I love judgmentalism — it’s a sport … I like judging. I like judging! Let me judge.
— Internet media mogul Andrew Breitbart in the New Yorker
If I’m Andrew Brietbart, why would I ever apologize for sliming Shirley Sherrod? In a culture in which verbally facile people are paid boat loads of money to rush to judgment — and publicly pronounce sentence in as smart-assed a manner as possible — what’s the upside to saying, “I was wrong. I’m sorry”?
Especially to a mid-level member of the Agriculture Department?
Sherrod, of course, went from bureaucratic obscurity to household name last week when a speech she had given to an NAACP chapter was edited to portray her as a black racist. The video was then posted by Breitbart with vitriolic comment on one of his many conservative web sites and flagged to Fox News, which could not get it on the air fast enough for condemnation.
The NAACP and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack reacted with equally alarming and under-informed speed. Monday, Sherrod was denounced by national NAACP executives and, despite her protests of innocence, forced to resign (via BlackBerry on the shoulder of a highway) from her position as rural development director of Georgia.
When her full speech was posted on the Web the day after, it became obvious that Sherrod had related a story of overcoming her own prejudice — her father reportedly was killed in a racially motivated crime — not bragged about giving a poor white farm couple short shrift.
In affirmation, the white farmers, who actually had been helped by Sherrod, spoke up in her defense to reporters all over the country.
Breitbart’s initial reaction was to say he was a victim of fraud by whomever passed the edited video clip to him. He corrected a time element in his original blast — the farm anecdote occurred while Sherrod worked for a non-profit, not the Ag department — and posted more of her speech.
But as the week wore on and visitors swarmed to Breitbart.com, right-wing pundits leapt to his side. Some parsed anew every line of Sherrod’s full speech, inferred prejudice from her audience’s reaction or insisted that her use of the present tense in parts of the farmer story proved she really is a black racist.
By week’s end, Sherrod had been showered with NAACP and Obama administration apologies and offered a new job in the Agriculture Department. Breitbart, meanwhile, was protecting the identity of his video source and declaring that liberal news media had used a couple of errors to shift attention to him from their own double standard for reporting on racism.
Breitbart also had returned to an aggressive stance against Sherrod. On Tuesday, he had emphasized that his beef was with the NAACP and he’d never suggested she be fired. By Friday, he told Politico that Sherrod’s speech demonstrates “this person has not gotten past black versus white.”
In a telephone interview with Politico’s Kenneth Vogel, Breitbart said, “I am public enemy No. 1 or 2 to the Democratic Party, the progressive movement and the Obama administration, based upon the success my journalism has had.”
No wonder Politico recently named Breitbart one of its “50 Politicos to Watch,” praising his “wit” and “edge.” Wit and edge — especially edge — are the currency of the realm in opinion journalism, which is the brand of the profession Breitbart practices.
As for the realm of opinion among the general population, wit and edge aren’t necessary — any more than accuracy and context are necessary. What really matters is the speed at which citizens weigh in on a subject and the passion with which they condemn or defend it.
This is America 2010, after all. Who wants to wait around while someone checks facts or obtains the whole story? That can take days, even weeks. All those instant polls on TV, radio the ’net and our cell phones? How could we vote if we paused long enough to get more than a sound bite accusation?
Whether it’s the food we order in a restaurant, the roads and highways we travel or the lives we want to build, we just don’t like waiting around for mission accomplished. Careful deliberation is for juries — unless Nancy Grace tells us they blew the case. Then we can second-guess 12 people we never met, based not on all the testimony they heard, but on our gut reaction to the verdict they rendered.
When Agriculture secretary Vilsack reversed his decision and apologized to Sherrod, he said the firing “was a decision I regret having made in haste.” The same day, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs acknowledged that the administration had reacted without having all the pertinent information.
In a news conference, Gibbs spoke of a “frenzied culture where everything happens so quickly.” He told the White House press corps that everyone involved in the Sherrod affair should “ask themselves, How did we get into this? How did we not ask the right questions? How did you all not ask the right questions?”
Um, because that’s just the way we all do it these days?
Whatever the socio-political causes, we Americans, from the White House to our own house, have surpassed a rush to judgment. We now display an instinct to judge. Based on fragments, shards and snapshots of information — an irritable checkout clerk, a dawdling driver, a crying child, a standoffish church member, a hyperactive colleague — we fill in the blanks with made up facts from our imagination. And we judge, judge, judge.
Once in a great while, if and when we’re proven wrong and can’t wriggle out of it, we might admit, like Vilsack, that we made a regrettable judgment in haste. Most of the time, though, we don’t because saying, “I was wrong. I’m sorry,” is even harder than waiting around.
Stephanie Salter can be reached at (812) 231-4229 or stephanie.salter@tribstar.com.
Opinion
STEPHANIE SALTER: Partial information, instant judgment — it’s such a rush
- Opinion
-
-
EDITORIAL: Indiana 641 — slow but sure
One could state that observing the construction of Indiana 641 through southeastern Vigo County is like watching paint dry. But that would not be accurate. Paint dries more quickly. Much more quickly.
-
LIZ CIANCONE: A little bit of cursive comes in handy
Good grief. What next?
