Mr. Maher again!

Mr. Maher again!

Bill Maher wrote an op-ed “Please Stop Apologizing,” which appears in today’s The New York Times, and while the sentiment and concerns he expresses are right on the money, he forgets:

*a slight digression: I do not wish to get into a philosophical debate about the nature of language. B.F. Skinner, Verbal Behavior, argued that language is ‘material’ behavior used to analyze human behavior. It is fair to say that we judge character largely based on behavior; verbal and otherwise. It is argued by some that the ability to use complex language and the infinite ability to derive meaning from words sets humans apart from their non-human counterparts.

Even if this is true, we do not have special access to what is inside someone else’s head; we are psychologically constituted to judge one's intentions and character by one's language and actions.  In other words, we most often make judgments about a person's character by her verbal behavior. Our character is sometimes judged by the people with whom we surround ourselves. One only need to look at the extraordinary attempts opponents have made to try and connect the President with those whom they believe will be regarded as having questionable character, e.g., with whom he prays and with those he hugs.

The point here is not whether we share language skills with non-humans but that humans vote, and so what they ‘say’ especially matters and not what we believe they may or may not think, especially if your motivation is to get someone elected to the most important office in the land.  Those of us who support the President are of the view that the United States and the World is and will continue to be in a better place with President Obama than with any of the potential Republican candidates.

No one truly wants to live in a country where you cannot offend someone.  As Maher says, “ if we sand down our rough edges and drain all the color, emotion and spontaneity out of our discourse, we’ll end up with political candidates who never say anything but the safest, blandest, emptiest, most unctuous focus-grouped platitudes and cant. In other words, we’ll get Mitt Romney.”

But what is at issue is getting people in a very close election to pull the lever for Mr. Obama. At the risk of contradicting what I just said, the intentions of those at an Obama fundraiser are certainly clear, even if their jokes offend some.  But those at insider fundraisers need to juxtapose their inside humor with outsiders ready to pounce, e.g. Newt Gingrich (although Illinois results tell of his influence in the world).  In the end, this is the Progressive way; the pragmatic way that has an effect on some whose vote you need.

We all know that there are only two absolutes, and one of them is not the re-election of the President…I am not advocating giving up one’s right to offend, but I am suggesting what matters, a lot, this season is to get people in November to pull the lever with Barack Obama’s name on it.


Ps: we love Bill Maher and his show is the reason we subscribe to HBO

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