Kaopectate for Cannon’s Mouth
The Deseret Morning News is reporting this morning on Chris Cannon’s latest bout with diarrhea of the mouth.
Oh, what thoughtful constituents would give for a new version of that chalky old stomach soother Kaopectate — one that would apply directly to our senior GOP congressman’s pie hole.
For Third District Rep. Cannon to make any claim that Trolley Square gunman Sulejman Talovic was shouting “Allah Akbar” as he shot his way through the mall on February 12 goes beyond any humanity or reason. First, Cannon has not a whit of proof for his claim — beyond FOX News reports and hate speech by a few talk radio hosts. Salt Lake Police investigators, based on testimony by cops and firefighters at the scene that night, have been unanimous in their reports that Talovic shouted nothing of a religious or terroristic nature during his murderous rampage.
Unless you count the F-word, I suppose. Talovic reportedly used it freely that night. But if that counts as terroristic speech, we’d have to come down pretty hard on Utah Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan after every foul he contests now wouldn’t we?
Cannon has retracted his comments, made during a free-wheeling interview with KSL radio talk show host Doug Wright yesterday. (I listened to much of it while driving, but turned it off when Cannon started going all bongo-bongo about his colleagues who won’t back Prez Bush’s troop “surge.”)
Why should we let him have a mulligan? It isn’t the first time his brain and mouth have short-circuited.
Readers with a good memory will recall Cannon’s crazed comments last year as the Mark Foley scandal unfolded in Congress. Foley got caught sending creepy, sexual e-mails to underage male pages. Cannon blamed parents and the teens themselves for much of the problem. Said that moms and dads ought to monitor their kids better. Sort of a new take on the old argument that a female rape victim somehow invites an attack.
A bit of hell broke out back then. And now this. While this city is healing, while Trolley shooting victims have barely been buried, while Talovic’s grieving parents must live with never knowing what set off their son, Cannon lets his big mouth run wild with zero proof of the boy’s political or social background.
One thing we do know right now: As my friend and new Salt Lake Tribune metro columnist Rebecca Walsh wrote least week, Talovic is a cypher.
He went to work each day, he grunted a few words to his dad in the hallway the morning of the attack. He had few friends. Other than that, the 18-year-old, so far is a mystery.
Except that he and his family are Muslim. And you know what that means to people intent on spending every minute on earth in fear and suspicion: Instant terrorist.
This is what happens when a politician lives in a totally safe district. Democrat or Republican. See, I’m an equal opportunity critic of politicians who live so safely and smugly they never have to watch their regularly re-elected backsides. This holds true for Cannon, who can besmirch a whole segment of the population (parents, Muslims) and never have to answer when Election Day rolls around.
Unless, of course, voters in Utah County actually believe his absurd claims. That’s the fright of it all, now isn’t it?
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:27 am
Folks who don’t bother to learn the difference between a Shia and a Sunni, an Arab and a Persian, a largely secular European and a religious zealot from Saudi Arabia are unfortunately the same folks who make up facts out of thin air that impugn entire communities.
They also are unfortunately the types of folks whom we have elected to office and have brought you the disaster in Iraq.
For all of our faults (including being credulous enough to believe the absurd), we deserve and need better than Chris Cannon.
February 22nd, 2007 at 10:22 am
For gabespop; Right on !!!
I`m a very comfortable 600 miles from Zion, surrounded by Lefties, ageing Hippies & kindred free Spirits. I`ve pointed out to friends the illustrious Mr.Cannon as Utah`s higher thinking at its best…especially Mark Foley being “seduced” by precocious kids.
Anyway, our local angst is fear the dems will tear each other up. Hillary has got real problems and could use a personality transplant. What can be so hard admitting she was dead wrong about Iraq ?
Cheers, RB
February 22nd, 2007 at 10:27 am
Probably getting stoned in the nude at gay weddings out there. Aren’t you, chardonnay?
I’ll bet you that heaven isn’t too much different from that.
February 22nd, 2007 at 10:46 am
Well,I was raised ethnic LDS (that word again). My understanding is/was they have three levels of heaven..sorta like 1st,business and coach on a 747.
As for me ? I`ll stay behind in the airport bar.
February 22nd, 2007 at 1:21 pm
I certainly agree with gabespop’s initial comment, but let’s get back to Holly’s original premise that constituents might either overlook or even believe Cannon’s diahrrea of the mouth. Both are probable. Being LDS myself, but with higher standards for my elected officials than that they be Republican, I am dismayed by Mormon naivete which is so widespread. Not only do people believe this jerk, they believe in the sincerity of Mitt Romney. Rebecca Walsh has a great column today on how he is jerking around people in our state in a ploy to get campaign donations. It is working well. If I mention that he has more flip flops than John Kerry to my Mormon neighbors who equate “Republican” with “righteousness,” I just get a tolerate smile that means, “Here she goes again with her radical ideas.” I have lived in other states but never in one in which the whole voting population - other than in Salt Lake City sometimes - seems to be clueless.
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:54 pm
As for Talovic, I think it’s much more likely that he was playing out a video game “for real” than waging one-man jihad.
