David Sirota and the Definition of Hate Speech

From Sheryl Longin, at PJ Media:

So much has been written (and is worth reading) about David Sirota’s Salon article, “Let’s hope the Boston Marathon bomber is a white American,” in particular, posts by Richard Fernandez, Roger Kimball, and my husband, Roger Simon, that Sirota felt compelled to write a second piece, doubling down and attempting to justify his initial thoughts. In spite of all the scrutiny, something fundamental has been overlooked, hiding in plain sight.

It is a sometimes less than admirable but nonetheless completely understandable and basic human reaction to be protective of groups with which one has a connection. When a crime is committed, people often hope that the perpetrator is not a member of said group. I am certain that many parents and relatives of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia hoped that the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook massacre would not turn out to have a mental illness. When Dr. George Tiller, an OB/Gyn and abortion provider, was assassinated in 2009, I am certain that pro-life advocates across the country were hoping his killer would not be an anti-abortion activist. When two bombs were detonated at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, I am certain that millions of Muslims were hoping the terrorists would not be adherents of Islam.

That is not what David Sirota was doing. What if the parent of a mentally ill young person expressed publicly after the rampage at Sandy Hook that he/she hoped the killer was an Islamic terrorist? What if a pro-life advocate publicly hoped that Dr. Tiller’s murderer would turn out to be an African American gang member? That is precisely what David Sirota was doing. And that is hate speech plain and simple. When it becomes acceptable to wish in public for people you disagree with to be heinous murderers (and without even the slightest bit of evidence), we have crossed a line that doesn’t allow for a functioning democratic society. I’d like to say that I hope David Sirota isn’t an American citizen, because his words of hate shame me, but sadly, the truth is that he is one of us and if we don’t call out his crime, we are condoning it...

Oh, by all means call these f-kers out. They're despicable racist losers and terror enablers. Call them out, big time.

More at the link.

RELATED: "'Emotionally, it is very hard for me to consider such ilk as fellow Americans, let alone as decent human beings...'"

Bomb Suspect Was Put on Two Watch Lists

At the Wall Street Journal, "CIA, FBI Flagged Him for Concern, Raising New Questions About Missed Opportunities to Prevent Fatal Boston Attack":

U.S. authorities put alleged Boston bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev on two separate watch lists in 2011 after Russian security agencies twice reached out to their American counterparts, raising new questions about missed opportunities to prevent the attack.

Russian officials contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation in March 2011, then reached out to the Central Intelligence Agency in September of that year, citing concerns Mr. Tsarnaev might have been associating with extremists, according to U.S. officials.

The FBI has said it interviewed Mr. Tsarnaev and conducted a threat assessment, but found nothing "derogatory" that could prompt further investigation. A U.S. law-enforcement official said the case was closed after three months, after which the FBI asked Russian counterparts for additional information, but received none.

U.S. officials said Wednesday that at the request of the CIA, Mr. Tsarnaev was added to a broad database called Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment, which holds hundreds of thousands of names flagged by multiple U.S. security agencies.

RTWT.

Also at the Boston Globe, "Russia alerted US repeatedly about suspect, senators say: Brothers may have planned to go to NYC next."

Plus, from Pamela Geller, "OBAMA'S EPIC FAIL: CIA WANTED BOSTON JIHADI BOMBER PLACED ON TERROR WATCHLIST."

Terror Widow Katherine Russell 'Should Be Jailed for Wearing Headbag (Hijab)'

Says Ann Coulter on Sean Hannity's, via Bare Naked Islam, "Ann Coulter: "“Boston Muslim Bomber’s wife should be jailed for wearing a headbag (hijab)”."

The Left and Terrorism: Stupidity or Willful Blindness?

Yeah, they're idiots alright, but for many progressives it's actually willful blindness that describes their terror enabling, and that's evil.

At Power Line, "WHY DOES EVIL MAKE LIBERALS STUPID?"

In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, we are suffering through the inevitable period of liberal hand-wringing. Liberals can’t help themselves: while normal people are reviling the bombers, celebrating their capture or death, and debating measures that can be taken to prevent future atrocities, liberals’ thinking (if you can call it that) goes in a different direction. Liberals call for understanding; tell the rest of us we don’t realize how complex mass murder is; recommend introspection (But why? I didn’t do it.); and warn against various forms of overreaction to the latest terrorist outrage. The reality of evil, a constant in human affairs for millennia, renders liberals not speechless–that would be too much to hope for–but incoherent.

PREVIOUSLY: "'Emotionally, it is very hard for me to consider such ilk as fellow Americans, let alone as decent human beings...'"

