Joho the Blog
|
|
|
May 01, 2004
Last week, according to today's Boston Globe (link breaks soon), Major General George W. Keefe of the National Guard received and forwarded a gag email about the Democratic convention that purported to be a schedule of events: "Opening flag burning ceremony," a re-enactment of Kerry's Tossing of the Medals, and "Sen. Kennedy proposes a toast" (six times). Ok, so maybe it's not the funniest gag email you've ever seen. But Keefe felt forced to apologize for forwarding it after Mayor Mumbles Menino fulminated against it: "It's unfortunate that an adjutant general of the National Guard has the time on his hands to say things about the greatest senator America has ever had." So, Menino's complaint is that people who are worth their salaries don't have time to forward an email. Oh, and people ought to not to be allowed to disagree with his hyperbolic assessment of his friend, Ted Kennedy. The state rep from the proud city of Melrose was also furious, saying that Keefe "should be loyal only to the charge of keeping order...This is a serious breach, and he ought to be called on the carpet for it." Then he manages to tie it to Iraq: "People are dying in Iraq. Don't make fun of that and then pass it around." (Fun Tip: Imagine those words coming from David Brent, the manager on the BBC's The Office.) The chair of the state Democratic party pretended to be outraged that Keefe lost work time forwarding the email: "It is embarrassing and ridiculous that a state employee would be spending his time sending nasty partisan e-mails, rather than doing his job." Then he manages to tie this to the fact that the Democratic party in the most Democratic party state in the country can't manage to get a Democratic governor elected: "The governor reappointed [Keefe] after he sent this foolish e-mail, and he ought to be reprimanded for doing it. This speaks volumes about what kind of administration this is." Hmm, so let's weigh this out. On the one hand, we have the loss of approximately 60 seconds of work time and on the other we have the right to free speech. Clearly, the two sides of the balance are so evenly matched that there's no way to figure out which to support. So, here's my solution: Require General Keefe to stay a minute late one night, preferably wearing an orange jump suit. Only then can this great injustice be righted! Posted
by D. Weinberger at May 1, 2004 07:33 AM
|
Comments
Did he forward it from a National Guard email account or was he off-duty acting in his capacity as a private citizen? Members of the armed forces have consistently been ruled to have fewer civil rights in their duties than regular citizens to support the behavior consistent with a military that is entirely under the control of the civilian government. There's no absolute guarantee of free speech, period; it's pretty large and getting smaller. I worry about that. But military officers (if that's what this is) shouldn't be allowed to ridicule civilian officials. Remember when some elderly southern senator said Clinton should watch his back when he visited some military outpost in the south? He had to apologize. What's the difference (except in severity) between that and this?
Posted by: Glenn Fleishman | May 1, 2004 11:32 AM
David,
Thank you for putting poilitics aside and bringing some sanity to this tempest in a teapot.
I couldn't believe this was the lead news item on Boston.com...
Best,
Jon
Posted by: Jon Cahill | May 1, 2004 11:34 AM
Glenn, the difference is that the Senator could be taken as threatening Clinton (although that struck me at the time as willfully misunderstanding him), whereas Keefe was recirculating some dumbish jokes. So, if this is a First Amendment issue, I'm with the Keefe.
Keefe is not being criticized (AFAIK) by any military folks, just by Boston Democrats.
Posted by: David Weinberger | May 1, 2004 12:33 PM
What I like about it is that Keefe's simple action has achieved far more than 60 seconds major distraction for all of us Republicrats (I just can't make myself say Demicans) and contributed that much more in the war against public officials doing something either dangerous or useful (your choice as to likelihood of either).
Posted by: orcmid | May 1, 2004 02:06 PM
Timaeus, in his ninth book, relates that he [Empedocles] was a pupil of Pythagoras, saying that he was afterwards convicted of having divulged his doctrines, in the same way as Plato was, and therefore that he was forbidden from thenceforth to attend his school. And they say that Pythagoras himself mentions him when he says (or that he mentions Pythagoras--Hicks):
And in that band there was a learned man,
Of wondrous wisdom; one, who of all men
Had the profoundest wealth of intellect.
But some say that when the philosopher says this, he is referring to Parmenides.
Neanthes states that down to the time of Philolaus and Empedocles all Pythagoreans were admitted to the discussions. But when Empedocles himself made them public property by his poem, they made a law that they should not be imparted to any poet. He says the same thing also happened to Plato, for he too was excommunicated. But which of the Pythagoreans it was who had Empedocles for a pupil, they do not say; ...Hermippus, however, says that he was an imitator, not of Parmenides, but of Xenophanes with whom he lived;
Posted by: bw | May 2, 2004 10:56 AM
As a Boston Democrat myself, I'm amazed at the overreaction. I wish my party's leaders would stop making my party look so damn stupid. By their reaction, you'd think the Maj. Gen. was selling nuclear secrets or something. He forwarded a joke email along--doesn't -Menino- have anything better to do?
Posted by: Arthur Guray | May 2, 2004 02:37 PM
Where can I get a copy of this ?
Posted by: Bereford | May 3, 2004 11:29 PM
Bereford, the link still works. In any case, I've emailed you a copy of the article.
Posted by: David Weinberger | May 4, 2004 09:28 AM
Great stuff. I thought it was real, then I woke up.
Posted by: Big Fan | May 5, 2004 10:22 AM
Shame on this so called General, there are a lot of better things he should be doing then send e-mails to his buddies.
They were bound to catch up with his actions....
Having a blast watching things I predicted in the future and being retired in Florda playing golf every day...
Poor George!!
Posted by: John Kasabula | May 13, 2004 09:26 PM
I have never burned a flag. The day that flag burning becomes illegal, I will burn a flag in protest.
Posted by: flag burning | December 4, 2004 08:24 PM