June 28, 2006

View Comments | Post Comment

Don't they have anything better to do than BLANK?!?!

It's been irking me quite a bit lately to see everyone spouting off about the rightsflag-burning amendment and providing no argument but, "Doesn't Congress have anything better to do?" For instance, see the comments on Zhubin's post.

The same argument is used in other contexts. Velvet's commenters ask whether D.C. cops have anything better to do than be assholes and block citizens from going to work. And in blog wars, someone inevitably uses the defense, "Don't you have anything better to do than troll my blog, posting anonymous comments?" or, "Don't you have anything better to do than post this stupid tripe every day on your blog?" It's an easy argument to make, and it's one people make all the time. And it has been coming out in full force with the flag debate.

The trouble is, this argument ignores the very real arguments underlying it. It's a disservice to the issues. In the flag-burning debate, the trouble isn't that there are more pressing problems, the trouble is that banning flag-burning stifles free speech and removes guaranteed civil liberties. Ignoring those arguments in order to point out that we have other problems is downplaying the severity of this possible incursion to our liberties.

<Godwin>It's like saying, "Don't the Nazis have anything better to do than transport those Jews all around Europe?"</Godwin>

Remember that these are very real and scary threats to our freedom. They are not merely Congress playing politics, or Congress ignoring other issues. 66 members of Congress are acting affirmatively to strip our freedoms, and in the process showing that they understand absolutely nothing about America and what it means. Who cares that there are other issues they need to address?

So quit using this tired cliche of an argument against things that really are big problems. Don't they have anything better to do? Maybe so, but even if they didn't, that doesn't make what they're doing right. Trolling anonymously and posting rude comments is wrong by itself, whether or not the trolls' time could be better spent. Power-mad cops acting above the law and being assholes to perfectly reasonable and innocent civilians is wrong, whether or not there are other things the cop should be doing. And stripping us of our rights is sinister and wrong, whether or not there is ballooning national debt, an unwinnable war being fought on false pretenses, an Executive who completely ignores the Constitution, a major U.S. city still devastated nearly a year after a routine hurricane, and countless other issues.

So argue these things on their merits, rather than on the business of the schedules of those who are in control. Otherwise, you're doing a disservice to the issues and implicitly accepting the merits of the other side's position, while your only argument is that the topic is de minimis. it isn't. It's very real, and very important.

Posted at June 28, 2006 2:26 PM | Comments (3)

Comments

Post a new comment

Post a new comment