Image Credit: The Looking Spoon, "Fool America Once, Shame On You. Fool America Dozens Of Times, Shame On Liberals."

Our Welfare State Terrorists

For the left, the hits keep coming, at Lonely Conservative, "Boston Bombers Were Welfare Recipients." Also at My Pet Jawa, "Terrorists & Family Living Off Welfare." (Via Memeorandum.)

Zubeidat Tsarnaeva: 'I Don't Care if My Youngest Son Is Killed...'

This is truly bizarre, at Gateway Pundit, "WHOA!… Zubeidat Tsarnaeva Tells CNN: “I Don’t Care if My Youngest Son Is Killed. I Don’t Care If I Am Killed. I Will Say Allahu Akbar!” (Video)

And at London's Daily Mail, "Mother of Boston Marathon bombers may be ARRESTED if she returns to U.S. after failing to appear on shoplifting charge."

Most Expect 'Occasional Acts of Terrorism' in the Future

At Pew Research, "Six-in-Ten Say Post-9/11 Steps Have Made Country Safer":

Last week’s bombings at the Boston Marathon attracted broad public interest: 63% of Americans say they followed the story very closely, among the highest interest in any news story in the past decade. And the bombings drew far more public attention than any terrorist event since Sept. 11, 2001, which 78% reported following very closely in mid-October of that year.

While the Boston bombings riveted most Americans, the incident appeared to confirm the public’s long-held belief that occasional terrorist acts are to be expected. Over the past decade, majorities have consistently said that “occasional acts of terrorism in the U.S. will be part of life in the future.” This sentiment has spiked to 75% in the wake of the Boston bombings from 64% a year ago and now matches the previous high of 74% in 2003.

Continue reading.

Naturally, Democrats are less likely to say that government action has made the country safer, no doubt a lingering indicator of Bush Derangement Syndrome.

Denmark Rethinks Its Much Too Generous Welfare State

That Abe Greenwald piece reminded me of this one, at NYT, "Danes Rethink a Welfare State Ample to a Fault":

COPENHAGEN — It began as a stunt intended to prove that hardship and poverty still existed in this small, wealthy country, but it backfired badly. Visit a single mother of two on welfare, a liberal member of Parliament goaded a skeptical political opponent, see for yourself how hard it is.

It turned out, however, that life on welfare was not so hard. The 36-year-old single mother, given the pseudonym “Carina” in the news media, had more money to spend than many of the country’s full-time workers. All told, she was getting about $2,700 a month, and she had been on welfare since she was 16.

In past years, Danes might have shrugged off the case, finding Carina more pitiable than anything else. But even before her story was in the headlines 16 months ago, they were deeply engaged in a debate about whether their beloved welfare state, perhaps Europe’s most generous, had become too rich, undermining the country’s work ethic. Carina helped tip the scales.

With little fuss or political protest — or notice abroad — Denmark has been at work overhauling entitlements, trying to prod Danes into working more or longer or both. While much of southern Europe has been racked by strikes and protests as its creditors force austerity measures, Denmark still has a coveted AAA bond rating.

But Denmark’s long-term outlook is troubling. The population is aging, and in many regions of the country people without jobs now outnumber those with them.

Some of that is a result of a depressed economy. But many experts say a more basic problem is the proportion of Danes who are not participating in the work force at all — be they dawdling university students, young pensioners or welfare recipients like Carina who lean on hefty government support.

“Before the crisis there was a sense that there was always going to be more and more,” Bjarke Moller, the editor in chief of publications for Mandag Morgen, a research group in Copenhagen. “But that is not true anymore. There are a lot of pressures on us right now. We need to be an agile society to survive.”

Yeah. That's not going be sustainable. But I'm sure leftists can still find ways to argue the European social model beats America any day. Idiots.

But read it all at that top link.

The Age of Hope and Shame

From Abe Greenwald, at Commentary:

The Obama years are the years of hope and shame. That’s what’s left once you’ve hollowed out the space traditionally occupied by informed debate. Liberals, led by the president, merely hope that gun laws and background checks will stem gun violence. There’s no debating the merits. So when people disagree, it can only be attributed to shameful intentions, not thoughtful misgivings about effectiveness. Liberals hope that expanding the welfare state will do more good for more people. The facts of Europe don’t apply. So when conservatives disagree it’s because they’re shamefully indifferent to human suffering, not concerned about an unsustainable initiative. Obama hopes we’re no longer in a war on terror but engaged in a cleaner-sounding war on al-Qaeda. If you think a recent string of terrorism attempts in America demonstrates otherwise, shame on you. Without self-righteousness liberals have no case.

