of having to listen to the inanities of under-educated nitwits like Steve Benen who labor continuously under the misapprehension that they somehow constitute an "elite" who ought to be listened to. Listen up folks; you are not an elite. Real elites don't have "credentials," they have actual intellectual abilities; real elites just don't say they want a free exchange of ideas, they actually allow for such a free exchange without the threat of punishment for deviating from some preordained orthodoxy; real elites are smart enough to recognize the issues that matter to them may not be the same as what matters to people who actually work for a living; a real elite doesn't act as if their status as elites was dependent upon denigrating those who work for a living when they disagree with you; basically, a real elite would be everything the chattering left of today is not.

Conservatives Don't Get It Either

More on the Tennessee house fire. From HotAir:

I’m guessing 95 percent of our commenters will say, “Right on, let it burn. A contract’s a contract!” And yet 95 percent of those same people, upon finding themselves at the scene with a hose and a truck full of water, would have done the moral thing and tried to put it out notwithstanding the free-rider problem created by the Cranicks.

This is nonsense on stilts. I have no moral obligation to protect the property of others. If I see a neighbor's car being stolen I am under no obligation try to stop it. I do have a duty to report crimes to the police, but if the car gets destroyed before the cops arrive that does not mean I've failed a moral obligation.

If you want your personal property protected then it is incumbent upon you to provide for said protection. Period.

The homeowner in this case played roulette with his home and lost. And he (now) knows it.

“I thought they’d come out and put it out, even if you hadn’t paid your $75, but I was wrong,” said Gene Cranick.

So, if the Cranick family is now impoverished because of this fire (and I haven't even heard if he bothered to pay for insurance), there is only one person to blame and it isn't the firefighters.

Conservatives will often claim they want to live in a society where people are expected and encouraged to look after themselves, but if that is to mean anything it has to mean that people will bear the consequences for their foolish choices. "Protecting" people from their choices isn't treating them like adults, its treating them like children. Bailing everyone out only encourages more people to act irresponsibly. It is the slow path to infantilizing a nation.

The Dimwitting Of America

The real trouble with excluding conservative voices from college campuses is that it helps turn liberals into blithering idiots.

Take the case of Phil Busse, the moron college prof. who spent his free time destroying McCain/Palin yard signs, wrote an essay detailing his activities, and expected to soak up rapturous applause. What actually happened was quite different: St. Olaf prof resigns after election sign fiasco

Philip Busse, the St. Olaf College professor who admitted to stealing campaign signs in a national political blog read by millions, has resigned.

St. Olaf spokesman David Gonnerman issued the following statement Monday afternoon:

"The St. Olaf College administration first learned of Phil Busse's self-admitted theft and destruction of campaign signs on the morning of Oct. 31 as a result of his posting on the Internet.

"The St. Olaf administration immediately referred the matter to local law enforcement authorities and commenced an investigation of its own.

"Mr. Busse has tendered his resignation and is no longer affiliated with St. Olaf College.

"In a statement issued on Friday, the administration made clear that Mr. Busse's actions were in direct conflict with the college's values and mission and that the college did not in any way condone them.

"The statement also declared that St. Olaf College deplores unlawful interference with political campaigns and expression of speech.

St. Olaf obviously did the right thing in making clear that such behavior is deplorable and fundamentally not in keeping with the spirit of an institution of liberal education. The sad thing is Busse still doesn't get it.

In an e-mail correspondence with the News, Busse expressed remorse for stealing the signs, saying that the thefts were “immature and impetuous.”

“Writing the essay was an opportunity to explore and talk about political speech and the desire that most of us have to express our politics — both in mature and immature ways, and sometimes a mix of the two,” Busse said in the e-mail. “I’m disappointed that most readers seem to have focused on the thefts, and not on the larger thoughts.”

In the article, Busse likened his thefts to an act of civil disobedience and said that stealing the signs was “one of the single most exhilarating and empowering political acts that I have ever done.”

All this does is prove Busse has no idea what he is talking about. His acts have nothing to do with "civil disobedience" whatsoever. Had he read and understand the classic texts on the subject, Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from the Birmingham City Jail," he would see that real civil disobedience is directed towards the state, and not against the speech rights of fellow citizens. In fact, the only way this could be construed as civil disobedience is if his "larger thoughts" entailed the removal of First amendment protections for citizens who do not hold Mr. Busse's ideological prerogatives.

There is absolutely nothing noble about Busse's actions. Thoreau viewed his not paying taxes to the government as a blow against what he felt was an unjust war against Mexico. King Jr. took his actions because he was standing up directly against unjust law. All Busse did was express his hatred of John McCain, or Republicans in general, or all citizens who disagree with him politically, and in the most infantile manner possible. I'm sure he felt his personal experience in performing these acts was "exhilarating and empowering." The same was probably true of the brownshirts who participated in Kristallnacht.

The comparison is an apt one because Busse actions were not directed towards the government or an unjust law, but were instead directed against people he didn't like. The mere existence of McCain supporters is enough to enrage Busse to the point he will destroy their property. So what is the larger point there? Or how can we believe Busse's "larger points" don't mirror those of the brownshirst who also spent a night destroying the property of people they didn't like? And, what on God's green earth does Busse have to do with the high minded aspirations of Thoreau or Dr. King? The answer to the last one is apparent: Not a hell of a lot.

Childhood Heroes

Of all of the cultural figures that populated my adolescent worldview (musicians, baseball players, and actors mostly) there is only one about whom my admiration has never lessened; Bill Cosby. As I got older I began to appreciate Cosby's talent more and more, even when I wasn't thrilled about much of the material involved, like The Cosby Show. Seeing Cosby perform his comedy live is a joy, and if you have never gone before I envy you. You still have the chance to experience the joy of it for the first time.

However, it isn't only Cosby's gigantic comedic gifts that have impressed me so much over the years. His public persona, which he has used to promote a variety of causes over the years, is also impressive. I'm sure I would find plenty of things to disagree with him about, but his thoughtful intelligence and humanity always trumped all else. Cosby can be tough without rancor or bitterness; he can point out problems without bitchiness; and he is someone who is as eager to learn as he is to teach.

I bring this up because of this nice little piece on Cosby helping out the fundraising efforts at Cardinal Glennon Childrens Hospital in St. Louis:

Two-year-old Warren Hund giggled shyly as Bill Cosby hunched down — inches from the boy's face — singing a song from the comedian's hit television show "Little Bill."

Warren didn't know much about the comic icon, but the boy recognized goofy when he saw it.

The funnyman paraded through Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center on Saturday afternoon to visit sick kids and make them laugh.

But his message was far more serious.

If a child has something wrong, Cosby said at a news conference, and if the child comes from a family that cannot afford treatment, the child can come to the hospital. "That's what we're raising the money for," Cosby said.

Cosby, 71, was in St. Louis for a fund-raiser Saturday night at the Blanche Touhill Performing Arts Center. The hospital expected to raise more than $500,000 to establish an endowment that will pay a new pediatrician's salary.

Now, in a sense I'm sure this was not such a big deal for Cosby. He has done scores of these types of shows before, but I believe that is part of what marks him as so special. This is his ordinary, and we are all the beneficiaries.