Write of what you know; hold your tongue; or

... risk looking a fool?

Digging himself in deeper and deeper, Andrew Sullivan and perhaps his co-bloggers(?), continue to ... make shit up. If you know American "history", or more correctly -- current events, then by all means, cite it.

But if you are perhaps a fresh transplant, unschooled on American sports, and ... if not sheltered exactly, then limited certainly in your own American cultural transactions -- perhaps given the DC and Provincetown addresses, the posh ivy education scene, and no drivers license, as I understand it -- please don't tell me no one has ever pulled a gun over a basketball game.

The truth is: that kind of language is out on a limb even in the most gung-ho sports-speak, let alone politics. No one, moreover, is going to pull out a gun while playing in a basketball game.* American history is littered with examples of people pulling out a gun in politics.

This further digging follows what passes for an editorial correction in today's new media, after Andrew/co-bloggers are corrected for not getting a sports parody Palin apparently posted during March Madness.

(Hint to Andrew: that Madness refers to the basketball tourneys heating up, not any mentally unstable condition that collectively overtakes the American people during that time.)

I dislike Sarah Palin (almost) as much as you do, but her March Madness post chock full of violent metaphors was written not out of the blue but rather as a sarcastic response to press/blogospheric criticism that she had gone too far with her "crosshairs" and "don't retreat, reload" political rhetoric. It's not just a random post proving that she can't even talk about sports without discussing over-the-top violence. Rather, she purposefully, and sarcastically, filled the post with as much battle imagery as possible to show that the type of metaphors she had been using in her political rhetoric -- and that she was being criticized for in the press and in the blogosphere -- are in fact commonplace in sports lingo.
...
Battle imagery and violent metaphors in relation to sports are commonplace and, in my opinion, largely harmless. If Palin's post had actually been about sports, then I don't think it would be worth discussing. But the subtext of her post is that there is no difference between the use of battle imagery in sports talk and in political rhetoric. Plainly, there is. That Palin does not seem to recognize that is, I think, the more disturbing implication of her March Madness post.

Yep, that context matters, and changes things a little. But if anything - for the worse, as my reader explains.

Finally,
there's a reason our amendments are ranked in that order, you know. One and Two. Being British born, and originally coming up under another culture, I wonder if you can appreciate that.


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* Ha. Ha. Ha. "No one, moreover, is going to pull out a gun while playing in a basketball game."

We wish...

ADDED:
Jeffrey Goldberg chomps hard on the same bait as Sullivan. He too, I think, spent his formative years outside the American sports scene (coming of age on a kibbutz in Israel, iirc).

If it doesn't come naturally, you probably should educate yourself on other cultures (ie/sports talk) before projecting your own thoughts on to others. Or following another gullible "leader" on such issues. (here, Sullivan on sports talk.)

Fwiw. It really was, pretty obviously, over the top, no?

The Final Four is an intense, contested series (kind of like a heated, competitive primary election), so best of luck to all teams, and watch for this principle lived out: the team that wins is the team that wants it more.

To the teams that desire making it this far next year: Gear up! In the battle, set your sights on next season’s targets! From the shot across the bow – the first second’s tip-off – your leaders will be in the enemy’s crosshairs, so you must execute strong defensive tactics. You won’t win only playing defense, so get on offense! The crossfire is intense, so penetrate through enemy territory by bombing through the press, and use your strong weapons – your Big Guns – to drive to the hole. Shoot with accuracy; aim high and remember it takes blood, sweat and tears to win.

Focus on the goal and fight for it. If the gate is closed, go over the fence. If the fence is too high, pole vault in. If that doesn’t work, parachute in. If the other side tries to push back, your attitude should be “go for it.” Get in their faces and argue with them. (Sound familiar?!) Every possession is a battle; you’ll only win the war if you’ve picked your battles wisely. No matter how tough it gets, never retreat, instead RELOAD!

- Sarah Palin