Crystal

For those who are without a clue, here’s what “outrage” means, and why we won’t see it.

Outrage means playing the beheading story with the same intensity as the abuse story, and for just as long. Fair and balanced, as they say.

Outrage means calling for the swift and terrible punishment of those who murdered an American, with as much force as we demand the punishment of those abusive soliers.

Outrage means that the murder of a civilian should steel our courage, even more than the abuse of detainees detracts from it.

Outrage means demanding the dispatch of the killers — without all the snide Washington-insider slipperiness of those calling for Donald Rumsfeld to get canned.

Outrage means there’s no excusing the murderers as “just savages,” (with all the racism that implies) while holding us to a higher standard. There’s one standard, period: decent behavior. Abuse is bad. Murder is worse.

We clear?