Lisa Gladden's Folly

At the Greater Baltimore Committee's Legislative Forum, Senator Lisa Gladden labeled those of us who argued against the recent tax increases, as "undemocratic," saying that "“we have a responsibility, if not to ourselves, then to the larger community. We have to pay taxes.”

The Examiner editorial revealed Gladden's statement for the ad hominem attack that it was, and that her goal was to silence critics without engaging their arguments. Gun Powder Chronicle made an even more astute observation labeling Gladden a liberal fascist. Gladden use of the term "undemocratic" is indicative of the progressive left's distortion of language and the meaning words. The left robs words of their true meaning so all that remains is what they want them to mean. A case in point is the term fascism. In Politics and the English Language, George Orwell wrote, "the word fascism has no meaning except in so far as it signifies something not desirable," hence the inane leftist trope that if you scratch a conservative hard enough underneath the surface you will find a budding fascist.

It is not surprising that Gladden made such a ridiculous statement; she has a history of making them. Last year, after she voted against Jessica's Law and for a bill barring restraints on dogs kept outside. Gladden’s asinine response was that her votes don’t mean that she takes the safety of dogs more seriously than the safety of children. She said he based her votes on both bills, “on their merits.” For Gladden, keeping dogs free of restraint had more merit than keeping child sex offenders off the street.

With such vapid logic, no wonder she is reduced to distorting language and smearing those she thinks should stay silent.