Virginia House of Delegates Member Chris Hurst (D) Hits The Ethics Alarms Trifecta!

/ Jack Marshall / 18 Comments

Chris Durst

That would be “Ethics Dunce,” “Incompetent Elected Official of the Week” and “Unethical Quote of the Month.” If I had an official “Asshole of the Month” designation, he’d have that wrapped up too.

The day before the Virginia elections, Democratic Virginia House of Delegates Member Chris Hurst and his girlfriend, Emily Frentress, were pulled over by a deputy who spotted them tampering with campaign signs at a polling location. (The 12th District incumbent was also cited for or driving with a suspended license and given a “driving while suspended notification.”) Here is his exchange with the officer as recorded by the officer’s bodycam:

Officer: “I think what you need to do after I deal with you here is go back and fix those signs. What do you think? You try to resort to doing this? Instead of doing a fair election? Chris, quit playing. Quit playing. Y’all are up there turning over signs at the polling area and you’re sitting here acting like you don’t know what’s going on?”

Hurst: “…Here’s what I would say. I would think that something that was a little hijinks and steam blowing off is exactly what everybody over on the other side of the mountain does and people all over this district do.”

Officer: “So you’re going to resort to that and represent us?”

Hurst: “I need you to just do your job here tonight and I’ll do mine. I have nothing more to say to you, officer. I’m sorry for actions that I may have done or my partner may have done, but I think you’re getting a little emotional here.”

Officer: “I’m not getting emotional at all, you’re supposed to be representing us. You’re supposed to be out here representing us and not out here acting like a school kid. How am I supposed to vote for you if you’re out here doing this?”

Hurst: “Were you planning on voting for me?”

Officer: “Well, that’s all up in the air now.”

Hurst: “I’m sorry if I lost your support, sir.”

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No, Parental And Conservative Complaints About Teaching Critical Race Theory In The Schools Are Not “Dog Whistles”And Based In Racism [Corrected]

/ Jack Marshall / 28 Comments

Here is a supercut of the spin the left-biased media and its commentators were putting on the Republican victory in Virginia, where Loudoun County was Graund Zero for parent-school board battles over the teaching of “critical race theory, or CRT:

CRT is a generalization, allowing progressives who desperately want to have our rising generations indoctrinated into the useful (well, to them) construct that the United States was founded on racism, that its institutions and laws are poisoned by racist beliefs and intentions, that whites are all complicit in a perpetual effort to obstruct the progress and rights of black citizens, and that blacks have been and are perpetual victims requiring permanent and ongoing remedial benefits, standards and advantages. This is being dishonestly called ‘teaching history,” when it is not. It is, instead, teaching a narrow, activist-centered interpretation of history that is no more “factual” than Marxist theory, libertarianism, or Islam. It is also, by its very nature, not anti-racism, but anti-white and anti-American.

Like so many other public debates over culture and policy, the progressive trick that worked so well during the Obama administration has been re-loaded, aimed and fired at criticism of the CRT push. All criticism of black politicians and leaders was (and still is) declared “racist.” It worked, too. Criticism of Barack Obama and others was muted, as potential critics shrank from being stigmatized. Opposing policies that were proposed by black activists or existing policies, like affirmative action, on rational and legitimate grounds also risked being called racist. Oppose the removal of a Thomas Jefferson statue? That’s racist. Point out that Black Lives Matter is an anti-white, anti-police, Marxist con? You believe black lives don’t matter! Racist!

This has been so effective that it was only natural that the same strategy would be employed to make parents wary of opposing public school lessons that were designed to make all children detest their own nation, while encouraging black children to abandon the concept of personal accountability for the acceptance of group grievance and permanent government stewardship. Whites are expected to regard themselves as unjust beneficiaries of a racist society, requiring them to be permanently penitent and submissive. Teaching “white privilege” is based in critical race theory, though it is not technically part of the theory. So is arguing for the elimination of certain laws, like shoplifting, refusing to incarcerate “non-violent” criminals, “defunding the police,” “reparations,” airbrushing away the nation’s honors to its Founders, and so much more.

On his excelled newsletter on substack, Ethics Alarms commenter Humble Talent does a superb job explaining the rhetorical and conceptual slight of hand underway, as he writes in part,

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I’d Put This In The “Res Ipsa Loquitur” Files, Except I’m Not Sure What’s Going On Here. Trust? Competence? Honesty? Communication?

