Fear

Michelle Malkin is writing extensively today about the horrific murder of a 14 year old girl (some reports indicate she was 20 years old) in Nigeria who died at the hands of rampaging Islamic youth. The girl, whose name isn't even known, was stoned to death for criticizing the Prophet Muhammad of "some misdeeds."

The girl had sought refuge in a Police Station. The police handed her over to the mob without firing a shot.

LINK TO MICHELLE MALKIN'S COLUMN: CLICK HERE

LINK TO THE NEWS REPORTS OF THE MURDER: CLICK HERE FOR THE ALL AFRICA.COM REPORT

LINK TO THE NEWS REPORTS OF THE MURDER: CLICK HERE FOR THE NIGERIAN TRIBUNE REPORT

Michelle sarcastically ends her column by challenging the left, "I am waiting for the human rights crowd to express its utter disgust over such barbaric religious persecution and am so sure we will hear feminist outrage over this young woman's senseless brutal lynching."

And so I decided to check it out. And, of course, Michelle is right. There isn't a peep in all of the left leaning blogoshpere, Koz, Huffington, and the big left independents all have other oxen to gore. This story won't gain any traction on the left. The girl was a Christian evangelist in an Islamic country.

But, The Huffington Post LINK: CLICK HERE is busy revealing and discussing the equally horrific terrorist activities of the Iraqi Police revealed today by the LA Times LINK: CLICK HERE. The Iraqi story is much bigger and involves many times the rapes, murders, tortures and "crimes against humanity" than the lone murder, however tragic, of the young Christian evangelist.

And Malkin fails to even give passing mention of the Iraq story. So maybe Huffington is right to cover the "bigger" story. Or perhaps they are both equally wrong. I'm personally sick of left versus right arguments over what ought to be a universal view of human rights.

But today's column is actually about an unbelievably clueless and self absorbed blog entry written by Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Connie Schultz. LINK: CLICK HERE The title of Connie's blog entry is "We Are Not Afraid."

Connie Schultz, as it turns out, is the wife of U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who has announced his candidacy for the US Senate. Ms. Schultz writes:

"Aren't you afraid?" people ask, usually before Sherrod gives a speech or I show up on his behalf.

"Aren't you afraid of what they can do to you?"

Every time we hear this question, we see what a chokehold the politics of fear can have on so many decent people - from university professors to small-town farmers, from stay-at-home mothers to corporate executives. They want to believe in fair elections and a campaign of ideas, but they can see what's coming by who's already laid tracks in this bellwether state.

So far, President Bush has shown up twice in Ohio to raise money for Sherrod's opponent. Vice President Cheney and Karl Rove, the mastermind of some of the nastiest campaigns in recent history, have made high-profile visits here. Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell is pulling out one hat trick after another to impede voter registration -- even as he runs for governor.

So, it's not hard to understand why so many Ohioans have nervously pulled us aside or stood bravely in a crowded room to ask if we're scared of what "they" can do to us.

Sherrod decided to run for the Senate after months of private discussions that included weaving every imaginable worse-case scenario. These were late-night talks in the wake of the 2004 swift boating of John Kerry and nine-hour waits at the polls in parts of Ohio, so it wasn't hard to conjure up our own boatload of ugly possibilities.

Exactly what in hell does this high profile multi-millionaire couple have to fear? That their opponents will run advertising filled with half truths and slanderous accusations?

That their opponents ads might contain whole truths and Brown will be embarrassed?

That Sherrod Brown's ads might be equally vicious, and contain the same half truths as his opponent's ads?

That President Bush might say bad things about him?

That the people of Ohio might actually reject them in favor of their opponent?

Yes, all those things might happen in the United States in a campaign for the US Senate. And you might have to eat some lousy chicken dinners and stay in some cheap motels (although that is unlikely).

Connie, it's called democracy. It's called "Freedom of the Press." Actually, it's called FREEDOM.

FREEDOM. It's what the people in Iraq are fighting for, every day. But they really are brave. Running for the parliament there means risking your life.

FREEDOM. It was a search for FREEDOM OF RELIGION that cost a young girl's life in Nigeria.

Dear Ms. Schultz, I can promise you one thing. You will never be stoned to death while seeking refuge in a police station.

And you don't know the first thing about fear.

Thank God.