Overreacting

In case you missed it, and you probably did unless you read the British press, Liberal Democrat MP Jenny Tonge has been sacked by her party for remarks made at a meeting of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign on Wednesday. What exactly did she say to warrant her ouster? She merely demonstrated her understanding for the circumstances that motivate many Palestinians to become suicide bombers:

"Many, many people criticise, many, many people say it is just another form of terrorism, but I can understand and I am a fairly emotional person and I am a mother and a grandmother. I think if I had to live in that situation, and I say this advisedly, I might just consider becoming one myself.

"And that is a terrible thing to say."

Let's deconstruct what she said. She qualifies her remark several times ("I am a fairly emotional person", "I am a mother and a grandmother", "I say this advisedly", "I might just consider, "that is a terrible thing to say") and says simply that she understands their motivations. And on a human level, she understands how the circumstances of the Israeli occupation and the hardships of life for Palestinians can drive some to become suicide bombers. And that, were she facing the same scenario, it's a notion that would undoubtedly cross her mind.

At no point here does she say "suicide bombing is morally justifiable, not terrorism," nor does she claim "if I were living in that situation, I'd definitely blow myself up to kill some Israeli civilians." The key to her remarks, and one that's commendable in its own way, is that she simply understands the thought process that brings about Palestinian suicide bombers. She demonstrates empathy: the capacity to understand something without condoning it. Where her sympathy shows through is not in saying suicide bombing is a good thing, but that it's unfortunate -- "terrible" -- that the realities of life for Palestinians in the occupied territories would even bring someone to contemplate this. Implicit in this is the contrast to her own life, and how her situation in Britain is so much better that she'd never consider becoming a terrorist because nothing is that bad or desperate to make the idea cross her mind.

Now, while I'd expect a U.S. politician to come under fire (possibly literally) were he or she to make similar remarks, I'm a bit disappointed at the Brits here. For one, it's the Liberal Democratic Party with its pants in a bunch over Tonge's remarks, and its leaders are the ones seeking to dump Tonge. This is all the more disturbing given that the Lib Dems are at least nominally more progressive than Labour, and in theory they should be the ones showing more tolerance and sympathy toward the plight of the Palestinians (but obviously not condoning suicide bombings, which Tonge never does).

It's just another example of people being stupid and overreacting to a politician who dares to do or say something that seems to the media out of character. The same thing is happening on this side of the pond right now, with the way journalists are enthusiastically (ironic, isn't it?) jumping on Howard Dean for being a bit raucous and energetic in addressing a crowd of largely young supporters. I mean, the guy has one soundbyte where he sounds like something other than a dignified, wooden politician, and suddenly this shows he's "unpresidential" and a bunch of crap like that.

Now, I'm not really keen on Howard. I'm leery of him when he talks of being a Clinton-style "triangulator before Clinton was" and when he keeps railing about being more fiscally conservative than Dubya. Yes, he opposed the war and yes, he's promised some progressive things. But I'm still a bit suspicious of him. Nonetheless, I have to say, if nothing else, being boisterous like he was in Iowa on Monday night and showing that he's at least very passionate about winning and kicking Bush out of the White House will endear him to me, if only slightly. And getting hammered by anyone and everyone for doing that is also going to win sympathy for me. It's probably still not enough for me to back him, but for crying out loud, at least he's not quite so staid or stodgy in personality as Kerry or Edwards or most politicians. There's a pulse beneath his cheap suits.

I just fear that Dean's campaign will be derailed by that moment of ebullience rather than by his finish in Iowa (also a lousy reason) or, more importantly, by any of his policies and proposals. Again, that's not to say I'd be upset if he doesn't get nominated, but if it meant having John friggin' Kerry going up against Bush, it'd be really bad.