Thursday, October 27, 2011

Two Cases of Fear Over Principle

NPR and Rick Perry have something in common. Both have acted out of abject fear.

NPR
National Public Radio severed ties with World of Opera because the host, Lisa Simeone, participated in an Occupy march. They didn't fire her directly because she didn't work for NPR and her employer, WDAV, to their credit refused to fire her on NPR orders. Simeone broke no laws. She did not violate the NPR Code of Ethics because it doesn't apply to her. She was acting in the great tradition of America - the free right to assemble and speak.

NPR is terrified of congressional Republicans. NPR got heat for firing conservation newscaster Juan Williams for his inane comments and didn't want to get more heat for not acting similarly with a liberal opera host. Simeone got thrown under the bus not for what she did or said but because NPR CEO Gary Knell is a sniveling little coward.

Rick Perry
Perry this week was asked about the Confederate battle flag and came out against it. Before running for President, Perry was a strong advocate for all things Dixie, so what changed?

There was that Niggerhead incident, which was a little to Old South for comfort. And, then, Perry's pro-secessionist positions from a couple years ago. So far during his presidential run that embarrassment has been forgotten. Sounding like a true son of the Confederacy would bring all that back.

So Rick Perry said what he doesn't believe. Not because he has changed his mind or has become a Unionist but because he was afraid of the consequences of honesty. Perry is an idiot, dishonest, and timorous. That's a Republican trifecta.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

And, Perry has no ability to understand what was wrong eit the family camp name or the confederate flag. That is one reason he steadfastly takes every position, just like Romney has done on other issues.