A problem I have with my side of the ideological spectrum...

Far too many of my fellow liberals have become way to sensitive about stupid people and the stupid things they say and do.

Case in point:

A moronic owner of a pastry shop in New York City "commemorates" the inauguration of Barack Obama by selling "Drunken Negro Head" cookies.

Obviously, the guy is a racist douche, and his apology probably doesn't carry too much weight, but why give the guy any more attention? Don't shop at his store. Case closed. Right?

What I really don't understand is this:

Last Thursday, the chief of staffs of State Senator Tom Duane and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn phoned Kefalnios in a conference call to tell him that the two local politicians were urging him and his employees to undergo "a training" by the New York State Division of Human Rights.

"I agreed to do it, because I felt maybe it was the right thing to do," Kefalnios said. "Maybe they’re right, I do need a little bit of sensitivity." But he said he’s so busy — working 15 hours a day, seven days a week — he might have to do the training online.

Sensitivity training? Really? Is it really the job of elected officials to police the racism of their consitutents?

The Imus dust-up two years ago made me feel the same way. Everybody knew Imus was a racist douche, but the controversy that was ginned up after his comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team was pointless, especially since he'd said far worse things way before that.

He's a crotchety, unfunny old fart. Why put more weight into his words than he deserves? Don't listen to his show.

I expect right-wing religious wackos like Bill Donohue to get bent out of shape over every comment they don't agree with, but I expect my side to respect the fact that free speech includes speech that you don't like, first and foremost...
- posted by Brian @ 8:35 AM