From Humanity to Inanity

Published: February 10, 2023

By Jim Lichtman
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Photo: Ghaith Alsayed/AP

As the death toll rises after a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey and Syria, one dramatic story—a miracle, really—took our collective breaths away.

Amid the rubble and the bodies in the town of Jinderis in northern Syrian, rescue workers recovered a baby which doctors believe was only 3 hours old. With the umbilical cord still attached, the mother had not survived but had shielded her newborn from falling debris. Moved to a hospital, the baby was placed in an incubator and, despite cuts and bruises, she remains in stable condition.

Nearly 7,000 miles away, another drama played out during the State of the Union Address delivered by President Joe Biden.

“Liar,” that’s not true!” “Bullshit!!”

What an awe-inspiring political message for the folks back home. And the republican doyen of much of this bull$%# is Georgia’s “brightest bulb” and leader of the Crazy Caucus, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.

This is Greene fulminating at the mouth:

“If the American people had been on that House floor listening to that speech,” Greene said, “it would have been a lot worse names than I called him,” The New York Times reported.

After a tirade of catcalls, shouts, and “childish games,” The Times declared the people’s House “The New Normal.”

With full support from Greene for House Speaker, McCarthy said, “I will never leave that woman. I will always take care of her.”

Well, Kevin, welcome to your new normal. You have a first class ticket on the SS Crazy, led by the class of 2023’s finest: Taylor Greene, Jim Jordan, Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz and Paul Gosar.

If McCarthy can’t muzzle his own party members at a speech, how are the next 2 years going to play out?

Weeks ago, I was equally appalled by the antisemitic remarks by Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar.

CNN host Jake Tapper asked Omar: “Do you understand why some of your fellow House Democrats, especially Jews, find that language antisemitic?”

“I’ve welcomed, you know, anytime my colleagues have asked to have a conversation, to learn from them, for them to learn from me,” Omar responded. “I think it’s really important for these members to realize that they haven’t been partners in justice. They haven’t been, you know, equally engaging in seeking justice around the world.”

While Omar later apologized, I’m not sure she fully understands how offensive her remarks were.

I guess it’s too much to hope for those who are charged with representing the folks back home to demonstrate a little respect, responsibility, and accountability. Instead of shouting “Liar” at Biden, Greene should have focused her fury at her own colleague, George Santos.

How about giving constituents a demonstration of obligation, and a little moral virtue?

Wouldn’t it be great if that became the new normal?

Sadly, honor has left the building and is not likely to return until Republican and Democratic moderates demonstrate the character and courage to speak out against colleagues that act like sorority house clowns.

It takes humanity and courage for Syrian rescue workers to show us the best we can be, and indecency and stupidity by far-left House Republicans to show us the worst.

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