Patterico's Pontifications

6/15/2016

The Corrosive Politics of the New York Times Editorial Board That Led to the Orlando Shooting

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 11:59 am



The New York Times editorial board is blaming the Orlando shooting on Republicans:

While the precise motivation for the rampage remains unclear, it is evident that Mr. Mateen was driven by hatred toward gays and lesbians. Hate crimes don’t happen in a vacuum. They occur where bigotry is allowed to fester, where minorities are vilified and where people are scapegoated for political gain. Tragically, this is the state of American politics, driven too often by Republican politicians who see prejudice as something to exploit, not extinguish.

To the contrary: the precise motivation for the attack is quite clear, actually. John Sexton explains:

Omar Mateen told a 911 dispatcher what his motivations were. He killed 49 people in solidarity with ISIS and their extreme Islamic beliefs. ISIS, it must be noted, routinely murders gays (or people suspected of being gay) by throwing them off tall buildings. In other words, there is no reason to doubt his hatred of gays could stem from his religious leanings.

In addition, we know the FBI had twice investigated Mateen for possible Islamic radicalism. Every authority from the president on down has indicated this was an act of home grown terrorism, an apparent case of self-radicalization. How much more precise to do we need to get on the killer’s motivation?

Despite the clear influence of radical Islam generally (and ISIS specifically) on Mateen’s actions, the words “ISIS” or “Islam” or “Muslim” appear nowhere in the New York Times editorial. Nor do the editors mention that the shooter, who was supposedly driven to violence by that Republican hatred, was a registered Democrat. I have not noted the shooter’s political registration before today, because I believe that doing so would amount to pointless and unnecessary partisan point-scoring. But the editors’ equally pointless decision to drag Republicans into this discussion has compelled me to name Mateen’s political affiliation as a defensive measure, even though I am no longer a Republican — because I spent enough years as one that I am still outraged when they are absurdly blamed for something that is not their fault.

I’m now going to make an argument for rhetorical effect. It is an argument that I don’t believe, because I believe the moral responsibility for the shooting lies exclusively with Omar Mateen. But my argument is far more plausible than blaming Republicans, and in any event I need to justify the headline of the post — and it’s an argument that I’m willing to bet a lot of you will believe. That argument is this: if anyone besides Omar Mateen is morally responsible for this shooting, it is the very people who deliberately and repeatedly ignore the danger posed by radical Islamic terrorism, to the point where they strain to overlook red flags raised by the behavior of a Muslim. After all, we have heard allegations that Mateen, while working as a security guard for a federal contractor, talked about killing people — and yet, his former co-worker alleges, these complaints fell on deaf ears because he was a Muslim.

And nobody has been more staunch in their refusal to ignore the dangers of radical Islam than the editors of the New York Times, who do not even mention ISIS in this editorial, much less tell their readers that the shooter “pledged allegiance to ISIS and referenced the Tsarnaev brothers, the terrorists who exploded bombs at the 2013 Boston Marathon.”

So if you’re going to blame someone besides Mateen for this shooting, blame the members of the New York Times editorial board. Those members include James Bennet (@jbennet), Terry Tang, Robert B. Semple Jr., Linda Cohn, Vikas Bajaj (@vikasbajaj), Francis X. Clines, Lawrence Downes (@lawrencedownes), Carol Giacomo (@giacomonyt), Mira Kamdar (@mirakamdar), Ernesto Londoño, Anna North (@annanorthtweets), Serge Schmemann, Brent Staples (@BrentNYT), Teresa Tritch, Jesse Wegman (@jessewegman), and Elizabeth Williamson (@NYTLiz).

These are the people whose corrosive politics contributed to the murder of 49 people in Orlando. Go hold them responsible.

54 Responses to “The Corrosive Politics of the New York Times Editorial Board That Led to the Orlando Shooting”

  1. So say I.

    Patterico (fb172b)

  2. the moral responsibility for the shooting lies exclusively with Omar Mateen.

    Exclusively? No.

    The easy access to weapons of the AR-15 class is the fatal flaw.

    DCSCA (a343d5)

  3. Sexton’s post is great throughout, by the way. I recommend the whole thing.

    I do encourage folks with Twitter accounts to get in the faces of these cretins. Go link this post and tell them they’re responsible. I provided the links to their Twitter accounts in the post.

    Patterico (fb172b)

  4. The FBI were dopes, too; for reasons that make no sense to me they took his self-serving statements that he was just winding up his co-workers with his constant threats and boasts of ties to islamic terror groups – and doing it because they were racist, which is obvious because they reported his threats and boasts.

    SarahW (67599f)

  5. tommy friedman has a column called lessons of hiroshima and orlando

    srsly

    happyfeet (a037ad)

  6. Mr. Mateen

    really?

    happyfeet (a037ad)

  7. If Christian Republicans hadn’t opposed a bakery being forced to bake a cake for a gay wedding in Oregon, then an ISIS-supporting psycho in Florida (whose father happens to be a supporter of the Taliban) wouldn’t have discovered the impetus to shoot over 100 people at a gay nightclub.

