One of the quickest ways to dismiss an argument is to accuse someone of “politicizing” an issue. This was the local media’s narrative back in 2006 when I made an issue out of Gov. Napolitano’s defense of an indefensible 9/11 Memorial that included false and anti-American statements.
Back then few would acknowledge that my critique was valid, and that families of 9/11 victims and Iraq war heroes were offended. Now it seems to be a given.
Today an Arizona Republic editorial — “Not a job for politicians’ — declares:
But some of the phrases are off base, inappropriate, even inaccurate. They should go.
And that’s just what the commission decided to do: Remove the bad choices and add better ones, such as the deeply resonant “Let’s roll.”
The notion that “Let’s roll” should be on the Memorial was proposed in my press conference speech. And yet, in today’s editorial, the narrative against “politicizing” the Memorial continues, as the media now makes the case that Rep. John Kavanaugh and the legislature should not wade into the process:
“Maybe some recall how Republican gubernatorial candidate Len Munsil tried to make a political football out of the issue in 2006, calling for the memorial to be torn down.”
Greg Patterson and the blogosphere brought this issue to the public’s attention. But our press conference, which gave public voice to the families of 9/11 victims and Iraq war heroes, helped raise its profile.
Here’s the point: sometimes a campaign and the political process move issues forward that otherwise would be ignored. Now the Republic wants Rep. Kavanaugh and the Legislature to step aside because the Governmental Mall Commission is supposedly taking action.
But what the media never acknowledges is that no action would ever have been taken without the focus of attention that a political campaign brought to the issue.