Pamela Geller is amazing. She is a gladiator on the world scene, fighting for freedom, justice and the American Way. Undeterred by jihadi death threats, she very kindly paused from signing her new book, the Post-American Presidency, to pose with me for a Blackberry picture.
That's sweet.
I'm thrilled I was able to meet Pamela and have my picture taken with her as well.
OPEN LETTER TO JAMES B. WEBB: WORD TO THE WISE, EXTENDED VERSION (SO BE WISE)
James (OR WHATEVER YOUR REAL NON-COWARD NAME IS), FWIW (a reponse to your sterile big talk):
You told me not to comment on your blog some time ago, and I have observed your rules. But when Repsac3 stalks and taunts American Power with genuine racist insults, when he refuses to observe my rules and common decency, you're down with that ... of course you're into racist photoshopping and cyberstalking, so NST, yo!
Frankly, son, you're nothing but a child to me, with an overdriven playground gotcha mentality. Fact is, every single time I've argued substantive points you've ignored them and moved on predictably to insults and snarks: On the budget deficit you blamed Bush and FAILED. On my post on faith, morality and fighting Satan, you dissed it without a single mention of the issues ... FAIL. On Sean Trende's RCP analysis on the November congressional elections? Ignored it again ... FAIL.
And you recently wrote at my blog:
"I'm not suggesting that the left isn't responsible for many acts of hate and violence in the world. I'm just pointing out the stupidity of the myopic worldview that one side of the ideological aisle is so much better/worse than the other and regardless of which side says it (and I hear it from both on a constant basis) they always sound like uninformed children when they do."
Actually, the contemporary left's entrenched ideological culture of violence is unmatched on the conservative right. And I responded to you with a link to Jamie Glazov's, United in Hate: The Left's Romance with Tyranny and Terror. Glazov's book is deeply argued and written from personal experience of tyranny and terror. His parents were Soviet dissidents. Their lives were put on the line for speaking out against the Communist Party in 1968, when Jamie's father signed the famous "Letter of Twelve" human rights manifesto. The forward to the book was written by R. James Woolsey, who was President Clinton's Director of Central Intelligence from 1993 to 1995. United in Hate received critical reviews from both sides of the spectrum, and retired United States Air Force Lieutenant General Thomas McInery called the book "a must-read if America is to survive the global war against Radical Islam." In short, this is serious stuff, worth engagement.
And what was your response to the citation for United in Hate? Totally predictable:
That's exactly what I mean when I talk about uninformed children, Don. Thank you as always for illustrating my point.
Breathtaking juvenile anti-intellectualism topped with a staggering heaping of brain-addled stupidity.
But that's to be expected from someone who's not right in the mind, oddly consumed by some kind of big man syndrome (when in fact nothing seems to warrant such a psychology, which thus raises appropriate and characteristic questions of megalomania).
And let's not forget your online perversions and stalking. When called out on these you own them with insecure phony laughter and some backslapping with your braindead followers in the comments at Brainrage.
So, JBW, let's be real, okay. Honestly, you're but a lost child to me. I'm a Ph.D. professor with 15 years experience teaching. I'm a father of two who's been married for 16 years. I've traveled widely and have nearly lost my life. But credentials, wisdom, life failings, and experience mean nothing to you, BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT ALL ALREADY.
Anyway, I understand the sources of your disrespect (hey, four years of college and you've got knowledge), but it's obvious to anyone who's been around the block a couple of times that you're all talk and little action. And the fact that James B. Webb is not your real names adds a hilarious touch to any mention by you of the word coward. So, here's a bet. You will not come out and identify yourself, and you will not meet me for a beer where you express a little humility and respect for someone who ought to be, frankly, your intellectual mentor. I'm in the O.C. Name the bar, on a weekend evening, and we'll meet.
So, what do you say big boy? You have my e-mail. Send me your name, phone number, and a location, and we'll meet like men ... instead of playing meaningless tit-for-tat on blogs that few people actually read.
Donald
BONUS DEDICATION: "No Values", from Black Flag's 1980 EP, Jealous Again:
I don't care what you think I don't care what you say I've got nothing to give you Why don't you just go away
I've got no values Nothing to say I've got no values Might as well blow you away
You're just a hole in the corner Always loaded to the hilt I could try some satisfaction I could destroy everything you build
I've got no values Nothing to say I've got no values Might as well blow you away
Don't you try classification When you know it won't work What if I try some annihilation Throw your face in the dirt
I've got no values Nothing to say I've got no values Might as well blow you away
Don't you try pretendin' Telling me it's all right I might start destroyin' Everything in my sight! No values No values No values
I only knew him as "C.B." in our e-mail communications, but he ran an interesting blog and we exchanged some thoughts on teaching and assessment. I have beeninformed that C.B., a.k.a. "Right Wing Prof" at Right Wing Nation, has passed away. I don't know enough to say anymore, although C.B had retired from Right Wing Nation and was posting at blog called Central Pennylvania Orthodox. This passage is from the last entry there, entitled "Glorious Nativity":
I’m sorry I haven’t posted. I’m daunted by the task, and can’t give you as much as I’d like, for all of the expected reasons: Increased pain and shortness of breath, weakness and shakiness (?). Forgive typos ....
Christmas Day began very bad, Christmas here, and all. Christopher arrived in his Santa cap when Sharon, Brook, and Stacy, three nurses aides, were here and I was recovering from a particularly excrutiation pain spam.
Sharon was crying as she took my hand and said this was going to be the best Christmas ever because I was surrounded by people who loved me. That’s when I started crying, when I realized the truth of what she said, and we had a room of ten wet eyes.
Everything was uphill after that ....
I treasure the (good) people I meet through blogging and social networking. Though I can't be with everyone in person, I'm with folks in my heart.
Please say a prayer for C.B.'s family, and hold tight and enjoy togetherness with your loved ones today and always.
