The Anchoress
Well, the blogosphere is all abuzz (even if the national, mainstream media seem not to be) about this alleged attack on a 20-year old McCain volunteer, which started out as a mugging, and – perhaps – became an assault and “branding.”
Glenn Reynolds says: this is so serious that I predict it will get almost one-tenth as much national coverage as something some guy may have yelled at a Palin rally once.
I did not jump on the story because I’m a New Yorker and my first thought was: Tawana Brawley.
Glenn Reynolds has it half-right. If the story checks out and is deemed credible, it will quickly be buried. If, however, this young lady has perpetrated a political hoax? The press will milk it nonstop; it will be all you’ll hear and read about, 24/7, for the next two weeks.
This story – should the mainstream press deign to report it – could convulse the Obama campaign. So one has to be a little suspicious, if one is to be fair. Yes, I know, the press and the Obama campaign were not skeptical or fair about the (erroneous) reports of a couple of chuckleheads shouting inflammatory things at a rally, but I like to think we’re better and fairer than that – you know – more open-minded and less hateful. But inflammatory words are very different from physical attacks, and if this story is true, it is at least the second attack on a female McCain supporter within a month – and a disturbing portent of things to come. If the story is not true, this is also disturbing. Either way, this is not good.
Some of the story makes sense to me, and some of it makes me wonder a bit. I did not, like others, find the victim’s refusal to accept immediately medical treatment to be odd or questionable. Young victims of violence often simply want to “just go home” and pretend nothing happened. A lot of women know something about that.
Likewise, I did not immediately suspect that because the “B” on her face is backwards, it is self-inflicted. My first thought was, if she was on the ground, and the mugger at her head, it would be right-side-up from his perspective.
I did however wonder at how very neatly the “B” was carved. That suggests to me that the blade was very sharp and the carver rather controlled – not in an emotional fury. Believe me, emotional furies combined with sharp blades are very messy.
Of course, after smashing her head forward, and kicking her while she was on the ground, the mugger’s fury may have been sufficiently assuaged to allow that light bladework. Possibly. But one does wonder…was the knife in fact very dull, leaving only a scratch…or, what?
I did and do prefer to maintain a healthy skepticism on the story, possibly because I just don’t want to believe it, but also because I do not want to become one of those people who gleefully jumps at the chance to make hay with a story that could, whether true or not, have far-reaching and negative repercussions. If this attack happened at 9 PM on a fairly busy street, then that means we’re looking at one hell of an election day, full of emotion and fury and – as a nation – we’re in trouble.
If this is a hoax, I don’t even want to think where it will lead – but it’s noplace good. So I say, let’s let the police do their jobs and get their verdict.
I am very alarmed about seeing this young woman’s name in print, though. After watching the Obama-protective press descend like jackals upon Joe the Plumber (for the sin of asking an innocent question and making Sen. Obama betray his own philosophy) we know we’re about to see this young woman’s life intruded upon, investigated and swarmed, and undoubtedly the mainstream press is making a bee line to her family down in Texas – going through their garbage, their tax-records, and so forth. They’ll be asking questions about who she dated, wondering if she is a racist; looking for indiscreet photos of her – the feeding will go on and on until she is discredited and destroyed.
If this is a hoax, and the young woman is some needy girl looking for attention (she twittered, about this?) then she’s about to get more than she ever wanted – none of it good.
If it is not a hoax, then the press, who have shown they are unable to contain themselves in their need to protect-Obama -at -all-costs, may end up destroying their last shred of credibility.
And, if it is not a hoax, then we need to seriously look at how we – as a nation – have learned (with the help of the press) to dehumanize one another to a new and frightening extent.
One last thought: if the story is true, then this statement by the Obama camp – which contained no strong condemnation of the act – is woefully inadequate.
The Obama-Biden campaign released a statement, commenting on the attack. The statement said “Our thoughts and prayers are with the young woman for her to make a speedy recovery, and we hope that the person who perpetrated this crime is swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.”
If this horrific story turns out to be real, the Obama camp is going to have to do much better than that. The statement above sounds too detached, too removed, and – if not approving – not particularly condemning, either.
Ed Morrissey has a great deal more – including updates from College Republicans who say they know this girl. While he understands a “healthy skepticism” he also notes that the story checks out, so far.
Check back for updates!
Phyllis Chesler has information on an Obama volunteer getting roughed up as well.
Michelle Malkin is also keeping one skeptical eyebrow raised until we know more.
Don Surber is also skeptical. I think it speaks volumes that – for the most part – the rightwing bloggers are keeping open minds about this and waiting for proof. Quite different from the way the left (and the press) went hog-wild with the fake “kill him!” (oops, he might have said, “tell him!”) without questioning a word of it.
Rick at Brutally Honest: finds irony in Obama telling his supporters to “get in their faces.”
Jimmie Bise is angry and disinclined to skepticism just now. In an updated post he explains why.
Rachel Lucas says are you paying attention, or what?
You can’t fake this and be in your right mind. Yeah. There is that. Like I said, it’s either real, in which case it’s awful, or it’s fake…in which case it’s awful.
Instalanche! Thanks, Glenn!
UPDATE I: A reader emails:
I saw your line that ‘this is the second attack in a month’. When I read that, I thought, “No, this is the third”.
I work [omitted for emailer’s anonymity]…in San Diego…About 3 or 4 weeks ago, a lady walked into the administrative offices at one of the high schools. She asked to have a student paged. When asked why, she told the administrator that she was the monitor for the schools Young Democrats club and that they have a lunch time meeting scheduled. The school administrator checked the logs and said no meeting was scheduled for lunch time and that she was also unaware of any Young Democrats Club. The woman proceeded to get very irate, told her in no uncertain terms to get that student in there and to stop impeding their process!
Needless to say, the administrator said that the woman would have to leave now and attempted to escort her from the premises. The woman protested that she had important work to do, this election is critical, etc. She then throttled the administrator. Security was called, the Sheriff’s dept arrested her and a police report was filed. No publicity. I think this stuff is happening in other places too. Maybe just the tip of the iceberg.
Could be.
UPDATE II: Kim at Wizbang notes security tapes are being looked at.
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