Countering The Politics Of Hysteria

by Christopher G. Adamo

In recent years, Americans have had to face a new and virulent threat to their culture and heritage, against which they frequently appear to be entirely defenseless. Last week, the seditious phenomenon again blatantly manifested itself in their midst. It needs to be identified for what it is, and ultimately, countered. Failing to do so will enable its perpetrators to completely dominate any and all future debate, thus defining the direction of the country.

By now, most people are familiar with the statements of Senator Rick Santorum (R.- PA), regarding the Texas sodomy case pending before the Supreme Court. In short, Santorum warned of the "Pandora's Box" that could be opened by a court ruling granting license to any form of sexual activity, simply because it occurs behind closed doors. In no way did Santorum's critics attempt to refute his assertion based on nature, health, morality, or the law, as no such refutation is possible. Instead, they sought to make their case against him based in the sheer shrillness and intensity of their outrage.

Furthermore, by publicly targeting him with such loud and venomous attacks, they hoped to intimidate any others who might otherwise be prone to agree with the wisdom of his words. Unfortunately, this ploy has met with some success. For although Senator Santorum shows no signs of recanting, many at the highest levels of government, who should be standing shoulder to shoulder with him, have been reluctant and tepid in any show of support for the besieged Senator.

Of course the usual cadre of countercultural leftists predictably piled on, shamelessly parading the inherent hypocrisy of their feigned moral outrage, which is invoked on an extremely selective basis. Somehow, the systematic character assassination of innocent individuals and organizations never generates the sort of alarm and concern they voice whenever one of their exalted, "politically correct" special interest groups becomes the topic of honest and blunt discussion.

Consider, for example, the sinister undercurrent suggested by the very name of one prominent organization, the "Gay and Lesbian Alliance against Defamation” (GLAAD), which frequently participates in this sort of firestorm. As clearly denoted by its name, this group regards mere criticism as unacceptable and requiring retribution. However, it doesn't do so by refuting the statements and ideas of its critics, but rather by publicly maligning and humiliating any who would dare to disparage the chosen lifestyle of its members.

On a different front of this same war, another innocent American has fallen victim to vicious attacks by a Muslim organization. Dr. Daniel Pipes, the Bush nominee to the U.S. Institute of Peace, is being derided as unfit for that post by the innocuously named “Council on American-Islamic Relations” (CAIR). And just what unpardonable sin rendered Dr. Pipes so egregiously unqualified according to CAIR? In short, he proffered the almost absurdly logical notion that to find Muslim terrorists, one must look among Muslims. (If only Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta could grasp such abstract and esoteric thinking, airport screeners might actually do the job they should be doing, flights would be secure, and the airline industry could well be on its way to recovery.)

In a somewhat amusing attempt to “copycat” the homosexual lobby (though no doubt both groups would howl at the thought of any such comparison), CAIR condemned Pipes as an “Islamophobe”, bringing to mind the vastly overused term “homophobe”, invented by the “gay” lobby to belittle and intimidate anyone who voices even the slightest objection to their agenda. Thus CAIR seeks to imply that people with an aversion to the threat posed by middle-eastern brutes, wielding scimitars (actually, box cutters will do) with which to slaughter the “infidels”, aren't responding to events of recent years, but instead suffer from a psychological malady.

Undoubtedly, the best manner in which to combat these situations can be gleaned from the actions of Senator Santorum himself. Rather than attempting to ingratiate himself to his enemies by groveling and pandering, he remains steadfast in his convictions, utilizing each new verbal assault by his attackers as an opportunity to reiterate the wisdom behind his original statements, thus bolstering their validity. Although his critics have yet to realize it, they are the only ones who are being politically damaged by a continuance of this controversy.

Such a war, waged with the weapons of fear and intimidation, only works against those in the right when they allow it. And Santorum isn't playing their game.

Growing up during the turbulent decades of the ‘60's and ‘70's, Christopher  Adamo saw, to his dismay, the nation's moral foundations being destroyed  before his very eyes. But even then he was a staunch Conservative at heart,  and rejected outright the tenets of America's counterculture revolution.

 After a hitch in the Air Force, where he specialized in airborne  electro- optical systems, he pursued a career in the field of aerospace,  working for major defense contractors in California, Florida, and Colorado. But his career plans abruptly changed during the industry-wide downsizing that followed the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.

Presently he is working in the field of industrial instrumentation in the state of Wyoming. Concurrently, he has become involved in that state's political process, attending state GOP conventions as a delegate, and serving as a member of the Wyoming Republican Central Committee. He has also aided in the candidacies of local legislators and state senators, as well as a U.S. Senator and Congresswoman.

From 1993 to 1996, he edited and wrote for “The Wyoming Christian”, the state newsletter for Christian Coalition of Wyoming. During that period, he developed an acute awareness of the harm being done to Conservatism by liberal activists within the Republican Party as well as the Democrats. This remains a favorite theme of his articles, which now appear as a regular feature on GOPUSA.