Man, that's a freakin' great piece.

RTWT.

NPR's Dina Temple Raston Blamed #Boston Bombing on 'Right-Wing Individuals'

And still, some despicable leftists are already attempting to shove these inconvenient facts down the memory hole.

At AoSHQ, "After Four Days of Speculatively Blaming the Right and Anticipating What Poltical Solutions We Might Need To Address Their Growing Menace, Left Declares That the Time for Speculation and Political Wargaming Has Passed."

Because "right wing individuals" are all about Hitler's birthday, or some such shit.

Progressives are the biggest assholes. And losers.

Princeton Political Scientist Richard Falk Says #Boston Had It Coming

The scum of my profession, this Richard Falk.

Here's the dude's bio:

Richard Falk is Albert G. Milbank Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University and Visiting Distinguished Professor in Global and International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is also the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestinian human rights.

See Blazing Cat Fur, "U.N. Scumbag Says Boston Got What It Deserved."

And at FrontPage Magazine, "U.N. Human Rights Official Calls Boston Bombing “Blowback” and “Resistance”."

New York Times Interactive on Moment Runners Neared Finish Line at #Boston Marathon

Via Emily Stanitz on Twitter. Click through to watch:

Incredible NYT interactive on runners at the #BostonMarathon finish line the moment the first bomb exploded nyti.ms/10ugUdV
— Emily Stanitz (@emilystanitz) April 23, 2013

Obama's Gun Control Defeat Raises Questions About His Effectiveness

It's about time we're getting some critical reporting like this, at the New York Times even.

See, "In Gun Bill Defeat, a President Who Hesitates to Twist Arms":

WASHINGTON — Senator Mark Begich, Democrat of Alaska, asked President Obama’s administration for a little favor last month. Send your new interior secretary this spring to discuss a long-simmering dispute over construction of a road through a wildlife refuge, Mr. Begich asked in a letter. The administration said yes.

Four weeks later, Mr. Begich, who faces re-election next year, ignored Mr. Obama’s pleas on a landmark bill intended to reduce gun violence and instead voted against a measure to expand background checks. Mr. Obama denounced the defeat of gun control steps on Wednesday as “a shameful day.”

But Mr. Begich’s defiance and that of other Democrats who voted against Mr. Obama appear to have come with little cost. Sally Jewell, the interior secretary, is still planning a trip to Alaska — to let Mr. Begich show his constituents that he is pushing the government to approve the road.

The trip will also reinforce for Mr. Begich and his colleagues a truth about Mr. Obama: After more than four years in the Oval Office, the president has rarely demonstrated an appetite for ruthless politics that instills fear in lawmakers. That raises a broader question: If he cannot translate the support of 90 percent of the public for background checks into a victory on Capitol Hill, what can he expect to accomplish legislatively for his remaining three and a half years in office?

Robert Dallek, a historian and biographer of President Lyndon B. Johnson, said Mr. Obama seems “inclined to believe that sweet reason is what you need to use with people in high office.” That contrasts with Johnson’s belief that “what you need to do is to back people up against a wall,” Mr. Dallek said.

“Obama has this more reasoned temperament,” he said. “It may well be that it’s not the prescription for making gains. It raises questions about his powers of persuasion.”

Some supporters said the imperative of the moment requires more force from Mr. Obama. “He needs to turn up the heat every way he can and every chance he gets because it’s not political points or poll numbers that are at stake but lives,” said Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, a New York Democrat who has sponsored a gun control bill in the House.

The White House on Monday defended the president’s efforts on the gun legislation, saying he had made a vigorous effort to lobby wavering senators. “He made numerous phone calls and had numerous meetings,” said Jay Carney, the White House press secretary. “And his entire team here engaged in this process completely and thoroughly.”

But the president has long struggled to master his relationship with Congress. During his first two and a half years in office, he favored what aides called an inside approach, working quietly in back rooms to convince lawmakers of the logic of his positions. That worked better when Democrats controlled both the House and the Senate, and he passed legislation to expand health care, regulate Wall Street and spend hundreds of billions of dollars to stimulate the economy.

Well, he's a shitty president who can't tell the difference between his ass and a homosexual rim-station.

But RTWT.

RELATED: "Public Support For Gun Control Ebbs."

And to think, the gun-grabbing Dems work the shame strategy for all it was worth. I'd say they "worked it to death," but that wouldn't be cool.

