WEBCommentary(tm) - Words Have Power? Bennie Thompson’s Epiphany?

Congressman Bennie Thompson is your typical liberal. He believes in Socialized Medicine, redistribution of wealth programs such as Social Security, government interference with banks and other lenders to enable people who can’t afford loans to obtain them so they can live beyond their means and eventually default on their promises, government dictating what wages companies pay, and many other things beyond the power of the general Welfare clause of Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution. But despite his mind being clouded by all sorts of fallacies as to what government should do even though it cannot do them without violating the Supreme Law of the Land, Mr. Thompson has perhaps had an epiphany.

It doesn’t happen often for those that lean leftward, but it does happen. Unfortunately, I have to be skeptical because such realizations only seem to happen when they see that some sort of political advantage is to be gained. This means their "epiphany" often evaporates into thin air at a moments notice when that advantage is gained.

This week when Michael Chertoff verbalized what anyone with a brain knows is the truth, that terrorists are out to get us and will not be easily swayed from that task, Mr. Thompson’s "epiphany" was formed.

Chertoff said that he had a "gut feeling" that "we are entering a period this summer of increased risk. Summertime seems to be appealing to [Al Qaeda & terrorists]. We do worry that they are rebuilding their activities."

To which Mr. Thompson rushed out and issued a letter to Mr. Chertoff demanding that he explain himself! Said Mr. Thompson, "Words have power, Mr. Secretary."

He went on to say, "You must choose them wisely. What color code in the Homeland Security Advisory System is associated with a 'gut feeling'? What sectors should be on alert as a result of your 'gut feeling'?"

I must commend Representative Thompson for his statements about words having power. And I want to welcome him to the party since myself and many others have been saying this for quite some time. I went to Mr. Thompson’s website (http://benniethompson.house.gov) to see if this was a long held position or just some political maneuvering in an attempt to take offense at obvious statements that are not at all kind to the "we cut and run from the war on terror" mentality.

Browsing Mr. Thompson’s website I was unable to find any such terse words written to Senator Edward Kennedy who accused U.S. soldiers of being akin to Saddam Hussein when speaking of Abu Ghraib. Said Senator Kennedy, "we now learn that Saddam's torture chambers reopened under new management: U.S. management." Not a single mention of how "words have power" on that statement.

Then I went searching his site for any comments demanding Senator Dick Durbin explain himself for "words" equating our troops to NAZIs and minions of Pol Pot. Senator Durbin explained how treating detainees badly by turning off the air conditioning, chaining them to the floor, not providing them chairs, and making them listen to loud rap music was similar to actions "done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime–Pol Pot or others–that had no concern for human beings."

Ok, the rap music I can understand as being cruel. But as for everything else I will have to take objection to these being akin to ovens, gas chambers and other such treatments of prisoners by the previously mentioned authoritarian tyrannies. Still I was unable to find Mr. Thompson scolding his fellow traveler "Dick" about how "words have power".

As I continued through the site I was unable to find him saying anything to Mr. John Kerry, who served in Vietnam, about "choosing his words wisely" after insinuating that if you don’t study hard and get good grades you will be "stuck in Iraq".

But I had not given up hope to find that Mr. Thompson’s "epiphany" was nothing more than mere political pandering. I next went hunting for any admonition to Rosie O’Donnell that she should "choose her words wisely" and that "words have power" after she also equated U.S. soldiers fighting side by side with freedom loving Iraqis of being terrorists. However I was disappointed again.

On and on I went. I sought something from Mr. Thompson prior to the obvious assertions by Mr. Chertoff that he really wasn’t doing something other than political pandering. And in the end I was left with the realization that his words were simply not an epiphany but the political pandering that I feared. Let’s not speak the truth that terrorists want to take on the "great Satan" and will continue to do so until they realize that such actions will only result in their own frustration and ultimate death right?

It’s sad that Mr. Thompson apparently has no concern over his fellows and their words that empower the enemies and give them fuel to fire their war machine against western civilization. No, he apparently only has concern for words that remind people of a real threat.

What’s next? Another "investigation" by this subpoena happy, Democrat-controlled Congress to cover up for the fact that they have not been able to accomplish their highly touted promises? Perhaps on that consideration we should be thankful and encourage them to spend their time in such frivolous displays of puffery instead of marching us further towards their envisioned utopia.

J.J. Jackson is a libertarian conservative author from Pittsburgh, PA who has been writing and promoting individual liberty since 1993 and is President of Land of the Free Studios, Inc. He is the Pittsburgh Conservative Examiner for Examiner.com. He is also the owner of The Right Things - Conservative T-shirts & Gifts http://www.cafepress.com/rightthings. His weekly commentary along with exclusives not available anywhere else can be found at http://www.libertyreborn.com