/ Jack Marshall / 15 Comments

As reported a few days ago here, Item#6, the Biden Administration is reportedly considering compensating illegal immigrant families separated at the southern U.S. border by the Trump Administration as a result of the  latter’s “zero-tolerance” policy. The program could theoretically pay out more than $1 billion, with payouts of around $450,000 per person or $1 million per family. The American Civil Liberties Union has been championing this crazy idea, though how paying taxpayer funds to illegal aliens lines up with the organization;s mission is a mystery.

Apparently nobody told Joe Biden about this compassionate plan. When Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy asked Biden if the payments, which were first reported last week could incentivize even more illegal immigration—gee, ya think?—the POTUS replied, “If you guys keep sending that garbage out? Yeah. But it’s not true…$450,000 per person — is that what you’re saying? That’s not gonna happen.”

This came as a surprise to the ACLU. “President Biden may not have been fully briefed about the actions of his very own Justice Department,” the ACLU responded.

There are all manner of ethics violations at work here: pick one:

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Comment Of The Day: “KABOOM! Rachel Maddow’s ‘Bias Makes You Stupid’ Classic”

/ Jack Marshall / 3 Comments

jounberger2013 filed a Comment of the Day that helpfully dissects the thinking of journalists who have convinced themselves that what Ethics Alarms properly (constantly, perhaps repetitively) classifies as unprofessional bias is merely rational, compassionate thinking.

Here it is, in response to the post, “KABOOM! Rachel Maddow’s ‘Bias Makes You Stupid’ Classic.”

***

Our Esteemed Ethicist asked, “Is it possible, as I mused in the last post, that these people don’t know they are biased, dishonest, partisan blights on the culture and enemies of a functioning democracy?”

No, they don’t think they are biased. They think they are reasonable, well-informed, and mainstream. That is the scary part, as their mindset is “you’re either with us or you’re against us”. For example, most Ethics Alarmists here know of my incontrovertible and immutable deep love for Rush, the Canadian Triumvirate. There is a certain media person who worked at WMMS in Cleveland, in the 1970s who had the good fortune of receiving their debut album and playing “Working Man” which exploded in Northeast Ohio, setting Rush on the path toward their inevitable and rightful dominion over modern music. In that one instant, she recognized raw talent and what the known universe would (finally) come to realize as their future influence. Prescient she was. Yet, she considers herself a liberal, as evidenced by her blog posts. She is a wonderful person, having met her and spent time with her – she is really bright, highly educated, engaging, and quick-witted.

I have followed her on social media since the early 2000s, and I think I have posted links to her blog on here before, mostly because her posts drive me nuts in that her reasoning and argument are superficial and sophomoric. Yet, I understand where she comes from, and it is this: She thinks that her positions are middle of the road, based in/on compassion and goodwill. How could you argue with that? She doesn’t want anyone to suffer injustice or inequity. She is not evil and does not intend ill will on those who disagree with her. She thinks she is a centrist or moderate because she has redefined her concepts of what “progressive”, leftist, centrist, right-wing, or fascist mean.

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Ethics Hero: Defeated Virginia Gubernatorial Candidate Terry McAuliffe (D)

/ Jack Marshall / 7 Comments

Terry M

Well, that was unexpected!

After McAuliffe made an appearance before the already deflating crowd of supporters and staffers on Election Night, only acknowledging the ominous news of a persistent Youngkin advantage by saying that “every vote” should be counted, the news media assumed that the close Hillary Clinton ally was planning a long battle over a close result if he lost the election. “His speech was notable for what he didn’t say,” one commentator said at about 10 pm. But by the early hours of the morning all outlets had declared Glenn Youngkin, the Republican who McAuliffe’s campaign had tried to brand as a racist and a Donald Trump clone, was the upset winner of the governor’s race, with not enough uncounted votes available to give McAuliffe the win he once assumed was “in the bag.”

McAuliffe defied expectations by conceding, quickly and graciously, the old fashioned way. His statement, issued early on in the morning after what must have been a crushing defeat, read,

“While last night we came up short, I am proud that we spent this campaign fighting for the values we so deeply believe in. We must protect Virginia’s great public schools and invest in our students. We must protect affordable health care coverage, raise the minimum wage faster, and expand paid leave so working families have a fighting shot. We must protect voting rights, protect a woman’s right to choose, and, above all else, we must protect our democracy. While there will be setbacks along the way, I am confident that the long term path of Virginia is toward inclusion, openness and tolerance for all.

“Congratulations to Governor-Elect Glenn Youngkin on his victory. I hope Virginians will join me in wishing the best to him and his family.“I would like to thank my wife Dorothy, my family, and my incredible campaign team for their tireless efforts and dedication over these past eleven months. And to all of my supporters across Virginia who knocked on millions of doors, made countless phone calls, and talked to their family, friends and neighbors: I am eternally grateful that you joined me on this journey to move Virginia forward.

