Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

I have been saying it for years and it really is true. Politics is a dirty business, especially the way it is now expressed through rightwing talking heads on cable. Last week, a paranoid schizophrenic named James Jay Lee strapped explosives to himself, took a gun and went to the Discovery Channel headquarters in Maryland taking three hostages and demanding the Discovery Channel stop all programs regarding children and human breeding. Thankfully, no lives were lost save for his, and subsequent research into his life shows he was a man who had personal problems that led to his distortions and delusions based not only on what he watched, but what he read. However, in this country when events like this take place we don't use them to actually have serious discussions about why people do these things or to even think of the lives touched by these actions. Now, we leave it to people the likes of Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham, and other hateful mouthpieces to twist it to their own political purposes, caring nothing for the underlying problems of people who commit such actions nor the criminality that is their responsibility.

If you have been reading the blogosphere since this event happened all you see is a barage of the usual petty political revenge pieces by rightwing mouthpieces doing their best to link this man's actions to their only target, Al Gore. It was said his so called manifesto claimed he was awakened after seeing Mr. Gore's movie, An Inconvenient Truth. It actually stated moreso that he was more impressed by Daniel Quinn's writing, but the rightwing isn't interested in that. All you have to do is show them the name Al Gore and they go off in an apoplectic rage, because well, they have nothing else to talk about.

So of course, Ann Coulter who I actually equate with being just as delusional as Lee based on her absolutely obsessive bitter politically partisan screeds (only she gets paid to do it) once again railed off about Al Gore and the fact that all environmentalists want to see the human race extinct... based on the actions of this one person. And this is what passes for journalism in America now, and it is pathetic. Would she feel the same if someone blew up an abortion clinic? A mosque? She would probably be praising them as a hero. Wasn't it also Coulter who called for the NY Times building to be blown up, and for us to just nuke the entire Middle East and force Christianity on it? Like I said, there are similarities here. Hmm, perhaps that is why some don't wish to discuss the mental aspects of these actions but only stick to the talking points that they know will get them ratings without actually having to have any substance to what they say.

In looking at this situation without the partisan politics attached, James Jay Lee was a sick man who was not getting the help he needed. He was estranged from his family, more than likely had no other emotional attachments, and allowed his thoughts to carry him to a place where reality did not live by allowing those thoughts to consume him. However, it does not excuse his actions nor how he used those he mentioned in his manifesto for his own purposes by warping their words and meanings to suit those delusions in order to terrorize others. That is not true environmentalism.

True environmentalism includes seeking action to protect us and all species by petitions, letters, peaceful protest, boycotts, and yes, writing books and making movies that illustrate the realities we face noting the solutions we also have at our disposal to solve these problems. This is exactly what Al Gore has been doing. Millions of people have read his books, seen the movie, and know that what it speaks of is an ever encroaching climate crisis brought about by human actions that can be reversed by doing truly good things for this planet. Those who decide to see more than that in it would do so regardless of what they read. And it is unfortunate that the small percentage of people who do that manage to cause heartache and destruction to hurt others, and no true environmentalist condones those actions.

So in assessing the usual unsubstantiated rhetoric from the right media mouthpieces, it is just more rhetoric looking to blame anything on Al Gore. Al Gore has written many books, and actually wrote one after An Inconvenient Truth entitled Our Choice which lists the ways we can actually solve this crisis. No dramatics, no eco-terrorism, and no incitement. Solar panels. Sustainable agriculture. Legislation. Stewardship. Yes, my my, how so very subversive, this caring for the Earth.

We are on a slippery slope in this country when those voices of reason warning us of a real crisis we must heed are all lumped into one category in order to stifle serious discussion and action on any side. And it doesn't speak well for America or the state of our world if we continue to allow it.