The politics of fear
A few weeks ago I was watching a bit of C-Span. Yes, I admit to being a bit of a political geek.
On this day there was a Congressman talking about some well publicized crimes that have occurred where children have been sexually attacked and killed. I share his indignation at these crimes. Who wouldn't be against such terrible evil?
Then I started asking questions about the motives of the Congressman. What real purpose do you have on the floor of Congress droning on about these terrible crimes? Could it be to play on the fears of people so that they might support your policies? Are you trying to make yourself look tough on crime by talking about these terrible cases and stirring up fear?
He was using the term sex offenders to identify the people who had committed these terrible crimes. Yes, they fit the definition of a sex offender. But, sex offender covers a vast array of offenses most of which do not come near the violence of the crimes the Congressman was talking about. Soliticing a prostitute might not be a good thing but it is far different sexual offense than the Congressman's examples.
I get upset when leaders use fear as a political tool to manipulate the sympathies of people. Throwing around terms like sex offender might play well in your home district but as a leader I expect you to more responsible in how you label people.
On this day there was a Congressman talking about some well publicized crimes that have occurred where children have been sexually attacked and killed. I share his indignation at these crimes. Who wouldn't be against such terrible evil?
Then I started asking questions about the motives of the Congressman. What real purpose do you have on the floor of Congress droning on about these terrible crimes? Could it be to play on the fears of people so that they might support your policies? Are you trying to make yourself look tough on crime by talking about these terrible cases and stirring up fear?
He was using the term sex offenders to identify the people who had committed these terrible crimes. Yes, they fit the definition of a sex offender. But, sex offender covers a vast array of offenses most of which do not come near the violence of the crimes the Congressman was talking about. Soliticing a prostitute might not be a good thing but it is far different sexual offense than the Congressman's examples.
I get upset when leaders use fear as a political tool to manipulate the sympathies of people. Throwing around terms like sex offender might play well in your home district but as a leader I expect you to more responsible in how you label people.
posted by Kevmo at 12:56 AM
2 Comments:
Agreed, Kevin. Since felons can't vote, they are easy fodder for political scare tactics.
Unfortunately most comments made by public officials on the floor and in the media are designed for the self promotion of the speaker and to provoke some kind of reaction within voters. Even sporadic viewing of C-span makes this painfully obvious. The use of the most extreme examples to bolster one's case on the current topic are standard to get a point across.
I must confess to not seeing the point of why this particular episode upset you so much. Should the solicitor of prostitution be offended by being lumped into the more severe group? Was that even the intention of the person using the term?
It seems the broad label and its use apply to the people he was discussing as well as to many others. You could call me a fat, aging, not yet balding white male and it would be accurate. I may not be quite as fat or as old as others in the group but I would certainly not dispute the label.
I think it is up to intelligent people to draw the distinctions and decide whether they are important or not in the current discussion.
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