Character Assassination
In politics and religion, character assassination is the preferred method of destroying an opponent. It is defined as “…an attempt to tarnish a person’s reputation. It may involve exaggeration, misleading half-truths, or manipulation of facts to present an untrue picture of the targeted person. It is a form of defamation and can be a form of ad hominem argument.”
This political season is fraught with character assassination. No surprise really. Politics has never been a fair game. It’s not about civil, logical, reasoned, fact based debate. It’s about total destruction and winning at all costs. But, the costs are too high. In politics, there is always more than one victim. In the end, the people suffer.
Even though I’m not involved in politics directly, I am the target of character assassination on a regular basis. Whether it’s my atheism, my social profile, my perceived status, my radio show… I am constantly under attack. Lately, I’ve been the target of former friends and show associates. And, not surprisingly, the facts of the issues are nowhere to be found. Instead, they have been replaced by personal insecurities, fears, ego and religious zealotry. This is par for the course. It isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last time that I have to endure the slings and arrows of insecure bigots. But, I’m really stumped by the assailants’ persistence. It has been a few years since I have had contact with any of them. But, for some reason they feel the need to continue their assault. Is this indicative of the possibility that the facts are weighing on their conscience? Could it be that the assailants are afraid of those facts? Is it possible that they have personal insecurities and unresolved issues that preclude them from facing the facts, therefore they need to lash out in anger, playing the role of victim, and cannot take personal responsibility for their own actions and feelings? Yep.
Let me assure those who continue to insist that my character is suspect… If your issues with me are that important, of such concern that you can’t move on with your lives… Get help. Because it’s not me that has caused you distress. It’s you. You have a serious problem and need to seek professional help before you do something really stupid. I can assure you that I’m not in the least bit afraid to confront you with the facts. And, I will have no remorse in watching those facts pummel you into the ground. My advice… Move along and get a life. Life’s far too short to waste. My character is intact. And those who truly know me know this to be true. And always remember… Your hypocrisy always reveals your lies.
