Losing The Blush

blush
v.  blushed, blush-ing, blush-es
      .to become red in the face, especially from modesty, embarrassment, or shame; flush.
     . to become red or rosy.
     . to feel embarrassed or ashamed:  blushed at his own audacity.


Dennis Miller, on his radio show, uses the phrase "losing our blush" for our reaction to bad behavior.

I think most of society would still like to pass under the radar when they screw up, but it does make you wonder about some of the scandals going on in Washington, or the implausible excuses given by our elected officials when they are caught doing stupid things.

 

Can there be anything more stupid than tweeting a picture of your "junk" to young women?  The level of arrogance and shamelessness must be off the charts for someone to think that kind of behavior is ok.

Of course I'm talking about Anthony Weiner, who resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives after mistakenly tweeting a photo of his penis to Twitter followers (it was intended as a private gift to just one young woman -- and it wasn't his wife).  A few months after resigning, he was back at it again, allegedly sending photos to as many as 10 other women.

The people of New York City pride themselves on being the ultimate "melting pot," culturally sophisticated and on society's cutting edge.  That must apply to very few of its nearly 9 million citizens, because there is no way Weiner should still be in the running to replace Mayor Bloomberg.

So have the people of New York City lost their ability to recognize bad behavior or what?

Have we become so desensitized to this kind of behavior that it just doesn't matter any more?  Have we reached the point where we have genetically removed the blush gene?  If so, it might explain why we don't hold politicians, athletes and movie stars to higher standards, and why the people violating our sense of right and wrong never back down.

They mutter a half-hearted apology and hope we don't catch them at it again.

Earlier this month, the baseball world was rocked with the suspension of Ryan Braun.  As a member of the 2011 Milwaukee Brewers, Braun was an All Star, won the National League MVP and the Silver Slugger award.  During that time, he came under scrutiny for a disputed testosterone test that he failed, and then was linked in 2012 to the Biogenesis of America Clinic that allegedly provided performance-enhancing drugs to professional baseball players.

After denying repeatedly that he had done anything wrong, Braun was defended by other sports figures, his teammates and fans of the Milwaukee Brewers.  In July, the hammer came down -- Braun was suspended without pay for the remainder of the 2013 season.  His response?   "I realize now that I have made some mistakes.  I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions."  (Doesn't even sound like an apology does it?)

How is it possible Braun had fooled so many, including those who knew him best?  How could he look into the camera and lie so convincingly about his involvement in PEDs?  Where was the shame?  And why were we so willing to believe his lies?

Sometimes the shame comes from the perpetrator taking a position that harms other people.  Anthony Weiner is certainly doing no favors to his wife, Huma Abedin, who must endure her own embarrassment by being linked to a creep who should be thrown in jail, not just out of public office.

For some, the salve used for those hurt by such lewd behavior is applied by the media.  Take Hillary Clinton who has suffered repeatedly at the hands of former President Bill Clinton.  The biased media portrayed Hillary as someone who stuck by her man despite affairs with Monica Lewinskly, Jennifer Flowers and Elizabeth Ward Gracen.  We all know she was in it for the political power associated with Bill Clinton, but because she was a Democrat (and married to the President of the United States), she was given a pass -- no, even better, she was lifted up as someone who overlooked her husband's lewd behavior, and was better for it.  She became a role model for future political wives, and as a result, society lost a little bit more of their ability to blush at such embarrassing behavior.

Sometimes it's hard for people to know that their behavior is embarrassing.  Take hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons who continues to defend the black community despite evidence to the contrary.  Simmons was quick to criticize the Zimmerman verdict, claiming that it was further proof of white racism.  In response, people like Bill O'Riley pointed to the abhorrent statistics of crime, family structure and unemployment that are destroying black families.  When CNN's Don Lemon, comedian Bill Cosby and columnist Thomas Sowell (all black) sited similar statistics, Russell called them "uncle Toms," "slaves," "dangerous talking heads," and a "disservice to the black community."

How embarrassing it must be to a black mother, father or child -- faced with the realities of the black community -- to hear someone like Russell criticize others for telling the truth.  Shame on Russell for perpetrating such lies and shame on others who work the racial injustice system for power and money.

But then again, do you think Sharpton, Jackson and Russell feel shame with their expensive clothes, numerous houses and back room meetings with national labor unions?

I doubt it, and another blush gets wiped away.

Attacks to the Constitution by members of Congress continue unabated -- and without consequences.  Earlier this year, the IRS, Benghazi and wiretapping scandals threatened to bring down President Obama (not really, but that's what certain emails -- asking for my donations -- keep telling me).

It is truly astounding how our constitutional rights are being violated by these people and they show no shame or remorse.  I've written before about these scandals, and unfortunately, months later we are no closer to finding out who's responsible.  Bureaucrats in Washington are content to blame this bad behavior on minor players and promise to "get to the bottom of things."  Really?  This September marks a year since the Benghazi attacks -- and the killers are still walking the streets of Libya.  But that's ok, because the people responsible are sorry.

