On Meet the Press this morning, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R., Minn.) was asked about the Penn State horror. Bachmann told David Gregory that while she felt it was a state issue, her response as a parent would be forceful to say the least.
“If that was my child, my automatic reaction would be even though I’m a small woman, I want to find that guy and beat him to a pulp,” Bachmann said.
Actually, I think it's a person of Bachmann's stature who WOULD beat him to a pulp. And I bet if she saw him do it she'd actually stop him and then call the police.
Unlike the cowardly GA Coach mcqueary who, at 6'4" and over 200 lbs obviously was a little too small to stop a rape - knife fight among football players yes - a rape of a 10 year old - obviously above his pay grade, courage, and intelligence. He needed his daddy to tell him what to do - and the right thing wasn't it.
Right. The President chooses as his Safe School Czar a man who bragged openly about his participation in the sexual exploitation of a minor and I'm the bad guy for pointing this out.
It's rather remarkable that through almost an entire week of this, not a single on-air commentator (not even a conservative) has mentioned Jennings, particularly considering the press conference that Arne Duncan held.
Aside from the questionable decision here to use child abuse as a political dig, the fact is Jennings did not "fail to report child-rape". It's already been well documented, even by FOX, that the student was of legal age at the time and not a "child". In addition, the young man has already stated to the press that, even though he was of legal age, there was no actual contact involved prior to his conversation with Jennings. This is a rather hackneyed meme which has already been debunked.
Remarkable how the particulars of the story ... that Jennings had recounted in his book and bragged about to gay audiences... changed so markedly once public attention was brought to them.
Which begs the question, which story is real, the one he was telling before he began taking heat, or the one he told after?
Gee, there's some breaking news. "If that was my child, and I think my automatic reaction would be, even though I'm a small woman, I'd want to find that guy and beat him to a pulp. I think that's what any parent would want to do when they think about their child."
You can bet McQueary would have reacted slightly differently if that was his child, too. I'm glad to hear that Bachmann wouldn't want to invite someone who is raping her own child over for tea. The problem is a breakdown of moral responsibility when it comes to strangers, the way that institutions cover up crimes, the cults of personality in college sports, etc. Those are difficult issues to confront and fix.
No one is impressed that Bachmann sides with 99.9% of the world in feeling the urge to assault some man raping her own son. So yeah, that's sure to get her in the game. Maybe she'll double her poll numbers! That'd get her from going from 6th place and up to, let's see... 6th place.
Gee, there's some breaking news. "If that was my child, and I think my automatic reaction would be, even though I'm a small woman, I'd want to find that guy and beat him to a pulp. I think that's what any parent would want to do when they think about their child."
You can bet McQueary would have reacted slightly differently if that was his child, too. I'm glad to hear that Bachmann wouldn't want to invite someone who is raping her own child over for tea. The problem is a breakdown of moral responsibility when it comes to strangers, the way that institutions cover up crimes, the cults of personality in college sports, etc. Those are difficult issues to confront and fix.
No one is impressed that Bachmann sides with 99.9% of the world in feeling the urge to assault some man raping her own son. So yeah, that's sure to get her in the game. Maybe she'll double her poll numbers! That'd get her from going from 6th place and up to, let's see... 6th place.
While Mrs. Bachmann is in the mood for beating child molesters to a pulp, perhaps she should take care of Roman Polanski and his supporters in Hollywood and the media. From the moment charges were filed against Polanski, his friends and fans found reasons to defend his exploitation and molestation of a young girl. Morality, ethical obligations and appropriate adult behavior had an almost non-existent role to play in the Polanski case and the media's analysis of it, as his supporters - to this day - rally around him with excuses, praise and awards. And when she's done with Polanski, she can take on the young female school teachers who jurors decided are too pretty to go to prison for having sex with their students.
Indictments against Penn State specifically and college athletics in general were fast and furious, the public was outraged and a legendary coach's career ended in disgrace because it was decided he had a moral obligation to do something the law did not require - or allow - him to do. If the Casey Anthony jury had no moral obligation to provide justice to an innocent little girl because they didn't have the evidence they believed they needed, what moral obligation did Joe Paterno have to reject the findings of the university's investigation and take matters into his own hands when he had no personal knowledge of any wrongdoing?
