American Civility

    Here we go again. In an Opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal (14 March 2008), Ronald Kessler inveighs against the incendiary remarks of the pastor of the church where Barak Obama worships, then in the same article invokes the one phrase from a speech by Mrs. Obama—that needlessly discomfits so many sensitive conservatives—in which she says she is proud of our country for “the first time”.
    Obama has denounced the reverend’s remarks, but that is not good enough for Kessler and his friends (ref. Lou Dobbs show, CNN, 14 March 2008 in which he said Obama must also denounce Wright, l'homme). We need a Voltaire to remind us, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." I imagine the latter day critics would disapprove of the word "disapprove" and demand denunciation, rejection, resignation from the church, and atonement for not having done all this earlier.
    The gentleman dost protest too much, methinks.
   Associating Obama with Rev. Wright's views or suggesting some deficiency in Mrs. Obama's regard for the country in which she was destined to struggle and nonetheless achieved so much, exposes reasoning devoid of substance. Is a man or candidate to be judged now by what his minister says or how his wife words statements? (If so, ought we to judge Hillary by Bill’s dalliances?) What is a possible extension of Kessler's admixture of innuendos: a patriotism test that would apply to the candidate, his family, and everyone with whom the candidate associates? This is precisely the creeping John Birch-ism that intellectual conservatives led by Buckley in the 1950's identified as “paranoid and idiotic libel”. It does not follow, for example, that I, as a Catholic, condone pedophilia from the fact that priests engaged in that crime far more odious than Wright's expression of anger. Futhermore, I should not be expected to avoid praying the Mass because my Church is imperfect. The moment I do I will have stopped believing in redemption … for the priests and for myself. If Michelle Obama suddenly found a love for her country (I doubt that is what she meant, but let’s humor the protesters), her conversion should be cause for rejoicing, not criticism.
    For the record, I am neither an Obama nor Clinton supporter, but believe small-mindedness in American thought is the only thing more objectionable than silliness couched as news.