My Response to "Anonymous"

Here is my response to "Anonymous" who commented on my post about a recent Paul Krugman article. (See Monday's post.)

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Your interest in this post is appreciated. One of my hopes for this blog has always been to encourage a thoughtful discussion of important issues. In responding to your comment I went back and looked at the Krugman column I made reference to. I also consulted the blog post you referenced.

After review, I see no problem with the point Krugman is trying to make, which is that if a Democrat used a phrase such as that used by Ms. Bachmann such a speaker would likely be ostracized by fellow Democrats.

At the same time, I see the point of the writer in your referenced post which is that Bachmann was apparently not referring to weaponry, but rather the facts as in "armed with the facts." It is useful to place things in context.

As soon as I am able I want to get an independent source for the Bachmann quote as I do not see it sourced by J. Gordon in his post. At this point I can only take it on faith that the writer has the story straight.

I do find the phrase "armed and dangerous" to be a bit too colloquial coming from a U.S. Representative. Regrettably, this is now common among politicians of both major parties. And we now know that although you and I would not take her advice literally, there are people who, when reading such a statement, might do just that.

The only other point I care to make at this time is regarding Gordon's phrase: "...he shamelessly used a tragedy to smear his political opponents,...." This makes it seem that Krugman is a politician when in fact he is writing as a journalist and as a member of the free press in his role as a watchdog of the public trust. Any politician's statement can be criticized by anyone, particularly when not libelous. Then the critic's statement can likewise be criticized. Following this the original critic has a right to respond. (See the letters of "The Patriot" [Thomas Paine] and "Cato.") This is what democracy is all about and what the Founding Fathers intended to happen in the new nation.

Perhaps I will have more to say later on this very important topic. For now, thank you again for participating in my blog.

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Here is the relevant quote from Paul Krugman's article: 'It’s hard to imagine a Democratic member of Congress urging constituents to be “armed and dangerous” without being ostracized; but Representative Michele Bachmann, who did just that, is a rising star in the G.O.P.'
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