'Stereotypically White Americans'

At Big Journalism, "CNN'S ERIN BURNETT SURPRISED BOMBING SUSPECTS AREN'T 'STEREOTYPICAL' AMERICANS.

"Wait ... Let me make sure I understand. Sorry, I want to make you understand. So they're still looking into the possibility that even though these two kids look very, very stereotypically like they're from here that this may be linked to a foreign terror group?"

Of course. Stereotypical.

Reese Witherspoon Apologizes After Arrest for Disorderly Conduct

At London's Daily Mail, "'You're about to find out who I am': What Reese Witherspoon said to police after arrest for 'disorderly conduct'... as her and husband Jim Toth's mugshots are revealed."

Dream Angels Extended Cut

Lovely:

RELATED: "What makes a successful lingerie shoot? Victoria's Secret Angels reveal it's all down to the 'sexy heat' in behind the scenes clip."

College Enrollment Dips Amid Massive Debt Pile

At IBD, "College Enrollment Dips As Student Loan Debt Nears $1 Trillion":

For the first time since the recession started, the college enrollment rate among young people has slipped, possibly signaling slower growth in student debt amid soaring delinquency rates and poor employment prospects.

In October 2012, 32.7% of people 16 to 24 years old were enrolled in college, the Labor Department said Wednesday in its annual reading. That's down from 33.4% a year earlier. The last time there was a decline was in 2006.

The total number enrolled also dropped to 12.7 million from 12.8 million, despite a slight uptick in the number of fresh high school graduates entering college...

RTWT.

Glenn Reynolds wrote about this kind of thing: "The Higher Education Bubble."

The Truth About Islam, the World's Most Violent Religion

At Saberpoint, "Why the Boston Bombers Did It (Hint: It's In the Koran)":

Question: Does the Quran really contain dozens of verses promoting violence?

Summary Answer: The Quran contains at least 109 verses that call Muslims to war with nonbelievers for the sake of Islamic rule. Some are quite graphic, with commands to chop off heads and fingers and kill infidels wherever they may be hiding. Muslims who do not join the fight are called 'hypocrites' and warned that Allah will send them to Hell if they do not join the slaughter. Unlike nearly all of the Old Testament verses of violence, the verses of violence in the Quran are mostly open-ended, meaning that they are not restrained by the historical context of the surrounding text. They are part of the eternal, unchanging word of Allah, and just as relevant or subjective as anything else in the Quran. Most of today's Muslims exercise a personal choice to interpret their holy book's many calls to violence according to what their own moral preconceptions find justifiable. Apologists cater to their preferences with tenuous arguments that gloss over historical fact and generally do not stand up to scrutiny. Still, it is important to note that the problem is not bad people, but bad ideology. Unfortunately, there are very few verses of tolerance and peace to abrogate or even balance out the many that call for nonbelievers to be fought and subdued until they either accept humiliation, convert to Islam, or are killed. Muhammad's own martial legacy - and that of his companions - along with the remarkable stress on violence found in the Quran have produced a trail of blood and tears across world history.

More at the link.

Karolina Kurkova Gun Dress Causes Sensation

It's a twofer: guns and gams (beautiful gams, which of course just makes the feminists that much more pissed).

At the Mellow Jihadi, "Karolina Kurkova Wears Gun Skirt, World Ends."

Latest Updates on #Boston Terrorist Attack

At the Wall Street Journal, "Fresh Bomb Details Revealed: Prosecutors Describe Suspect's 'Calm' Behavior; Charges Could Carry Death Penalty."

Tsarnaev has been charged as a non-combatant defendant. Legal Insurrection has the indictment, "Unsealed Complaint and Affidavit – U.S. v Dzhokhar Tsarnaev."

This morning's Wall Street Journal made the case for denying Miranda rights, and Paul Gigot elaborates at the clip. See, "Enemy Combatants in Boston."

Less compelling is Michael Mukasey's op-ed published this morning as well, "Make No Mistake, It Was Jihad." The arguments against providing Miranda are basically about preventing another attack, an obviously high-priority goal. The only problem is that this attack is looking more and more as if it could have been prevented. That earlier FBI interrogation of Tamerlan is a major intelligence fiasco. Not to throw up our hands here. Only to say, hey, when you've got them by the balls don't throw it all away. People are getting blown to bits.

More at the New York Times, "Boston Bombing Suspect's Bedside Hearing," and London's Dail Mail, "'You can rouse him now': Extraordinary scene of Boston Marathon bomber's bedside arraignment, as he's read his Miranda Rights and only manages to say one word" (via Memeorandum).