Two-Fer in the Journal

Regular readers here know that I enjoy the opinions and editorials of the Wall Street Journal. It’s only natural that a free-market conservative such as I would gravitate toward similar and reinforcing thought. It’s confirmed, however, by the fact that the WSJ writings are usually balanced, well reasoned and decidedly less shrill than the further left versions of daily print media such as the New York Times or Washington Post.

Friday offered a rare two-fer in the Personal Journal section. First there is this fine example of how even accurate reporting can create an inaccurate impression: Spin This For Example

The perspective of women in the military as victims is easily supported by poor Jessica Lynch—ill prepared, poorly led, badly treated and finally rescued and then elevated to questionable hero status. Why, that’s a perfect example of what is wrong with everything America does in the world, isn’t it? Actually, it’s a cheap effort to demean the military, women, and American policy in the Middle East.

The story of Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester wouldn’t serve the objectives of the NYT, so they don’t offer it to you. We certainly can’t have women warriors. It wouldn’t be politic to have women in leadership positions. They certainly shouldn’t be perceived as successful in such endeavors. Oooppps! Wait a second, isn’t that exactly the way they should be perceived. Isn’t that precisely what NOW has been arguing for the last several decades? Isn’t this a perfect example of what they have been saying? They are women, hear them roar! The poor main-stream media are badly conflicted here.

I’ve been picking up background material for a couple of years now for a book on the subject of women military aviators. I’ve watched the mandated entry into pilot and navigation training coupled with the affirmative action quotas to place females in cockpits, squadrons, leadership roles and finally into combat situations. Over the years resistance devolved to prejudice which shifted to grudging acceptance which recently has morphed into full-fledged respect. Old guys, like a lot of my peers, still resist. But young warriors in the fighters of today’s force weigh performance objectively and when good pilots fly and lead well, they are acknowledged regardless of gender.

The second half of the two-fer was this commentary on real-life and movie interpretation in Jewish America. Where's the PC Outrage?

On the one hand, we’ve got the spectacle of proud and financially-fixed parents striving for excess in recognizing the incipient maturity of their male offspring. Bar mitzvah parties aren’t anything new, but the extremes described in the opinion piece certainly are. Yet, that shouldn’t be restricted to Jewish families. There are Latin parties for teen-aged girls that certainly fit this category as well as baptisms, first communions, proms, showers, and most assuredly weddings that spread the scenario to Christians, agnostics, white and blue collar families, and most ethnicities. So, we can all chuckle a bit at the ridiculousness of the expenditure.

What struck me, however, was the comparison to the movie, “Keeping Up With the Steins.” Of course, once we accept movies titled, “White Men Can’t Jump” or “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, we should learn that certain religions, ethnicities and societal groups are fair game for ridicule. The hypocrisy here is that these topics and stereotypes are tolerated by the same leftists who immediately take umbrage at things like naming athletic teams after Native Americans or drawing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. Where is the ACLU to defend Jewish parents from such portrayals? Why is no one speaking out against these politically incorrect cartoons? We know immediately that there would be universal outrage if someone made a film titled, “Black Men Can’t Parent”, or “My Big Alcoholic Navajo Homecoming”, or even suggesting that Rosie O’Donnell might not be an ideal parent.

It’s so much easier to be a conservative these days. The poor libs have way too much difficulty keeping their standards consistent. Having things both ways is certainly an easy way to go through life, but the problem is that a lot of folks won’t be able to figure out where you really stand.