    Oh yeah, and the NRA, too.
    And Israel!

    Cruz Supporter (102c9a)

  8. Mateen was a Muslim, brought up in a Muslim household with apparently strict social views. It takes a special brand of dishonesty — somewhere around 9 Pinnochios — to assert that it was Republican rhetoric that cause the Muslim to “become” a hater of gays.

    That would be like me asserting that it was Hillary’s rhetoric that caused the NY Times editorial board to be such foaming anti-GOP extremists, when in fact we all know that’s a necessary qualification for membership.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  9. I clicked on their Twitter links and I must say I’m horrified. And I can’t remember the last time I used that word. These idiots write for an American paper of supposedly high esteem? I can’t believe the narrow mindedness/single mindedness of these “writers”. They are puppets all spouting the same vitriol in different ways. Does no one at the Times think independently? They have crossed from the realm of malpractice into the black pit of propaganda. From a useless fool to a useful tool. And that tool is in the hands of those who hate America.

    Perhaps we really do need a shootin’ war to clean this mess up.

    Rev. Hoagie© (734193)

  10. One of these editors yapped at me a little on Twitter. It’s worth looking at my timeline for the exchange.

    Patterico (fb172b)

  11. When the Charlie Hebdo attacks took place in Paris, there was left wing blame against Israel.
    Or as an Israeli official put it at the time, “A Muslim kills French people, and Jews in Israel get blamed.”

    This is the world we live in, where people aren’t responsible for their own actions.

    Cruz Supporter (102c9a)

  12. I also blame Obama.

    It’s obvious Mateen brought a gun to what he reasonably expected would be a knife sword fight.

    arik (02de93)

  13. I read Jesse Wegman’s tweets. He’s so predictably “New York Times,” “Stephen Colbert,” and “Ellen De Generes” all rolled into one.

    Cruz Supporter (102c9a)

  14. i blame brexit and upgrading to marshmallow

    happyfeet (a037ad)

  15. First they came for the NY Times editorial board, and no one complained.

    Utterly no one. There was some cheering.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  16. These are the same charlatans who tried to blame Dallas and its “climate of hate” for a Marxist murdering JFK.

    Brendan (0ef66c)

  17. From what I hear, the NY Times editorial board is so bad that their left-wing newsroom staff is embarrassed.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  18. and the huntress for tucson, I forget the excuse for the boston bomber,

    narciso (732bc0)

  19. I did a little research on Jesse Wegman.
    He’s worked for NPR, Reuters, Newsweek, and was even a “Soros Justice Media Fellow” for a couple of years while working on a book about prisoners.
    I’m surprised he hasn’t yet been employed by Al Jazeera or CAIR.
    He still has time!

    Cruz Supporter (102c9a)

  20. He’s so predictably “New York Times,” “Stephen Colbert,” and “Ellen De Generes” all rolled into one

    .

    “New York Stephen DeGeneres sounds like the world’s worst white funk band.

    JP (bd5dd9)

  21. Huffington Post Blames Orlando on Christians and Fox News Viewers by @maggiematt123 http://newsbusters.org/blogs/culture/maggie-mckneely/2016/06/15/huffington-post-blames-orlando-christians-and-fox-news

    Torcer (654698)

  22. #20 JP,

    Or if he were to go by the name of “Ellen Colbert of New York,” he could open his own little clothing boutique in Manhattan. They could sell new clothes to the Emperor, and maybe even make a little money selling burqas to the many wives of upscale jihadis.

    Cruz Supporter (102c9a)

  23. The media needs to be crushed.

    mg (31009b)

  24. And flushed.

    Rev. Hoagie© (734193)

  25. The editorial praises Donald Trump, but then is careful to, first, pair it with a criticism of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and second, indicate that Donald Trump really, really, shouldn’t be praised too much.

    It does this in two ways:

    First, applying the word “even” to what Donald Trump said; and then noting that he also wants to appoint conservative Supreme Court justices who would overturn “marriage equality,” and that he supports the “First Amendment Defense Act” (which they say approves discrimination.)

    And they furthermore add another criticism – that Donald Trump backtracked on the transgender bathroom issue, emphasizing that that was because of political cowardice (because Ted Cruz criticized him)

    Sammy Finkelman (643dcd)

  26. vote for trump or kiss your guns good bye!

    guns for trump (42c9c3)

  27. Hey, “Guns for Trump”, can you help me understand Trump’s comments about supporting a No-Fly-List based ban on gun ownership?

    Also, can you explain his historical support of gun bans?

    Trump’s seeming openness to potentially buck the NRA, even slightly, is yet another example of his willingness to veer off GOP orthodoxy. It also plays into the notion that he’s open to making deals with Democrats. It’s why some conservatives have questioned Trump’s conservatism — given his earlier views on a host of issues. In his 2000 book, The America We Deserve, he wrote that he supported banning assault weapons, like the one used in Orlando, and extending waiting periods when purchasing firearms.

    The response from the Trump fans will be HILLARY IS A DEMON, instead of any effort to scrutinize a man running for president.

