Peter King and Charlie Sheen

King of the cowards

Peter King, New York Representative and Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, started his Muslim witch-hunt on Capitol Hill yesterday, in spite of the emotional statement of Minnesota Democrat Keith Ellison, the only Muslim member of Congress.

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It's hard to attribute Representative King's actions to anything other than naked pandering to ignorant Islamophobes, which, as we have seen, constitute a decent share of the so-called "Tea Party" movement. 

Remember when the Fox News freaks were all aghast about the 2009 report issued by the Department of Homeland Security warning of the dangers of right-wing extremist groups?  Oh, how the conservatives beat their breasts and wailed that they were being wronged!

But these same "freedom-loving patriots" have no problem investigating communities of a particular religious faith, Constitution be damned!  And demagogues like Peter King are happy to accommodate.  Don't look for any congressional investigations into the various right-wing terror incidents that have occurred with increasing frequency since Barack Obama was elected president.  (Just last night, in Spokane, Washington, the FBI arrested Kevin William Harpham, a known associate of the Neo-Nazi group, National Alliance, for attempting to use a "weapon of mass destruction" at a Martin Luther King Day parade in that city.  Read more here.)

Well, we knew that the 112th Congress would be bringing a big load of sh*t in with them.  Neither John Boehner nor Eric Cantor nor any other Republican faker can rein them in.

But, from a very (very) personal standpoint, this pogrom-in-the-birthing is a huge red flag.  People like Peter King are beyond shame.  Worse, they are dangerous.  Extremely dangerous.

A man coming apart

Speaking of shame:  Why are so many people seemingly obsessed with the antics of Charlie Sheen?  The man is obviously suffering.  He's obviously in crisis.

There's nothing to see here, folks.  Why take voyeuristic pleasure in watching him dissolve?  Haven't we all seen this with people in our own lives?  Haven't we all known people who have come apart?  (Indeed, how many of us have done so ourselves?)

It seems cruel and callous.  Let the man and his family find a way through this crisis without all the public jeering and humiliation.