Academic

ROGER SIMON: The Zernike Kefuffle: Clinging To Racism. ?So what?s the deal with this clinging t?

By Glenn Reynolds

ROGER SIMON: The Zernike Kefuffle: Clinging To Racism. “So what?s the deal with this clinging to racism ? or racial accusations ? on the part of some liberals? Well, I think it reflects a significant and growing insecurity that they are no longer the cool guys. Via the Tea Party movement and other things, libertarianism ? a rather attractive and even hip ideology ? is taking over the right. People who love freedom are drifting rightward leaving the left with moribund unions and big government, neither of which seem to work. Liberals don?t have much of a belief system anymore and not enough reason to think highly of themselves, as they used to. Something?s wrong. Therefore, the other side has to be bad.”

Related item from Dan Riehl: “I’d bet money that were Zernike to hear similar rhetoric with the same dialect from a friend or colleague, she wouldn’t give it a second thought, let alone mis-characterize it as racist. One way or another, that is what they do to all of us on the Right. And whether they do it intentionally, or not, doesn’t matter. We can’t allow them to keep getting away with it. We need the Andrew Breitbarts and Jason Matteras of the Right; they deserve our encouragement and support. They can help us move this movement forward in ways we never have before. The Left realizes it. So, don’t expect them to relent. Standing up to the Left always puts a target on your back. It’s long past time for the Right to shoot back.”

You know, I was telling the Insta-wife last night that I thought Breitbart’s “despicable person” call-out of Zernike marked a sea change in responses to bogus charges of racism. I believe I was right.

Full post as published by Instapundit.com on February 20, 2010 (boomark / email).