Gregory "Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"
Holmes: "To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time."
Gregory: "The dog did nothing in the night-time."
Holmes: "That was the curious incident."
Sherlock Holmes and Inspector Gregory in Silverblaze by Arthur Conan Doyle 1892
Last month after the shootings in Arizona where several people were murdered and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was severely injured there was a lot of talk about civility in politics. Members of congress, the president and news organization both print and visual bemoaned the lack of civil discourse and attempted (and still attempt despite established facts) to blame the Tea Parties and Sarah Palin for inciting violence.
Over the last few days several incidents have taken place nationwide that are contrary to the media's wish for a new spirit of civility in public discourse.
Massachusetts: At a Union Rally in support of the absent senators in Wisconsin and the teachers unions, union protesters decried tea party protesters as fascists and mass murders, gave them Nazi salutes at that same rally a former republican congressional candidate alleges he was knocked over by union protesters.
Washington DC: During a union protest against Freedom Works which has already received threats over their support of the tea party, A member of the Communications Workers of America physically assaulted Tabitha Hale, a young 5’ 1” woman who was recording him. During that same protest another union supporter angrily berated a Freedom Works member as a “Bad Jew”.
Colorado: A gay black man is called “uneducated” “son” and is asked if he has any children “that he claims” by a white crowd angry at his presence with a small Gadsden flag supporting the tea party.
All of these events have three things in common:
- Video of these events are all available on Youtube
- Blogs have reported and covered these events
- None of them have been deemed worthy of coverage by the mainstream media.
Reverse the political positions of the people in question. Would actions and slurs against blacks, jews or assaults against young ladies by tea party members caught on tape be ignored by media? How is it that these acts of incivility that outraged journalists just weeks ago are ignored now?
As Holmes would say: That is the curious incident.
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