"Everything is on the table"

"Everything is on the table." Politicians say it all the time. It is an all-purpose response designed to address the public's concerns about everything from budget deficits to Iranian and North Korean nuclear ambitions. Yet, it strikes us as trite and empty. Why doesn't it comfort us? Because it isn't true. "Every option is on the table" is simply a lie. If every option was truly considered, politics would be a more interesting. Governing would be more efficient.

That brings us to the tragic events in Libya. How did the video become the consensus opinion of the administration? See paragraph one.  Islamic terrorism was never 'on the table.' Politicians have pet narratives and they prefer that the underlying causes and precipitating events fit the story line.

Consider this. There have been several recent events for which Islamic terrorism might have been a plausible, if not the compelling explanation. The Obama administration has determined some of these same events to be the unfortunate results of workplace violence, a drive-by shooting, personal emotional turmoil or a spontaneous riot incited by a YouTube video. . If a future tragedy. similar to the one in Benghazi occurs, the causes cited will not number Islamic extremism among them.

The sad reality is that facts  are usually "on the table" only to the extent that they coincide with some predetermined political narrative. When the facts don't fit the narrative, they get some adaptation.

The facts is in the Fort Hood case got considerable adaptation along the way. The Major left a trail of clues to his murderous designs. He didn't really try to conceal his intentions or disguise his contempt for his colleagues and fellow citizens. Many red flags were ignored or given a more favorable reading. The Major was given the benefit of the doubt. The result was unspeakable and perhaps preventable.

The impulse to ignore politically incorrect or uncomfortable realities is often measured in American lives. What can we do about it? Tell your representatives and political friends that the truth is the only
thing you want on the table. Tell him or her that you want it no matter how uncomfortable it is for them or for you.