In Defense of Joe Wilson

I am sick and tired of hearing non-stop about how Congressman Joe Wilson is such a horrible person!

Why? Because, in the end, what he did wasn't that damn bad, that's why!

Lets get a few things straight: First off, what he did was stupid. Interrupting the President of the United States with a remark while hes making a speech to the joint-sessions is rude. That said, it isn't all that bad. Compared to countless other democracies with Parliaments, what happened was incredibly tame! Shouting matches, fist fights... someone yelling, briefly, "You Lie!"is next to nothing.

In this country, we have both a democracy and freedom of speech. We are allowed to say whatever we want to our democratically elected officials with very few restrictions. More or less, the only actual restriction is you can't threaten them, which is perfectly reasonable. That said, I, as well as everyone else, knows that there are still manners and moments to show dissent in a proper manner.

Think back to 2003. George W. Bush is making his State of the Union address where he lies to the American people and mentions something about a country buying yellow cake uranium. Not only was it a lie, but it was a bold-face lie. Not only was it a bold-face lie, it was a bold-face lie to get us to go into a unwinable war against a country we had no real reason to attack. I think its safe to say that the same people screaming outrage about Joe Wilson would applaud whoever would have yelled it then.

Or in 2004... or 2005... or 2007....

Remember when someone threw a shoe at George W. Bush? Basically, the agreement form a majority of American's was... amusement. An Iraqi Journalist threw a shoe at the President. His punishment was minor, and he's being released today after only 10 months in prison. No one called for his head or for him to resign.

What Joe Wilson did is excusable and understandable. This was not a Town Hall, it was not a campaign rally, it was an address to the nation. He did not threaten, he did not curse, he did not say anything horrible. When confronted with a Commander-in-Chief he believed was lying, he dared to do exactly what any of us would have wanted to say in that same situation ourselves. You and I may not agree with what he thought was a lie, we may not agree with this man at all.

To call for him to resign, to force him to apologize again AFTER he's already done so for speaking out of turn... for not apologizing for WHAT he said, which he meant... to do so goes against the First Amendment and smacks of censorship against something not considered the status quo!

Do I agree with what he said? NO! Do I agree with the fact he embarrassed himself and his state by making his comment during the speech? NO! Do I honestly feel he had every right in the world to do it? YES.

Cartoon Courtesy of Steve Benson