Flashback: In 2004, Al Franken, Who Would Later Be Elected Senator With No Media Outrage, Body-Slammed (For Real) a Protester at a Howard Dean Rally

The progressives didn't defend Franken's body-slamming of a peaceable man for a simple reason: They didn't have to. The media never brought it up.

Strange that behavior that is not only non-objectionable for a progressive but also not even worth remark is a Five Alarm Fire of moral panic when a conservative does it.

Ann Althouse has some interesting thoughts on masculinity and the urge to dominate. She asks -- I think; I don't want to misinterpret her -- if that leftwing Guardian reporter's actions are not a "toxic masculinity" driven form of attempted dominance, but using the script preferred by weaker men.

Note that that wouldn't really change the legal or ethical calculus here, I don't think -- even though weaker people might have the same drive to dominate as stronger people, and may employ different techniques of achieving it, that doesn't change the fact that violence is strictly forbidden, and for good reason.

I do think it's an interesting insight nevertheless.

Thanks to Evil Blogger Lady (@MsELB.

Corrected: It happened in 2004, not 2000. One's memory begins to slip as one reaches the early middle age of 29.

posted by Ace at 02:12 PM

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