tfp28

                         VENOM PERVASIVE IN AMERICA
(Written under the psuedonym, "George Steinkrueger", and published 11 September 1996 in the Neighborhood Journal. Posted in toto with Preface and Epilogue 20 September 2001)

PREFACE -- As I mentioned in a previous Preface, there were three primary columnists at the Journal--Johnny Dollar, Joe Starr, and George. I knew Johnny personally, as he was the person who introduced me to the publishers of the Journal. Johnny at that time was the kind of man who would starve to death rather than sacrifice his principles.
     In the four years of the Journal’s existence, I never got to meet Joe Starr, although I was told that he was also a man of unyielding principles. This was one of the few times I engaged him directly.

        "Now, finally, Saddam forced the Clinton administration to take action. I know of no American who does not support that action, belated as it may be, and I hope that Saddam gets the message. I fear the message Saddam chooses to hear will not be the one carried by the long overdue thud of cruise missiles landing in Iraq, but rather the message delivered by the erosion of American credibility abroad over the past three and a half years."---Senator Jesse Helms, R-NC.
       It's a tough time to be a North Carolinian. Your state is pummeled by Hurricane Fran, causing millions of dollars in damage and destruction. Then, after Fran has passed, you wake up only to realize that your views are still being represented by Jesse Helms. While Hurricane Fran was an unavoidable natural disaster, "Hurricane Jesse" was an avoidable man-made one, and potentially just as destructive.
       The above quote from Jesse is the latest example of his mean and nasty attacks on the Clinton administration. After all, it was George Bush, a Republican, who did not permanently remove Saddam from power, who sent our armed forces on a worthless mission to Somalia, and who did not push our allies for the admission of Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic into NATO. Instead, Mr. Bush spoke in platitudes about some "new world order" rather than acting to help create it. Unfortunately, Jesse and his fellow Republican hatemongers refuse to accept the truth and would rather attack Mr. Clinton in the hope of destroying him.
       Why has America become so mean? Much of the blame must be placed on the media personalities who spout off their opinions but disguise it as fact. Most of the practitioners of this "art" are Republicans (although there are also some Democrats, too). At the top of the list? The Great Chipmunk, also known as Rush Limbaugh, the embarrassment of Missouri. Much of what Rush says is not based on fact, but rather untruths, lies, and innuendoes. When Rush doesn't agree with a caller, he either insults them or hangs up. I used to listen to his show until he began his personal attacks on the Clintons. It's one thing to attack a person's political beliefs; it's quite another to attack the person.
       Read the op-ed page of "Arkansas's largest newspaper". Most of the editorials are clearly anti-Clinton. It's not the politics that bothers me; it's the venomous way in which they are written. The letters to the editor are even worse. Most of the anti-Clinton letters are great fiction, but have no basis in fact. Historical "facts" are completely false and contrived to suit the intent of the writer.
       Unfortunately, sadly, the venom has found its way into this fine paper. Specifically, the venom is spewed by Joe Starr, who does not hesitate to use stereotypes, innuendoes, and insults to make his point. Joe, if you are so sure you're right, then why do you need to insult? Is it because you don't have any facts to support your argument? Statements like "godless liberals who expose themselves" are mean and venomous and do absolutely nothing to make your point. In fact, they indicate that you are so filled with hatred and intolerance that you are incapable of rational thought. (I'm sorry, that was venomous, wasn't it?)
       I do not normally criticize other columnists. Live and let live. However, Joe, you've gone too far. It's one thing to attack Johnny Dollar's philosophies. It is quite another to attack him personally. I know Johnny Dollar, and one thing he is not is devious. I have engaged in many debates with Johnny; while he doesn't back away from a fight, he never distorts the facts to prove his point. And he never makes statements that he cannot back up with facts.
       I have had the privilege of reading Johnny's recent response to you "raw" and unedited. Yes Joe, he was offended. Quite offended.
       I apologize for having digressed this week into personal issues, but frankly, Joe, you hacked me off. I just had to get it off my chest.
       Now, I challenge all my fellow columnists to resist the temptation to insult and be venomous. I don't know about you, but I don't ever want to be compared to snakes like Jesse Helms, Al D'Amato, Rush Limbaugh, ad nauseum. (Snakes, after all, are venomous.) Do you?

EPILOGUE -- Johnny Dollar stopped writing his column shortly after this column was published. It was around this time that my political leanings started their leftward drift, although it would not become obvious until after the Clinton witchhunt. I am still ashamed that Limbaugh is from my home state. However, Missourians could take solace in the fact that one of the Limbaugh right-wing wacko poster children, John Ashcroft, lost re-election to the Senate to the deceased Democratic governor, Mel Carnahan.