    Dustin (2a8be7)

  28. dustin for hillary she will be much better protecting your gun rights so vote for her. trump will do better protecting my gun rights I will vote for him.

    guns for trump (42c9c3)

  29. Guns for Trump, I asked about Trump’s record of supporting gun control. A record that includes reacting to this mass shooting by calling for additional gun control.

    Can you help my understand Trump’s point of view and why he changes sides so often on this? Your response mentioned Hillary is bad on this issue. While I agree I think Trump has expressed support for the very things Hillary wants at various times. He’s also expressed the opposite. So is the reason you refused to defend Trump’s positions is that we can’t really say he has any? That he’s just randomly saying what he thinks he needs to say, and at least that lack of leadership and courage is better than someone who is talking about gun control because they believe it?

    I don’t like putting words in your mouth so why don’t you explain Trump’s support for gun control?

    Dustin (2a8be7)

  30. One possibility for motivation involves Mateen’s homosexuality. Becoming a more radicalized muslim and being gay would set up an incredible internal conflict. However, dying as a martyr in jihad absolves the individual of sins and guarantees paradise. By targeting gays he perversely atones and achieves paradise.

    Leon (3a9715)

  31. By targeting gays he perversely atones and achieves paradise.

    Yes, but if he’s gay, what does he do with his virgins?

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  32. Yes, but if he’s gay, what does he do with his virgins?

    Who says the virgins have to be girls

    Rev. Hoagie© (734193)

  33. None of you understand Islam.
    Perverse sex is OK if the woman, little boy, or animal is not Muslim.
    Please read the Koran.
    It’s an eye opener.

    Kobeclan (04a945)

  34. By targeting gays he perversely atones and achieves paradise.

    Yes, but if he’s gay, what does he do with his virgins?

    Kevin M (25bbee) — 6/15/2016 @ 3:10 pm

    Whatever he does with them, I bet it will be fabulous.

    arik (02de93)

  35. I’d put ISIS itself and its evil cousins ahead of the New York Times. Close call, though.

    Dafydd (d4fbf5)

  36. Bacha bazi is an Afghani cultural custom that we should respect and approach without judgement.

    Pious Agnostic (f47b0e)

  37. The Leftist Tabloid of record.

    They may be right. Then again, Mateen is Muslim, not Pro-choice, and principles do matter. However, there is another possibility, that is not related to “=” (i.e. selective exclusion) or moral degeneracy (e.g. integrating little girls and confused men) in liberal societies. Something happened in the transgender/homosexual club that created a personal mandate for retribution.

    n.n (d9054f)

  38. Kevin,

    Yes, but if he’s gay, what does he do with his virgins?

    Beats a few, but otherwise nothing. They are recycled. Collection is in the blue container on odd Wednesdays of the month. Be sure to have the container curbside by 7 am.

    BobStewartatHome (a52abe)

  39. They forgot about climate change!

    Gerald A (76f251)

  40. climate change is gayer than shirtless omar and shirtless putin in a top-down volkswagen cabriolet with a bruno mars cd and also glow sticks on their way to a wisconsin waterpark

    happyfeet (831175)

  41. What’s really interesting is how the overwhelming majority of the MSM coverage has followed an identical tact: right-wing Christian are just as bad as any terrorists.

    It’s almost as if all of the MSM is reading from the same script.

    Hmmm …

    Deuce Frehley (73c323)

  42. Who says the virgins have to be girls

    Are you saying Allah is a homo?

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  43. /sarc

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  44. Who says the virgins have to be girls

    Are you saying Allah is a homo?

    Kevin M (25bbee) — 6/15/2016 @ 7:07 pm

    Not possible. It’s well established he was a pedo.

    Bill H (971e5f)

  45. The female virgins can still cook, clean, wash and iron, weave, sew, and tend the sheep.

    “A woman for duty, a boy for pleasure, and a watermelon for ecstasy.” — King James I of England

    nk (dbc370)

  46. Did they grow watermelon in England back then?

    Cruz Supporter (102c9a)

  47. “First they came for the NY Times editorial board, and no one complained.
    Utterly no one. There was some cheering.”

    I believe what you meant to say was, “And there was much rejoicing.”

    hunson abedeer (cacaf3)

  48. Or if he were to go by the name of “Ellen Colbert of New York,” he could open his own little clothing boutique in Manhattan.

    That also works as an upscale manscaping outlet

    JP (bd5dd9)

  49. Islamic ideology was driving Omar’s killing rampage. Islamic ideology was driving the Ft. Hood Slaughter as well as the Boston Bomers and the San Bernardino shootings.

    So, let’s start developing plans to fight back in this war that Islam has brought to our shores.

    Whirlwinder (df2d21)

  50. Whirlwinder (df2d21) — 6/16/2016 @ 1:54 pm

    let’s start developing plans to fight back in this war that Islam has brought to our shores

    the boggest problem is taht some of the people pretendinbg to be on the other side — are not. That’s the problem. It is not true, however, that all Islam, or even mainstream Islam is like that, in spite of the fact there are some things, like the tremendously harsh stance against apostasy, that some young adherents of sIslam may not know.

    Sammy Finkelman (7a22e4)


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