To Harry Taylor: You damaged America’s fabric

When President Bush took questions from an audience in Charlotte, NC last week, Harry Taylor saw an opportunity.

You’ve probably heard about him. He’s the guy who stood up and said to the President (as reported by the Raleigh N&O):

"While I listen to you talk about freedom," said Harry Taylor, 61, a commercial real estate broker, "I see you assert your right to tap my telephone, to arrest me and hold me without charges, to try to preclude me from breathing clean air and drinking clean water and eating safe food ..."
Bush broke in with a quip: "I'm not your favorite guy. Go on, what's your question?"

Taylor then said he "never felt more ashamed of, nor frightened by, my leadership in Washington, including the presidency."

Funny, Taylor doesn’t sound ashamed or frightened. He sounds pompous, self-indulgent, self-righteous, and attention seeking. The kind of guy who saw his opportunity to seize, if only for a few minutes, the national spotlight and receive the attention he’s sure he’s due.
The kind of guy who granted media interviews after the event.

Frightened of the government, Mr. Taylor?

That’s not true. You wouldn’t be preening before the cameras’ if you were. You’d be hiding somewhere.

Stop being disingenuous!

And stop tearing at the fabric of America. A president should be able to come to a community and be welcomed as a matter of civility; and in recognition by all thoughtful citizens that he holds one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.

In the twentieth century two presidents were assassinated, two were seriously wounded by gun fire, and one was fired on but the bullet missed him and killed the man sitting next to him.

There were also a number of other assassination attempts on presidents that didn’t result in death or injury to them.

Mr. Taylor, why help create a climate of hostility around the President?

Why push Bush-bashing further toward the edge?

Aren’t you concerned some unstable person will say “Mr. Taylor’s right! But he didn't go far enough. Now I’ll remove that shaming and frightening threat to the country.”

It isn’t like you don’t have many opportunities to express you opinions in more constructive ways.

Think about it.