Say Anything Blog

The editor of the Fargo Forum has deigned once again to descend from his ivory tower and lecture us all in Olympian tones about what is and is not good for North Dakota politics.  Last we checked in the Forum was busy telling us about sinister out-of-state, right-wing political interests (led by that doody head Grover Norquist) who want to come into the state and (gasp!) cut our taxes (a position the Forum found itself able to take despite not even sending a reporter out to cover the story)!  Then the Forum told us all that our rural communities are turning liberal (cribbing from a special interest group’s press release which they’d previously plagiarized in an “article").

Now the paper’s editor, Jack Zaleski, is telling us all that supporting the 10 commandments monument in Fargo means you’re a dirty partisan.

Zaleski is careful to tippy-toe around rank-and-file Christians who are upset at the idea of the monument being moved off of public property (wouldn’t want to tick off...like...99% of North Dakotans), but does to accuse the most vocal opponents to moving the monument of “dirty tricks politics” before accusing them of being the “losers of the last election.”

Which, as Jack apparently feels, resulted in the glorious appointment of liberals to run the city of Fargo.

What’s funny is that, on the most basic level, I actually agree with Zaleski.  I don’t like the idea of a 10 commandments monument on public property.  But what upsets me is Zaleski’s insistence that it is the supporters of the monument who are playing “dirty politics.”

You have to ask yourself this:

Who started this controversy by filing a lawsuit to remove the monument years back? 

Who filed that lawsuit, ostensibly about not using public money to maintain a religious monument, using public money?  Meaning that the dullards are so passionate about their cause that they’re willing to use other people’s money to further it.

Who re-opened the issue by introducing a motion to remove the monument suddenly, and without public notice or a hearing on the matter, so that it could be ram-rodded into policy without the full review of the public?  Remember that the issue was brought up randomly during a city commission meeting.  It was introduced and voted upon and passed so quickly that at least one city commissioner has apparently changed his position on the matter.

Zaleski talks of dirty political tricks, but what do you call the sleight of hand used by certain city commissioners to get this passed despite public opinion polls showing that Fargoans favor the monument by a near 3 - 1 ratio?  What do you call using tax dollars to file your lawsuit about the monument?

Ultimately, all the supporters of the monument want in this matter is a vote of the people, and that seems to be exactly what Zaleski is opposing.  So you have to ask yourself: Why do Zaleski and the rest of the left-wingers who oppose the monument want to deny the people of Fargo the right to vote on this issue?  Is that not the most simple and basic solution to the problem?

It is.  But like typical liberals, Zaleski and those who think like him aren’t interested in what you think of the issue.  They know what’s best for you, and they’ll use lawsuits and political sleight of hand to impose what they think is best on you.