Worse than Swinish

There are a couple of things to make clear at the beginning about David Hogg. First he is not a child. He is seventeen  - old enough to join the armed forces, old as many young men who fought at Normandy or on Guadalcanal.  Also he is not a victim. The victims are the people who were shot.  He is only a vulgar,  dramatizing opportunist seeking to exploit what happened to the actual victims for personal and political gain. As such he is a nearly  perfect manifestation of what has been going on on the left and in the traditional media since the shooting.  

On the one hand we are told he is a serious person whose ideas on politics should be taken seriously and considered thoroughly.  On the other we are told he is a poor, traumatized little kid who can't be expected to behave properly or argue rationally and whose profane and senseless rants, temper  tantrums, and hissy fits must be ignored or excused (and are often praised).  The leftists claim  that while he can call millions of innocent fellow Americans accessories to murder, slander anyone he likes, and display a vicious and almost mindless hatred, he must enjoy immunity from any criticism or ridicule. (This is an old trick of the leftists. It is similar to what some call the Hillary Clinton gambit in which a woman claims full equality of strength and competence with men and demands to be taken completely seriously but falls back on saying she’s just a girl and only meanies pick on girls whenever things get tough.)  All of this should be rejected.  His opinions are wrong. His thinking is nonsensical. His behavior and demeanor are reprehensible.  His ghoulish grandstanding is repulsive. He deserves all the criticism, ridicule, and lampooning he can  get.

Normally there would be no reason to write about such a  character.  However there is a reason in the present  situation.  I often disagree with Laura Ingraham, but  the way she was treated over  a mild jibe at this little jerk is inexcusable. There are people in this country who have no bosses or sponsors and are immune from livelihood-threatening reprisals.  I am one of them. We have a responsibility to speak up in situations where more vulnerable people may think they cannot.  Besides the little twit and those working with him are costing me money. I wasn’t planning to send the NRA’s political fund anything this spring, but now I will have to.