Secrets of the City

I just took a wack at the Strib for reprinting a WSJ unsigned editorial yesterday that refered to the ALA as “left leaning” and misrepresented our position on a matter before the EPA.

Isn’t every organization that’s genuinely concerned for the health of Americans “left-leaning” according to the WSJ, and the Strib, for that matter?

I wasn’t surprised that the WSJ would print such drivel, speaking in the editorial voice of the paper. The SOP for them. I’ll let our National Office staff in NYC deal with them.

What I can’t understand is why the Star Tribune felt compelled to recycle another paper’s opinion on this particular topic when they operate in the heart of this issue. Certainly there are well-informed local sources, both pro and con, they could use.

I realize this is not the Star Tribune of just a few years ago. Still, when they reprint a unfair political label and mess with the truth about my employer, they can expect a quick response from me and a few hundred of my closest friends.

You’re right: the American Lung Association isn’t “left leaning” — instead, it’s collapsed altogether toward the southpaw side. Here’s a brief bit from the ALA’s “Cultural Diversity Policy” on its Web site:

The American Lung Association values cultural diversity as essential to achieving its mission. There shall be full participation in the nationwide organization by all people, regardless of race, gender, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin, and disability.

Setting aside the fact that we’re all the same color on the inside — except, of course, for those whose lungs are bespeckled with tobacco’s black tar — it’s the part about ‘regardless of sexual orientation’ that reveals lefty relativism.  If your sexual orientation is toward kids or animals (or both, in the case of baby goats!), then the ALA professes to welcome your participation.

You know you’re talking crazy talk, don’t you?

I don’t think that’s what they mean, Jack.

Nope, don’t know any such thing, and I’m inclined to doubt it — but what is apparent is the name-calling from the other side: the WSJ editorial page publishes “drivel” and is “unfair,” and I’m “crazy.” Any response other than an ad hominem attack? Care to defend the excesses of the ALA’s cultural diversity policy?

And, as to the assertion that all organizations who genuinely care about Americans’ health are left-leaning, I’d offer the NRA as a counter-example; firearms save more lives than do public-health bureaucrats.

I’m sure Max can defend himself, but he didn’t say you were crazy.

Hey, Rat — of course the ALA didn’t mean to include pedophilia and bestiality in its embrace of all sexual orientations, but it did, through the use of sloppy language of the sort commonly used by the left and rarely used by the right. That was my point: Bob protests too much, and his organization would do better to acknowledge its political inclination than to deny it. Everybody likes clean air and good health, and lots of reasonable folks from the right will join in the cause regardless of the silly diversity policy.

Looks like a standard touchy-feely diversity policy that’s used in company material to show that the group’s inclusive and it doesn’t mean anything beyond that. Probably to insulate them from some kind of liability.

What excesses? That’s boilerplate corporate policy. I would bet that a majority of fortune 500 companies in America have a near identical statement.

For the second part: given all of the communicable diseases that have been controlled or eliminated by the efforts of the public health bureaucracy, that’s just more crazy talk.

They’re excessively earnest.

And no, rat. Just typing in a boiler plate statement isn’t going to insulate you from legal liability. In fact, having the policy and failing to follow or enforce it could potentially open you up to greater liability.

Hey Rat and Boiler — I understand that such language may be “standard” and “boilerplate,” but there’s no denying that in embracing everything and everbody, this policy is utterly relativist. The ALA demands full participation regardless of “creed”? Even if my creed is that of Islamic extremism? Or right-wing numb-nuttery? The ALA demands full participation regardless of “disability”? Never mind my double lobotomy and quadriplegia: I’m here to participate in full!

Maybe you could write a better diversity policy for them. You seem to have some ideas.

This is an issue how? Can you point to any people that anybody has hired as a result of these policies who have been child molesters but couldn’t be refused because of inclusive language in the cultural diversity program?

Inventing a problem =/= having a problem.

the ALA is no doubt a left-leaning organization (that’s not an insult), but not because of some diversity statement.

I suppose the opposite of a diversity statement would be something along the lines of “If not WASP, you need not apply.”

Not to go too far off-thread but just recently, while doing research for my never-to-be-published novel, I came across some references to national myth-making which I think are apropos to much of what “angry, white males” believe:

“[W]hat gives nationalism its power are myths, memories, traditions, and symbols of ethnic heritage and the way in which a popular living past has been, and can be, rediscovered and reinterpreted by modern nationalist intelligentsias … Not only past achievements, but also experiences of victimization can become reasons for self-glorification … self-whitewashign myths deny rationalize past wrongdoing against other. The third type is other-maligning myths, which denigrate others with false accusations of their cultural inferiority, malicious intention, or primary responsibility for past trauma.”

I like that quote noodleman. Also I thought angry, white, male was so late 80’s that folks were being ironic when they started spouting off about eroding opportunity for the mediocre members of their race/gender club. But men in general seem to falling off the pace for educational attainment, so read into that what you will.

As far as national victimization myths go, I still hold a grudge against the Turk for 1453. Those thieving Central Asian tribesmen owe me some bezants.

My, this thread sure took a strange turn while I was away! I would comment further, but I don’t know “jack” on the subject… At least the Strib gave me “featured comment” status today.

The Strib finally printed my LTE.

Jack will be disapointed that the subject was not diversity, sex with animals, or Islamic extremism.

For that, you have to wait for Friday’s Open Thread.

I think this is a case where labeling someone as left/right doesn’t add anything to your own argument or refute theirs.

Yikes, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newsroom staff cut by 30%! Rat, didn’t you used to be a reporter there?

Ann Arbor and a bunch of other mid sized Michigan cities are losing their dailies too Bob.