“Serving as Virginia’s 72nd governor was the highest honor of my life, and I will never stop fighting to make our Commonwealth stronger and brighter for all.”

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Evening Ethics Nightcap, 11/3/2021: Estoppel, Civility, Censure, Life Imitates Liam Neeson, And Another Daddy Disappears

/ Jack Marshall / 22 Comments

nightcap2

1. Ethics Alarms gets to criticize “Let’s go, Brandon” as an uncivil, gutter taunt that should not be wielded against the President of the United States. CNN doesn’t. This appears to have become ethics estoppel day, with EA noting the absurdity of mainstream media journalists like Greg Sargent and and Rachel Maddow whining about Fox News providing aid to Republican candidates. The same principle should mute CNN hypocrites like John Berman and Briana Keilar tut-tutting over the coded “Fuck Joe Biden” chant. CNN was silent when Congresswoman and “Squad” member Rashida Tlaib called President Trump a “motherfucker,” didn’t find it newsworthy when Robert de Niro used similar language before celebrity audiences in multiple venues, and didn’t express worries about the state of political discourse when Kathy Griffin posed with a model of Trump’s severed head. Now, however, they are offended because”their” President is the target. Journalists aren’t supposed to consider one President as more “theirs” than another, and the same principles of respect and civility should apply to each POTUS equally.

2. Speaking of civility, during a Supreme Court argument yesterday, the issue was whether elected bodies can censure their members for incivility or other inappropriate rhetoric or expressive speech without violating the First Amendment.Are censures, which are formal reprimands and a kind of punishment, a form of free speech or a threat to it? The case was brought by David Wilson, a former elected trustee of the Houston Community College System. Wilson sued the system’s board, orchestrated robocalls and hired private investigators to look into whether another trustee had lied about where she lived. In 2018, Wilson’s fellow board members had enough of his criticism and censured him. “The board finds that Mr. Wilson’s conduct was not only inappropriate, but reprehensible, and such conduct warrants disciplinary action,” the resolution said. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit allowed the case to proceed, ruling last year that punishing an elected official for his speech might breach the Constitution.

Stay tuned.

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KABOOM! Rachel Maddow’s “Bias Makes You Stupid” Classic

/ Jack Marshall / 18 Comments

jackheadexplosion

I don’t know why this kind of thing surprises me anymore, but it does. I cannot conceive of anyone with Rachel Maddow’s history and habits being so self-deluded and divorced from reality as to say something like this out loud, much less on national television.

And yet in the midst of the gnashing and wailing last night on MSNBC over Terry McAuliffe’s SO richly deserved defeat in Virginia, Maddow actually said, “To have the Fox News channel, our friends at the Fox News channel, building their programming, particularly the prime time programming, around this for months. They’re building a campaign platform for conservative candidates to run on it everywhere.”

“Even though it’s not actually taught anywhere. Even though it’s not a real thing,” Maddow continued, referring to critical race theory—-which is a real thing and is taught and evoked in various forms all over the country. “There’s nothing you could pay for in any campaign that would equal the kind of free help you’d get from that kind of conservative media, just fire hose on the issue.”

Isn’t Maddow, of all people, making that statement amazing?

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Ethics Observations On The Democratic Reckoning: Part II

/ Jack Marshall / 29 Comments

Youngkin-Wins

Additional Observations (Part I is here):

1. Is there any more useless and dishonest profession than professional political polling? 538 came closest to predicting the actual margin between Youngkin and McAuliffe going into yesterday, but only because it included Fox News’ outlier poll showing Youngkin 8 points ahead. Even then, the margin was 100% larger than 538’s average, 2% over .9%. Fox’s shocking call emerged after several conservative pundits complained that the network’s past polling always over-counted progressives….a coincience, I’m sure. I knew that Youngkin was going to win by the desperate way McAuliffe was campaigning in the last two weeks, with flagrant lies, shrill ads and an absurd obsession with Trump. Youngkin, meanwhile, looked and sounded like a candidate who was getting good news from the field. Internal polling is intelligence and tends to be more accurate, but the stuff the newspapers and TV shows publicize are shot through with bias and hidden agendas–Will this get more of “our” voters to the polls? Will this discourage the deplorables?