The fact that the IRS is deciding presidential elections is denied, then forgotten.  Despite the left's ardent attempts to convince voters that the IRS delayed applications by both conservative and liberal groups, the facts say otherwise.  Does the media care?  Of course not.  Instead we devote hours of prime time television  to Prince Harry and Princess Kate giving birth to a newborn son who is third in line to the Royal Crown.  No one is really interested in a little bad behavior...

Thanks to the Democrat Party, political correctness and our cultural "elite," criticizing bad behavior is off limits.  Discussions, whether online, on television or radio are becoming expressions of hate speech.   "Abnormal," "immoral," and "sin" have become words that need to be banned and exterminated from our cultural discussions, as teachers, politicians and the media tell us to be more understanding.

Unless you're a Christian who believes in the Bible.  Then you need to change with the times...

"Progress" is the new word for shame today.  When we see abnormal behavior, we need to view it as an expression of something to be understood.  We are told -- as children in school, and now as adults at home -- to grow in our understanding of what causes their behavior and see things from their perspective.

Lying, adultery and illegal drugs?  They are things of the past.  Just like our ability to blush at those committing them.

Stirring the Racial Pot

I just finished reading a book by Michael Connolly called the Black Box, which was loaned to me by my son.  In the novel, detective Harry Bosch investigates a case that goes back 20 years involving a young female photojournalist who is killed during the Los Angeles riots of 1992.  Like all of Connolly's books, it was a good read, and one that has me thinking about the state of race relations in America.

In case you forgot, the L.A. riots occurred after a verdict was read in the Rodney King case, acquitting the four officers who were caught on tape beating him.  Outrage and protest turned to violence, as rioters in south-central Los Angeles blocked traffic, burned businesses and dragged motorists out of their vehicles and killed them.

 

All because the cops -- acquitted of beating a black man -- were white.  In some people's opinion, justice was not served

I've never understood how burning buildings or overturning vehicles is justified, whether celebrating an NBA championship or protesting the results of a trial.  Destroying something because your city won a championship (which you had nothing to do with) boggles the mind; destroying something because you feel miserable or treated "unfairly" is just stupid.

This past 4th of July holiday, my wife and I were in Kalamazoo, Michigan visiting our "adopted" South Korean student who is going to summer school at Western Michigan University.  During lunch she mentioned that one of her classes, English As Second Language, was discussing race in America.  It was interesting to listen to her talk about what she called the "sensitivities" of race, specifically civil rights and the treatment of minorities over the decades.  As a foreign student I'm sure she has a much different view of our racial issues, but one thing remained the same: she needed to be careful what she said and how she said it.

With the election of Barrack Obama as our first black president, many in the mass media predicted improved relations between whites and blacks.  Whites even voted for Obama, so that was viewed as a positive.  But that looks pretty ridiculous now considering the blatant attempts made by this administration (President Obama:  "If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon"), the liberal media and black leaders to keep tensions high.

And now, we have the Trayvon Martin murder trial.  With the George Zimmerman verdict expected this week or next,  many are worried that there could be a repeat of the Los Angeles riots due to the racial emphasis placed on the trial.  I guess we're about to find out just how far we've come in 20 years.  I'm not optimistic, as I think the riots could easily spread out from Florida into other hot spots around the United States.

All with the blessings of those who stir the racial pot for political and social gain.

If you don't think that possible, think again.

It was just revealed by The Daily Caller that a division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) was deployed to Sanford, Florida to provide assistance for anti-Zimmerman protests, including a rally headlined by Al Sharpton.  The Community Relations Service, of the DOJ, helped manage protests in March and April of 2012, when they organized marches and demonstrations relating to "the shooting and death of a young African American teenager by a community watch captain."

Proof that the Obama Administration is actively flaming the racial fires, regardless of guilt or innocence. What does it say when our own government is involved in dividing this country based on race?

It's been 20 years since the Rodney King trial, 50 years since the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended all state and local laws prohibiting racial segregation, 66 years since Jackie Robinson's Major League Baseball debut in 1947, and 143 years since the ratification of the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provided the right to vote in 1870.

That sounds like progress doesn't it?  No question every one of those milestones was needed to treat people of all color, equally and with fairness.  So why do I feel like things are only getting worse?

Maybe because they are.

I mentioned the George Zimmerman trial in Sanford, Florida.  You need NO OTHER evidence to realize how important the issue of race is to Democrats.  This trial wasn't even about race.  But the left is making sure that everyone knows that the young teenager lying dead was black.  Not Asian, not native American, not Hispanic.  But black.

Stirring the race pot has been a huge advantage for them through the years (not to mention the latest presidential election when 92% of blacks voted for Obama).