I read recently that there is a movement underfoot to cease teaching cursive writing in the public schools. I understand that this is merely a suggestion and is optional, but still …
-
READERS' FORUM: Feb. 14, 2012
• Free us from 'Republicanism'
• Eagles take pride in group’s work
• Be careful what you strive for
-
MAX JONES: It is amazing what an energized downtown can do
For those of us who’ve watched the inspired growth and development of downtown Indianapolis through the years, it’s hard to understand sometimes the amazement some express at what’s been created.
-
MARK BENNETT: Proposed trail would give river development momentum, reacquaint community with Wabash
Terre Haute and the Wabash River were like strangers living next door to each other.
-
EDITORIAL: Drug-testing bill lacks fairness and decency
The current session of the Indiana Legislature has produced plenty of initiatives that play well to the majority party’s base.
-
BRIAN HOWEY: Why is Obama opening an Indiana office? Autos
On Thursday, the Obama for America campaign opened up a campaign office in Indiana, a state with a century-old love affair with the internal combustion engine.
-
READERS' FORUM: Feb. 12, 2012
• White’s opponent entitled to office
• Positive moves for healthy foods
• Thanks from the Super Bowl XLVI Host Committee
• Doctor’s diet plan helps her arthritis
• Great support for fundraiser
• A few thoughts moving forward
-
FLASHPOINT: Graduation rates are up; great news for Indiana
As Hoosiers celebrate the conclusion of a truly remarkable Super Bowl experience, there is even more good news that should fill us with pride.
-
READER'S FORUM: Feb. 11, 2012
• Controlling crows everyone’s job
• Strong plan needed to fight Alzheimer’s
-
EDITORIAL: Keep religion out of science class
An uncertain fate remains for an Indiana Senate bill that would, if it were to become law, allow public schools to teach creationism and other origin-of-life theories in their classes. But this fight may have already been grounded.
-
READERS' FORUM: Feb. 10, 2012
• How about a parade for war veterans?
• Rubber reptiles will chase off crows
-
EDITORIAL: Delivering on infrastructure
With national, state and local economies showing distinct signs of recovery from the Great Recession of 2008, it is good to hear Mayor Duke Bennett sounding optimistic about Terre Haute and its immediate future.
-
READERS' FORUM: Feb. 9, 2012
• Award proves art teacher’s special
• Technicality hits cancer patient
-
EDITORIAL: The shame of voter fraud
For a state that has supposedly spent so much time and effort passing and implementing strict laws concerning voter fraud, it certainly deserves the embarrassment being heaped on it for the Charlie White affair.
-
READERS' FORUM: Feb. 8, 2012
• City engineer sets high standard
• More than paper to protect rights
-
LIZ CIANCONE: Give pets the gift of a better, longer life
It’s amazing how many of us at the Family Sports Center are involved with pets. But I recently became aware of how involved some of us have become.
-
Readers' Forum: Feb. 7, 2012
• Kodak moment for America?
• Let’s not bring back serfdom
• IU-Purdue game a nice diversion
-
EDITORIAL: Volunteer ‘army’ serving the needs of children
You know, of course, that casa means house. But do you also know that its all-capitals cousin, CASA, means home?
-
MARK BENNETT: Toxic victories
When the Super Bowl ends tonight in Indianapolis, most of the Giants and Patriots will shake hands, despite their competitive fire, win or lose.
-
EDITORIAL: Big dreams do come true
Consider this Super Bowl Sunday to be proof that anything is possible.
-
READERS FORUM: Feb. 5, 2012
• Why does Howey keep attacking Mourdock?
• Thanks for the commitment
• Accurate view of pipeline issue
• Oil pipeline is a pipe dream
• Not all workers belong to unions
• Unions protect working people
• Terre Haute Zoning issue unites neighbors
-
BRIAN HOWEY: Keeping Peyton in the Hoosier pantheon
When it comes to the pantheon of Hoosier sports heroes — Johnny Wooden, Knute Rockne, Bob Knight, Larry Bird, Reggie Miller, Rick Mount, Bobby Plump, George Gipp — the newest name will certainly be Peyton Manning.
-
FLASHPOINT: Tech trail leading us into a dense, digital forest
It seems the Southwest Parke schools are the latest to play the laptop lottery game.
-
READERS' FORUM: Feb. 4, 2012
• Defending Bain, attacking Harrop, praising Romney
• Break a CFL? No reason to panic
• GOP’s timing not so super
-
READERS' FORUM: Feb. 3, 2012
• Keep pressure on the Pentagon
• Supportive words for Jim Mann
-
EDITORIAL: Big ‘kick’ from a native son
Every player in Sunday’s Super Bowl is from somewhere. But not every player remembers where he’s from and reaches out to consistently help those back home. Not like Steve Weatherford. Make that not like Terre Haute’s Steve Weatherford.
-
EDITORIAL: Smoking ban good enough
When it comes to getting things done in the Indiana General Assembly, progress is often measured in baby steps. Indeed, it can take years to achieve even meager accomplishments.
-
READERS' FORUM: Feb. 2, 2012
• There are reasons unions are needed
• Why so hard to get a tow here?
-
EDITORIAL: United Way’s strong reputation helps sustain community trust
It would be foolish in any community to take “positives” for granted, but it’s easy to understand how a casual observer would assume that United Way of the Wabash Valley will always come through with flying colors.
- More Opinion Headlines
-
EDITORIAL: Indiana 641 — slow but sure








