By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-19-87.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.19.87) on Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 10:26 am: Edit Post |
National Review says that Mike Bloomberg's attack on Chris Shays has to be the slimiest thing he has ever said
National Review says that Mike Bloomberg's attack on Chris Shays has to be the slimiest thing he has ever said
Leveling with the public
You have probably read about the dust-up between Rep. Chris Shays of Connecticut and Mayor Mike Bloomberg of New York. Shays is chairman of a subcommittee dealing with terrorism, and, right before New Year's, he cautioned people about visiting Times Square or taking flights from Europe to the U.S. I believe I can see him wrestling with his conscience: He receives information, he knows things. The government declares an Orange Alert, but says, "Just go about your business." Shays asks, "What kind of help is that?" And, erring on the side of alarm, he speaks out.
The wrath of New York comes down on his head. Bloomberg shows off Shoshana Johnson — an Iraq war heroine — and says, "She was a woman who was fighting to protect the congressman's freedoms. She was captured and wounded in Iraq. Maybe he should call her and learn a little bit about courage." Now, I'm a fan and defender of Mayor Bloomberg, generally, but this has to be the slimiest thing he has ever said. Chris Shays was merely being prudent, and conscientious — not keeping his information to his privileged self and his family and, say, 20 of his closest friends, but sharing it with all Americans. It is not "courageous" for ordinary citizens to place themselves needlessly in danger; normal living is dangerous enough; it is the job of armies, bless them, to bear the brunt of menace.
New York police commissioner Ray Kelly described Shays's warning as "a classic case of letting the terrorists win." That is a classic case of the misapplication of a sometimes-useful cliché. And, given the grounding of European flights to the U.S., wasn't Shays on to something? Were those cancellations a granting of victory to the terrorists? Or were they more on the order of regard for life?
Since September 11, we have struggled with the question of what the government should tell the public. An ongoing debate is necessary. But the pillorying of Chris Shays doesn't contribute to that debate, it just renders it stupid.