It was no surprise to see Representative Kagen lined up behind Democratic Party leaders to express disapproval for an incident that has reached mythical status. Joe Wilson’s forthright observance of the truthfulness of his President was a “the emperor has no clothes” moment not appreciated by most of the members of the House. It also set off a firestorm across the Internet that quickly took on a life of its own.
For his part, Mr. Kagen couldn’t, or wouldn’t, articulate why he voted for the resolution. When prodded for his take on the affair, he resorted to his talking points and noted that he was focused on healthcare reform. Are we to believe that this highly educated man cannot hold two points of interest at one time, and that he hasn’t an understanding of why he voted for the resolution? For Mr. Kagen, it was another instance of “I only go where they take me.” Except that here, it is party leaders pulling him by the nose into a vote that seeks only political advantage. Mr. Kagen’s comments plead ignorance and shed any responsibility for giving a forthright answer. It is becoming a noticeable pattern that Mr. Kagen is not privy to the reasons he does things nor even to his own schedule. We, as his constituents, deserve better.
I believe Joe Wilson was right and, further, he was right to challenge the blatant lies of his President. Much of the debate has deflected from whether Joe was right and I haven’t heard much, if any defense against his charge. What I have heard is that the outburst was not in keeping with the decorum of the setting. It’s as if we’ve become the Redcoats, marching in nice neat lines, bright red uniforms, and pounding on our drums. We stop occasionally for our tea and then ask the other side if they are ready for combat! We are now so orderly that the British Parliament is the unruly bunch!
Republicans must take the lesson of history, our very own history at that, and see that the winning strategy is to challenge the wrongs as they occur, rather than hold out hope for a better servitude. The attitude of “waiting to see” must go the way of the pony express. I’ve read nowhere that Benjamin Franklin, or George Washington, or Thomas Jefferson ever apologized to the British Crown for not following the decorum of the day. And they were, by far, much more disruptive than the Congressman from South Carolina.
It is time to speak up, and a little discord is not out of the question. Even Franklin, Washington, and Jefferson were confronted with loyalists in their midst. Men who would resolve to be more civil with King George. Men who would not appreciate an interruption of the King. If Congress cannot hear the rumblings amongst the States, and, if Congress is unwilling to hear the rumblings amongst its members, then we the People must ensure that our voices grow to an audible that can be heard. It is our country, and we are ruled only by our consent. We are reminded that the Declaration of Independence contains an understanding between the people and the government, “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government.”
Joe Wilson is one of us. If we are to be heard, men such as he must speak. His silence will be the end of our cause.
Andy
