On Monday, Mrs. Brown and I attended an outdoor concert featuring one of our favorite artists as the headliner. We have been fans of this artist for years. In fact, when we were first dating, we had our very first dance as a couple to this artist at a live event in Telluride, Colo.
When we arrived at the venue, the line for general admission stretched for two blocks, which was fine with me. Our fellow queue-mates were all older than either of us, and they were all decidedly left-wing, judging by the t-shirts and other clothing choices, as well as the overwhelming scent of patchouli oil. Seriously, who is wearing patchouli oil in 2025? I whispered into Mrs. Brown’s ear, “How long do you think someone with a MAGA hat would last in this line?” She told me to belt up so I didn’t blow our cover. I asked her how long I would last with my PJ Media hat. Again, I was told to behave myself. Being the dutiful husband that I am, I complied. Be that as it may, everyone was relaxing in their camp chairs, hoisting the alcoholic beverage of their choice. All things considered, the atmosphere was very relaxed and informal, and I bantered with the folks nearby.
At this venue, you can bring in pretty much whatever you want, provided it is not illegal. After we realized that we could have packed our own provisions but did not, a very nice man and his wife gave us a few sips from their bottle of Chardonnay. A convivial time was being had by all.
There was a gentleman in line in front of us. His wife breezed in out of nowhere and joined him, which was fine with me. I was there to listen to a favorite blues artist, and was not going to allow my vibe to be harshed. She had the classic “Karen” haircut and the permanent underbite that is characteristic of people who have their jaws perennially clenched with outrage. She apologized for being late, but her African dance class had run over time. What happened to cultural appropriation? Better not to ask. She turned to her husband and I said, “I brought the ice, do you have the scotch?” Aha! I thought, fellow travelers! Someone had the foresight to bring single malt!
It was close quarters, so it was hard not to hear other conversations. As the line started moving, the husband turned to the wife and out of nowhere snarled, “Trump is going to try to use the National Guard to remove migrants.” This prompted the wife to begin a diatribe that lasted for several minutes about Trump, Republicans, ICE — you know, all the usual suspects. Why? Why go there? It was a nice evening, everyone was getting a little tiddly and having a fun time, no need to ratchet up the rhetoric.
The reason, of course, is that some people cannot eat a meal, enjoy a Scotch, stand in a line, or draw a breath without launching into a tirade. “I know we’re all here to have fun and listen to some music, but don’t forget, we all hate conservatives! Mmmkay? Nothing quite like a little outrage to fill a lull in a conversation, and give yourself a little boost to the ego.
Some people are not happy unless they are outraged, particularly when they can bring up their enemies who happen to be conservatives (also known as fascists, Nazis, dictators, etc.), even if they have to look for a reason to be affronted.
Exclusively for our VIPs: Lord of the Flies, American Style
In the wake of today’s atrocity, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey took time out to express a few thoughts:
Not quite the venue to grouse about “thoughts and prayers,” mayor. Too bad; much of your speech was admirable. You should have quit while you were ahead. Incidentally, The Daily Caller notes that in 2023, Frey signed an ordinance permitting the Muslim call to prayer to be broadcast from the city’s mosques five times each day, so there’s that.
Mr. Frey, you may be angry, and again, you made some good points during your presser. But what did you expect? I would hope that at least some of your comments were the result of self-reflection, but I fear that is not the case.
Your faction:
- Featured an FBI that targeted traditional Catholics and school board parents;
- Promoted and lionized media outlets and politicians who looked the other way during riots. That is, if they were not calling those riots "protests" and giving the agents of chaos a wink and a nod;
- Fanned the flames of racial division at every opportunity;
- Gave us politicians within and without the beltway (including your governor) who use incendiary and violent rhetoric whenever possible. We had a president who kept decrying ultra-MAGA and white supremacy;
- Made colleges, universities, and even high schools not just uncomfortable but unsafe for anyone who may have been conservative, straight, white, or even Jewish;
- Could not even concede that we had enough homegrown gangbangers, drug dealers, and human traffickers, and that such offenders from other countries could not be deported. You couldn’t even meet us halfway on that;
- Calls everyone with a different point of view a fascist or Nazi (See #3 and #4), thereby tacitly encouraging violent behavior;
- Championed taking people who may have been struggling mentally and emotionally or just coping with the onset of puberty, and talking them into irreversible surgeries and testosterone treatments or blockers, or estrogen treatments, which, when administered irresponsibly without the proper supervision, can result in wild and severe mood swings and impaired reasoning; and
- Threw John Fetterman under the bus when he failed to tout the party line and had the audacity to suggest a return to the center.
And that is just a sample of your side’s handiwork.
As video and information about the shooter continue to surface, we learn more about his deranged state of mind and the depths to which his evil ran. Even now, on the septic system formerly known as X, people and/or bots are posting that the murderer was a MAGA supporter. That must be why he wrote “Kill Donald Trump” on his gear. Yeah, sounds legit.
Some will say that the shooter acted of his own accord, and we shouldn't make this political. But anyone who has raised anything from a geranium to Sorghum wheat will tell you that things bloom when properly planted, nurtured, and watered. And for years, outrage has been your faction’s fertilizer of choice. The results are anything from angry, wild-eyed white women on social media to the cold-blooded murder we saw this morning. Outrage gives us more than a raison d'être. It gives us the license to do whatever we want.
I write this as a former progressive: You decry thoughts and prayers, sir? Offer us something better than what you have thus far. We would welcome a return to civility.
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