Craig Crawford criticizes DeLay and manages to attack liberals

Craig Crawford, a contributor to Congressional Quarterly, appeared on MSNBC tonight to talk about Tom DeLay's attacks on Justice Anthony Kennedy. In making the point that Kennedy was a conservative, Crawford said: "He's not exactly a sandal-wearing hippie surfing the Internet for porn."

That is how language is used to create images. The conclusion, of course, is that liberals like pornography. Probably a lot of liberals do like pornography, but so do a lot of conservatives, including many who rail against it. Crawford's statement went unchallenged; the damage was done. Liberals were portrayed as long-haired (like there's anything wrong with that) freaks who want to look at naked women. The subtext is: Liberals are out-of-touch people who do not share "traditional values."

This kind of thing goes on all the time, and the speakers get away with it. Language is the most powerful force in the world, and until it is effectively challenged, this nation will remain a sexist, racist culture of ignorant hypocrites.