This is the part of the internet experience that I really hate.

[avevale_intelligencer]

Ann Coulter, a conservative journalist in America, has apparently broken her jaw and had to have it wired shut. (This is the most impartial report I could find on the incident.)

I am absolutely appalled at the crowing I have seen on the Net about this. So far only one person on my flist has, shall we say, indulged, but one is more than enough. (And no, I am not linking to any of it. It's easy enough to find, gods know.)

I pride myself on being a liberal, because I believe that liberalism embodies, among other things, the values of compassion and empathy towards people who are suffering, and I believe those values transcend political divisions.

IF SOMEONE IS IN PAIN YOU DO NOT FUCKING WELL GIVE THANKS. You do not express the hope that her pain will continue. You do not liken it to divine justice, for God's sake. That's THEIR line.

At times like this, I see what conservatives mean about liberals. We are hypocrites. We are stinking hypocrites if we allow ourselves to rejoice in the suffering of a single human being, and if we do then we deserve to be exposed in the fullness of our hypocrisy and take the full force of all the ammunition we have thus freely given to our opponents.

If anyone who reads this has, even for a moment, reacted to the news about Ms Coulter in the ways indicated above, I beseech you in the bowels of Christ to think again and be better than that. She is mistaken in many of her beliefs. As are we all. That does not in any way make it good that she should suffer.

I wish Ms Coulter a speedy recovery from her injury, and the rest of us the strength to resist temptation.

EDIT: apparently the latter wish is not required. Oh well, that puts an end to all the "from 52 to 48 with love" crap, I suppose. Back to business as usual, and when they're down, kick 'em hard. I should have known better.

Comments

[hurdle1gal.livejournal.com]

I know of Ann Coulter's reputation and can understand why there is all the crowing. But this is the first I've heard about the accident so I don't know all the details.

However, if I can deduce this all correctly, it's liberals and anti-conversatives who are doing all of the crowing at Coulter? Aren't these the same people who Coulter talks about? And therefore, doesn't this just add more "fuel to her fire" AGAINST these types of people, so she'll continue her commentary when she gets well and people will continue to hate her for anything she says? If anything, the crowers are bringing it about to themselves by keeping the mutual hatred alive between these parties... and it won't stop until a) they get along or b) they ignore each other.

Just my train of thought... (shrug)

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

And mine. I can't even believe that people are arguing this. And I'm a little narked at the "if you don't live here you'll never understand" as if I were some unlettered savage who'd never heard of fascism and couldn't conceive how irritating it can be to be harangued by an idiot who's got hold of a microphone.

I don't believe I'm exceptionally big or clever or morally upright. At least...I didn't...

No, that can't be right. It must be me that's wrong. It always is, with things like this.

[hurdle1gal.livejournal.com]

It ain't about being clever or big or morally upright. It's more about understanding cause and effect, a simple sense of observation with trying to understand it with a bit of logic. If you can break it down in this sort of way, then you can look back with your eyes rolled back and wonder why human society has resorted to this result.
Kinda like the Nyrond way, no? ;-)

[teddywolf.livejournal.com]

You are not always wrong with things like this. You are not always right either. You are, from what I can see, quite thoughtful in this arena. That mindfulness is important.