In reading Dan’s post re Stacy McCain (whom, btw, I do not know, nor have I followed) and the continued speculation about what is in the man’s heart, I became sad. I do not have an opinion about what is in Mr. McCain’s heart. In part because I am not informed about him, who he is, what he promulgates in his writings and opinions. But mostly because I think it is foolhearty at best to speculate what is in any man’s heart. A person’s inmost being is only even sort of revealed in his words and actions. And then, even then, by this fruit – whether ripe or rotten as it may be – we are still left to speculation. About the only thing that one has to rely on then is pattern recognition. There is a difference between anecdote and theme. There is a major difference between an outlier event in statistics and telling data points. And I am not even saying that an outlier exists here. What I am saying is that the discerning of patterns is the only manner in which we can really even glimpse a man’s heart. Again, I do not know the details of Mr. McCain’s alleged or even real propensities. What I do know is that I am saddened because a man (any man or woman) can do very little to defend himself or herself once a certain meme is floated – introduced – embraced – disseminated – SYNDICATED.
Here is a story I once heard which speaks nicely to scandal and why it is evil:
A woman given to gossip goes to confession. She asks forgiveness for her gossiping ways. She requests pardon from God – which of course is granted. She expects her penance to involve a couple dozen Hail Marys and a few Our Fathers. But to her surprise the priest tells her to go to the butcher, purchase 3 undressed hens. She is stunned. He continues, instructing her that for the next 3 days, she is to walk to streets of her small town, plucking the feathers off a hen and casting them onto the ground. She inquires as to why. But the priest continues. She is to return when she has done this.
“But, Father, they will think me insane!”
Nonetheless, she sees to her penance.
Returning 4 days later, she once again goes into the “penalty box.”
“Father, I have done my penance! Just as you instructed. The whole town thinks I am mad!”
“Dear woman – to complete your penance, one step remains.”
The woman is silent.
“Now, dear woman, go retrieve all of the feathers you have plucked and bring them back to me. All of them, mind you.”
“But, Father, that is impossible! It is windy! And I cannot possibly find and collect all of those feathers…”
Jesus said, “Are you still lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.†– Matthew 15:16-20
“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.†-Matthew 12:33-37
All I am asking is be careful with this shit.
well-said. Tell me, though, are authors responsible for what they write?
For God’s sake, these aren’t rumors, enoch. When I mention what he wrote, I don’t include the hearsay testimony of a co-worker who apparently reviled RSM. I link to his words, which he admitted writing.
of course they are.
And yet you do it disingenuously, since you do not attempt to discern his intent. As well, you continue the “well, I’m not saying he’s a racist but he said this racist thing” which is the cowards way of calling someone a racist.
No, Jimmie, I’m not Patterico. I’ll say he’s a racist. He is. Thanks for playing
The right wing is soon going to be as pure as the driven snow, thanks to Timmah! He’s gonna wash that man right out of our hair!
timb – I tracked down thelink you posted. read it. what in particular has people’s hackles up? That is to say, in my review of it (not thorough mind you) I didnt see anything that jumped out at me.
A case in point.
They’re just asking.
And so it is that a new avenue of attack is opened on Ms. Bachmann for use by her opponents, courtesy of imputed motives based on interpretations of things she said which completely ignore her intent…
It’s all part of the politics of personal destruction; just another way of “Borking” her…
But not about this.
Probably has quite a bit to do with that Pablo.
It’s the counter-attack.
Enoch,
That was the best placed volley I have seen on this issue.
Well played sir,
Well played!
I heard that feather story as a sermon given by Phillip Semour Hoffman’s character in the film Doubt.
I also said that Patterico reminded me of Sister Aloysius (played by Meryl Streep). Except there appears to be no reflecting of any doubts on Patterico’s part. He is justified in his examination of R.S. McCain as a racist. Oh it might be painful and tough on McCain, but in the end McCain will be better for it.
Stacy should send him a thank you note.
Dafydd says: “Sorry, my friends; but the Beldar/Patterico thesis that one can utter unconscious racism without having any racist thought is a risible humbug.”
I couldn’t care less if two rats were fuckin’ inside RSM’s heart.
The words that come out of his mouth are/were racist. It’s hardly the crime of the century but pointing out the man’s racist blabbering isn’t a crime either.
The man wants to toss pies at people yet duck those flying at him and cry foul. Easy as that.
So says the self-proclaimed White God.
Deal, bitches.
Are you sure you’re objective enough to get all “judgey” on him like that..?
What’s you’re cred in Spanish Harlem like these days..?
If I had to bet, I suppose I’d do significantly better than our boi.
I directed that last comment at thor Pablo. Forgive me if I didn’t make that more clear.
I wondered who had died and left him in charge of judging others…
Judging RSM and his words is what this thread is about, no? Ya!
No, it’s about slinging the results of the bad judgements you have made of people far and wide; of not only spreading of unproven, or unprovable, gossip but also pointing out that the evil arises out of what is contained in men’s hearts…
Read the boble sometime; you could learn a lot-we all could…
boble = bible
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Dan Collins and Rick Malizski, HSmith. HSmith said: Scandal – Why it is Bad: Here is a story I once heard which speaks nicely to scandal and why it is evil: A woma.. http://bit.ly/6VZUBi [...]