This week the Broward County Sheriff's office released a video asking the public not to riot in the wake of the George Zimmerman verdict.  The Sheriff's office released a statement explaining that it was "working closely with the Sanford Police Department and other law enforcement agencies" to coordinate "a response plan in anticipation of the verdict."

The video, titled Raise Your Voice, Not Your Hands, focuses on attempting to channel aggressive reaction into a non-violent response.  It depicts two youngsters, one black and one Hispanic.  "We need to stand together as one, no cuffs, no guns," says the Hispanic girl.  "Let's give violence a rest, because we can easily end up arrested," says the black boy.  "I know your patience will be tested, but law enforcement has your back," they conclude.

Can't you just feel the fear law enforcement and businesses have as this trial winds down?  It's safe to say the police are stocking up on body armor and rubber bullets.  And business owners are taking additional security precautions.

Again, I can only ask, how is this possible?  Haven't we learned anything from the L.A. riots?  I won't claim to know the verdict in the Zimmerman trial, but I do know this:

1.  The Democratic Party requires racial tensions to push their agenda for welfare and other social programs that are funded by big government.  If blacks ever escaped "the ghetto," who would liberals use as proof that we must do more to help the poor and discriminated?  I suppose Hispanics would do just fine, as the Democrats already own 75% of their vote.

Either way, liberals represent deep pockets to poor blacks and minorities who need assistance.   Every election cycle, Democrats are quick to offer social programs -- education grants , affirmative action and health programs -- that keep them on the dole, and on the Democratic side of the voting ballot.

The sad truth is that many of the liberal social policies instituted as part of President Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" actually hurt black families.  These programs have done more to damage traditional sources of help (like the family) and prevented financial independence for many blacks.

2.  The liberal media not only support, but encourage racial division.  It's terrible to say, but the media wields dangerous words to divide this nation.  Whether asking questions designed to trip up naive politicians or celebrity chefs like Paula Deen -- if it involves race, the media will jump all over you.  And if you don't give them a racially divisive comment, they will fabricate one.

Here's proof:  NBC News has fabricated stories and altered words to make it look like George Zimmerman said something bad.  NBC selectively edited the original Zimmerman 911 call to make him sound racist.

Here's how NBC News spliced the tape to sound like Zimmerman, without prodding, gave Martin's race:  "This guy looks like he's up to no good, he looks black."

In reality, Zimmerman said, "This guy looks like he's up to no good, or he's on drugs or something and he's just walking around, looking about."  The 911 operator then asked Zimmerman for Martin's race. "He looks black," was his response.  Big difference, don't you think?

3.  Race baiters like Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, Harry Belafonte, and congressmen John Conyers and Charles Rangel will never stop pushing the divide between blacks and whites.  There is too much money and political power to be had.  These so-called black leaders are quick to promote perceived injustices like the Tawana Brawley rape hoax, or lead protests against white business owners (Harlem, N.Y.) that have ended in deadly shooting rampages.  Instead of questioning the Obama administration about increased black on black violence, higher black unemployment, and fatherless families, race baiters stand before a microphone and blame poverty and the white establishment for their troubles.  I watch in stunned disbelief as followers fall at their feet like they're heavenly sent.

 

If anyone took the time to really challenge these blowhards, they would be trampled underfoot because the media has their back.  As a matter of fact, they must have a direct phone line -- a media bat phone -- because I see Jesse and Al on television all the time.  The news media is just waiting to use their inflammatory words to stir the hearts and minds of young, black teenagers, all under the banner of racial injustice.

Making it worse, no one is willing to challenge them because our society has become so sensitive to attacks on race.  Attack the Rev Jesse Jackson and you could have the Black Panthers knocking on your door.

Any guess what they are saying about George Zimmerman?

There is no doubt which side they are on, as is evident by these words from hip hop pioneer, Russell Simmons:  "Whether George Zimmerman is found innocent or guilty by the jury, I am a firm believer that all of us live by karmic law, and he will ultimately be punished for the death of Trayvon, no matter what."

So much for being innocent until proven guilty!

Think of the good these "black leaders" could have if they spent more time in churches and schools mentoring young blacks, rather than appearing before a television audience whining about racial injustice.

It has been more than 21 years since The Cosby Show changed the fortunes of NBC and made television sitcom history.  Too bad the family life portrayed in that show, which showed a strong, family unit with a mother and father, was ridiculed for not being realistic.  The Cosby show had all the ingredients of a successful family.  Cosby was a doctor, his wife was a lawyer, and their children went to college.  At the same time, they embraced their black culture, their religion, their heritage and their music.  Characters on the show dressed appropriately, spoke respectfully, and listened to their elders.

So why isn't that the racial model we pursue in America?  Why is Trayvon Martin the poster-child of the left, and not Bill Cosby?  The answer is why race continues to separate this country, and why it's not getting any better.