Poor old Chris Cannon - putting his foot in his mouth and stepping in a lot of dog mess yet again.
February 22nd, 2007 at 10:44 pm
[…] Kaopectate For Cannon’s Mouth- mullentown […]
February 24th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Oh for hell’s sake!!! Playing out a video game “for real?” Gimme a break. I am so sick to death of people blaming video games and violent movies for the violence in the world. I’ve been a serious gamer for 20 years and the last thing I want to do is go to a mall and pop off a few rounds or get in my car and play grand theft auto for real. The key to knowing for sure what happened with this young man, is a greater understanding of mental illness and the social difficulties that young people experience on a daily basis. As for Cannon, whenever I listen to anything that man says, I feel a little bit stupider
February 26th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Hey, easy on Cannon. He knows things the rest of us don’t.
For example, he has ‘Gaydar’. Do not misunderestimate ‘The Can’.
February 27th, 2007 at 9:10 am
But for triple hell’s sake, spencert, the empirical link between playing violent video games and violent thoughts and behaviors has been firmly established, whether you’re sick to death of hearing about it or not.
Sorry, you don’t get a break from reality just because you hold your breath until you turn blue. You might be able to out shout, kick and scream GinnyRed57, but the data are on her(his?) side.
February 28th, 2007 at 10:10 pm
What’s this data you are referring to, Gabespop? Empirical link? I think not. The people doing the research are the same right-wing nuts who are saying there is no global warming, that being gay is a choice and that the earth was created in six days.
What I am sick of is our glorious lawmakers regulating “this” and criminalizing “that” for the sake of protecting the children. God forbid we let little Johnny play this game or watch this show for fear that he fails to comprehend the difference between fantasy and reality, but we’ll sure consider passing a law that puts a high-powered rifle in his hands so he can go out on the hunt and learn what it means to be a real man. That makes a lot of sense.
In any case, the research is still being done and the jury is still out on this so don’t go getting all social scientist on me and saying all the facts are in, because they are not. Maybe if I hold my breath long enough you’ll turn blue.
March 2nd, 2007 at 9:09 am
spencert,
Check out Brad Bushman and Craig Anderson. I don’t have time to summarize their research right now. They’re very accomplished social psychologists and very rigorous researchers. I’m not sure what their politics are.
I, too, am a social psychologist. I’m a liberal. The data strongly suggest that the planet is warming. The data show that homosexuality is not a choice. And if it makes you any happier, I’m in favor of gun control.
Johnny can watch whatever his parents will allow him to watch and play whatever games his parents will allow him to play. I’m not in favor of criminalizing any of these games or shows.
However, parents should know that data from both field and laboratory research also suggest that watching violent programs or playing violent video games increases the chances that their kids will engage in violent behavior.
The facts are never all in. That’s the way all science works.
You can’t cherry pick the science you like while passing over the science that doesn’t accord with your world view. That’s the way the Bush administration works.
Again, you tried to shout me down. Not good for your blood pressure, spencert. Take it easy out there. I’m not sure why you want me to turn blue. I come in peace, bro.
March 2nd, 2007 at 9:30 am
Okay, spencert:-).
I have other things to do, but I felt a quasi-professional responsibility. Google Brad J. Bushman. You’ll get his University of Michigan Web site. If you scroll down a bit, you’ll see a “violent video games and kids” type thing you can click into. He summarizes a lot of research in an easy-to-understand way and allows people who disagree with him to call him names and hope he turns blue (and he doesn’t seem to get mad at all). I think you’ll like it.
In any event, it’s a great resource for the interested.
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:10 am
Hey, Gabespop. Thanks for the sources. When I have a moment, I will check out what Mr. Bushman has to say. I guess what got me upset is that for GinnyRED57 to say Mr. Talovic was playing out a video game for real, IMO, was kind of out of line as there has been no evidence to suggest that Talovic even played video games. At least not in any of the reports I’ve heard or read and I have read them all.
I guess I am just tired of having an activity that I enjoy and take great pleasure in get such a bad rap. I am not a bad person and enjoying fictionalized violence doesn’t make me so. It seems like in Utah, the mindset is such that if a person drinks or smokes or participates in this activity or that activity, they must be possesed by the dark side.
More than likely, we will never know why Talovic did what he did. I like to think that he was a troubled young man that didn’t get the help he needed and unfortunately, people had to get hurt as a result. Sounds to me like we have similar mindsets on certain things and I look forward to discussion and debate with you in the future. I don’t really hope you turn blue. I was just mad and I apologize.
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:03 pm
Most people who play violent video games will never become violent themselves. It’s your right to play them as often as you want. I would never dream of making them illegal. It’s just that violent video games seem to increase the chances that some people will become violent. And parents have the right to know that.
But here’s an old school suggestion for vegging out and wasting your time: getting high and listening to Pink Floyd. That’s what we did instead of listening to video games in my day, son. If it was good enough for my generation, then by God . . . :-).
Stay cool, spencert:-).
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:04 pm
I’m sorry, instead of “playing” rather than “listening” to violent video games. Too much beer at lunch.