I think the hunting accident where Vice President Cheney accidentally shot 78 year old lawyer Henry Whittington over the weekend pretty much represents nearly all of my discomfort with the present political Administration in miniature:
- The Vice President's staff through carelessness, apathy, miscommunication, or just plain old honest mistake failed to make sure that all the correct legalities were observed. He did not have the proper hunting license.
- The Vice President ignored some of the basic rules of the use of force. He ignored NRA Gun Safety Rule #1: ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. In this case, he neglected to notice that there was lawyer in safety orange between his gun and the bird he was trying to shoot.
- Communication about the incident completely broke down. It is unclear a) when the President was told there was a hunting accident, and b) when he was told that the Vice President did the shooting. Further, it is unclear that the White House would have ever told the public if the owner of the land where the accident occured had not alerted a newspaper in Corpus Christi.
The only element needed to complete the picture would be if Mr. Whittington was denied assistance in getting to a hospital by the Vice President, his assistants, or the Secret Service because of his socio-economic background, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or political affiliation.
said drgeek
on 2006-02-14 at 12:22 p.m.
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