The "R" bomb

Powerline reports that David Horowitz is taking on Al Franken. In his book "Lies and the Dirty Liars Who Tell Them" Franken refers to Mr. Horowitz as a Racist. Horowitz responds:

"As it happens I marched in my first civil rights protest in 1948 before Al Franken was born. For more than fifty years I have supported minorities and defended their civil rights in public word and deed, and raised millions of dollars to help inner city minorities whom racism has scarred. In fact there is no single cause – except America’s wars against totalitarian foes – to which I have devoted myself more consistently that than that of racial equality. Not a shred of evidence exists to the contrary. I have written more than a million words on racial and political matters -- all of them public record. There is not a single sentence, or phrase, or comment of mine that could be cited to justify Franken’s attack. . . .
My answer to Al Franken is this: I am going to post your photograph on FrontPageMag.com, which is viewed by a million visitors monthly. The photo will be identified with these words: “Al Franken,: Racist.” The photo will be prominently posted until you apologize to me publicly for this attack. When you have made an apology, I will disclose my evidence for characterizing you as a racist or withdraw the charge."

This is a typical trick used by liberals. If we disagree on an issue it can't be a principled disagreement, I am either a racist, a homophobe or a misogynist. If I stand by my beliefs I am an ignorant fascist. If I persist I have been told I actually deserve to be put to death. Similar charges were have been made against Charleston Heston, a man who stood with Dr. Martin Luther King against the racism of the 1960's south.

I am not a racist but I have been accused of it because I am a more socially conservative than not. I am not as famous as Mr. Horowitz so I don't have as much too lose, mainly a little respect from someone who obviously doesn't have that much respect for me anyway and possibly a lot of respect for them. The thing is though once that bomb is let loose it changes everything it shows me how little you think of me, and it insures that I am in no way inclined to ever reach out to you again. On a larger scale that is what Al Franken accomplished, by his attack he shows just how little he thinks of people who disagree with him and insures that no effort at dialogue will be made.