This week's Idiot of the Week is Bruce Walker. It will come as no surprise that I found this cretin through a link from the WorldNutDaily. His article, published in the American Daily, is entitled The Case for America Divorcing Its Haters. In it, Mr. Walker tosses out the old "if you don't love this country, why don't you leave it?" line, original thought apparently being beyond his capability (paranthetical aside: funniest answer to that question ever comes from Barry Crimmins - "Because I don't wanna be victimized by its foreign policy."). This thought is no more rational when it's put down in print than when it is uttered by some braindead redneck in a honky tonk bar. He begins:
Why do men like Michael Moore live in America? Why, indeed, do so many people who profess hatred of America live in America?
Bzzzzt. Thank you for playing, but this is a sure sign that you're full of shit. I'm hardly a Michael Moore fan (I find him strident and manipulative), but that doesn't mean that any charge anyone wants to make about him is true. Michael Moore has never professed to hate America. In fact, I consider him a patriot. Whether he is right or wrong on the issues, he is engaged in our political system, working to debate, persuade and change the things he believes are wrong in America. That's not being anti-American, that IS American. Democracy is not about quietly going along with the prevailing orthodoxy. Our government is supposed to be beholden to us, the citizens, and the only way to insure that it remains so is for citizens to stand up and make their voice heard. Even if he is wrong, the fact that he has the nerve to stand up to the government when he believes it is acting against the principles it should stand for means that, contrary to the inane spoutings of uber-patriots like Walker, he cares enough about his country to want to see it do the right thing. Ah, but we have barely begun to plumb the depths of Bruce Walker's stupidity. Look at this stunning statement:
America and its liberty, which is the sole reason for its wealth and tolerance and compassion and safety, have been treated by the Left as another entitlement.
Is there anything funnier than stupid people spouting catchphrases without bothering to even consider whether the statement makes sense? Bruce, I've got news for you. Not only is liberty an "entitlement" - something all citizens are "entitled to" - it is, according to the Declaration of Independence, inalienable. Your idiotic position is that if they disagree with political positions you support, they are no longer entitled to liberty, tolerance or safety. You really should be careful here, Bruce. Saying thigns like that, which entirely contradict the core principle upon which our founding fathers based our political system, looks a lot like being "anti-American". I'm afraid I may have to ask you to leave. Oh, but not before looking at some more of your ravings:
By what right do Leftists like Michael Moore, Ramsey Clark, Jesse Jackson, Barbara Streisand and Alec Baldwin live in America?
By the rights guaranteed in the Constitution, Bruce. The first amendment does not guarantee freedom of speech unless Bruce Walker doesn't like what they say. This is the second time you have displayed gross ignorance of the principles found in our founding documents, Bruce. I'm beginning to suspect that you're anti-American. Someone get Tailgunner Joe on the phone.
The way to sell this politically is to tie immigration to emigration. Have the first requirement for immigrating to America a genuine, demonstrable and clear commitment to America. This could be demonstrated by a period of service in an American Foreign Legion or by a battery of psychological tests or some other method.Proficiency in English, knowledge of American history, and understanding of our political system would all be prerequisites as well. Find out which immigrants are coming to America for freedom and do all that we can to make room for them.
Okay Bruce, but if we're going to determine who gets to stay based on their "understanding of our political system", I'm afraid the statements above mean you're on the first boat out of here. We'll miss you, Bruce.
How? File civil actions against those Americans who patently believe that they live in a totalitarian state that never does anything right, etc. Require that the party sued by the government either agree that living in America is a blessing for which she is very grateful or pay her for her citizenship and send her to another nation, one which by treaty would accept ex-Americans.Each American like Alec Baldwin who hated America should be divorced permanently and some frail lady from China or Peru or Egypt who demonstrates a real understanding and appreciation of America allowed to have Baldwin's citizenship. Let France have Baldwin and let America have poor people who wish simply to be free. The whole world would be better off.
Let me see if I have this right. Your plan is to diminish our freedom by throwing anyone who disagrees with the government out of the country, and then bring in people who "wish to be free", and when they get here they'll be free....until you decide they've said something you don't like? Do you not see the irony here, Bruce? No, I'm sure you don't. And that is why you are the Idiot of the Week. Congratulations! We have some lovely parting gifts for you on your way out of the country.
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BZZT! Thank you for playing, but the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE has no legal standing under US Law. Never did.
Michael Moore has called Americans ignorant and worse. Why he wants to live among such people defies logic.
I say move him to France.
BZZT! Thank you for playing, but the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE has no legal standing under US Law. Never did.
After re-reading the post you are responding to, I have no idea why you're even bothering to tell me this, but I think you overstate the case rather dramatically. Timothy Sandefur has a review of Scott Gerber's new book, To Secure These Rights, which lists over 100 cases in which the Supreme Court has cited the Declaration of Independence as important for purposes of constitutional interpretation. When trying to interpret, for example, the 14th amendment clause which says that states may not violate the "priveleges and immunities" to which citizens of the United States are entitled, one must determine what those priveleges and immunities are. Since the bill of rights itself says that it is not a complete list (hence the 9th amendment), one must have some sort of criteria by which to determine it, and that question is largely answered by reference to the Declaration, which details the principles upon which legitimate governmental authority may or may not be exercised. At the very least, the Declaration acts as background for determining legislative intent in many cases of constitutional interpretation because it establishes the natural rights framework within which the founding generation spoke.
Michael Moore has called Americans ignorant and worse.
So what? He has that right. More importantly, the statement is largely accurate. Most Americans ARE ignorant (as are most of any other nation, of course).
I say move him to France.
*yawn* How original.
I was amused by Walker's comment here:
Each American like Alec Baldwin who hated America should be divorced permanently...
To each his own. I say that hack writers like Bruce Walker should be
ignored permanently. Unlike the tripe Walker advocates, doing so doesn't violate the Constitution.