- Falling off the tightrope on the final step…
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Dear Reader,
Yesterday, in these pages, I tackled Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
This is not a partisan publication. Thus I took up the pen in the spirit of political aloofness.
Yet I am not aloof with respect to murder — I am heart and soul against it — including political murder.
And so I am heart and soul against the political murder of Mr. Kirk… as I am heart and soul against the political murderer who murdered him… whom I will not dignify with a name.
Thus yesterday I attempted the precarious navigation of a tightrope.
Falling off the Tightrope
Reader A.L. believes it was a successful navigation — until the final step.
He writes:
- I really liked your perspective on this. Thank you. I thought it was well written, and you chose careful words to not vilify either “side” until… the last part. You then cannibalized your own idea by vilifying young liberals. I am not young, or liberal. Politics doesn’t rule my life.
In reminder… I cited polling data indicating that the youthful and liberal cohort condones political violence at significantly higher rates than its conservative opposites:
- Liberal Americans are more likely than conservatives to defend feeling joy about the deaths of political opponents. 16% of liberals say this is usually or always acceptable, including 24% of those who say their ideology is very liberal… That compares to 4% of conservatives and 7% of moderates…
You Can’t Trust the Polls
A.L. continues:
- My point is that polls, even from “reputable” polling agencies, can and will be manipulated and can misrepresent or ignore valid facts, demographics, etc…. Polls can help guide decision making, and are useful in many ways, but will never represent the whole picture.
A.L. is of course correct.
Even polling data from “reputable” agencies can and will be manipulated and can misrepresent or ignore valid facts, demographics, etc.
Yet the polling agency in question — YouGov — does not visibly list to starboard or to port.
Many “liberals” believe it lists to starboard… while many “conservatives” believe it lists to port.
Thus I conclude it steams along on an even keel.
What Gives?
A.L., in conclusion:
- I agreed with every word until you started pointing a finger. I would have said the same thing if you pointed the finger at young conservatives instead. It just seems contradictory to the point of the rest of the article.
- Was that your intent with your beautifully written piece? To destroy the integrity of it at the end?
- This is not intended as an emotionally charged rebuttal, hopefully it’s not taken as such.
I accept A.L.’s critique in the benevolent spirit in which I believe it is intended.
I do not consider it emotionally charged — nor would I object if it was.
It Wasn’t Intentional
In simple reality, I hesitated to cite the polling data to which A.L. refers — and for the very reason he lists.
There I was, balancing my way down the tightrope… when at the last moment… I seemingly jumped to one side.
I did not intend to jump to one side — though I was aware of the apparent contradiction.
I merely found the contrast between youthful liberals and youthful conservatives… statistically significant.
It strayed far beyond the margin of error, as the term goes.
Why that is so?
I defer to your judgment. Yet I deemed it worthy of illustration.
And I concluded the article where I did because I wandered into a dead end.
I could not determine where next to proceed.
Thus I threw up the sponge.
The Bright Side
The coin nonetheless features two sides — an obverse side — and a reverse side.
On the obverse side we find that 24% of the “very liberal” youth bless political violence against their foes.
Yet what does the reverse side reveal?
It reveals that 76% of the very liberal youth do not bless political violence against their political foes.
Thus the drinking glass, to alter metaphors, is not 24% empty of water… but 76% full of water.
And so I take solace. The spirit of peace may yet prevail.
Yet as I write these words my inveterate pessimism seizes me by the throat:
What if they double the height of the glass?
Regards,
Brian Maher
for Freedom Financial News