2. Hanlon’s Razor alert. Answering questions from reporters at the climate change summit, President Biden actually said that he saw nothing suggesting that “how I’m doing” would have any effect on how his party’s candidates fared at the polls. Was he lying, or have his IQ points dropped into single digits? Nah, those soaring gas prices, inflation, mask mandates, and supply chain interruptions overseen by a proud daddy who left his post, and all the Americans left to fend for themselves against the Taliban didn’t influence voters! Why wouldn’t they vote in more members of the same party responsible for it all?

3. The talking point that Critical Race Theory is a myth and isn’t taught in the public schools is such an audacious and insulting lie when the evidence to the contrary is everywhere. The “1619 Project” is taught in schools all over the country, and is rooted in critical race theory ideology. On the Virginia Department of Education website, “Critical Race Theory in Education” is highlighted as a “best practice” and the site’s definitions of “racism,” “white supremacy,” and “education equity” are derived from CRT. Outgoing Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s public education officials openly endorsed the anti-white, “Racist America” theory as an “important analytic tool” to “further spur developments in education.” Yet McAuliffe claimed in the last days of the campaign that CRT was just a “racist dog whistle” used to panic those bigoted Republican voters.

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Ethics Observations On The Democratic Reckoning: Part I

/ Jack Marshall / 41 Comments

Youngkin wns

Last night, a Republican no one ever heard of a year ago won the right to occupy the Governor’s Mansion in Virginia, which Joe Biden had won by 10 percentage points less than a year ago. A Democratic incumbent governor generally assumed to be a shoo-in for re-election in New Jersey until recently was trailing his Republican challenger in a race too close to call. Back to “Ol’ Virginy,” Republicans also took the Lt. Governor and Attorney General slots. Minneapolis’s referendum seeking to replace the police department with an Orwellian “Department of Public Safety” was soundly defeated.

Good. The Democrats were begging for a rebuke like this, and they got it. A better example of what George Will, back when I respected him, called “condign justice” could hardly be imagined. More ominous still for Joe Biden’s party, it is difficult to see how the carnage of last night doesn’t make an epic wipe-out in the 2022 mid-terms in 2022 a near certainty, except that Republicans are fully capable of lousing up a sure thing.

While all this was going on, those objective, professional, unbiased analysts on MSNBC, CNN and just about everywhere else but the jubilant Fox News were freaking out; presumably the pundits and reporters in the Post and the Times will be emulating them. They were all complicit in the Democratic wipe-out, refusing to report just how bad the Biden Presidency has been for the first ten months (with the occasional exception, like the Afghanistan debacle), continuing to bash Donald Trump as if he was still tweeting, and generally insulting any American who wasn’t ready to do their his or her impression of Winston Smith.

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Comment Of The Day: “More On The Obama-Springsteen Exchange, Since Apparently Its Significance Isn’t Sinking In…”

/ Jack Marshall / 3 Comments

Since the mainstream media and the blogosphere seems to be paying little attention, I think Ethics Alarms can be forgiven for doing its best to try to keep what is being buried by apathy above ground a little longer…

Here is Curmie’s Comment of the Day on the post, “More On The Obama-Springsteen Exchange, Since Apparently Its Significance Isn’t Sinking In…”:

***

I suspect there aren’t too many regular readers of this blog who actually lowered their opinion (as opposed to having it confirmed) of Obama and Springsteen as a result of this exchange, but I’m one.

I actually see this as the flip side of some of the antics of James O’Keefe and his lot: that by exaggerating a real problem beyond recognition, he loses the opportunity to actually make an important point. Imagine if instead of the quotation you cite, he’d said “But most of your audiences were primarily white. And they loved Clarence when he was onstage, but if some of them had run into him in a bar [note past tense!], things might have been very different.”

That would be a true statement, worthy of consideration by all of us. No, not all white Springsteen fans, but some; not certainty of the response, but plausibility; and not the n-word, at least spoken aloud–but perhaps a tension, a distancing that ought not to be there and is worthy of addressing.

That Obama, with something of a reputation as a wordsmith, would say something so profoundly stupid and insulting is indeed deeply problematic. Does this one incident legitimately characterize him as an anti-white racist? Perhaps not… but perhaps so.

As for Springsteen–certainly the working class persona he tries to exude felt a lot more authentic back in ’70s, when it was authentic. I haven’t paid a lot of attention to his more recent stuff, but I still consider myself a fan of the music he wrote and performed a generation or so ago. I’m a bigger fan, though, of the late Warren Zevon. In one of my favorite songs of his, we get this:

“They say, ‘Everything’s alright.’
They say, ‘Better days are near.’
They tell us, ‘These are the good times.’
But they don’t live around here.
Billy and Christie don’t,
And Bruce and Patti don’t.
They don’t live around here.”

What Warren said.