In case you are not familiar with the term, “cognitive dissonance” is defined as follows:
In psychology, cognitive dissonance is the mental stress or discomfort experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time, performs an action that is contradictory to one or more beliefs, ideas or values, or is confronted by new information that conflicts with existing beliefs, ideas, or values.
via Wikipedia
So here’s something akin to cognitive dissonance. Today I received an email from Joe Courtney telling me he voted to restrict people on the terrorist watch list from getting guns. I’ve differed with Joe on a couple of things lately, see here and here, but I’m totally with him on this one. Also, totally against him. How’s that for dissonance?
I’m totally with him because in any rational world the proposed legislation makes perfect sense, though it of course only scratches the surface so far as what’s needed by way of gun control.
But I’m totally against him because the terrorist watch list is stocked full of people who aren’t terrorists, and moreover, never were. They are denied any due process or method to clear their names. There’s a legal term for the process used to put people on the list: arbitrary and capricious.
Not surprising, is it? This is the U.S. in the age of paranoia after all.
So, is it fair to single these “terrorists” out? Probably not. Are the Republicans being hypocritical for failing to do so in this instance? Is there any doubt? They’d be happy to vote to put them all in concentration camps, but take away their guns? Never!
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