Brilliance on the Political Left

As some of you know, I am constantly searching for the most brilliant people on the left. There are those who would argue that it is a vain effort, but I disagree because I truly believe that there are intelligent people on both the right and the left.

Take this gentleman for example. The grandson of German immigrants, he took an interest in journalism while attending high school, covering sports for The News-Gazette. He began writing letters of comment to science fiction fanzines, and became involved in sci-fi fandom writing his own articles. His senior year, he won a high school association state speech championship. He went on to receive an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

His writing career has brought him notoriety the world around, and is widely believed to be one of (if not the) best in his field. He's also written screenplays, published several books and made appearances in movies. He's a guest lecturer at the University of Chicago, and writes a column for a major Chicago newspaper. It's easy to say that this man is quite successful and must be amongst the best and the brightest. Who am I speaking of? Why, this man, of course:

Roger Ebert's latest diarrhea diatribe

Yes, Roger Ebert, one of the most distinguished minds on the left today. What makes Roger such an elite leftist mind? Well in addition to the brilliance he displayed on his twitter page above, he's also advocated the 'horse whipping' of Rush Limbaugh for Limbaugh's criticism of Obama's handling of the Haitian earthquake and specifically the effort to funnel donations through the White House website. Roger Ebert continues to spew diarrhea from what's left of his smug little pie hole.

Now, specifically to the tweet he blessed the world with yesterday. Ebert was responding to the story out of Morgan Hill, CA where students wearing American Flag clothing on the 5th of May were kicked out of school. Why were they asked to remove the clothing, or face suspension? Why, because the 5th of May is a holiday for Mexicans, and wearing American Flag themed clothing on such a day would be insensitive to Mexican-Americans. AYFKM?!

Let's dive into this issue, just a skosh. First, I am going to be generous and assume that since the students are enrolled at a high school in Morgan Hill that they are, in fact legal citizens, and not criminal aliens. Therefore, the American flag is their flag, too. No citizen should be offended at the sight of their flag, no citizen. Cinco de Mayo is a holiday and celebration of the Mexican Army's victory over the French. While it has become a day of revelry in the United States, it is not a holiday and enjoys no state or federal distinction as such, nor should it. There are some who might say that the boys at Live Oak High School wore the clothing on May 5th in an effort to provoke students of Hispanic decent. Even if that were the boys intent, the wearing of patriotic clothing should never be a provocation and the fact that it might be or that it is, is an illustration of the government's failure to encourage and enforce assimilation into US society. This has become a politically charged issue, primarily because of the federal government's and California state government's unwillingness to address illegal immigration. We have also avoided enforcing assimilation into US culture and have encouraged the radical embracing of Mexican culture all across the southwest. Make no mistake, this is a huge problem. Don't believe me? Here's what Theodore Roosevelt had to say about immigrants, emphasis mine:

"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but is something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people." ~1919
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“We can have no "50-50" allegiance in this country. Either a man is an American and nothing else, or he is not an American at all.”

These are quotes from an American President from nearly a century ago, and yet we've forgotten these words in favor of inclusiveness and cultural sensitivity. Teddy was clear, anyone who asserts themselves to be anything other than 100% American is not an American at all.

This kinda flies in what's left of the face of Roger Ebert and his assertion that anyone who chooses to wear American Flag T-Shirts on May 5th are the same as traitors, doesn't it? Ebert, and those who believe as he does are a threat to the nation, and for that, he should be horse whipped. Roger Ebert has little respect for our nation of laws, and quite possibly even less respect for the men who fought to make her what she is today. He places no value on the pillars of our society (language, culture and history), and for that should be dragged by his slack jaw to the border, and tossed over.

Roger Ebert, one of the 'brilliant minds' on today's left.

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Andy's take.

Innominatus has some interesting thoughts on Cinco de Mayo.

The only thing I can't figure out is why Ebert was suggesting that lefty kids wearing USSR flag clothing (who are heroes in his eyes) must be subjected to hanging out with the patriotic zealots wearing American flag gear.

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