Blue Collar Muse

I’ve generally tried to stay out of the continuous, human conflict known as Rosie O’Donnell. Since I don’t know her, she does not impact my life personally and since she is firmly entrenched in her views she is not part of the audience I try to reach here. In short, for me as for many Americans, while she is irritating and seemingly everywhere, she is, nonetheless, irrelevant.

I did, however, click through and watch the YouTube video of her exchange with Elisabeth Hasselbeck on The View. That 5 minute exchange illustrates 3 life lessons we know to be true but need to be reminded of from time to time. We need reminding and encouraging as we struggle against Liberal thought for it is a long and often exhausting fight. We need motivation to get up today and pick up the struggle where we left off yesterday convinced we are winning and will finally triumph if we simply will not quit. That’s a pretty tall order for a few sound bites from a day time talk show but here goes.

Life Lesson #1 - Bullies depend on our fear of them more than their ability to actually defeat us to keep us subdued.

Rosie has made outrageous statements before and yet she still came back for more. “For the first time in history, fire melts steel!”, “Gulf of Tonkin! Google it, people!” and finally, “650,000 dead Iraqis! Who’s the terrorist?” I believe making outrageous statements like these is precisely why Rosie was hired in the first place. So what happened this time? This time, someone stood up and said, “I have had enough of this!”

The process went something like this - Ms. Hasselbeck refuses to budge under Rosie’s emotional barrage; the exchange touches on the actual discussion in question and Rosie’s ‘fact’; said fact being unsupportable Rosie retreats to the “I’m so misunderstood. Why don’t you like me?” position; and, Rosie realizes she’s lost and chooses exile as opposed to examination, evaluation and change.

Whether it’s Rosie on The View or Hillary on the stump, so much of the Liberal agenda is little more than taking a couple of ‘facts’ and bullying the public with them. However, if that agenda is asked to prove the validity of its claims by demonstrating results, by justifying its predictions or by being accountable for the trust placed in it, it slides past the real discussion, bemoans its fate at the hands of a “vast, right wing conspiracy” and, if there’s any fight left in it, heads off to bully anew elsewhere.

But when our fear of losing our self respect grows larger than our fear of losing the respect of the Left, the Left’s bullying no longer has any power over us.

Life Lesson #2 - Because of Life Lesson #1, bullies are often their own worst enemy.

As long as Rosie could out yell her adversary, everything was fine. Once someone refused her offer of intimidation, however, the discussion had to go another direction. Rosie herself chose that direction, wandering into a mine field from which there was little hope of escape.

Rosie’s challenge went from “650,000 dead Iraqis! Who’s the terrorist?” to “Elisabeth, do you believe that I believe that our troops are terrorists?” Attempting to regain some of the ground she lost, Rosie herself framed the question that was on everyone’s lips but no one dared to ask. Just what is it, exactly, that Rosie believes? She wanted a “Yes” or “No” answer from Elisabeth to set up the “Lose-Lose” scenario of “Do you still beat your wife?” She didn’t get it.

Whether by accident or acumen, Liz didn’t answer, leaving Rosie’s question dangling out there for our consideration. Rosie, blind to the danger, repeated the question until it was seared in everyone’s memory. Her ‘facts’, brazenly hurled at those with whom she disagreed, may not have swayed many to her side but they carried the weight of conviction. As such, they generated the question, “Could there be something to this charge?” Her question, quietly dropped into a lull in the tirade, allowed not only her opponents, but Rosie herself, to examine the question, “What exactly does Rosie believe about the troops and do I agree with that belief?”

You could see Rosie deflate with each moment that passed without an answer from Elisabeth. Her implosion as she watched her personal nightmare scenario of being exposed for what she is, not only unfold on national TV but unfold at her own hands, was almost painful to watch. Few people enjoy the pain and suffering of others. However, that suffering is often inevitable.

When people insist on making bad choices and ignoring helpful warnings it usually produces pain that cannot be quickly eased.

Life Lesson #3 - Because of Life Lessons #1 and #2, the best Defense is usually a good Offense.

Whether the discussion is of 2nd Amendment Rights to keep and bear arms or 1st Amendment Rights to free speech, being ready AND able to defend yourself at all times is your first and best tactic. Allowing Rosie to make outrageous statements without challenging her is simply appeasement on a personal level. Appeasement is a poor strategy for it respects the rights of others but disrespects the rights of self. Allowing Rosie the right to express herself and respecting that right while at the same time insisting on her own right to express herself won Elisabeth a victory not possible under appeasement.

We must remember it was not just the superiority of Elisabeth’s position that won the day but Elisabeth’s willingness to introduce her position into the discussion. #3 on my list of the top 10 ‘Things I’d Do if I Ever Became an Evil Overlord’ is, “I will be neither chivalrous nor sporting. If I have an unstoppable super weapon, I will use it as early and as often as possible instead of keeping it in reserve.” While humorous, the point is that if we have the ability to gain ground as opposed to merely not losing ground we already have, it is legitimate to do so.

This does not make us mean spirited or evil. Elisabeth was neither insulting or disrespectful. Pushed to defend herself, she pushed back with what she believed. Her ‘offensive’ behavior did not start the conflict, it revealed it. That it also revealed the weakness of Rosie’s defenses is a cost Rosie should have tallied up before calling out “Tally Ho!” and heading off to war.

When your enemy is spoiling for a fight, it is often a good strategy to give him what he wants - quickly and at twice his strength.

Thinking these lessons have application far beyond a mere talk show …

Blue Collar Muse

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