"Candidly Yours"

October 17, 2001

Why the Left Must Blame the Right
by Linda A. Prussen-Razzano

By now, many of you have undoubtedly heard the trial balloons being floated about alternative "sources" for the anthrax attacks. Instead of presuming that these malicious attacks are the continuing efforts of Usama bin Laden’s terrorist network, some leftist pundits are actually laying the blame at the doorstep of right wing extremists. Lifting a page from Hillary’s play book, they ignore Bin Laden’s own warning in his pre-taped message, which aired after the devastation of September 11, 2001. Bin Laden insisted America would know fear from shore to shore.

Is this type of vicious speculation, fabricated without a scintilla of evidence, at least possible? Yes, of course it is. Timothy McVeigh was a homegrown terrorist. Some leftist pundits placed him firmly in the "Conservative" camp; President Bill Clinton blamed right-wing talk show hosts for encouraging his activities through their "hate speech." Despite the waves of sardonic laughter emanating from Conservative corners over efforts to join McVeigh’s brutality with our vehement defense of the Constitution, these same leftist pundits and their devotees latched onto this falsehood and vigilantly promoted it.

Now let us turn this vicious speculation around, again fabricated without a scintilla of evidence, and suggest that left wing extremists are responsible for these attacks. Perhaps we have another Theodore "Unabomber" Kaczynski, a man whose private library housed Al Gore’s tome "Earth In The Balance." His anti-corporate bent might explain the Anthrax attacks on Microsoft, a towering symbol of the American conglomerate. Maybe this is the work of a fringe environmentalist group, who views humans as the bane of Mother Earth and hopes to eradicate such pestilence from Her surface? Or a fringe liberal front group hoping to punish America for her greed?

Insulting, folks, isn’t it?

Let us more closely examine why these attacks are, in all likelihood, related to bin Laden’s group and why some leftist pundits are desperate not to see the connection.

First, the terrorists have shown a propensity for simplicity in their attacks. They use existing freedoms to exploit our weaknesses. Their goal is not just to eliminate lives, but to cause fear in as many individuals as possible. Tossing bits of spores into the mail is not particularly a hi-tech assault; but then again, using boxcutters to subdue passengers and using American planes against American landmarks is far easier than flying foreign jets into American skies for a full scale front assault.

Further, the terrorists encouraged the victims to call their families, ensuring that people would eventually know and understand what was going to happen, ensuring that the media would be on the lookout for the planes. They wanted the exposure, as much exposure as possible, and they certainly got it.

Moreover, the terrorists crave our fear. Look at the reaction from the airline industry and Americans, at large. The vast majority of us took our freedom and safety in the skies for granted; both have been mercilessly shredded. Now, the mail. It comes to every house; it’s something we handle everyday. What better way to instill fear in all Americans by having them question something they regularly viewed as harmless? And what better way to ensure the media’s continued attention than by including them on the target list?

Finally, the threads of Anthrax are reportedly military grade, professionally cultured. Acquiring this substance requires time, planning, access, and lots of cash. If there is one thing we know the terrorists had, it was sufficient supplies of cash. Unless any type of alternative group was poised to launch their own assault, there was hardly enough time, access, or cash available to purchase these spores after September 11, 2001.

Given all this, why are some leftist pundits eager to shift the blame towards "right wing extremists" and ignore the logical connections towards militant Islamic terrorists?

First, it devastates all their carefully constructed arguments against aggression in Afghanistan. Remember, the first Anthrax attack took place before we even started bombing. The notion that terrorist cells are still functioning in the United States indicates a propensity for violence, even at a time when we were showing restraint. It would cut the legs out from under the "give peace a chance" crowd, and we can’t have that now, can we?

Second, the Taliban wouldn’t attack the leftist media, would they? Bush’s "right wing" foreign policy initiatives are supposedly to blame, so why would the terrorists attack the same media outlets that constantly criticize the President’s actions in the World Theater? In case it escaped their attention, the terrorists didn’t run a voter demographics survey before sending thousands of innocent victims to their deaths. The terrorists killed Americans of all stripes, simply because they were American.

Third, President Bush’s 90% approval rating and the strong shift in popular opinion away from traditional liberal agenda items has got to be frightening, particularly with the 2002 elections just around the corner. They need to do something – anything – to change the landscape. What better way to take the shine off Bush’s polish than to toss a little mud around and hope something sticks?

Let there be no mistake…this is not a diatribe against Democrats in general or liberals in particular. Since September 11, 2001, my anger has been reserved for those who deserve it the most – the terrorists, and my heart has been open to all families who suffered so needlessly these last few weeks. Just as I was mortified by the outrageous words of Falwell and Robertson, and the ridiculous antics of the Clintons and Reverend Jackson, my disgust is directed towards those who would seek to pit us against each other solely for political gain.

These folks definitely fall into that group.

May God continue to bless America. ***

© 2001 Linda Prussen-Razzano

• Photo of President Bush courtesy of Reuters