Americans are very good at selective outrage, which is why we continue to revere and financially support our favorite celebrities, athletes and politicians while ignoring, tolerating and/or forgiving their moral, ethical and legal breaches. Somewhere in the muddled moral code we adhere to it says some folks deserve the benefit of the doubt and second chances, but others do not. After a long and successful career working with young people, we have no reason to believe that Joe Paterno is a bad man who knowingly inflicted pain and suffering on innocent children, but we have determined that he deserves to be punished and the cowardly Board of Trustees at Penn State did just that.
If you ever wondered if you were the type of person who would defend child rape, wonder no longer. You are. What Roman Polanski has to do the Penn State I don't know, but if you think that Paterno had no "moral obligation to do something the law did not require - or allow - him to do" then you and he and the rest of the crew at Penn State are all in shameful agreement. Ten-year old boys just have to take one for the team.
"If the Casey Anthony jury had no moral obligation to provide justice to an innocent little girl because they didn't have the evidence they believed they needed, what moral obligation did Joe Paterno have to reject the findings of the university's investigation and take matters into his own hands when he had no personal knowledge of any wrongdoing?"
You are comparing two entirely unrelated obligations. The jury could not convict Anthony unless they were free of reasonable doubt. Paterno didn't have the legal obligation or opportunity to convict anyone; he merely had the moral obligation to follow up on what his underling reported. And if he didn't know the sordid details, that's because he didn't even bother to ask. How can you possibly defend this guy?
I am further amazed by this: "Americans are very good at selective outrage, which is why we continue to revere and financially support our favorite celebrities, athletes and politicians while ignoring, tolerating and/or forgiving their moral, ethical and legal breaches."
Paterno is one of those revered ones, yet people are outraged at him despite his celebrity. And you are the one forgiving the breach. So I don't get your point.
If nothing else, her answer undoubtedly resonates with the citizenry more than that supplied by Gov Michael Dukakis when presented with a similar question.
Actually, I think it's a person of Bachmann's stature who WOULD beat him to a pulp. And I bet if she saw him do it she'd actually stop him and then call the police.
Unlike the cowardly GA Coach mcqueary who, at 6'4" and over 200 lbs obviously was a little too small to stop a rape - knife fight among football players yes - a rape of a 10 year old - obviously above his pay grade, courage, and intelligence. He needed his daddy to tell him what to do - and the right thing wasn't it.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhereas in the Obama Administration, the punishment for failing to report child-rape is being promoted to Safe Schools Czar.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat a patriotic and American thing to say. It takes a big man or woman to try and score political points over child rape.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRight. The President chooses as his Safe School Czar a man who bragged openly about his participation in the sexual exploitation of a minor and I'm the bad guy for pointing this out.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMaybe Mrs. Bachmann's hubby can provide some counsel to Sandusky.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt's rather remarkable that through almost an entire week of this, not a single on-air commentator (not even a conservative) has mentioned Jennings, particularly considering the press conference that Arne Duncan held.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI also notice Whoopi Goldberg hasn't speculated whether this was "rape rape."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAside from the questionable decision here to use child abuse as a political dig, the fact is Jennings did not "fail to report child-rape". It's already been well documented, even by FOX, that the student was of legal age at the time and not a "child". In addition, the young man has already stated to the press that, even though he was of legal age, there was no actual contact involved prior to his conversation with Jennings. This is a rather hackneyed meme which has already been debunked.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRemarkable how the particulars of the story ... that Jennings had recounted in his book and bragged about to gay audiences... changed so markedly once public attention was brought to them.
Which begs the question, which story is real, the one he was telling before he began taking heat, or the one he told after?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePlus there's the entire 'law says report anyone under 18' bit...
but hey, why let facts get in the way of hughman's defense?
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"that the >>>>student<<<<"
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGee, there's some breaking news. "If that was my child, and I think my automatic reaction would be, even though I'm a small woman, I'd want to find that guy and beat him to a pulp. I think that's what any parent would want to do when they think about their child."
You can bet McQueary would have reacted slightly differently if that was his child, too. I'm glad to hear that Bachmann wouldn't want to invite someone who is raping her own child over for tea. The problem is a breakdown of moral responsibility when it comes to strangers, the way that institutions cover up crimes, the cults of personality in college sports, etc. Those are difficult issues to confront and fix.
