Once again, ideas are not guilty by association!

One of the many people quoted in Anders Breivik’s manifesto was Bruce Bawer, a gay American writer living in Norway. In a recent PJM column which Glenn linked, Bawer (who is understandably very upset) discusses what Breivik said about him in web site comments.  Among other things Breivik had called Bawer “a liberal anti-jihadist and not a cultural conservative in many areas” and voiced the suspicion that Bawer was “paranoid” because of “his homosexual orientation.” Considering the source, I think such criticism of Bawer ought to be taken as a form of praise.

Not only does Bawer find it chilling to read his name in Breivik’s postings, but he is also very worried that the gunman’s actions may have discredited legitimate criticism of Islam:

It is chilling to read my own name in postings by this mass murderer. And it is deeply depressing to see this evil, twisted creature become the face of Islam criticism in Norway. Norwegian television journalists who in the first hours of the crisis were palpably uncomfortable about the prospect of having to talk about Islamic terrorism are now eagerly discussing the dangers of “Islamophobia” and “conservative ideology” and are drawing connections between the madness and fanaticism of Breivik and the platform of the Progress Party. Yesterday’s events, then, represent a double tragedy for Norway. Not only has it lost almost one hundred people, including dozens of young people, in a senseless rampage of violence. But I fear that legitimate criticism of Islam, which remains a very real threat to freedom in Norway and the West, has been profoundly discredited, in the eyes of many Norwegians, by association with this murderous lunatic.

As I have been reminding readers for the last several days, ideas are not guilty because a murderer hides behind them as justification. As I just said in an update to yesterday’s post,

This massacre was evil and twisted behavior, but the claim that opposition to Cultural Marxism is responsible simply does not follow. Any more than the idea that “the world is overpopulated” would be responsible for some maniac unleashing a devastating virus intended to kill off billions.

Similarly, opposition to abortion is not discredited by the actions of a fanatic who shoots abortion doctors or bombs abortion clinics.

Of course, I’ve been making this argument for years now, and the problem has not gone away.


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5 responses to “Once again, ideas are not guilty by association!”

  1. Reiuk Avatar
    Reiuk

    Bruce Bawer is so slick. He deliberately left out the part RIGHT where after Breivik talked about Bruce Bawer he says how Vlaams and EDL (or BNP) need to become more moderate and less culturally conservative.

    Bawer also didn’t show the many quotations where Breivik doesn’t have a problem with homosexuality as much as how it is used to smear the right.

    I have lost all respect for Bruce Brawer on this one. Taking passages out to suit his viewpoint.

    Despicable.

  2. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Leftists are such Orwellians -> http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2011/07/who-added-christian-and-conservative-to-norway-shooters-facebook-page-yesterday.html

    They’re far worse than any far-right winger. A far-right wingers knows and proudly displays his true nature and that he prefers indoctrination and censorship. A leftist believes himself to be morally good, above it and enlightened when he’s none of those.

  3. Eric Avatar

    Reiuk, I understand you don’t like Bawer, but are you trying to defend a mass murderer?

  4. Leon Haller Avatar
    Leon Haller

    Why is it that someone who disagrees with you is immediately accused of “defending a mass murderer”?

    You argue like a typical leftist. Someone finds some aspect of the Holocaust narrative unpersuasive, and immediately the leftist starts “wondering” if that person is a Nazi.

    Despicable.

  5. Kristian Avatar
    Kristian

    Unless, of course, the ideas are Islam, or “Marxist” social democracy, or being opposed to Israel’s actions against the Palestinians, or being opposed to going to war with Iraq.

    Hmmm?