Easton Jordan resigns

I still believe that this was a firestorm created in the right wing blogosphere so that they could declare yet another victory over the so called liberal media. What Easton Jordan did. He said something that might have been possibly slightly anti-american in an off the record forum. All who were there said he was either misunderstood, and that he quickly clarified or backtracked from what he was trying to say. In addition, he apologized for his remarks and for offending those that were there. What Easton Jordan did not do. He did not use his position to run unsubstantiated stories about the military targeting journalists. He did not even use it to pressure CNN anchors and reporters to imply such a thing was occurring in Iraq. He made a statement in an off the record forum and he is paying for it with his livelihood. This is America today.

My friends on the right are doing a victory dance this weekend. They yet again fail to realize that the more they call for accountability for speech they find offensive the more they endanger their own often vile speech. For eventually, those of us who call for the protection of speech will fall victim to the same kind of witch hunt as Jordan and there won't be anyone to stand up for them when they spew their hatred at the wrong person, at the wrong time, in the wrong place. It is an form of ironic justice, but one we should not wish on anyone because we will have been silenced first.