No one is impressed that Bachmann sides with 99.9% of the world in feeling the urge to assault some man raping her own son. So yeah, that's sure to get her in the game. Maybe she'll double her poll numbers! That'd get her from going from 6th place and up to, let's see... 6th place.
What a waste of time.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNot a fraction of the waste of time it was to read your meaningless snark.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGee, there's some breaking news. "If that was my child, and I think my automatic reaction would be, even though I'm a small woman, I'd want to find that guy and beat him to a pulp. I think that's what any parent would want to do when they think about their child."
You can bet McQueary would have reacted slightly differently if that was his child, too. I'm glad to hear that Bachmann wouldn't want to invite someone who is raping her own child over for tea. The problem is a breakdown of moral responsibility when it comes to strangers, the way that institutions cover up crimes, the cults of personality in college sports, etc. Those are difficult issues to confront and fix.
No one is impressed that Bachmann sides with 99.9% of the world in feeling the urge to assault some man raping her own son. So yeah, that's sure to get her in the game. Maybe she'll double her poll numbers! That'd get her from going from 6th place and up to, let's see... 6th place.
What a waste of time.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhile Mrs. Bachmann is in the mood for beating child molesters to a pulp, perhaps she should take care of Roman Polanski and his supporters in Hollywood and the media. From the moment charges were filed against Polanski, his friends and fans found reasons to defend his exploitation and molestation of a young girl. Morality, ethical obligations and appropriate adult behavior had an almost non-existent role to play in the Polanski case and the media's analysis of it, as his supporters - to this day - rally around him with excuses, praise and awards. And when she's done with Polanski, she can take on the young female school teachers who jurors decided are too pretty to go to prison for having sex with their students.
Indictments against Penn State specifically and college athletics in general were fast and furious, the public was outraged and a legendary coach's career ended in disgrace because it was decided he had a moral obligation to do something the law did not require - or allow - him to do. If the Casey Anthony jury had no moral obligation to provide justice to an innocent little girl because they didn't have the evidence they believed they needed, what moral obligation did Joe Paterno have to reject the findings of the university's investigation and take matters into his own hands when he had no personal knowledge of any wrongdoing?
Americans are very good at selective outrage, which is why we continue to revere and financially support our favorite celebrities, athletes and politicians while ignoring, tolerating and/or forgiving their moral, ethical and legal breaches. Somewhere in the muddled moral code we adhere to it says some folks deserve the benefit of the doubt and second chances, but others do not. After a long and successful career working with young people, we have no reason to believe that Joe Paterno is a bad man who knowingly inflicted pain and suffering on innocent children, but we have determined that he deserves to be punished and the cowardly Board of Trustees at Penn State did just that.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf you ever wondered if you were the type of person who would defend child rape, wonder no longer. You are. What Roman Polanski has to do the Penn State I don't know, but if you think that Paterno had no "moral obligation to do something the law did not require - or allow - him to do" then you and he and the rest of the crew at Penn State are all in shameful agreement. Ten-year old boys just have to take one for the team.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"If the Casey Anthony jury had no moral obligation to provide justice to an innocent little girl because they didn't have the evidence they believed they needed, what moral obligation did Joe Paterno have to reject the findings of the university's investigation and take matters into his own hands when he had no personal knowledge of any wrongdoing?"
You are comparing two entirely unrelated obligations. The jury could not convict Anthony unless they were free of reasonable doubt. Paterno didn't have the legal obligation or opportunity to convict anyone; he merely had the moral obligation to follow up on what his underling reported. And if he didn't know the sordid details, that's because he didn't even bother to ask. How can you possibly defend this guy?
I am further amazed by this: "Americans are very good at selective outrage, which is why we continue to revere and financially support our favorite celebrities, athletes and politicians while ignoring, tolerating and/or forgiving their moral, ethical and legal breaches."
Paterno is one of those revered ones, yet people are outraged at him despite his celebrity. And you are the one forgiving the breach. So I don't get your point.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseConservatives go on and on about moral relativism, but that's exactly what Jenna is doing here.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf nothing else, her answer undoubtedly resonates with the citizenry more than that supplied by Gov Michael Dukakis when presented with a similar question.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseLiberal Radio Host Bill Press says that there's no difference between Jerry Sandusky and Herman Cain:
External Link
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse