As I read an article regarding the difficulty of actually developing a rational and effective policy prescription in response to the Virginia reporter shooting, I kept hearing in my head echoes of the refrain I’ve heard more times than I can count:
I don’t know what the answer is, but something has to be done.
The people who’ve said this have usually declared themselves as the holders of some moral high ground, possibly because they’re the ones making the “difficult” choice of calling for action.
This, of course, is nonsense. The EASIEST choice is to demand action and wave off the details as things for others to figure out. The EASIEST choice is to ignore the unintended consequences that will result from empowering someone to act broadly and vaguely.
As for the moral high ground… it’s only defendable by straw man:
I want something done, you don’t agree with me, therefore you accept this and other murders as the consequence of your irrational opposition to common-sense reforms.
I figuratively want to smack anyone who puts that notion forth across the face.
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