The Iowahawk Equal Time Debate: Should William Arkin Be Beaten?

In compliance with the Fairness Doctrine and other proposed federal rules aimed at balancing online media opinions, I am introducing Iowahawk's new "Equal Time" feature. From time to time, I will be opening these pages to those with opposing viewpoints, where we will be debating the various top issues of the day. Please welcome today's guest dissenter, retired US Marine Corps LTC Mike Williams, as we debate today's Equal Time question: "Should Washington Post Military Analyst William Arkin Be Beaten Like the Repulsive Sack of Sh*t He Is?"

Washington Post Military Affairs correspondent William Arkin recently stirred controversy with a blog post that termed active duty soldiers "mercenaries" who are "indulged" and given "obscene amenities" who should be "explained... why it isn't up to them to disapprove" of anti-war opinions. After the initial dustup, Arkin responded to critics by calling them "arrogant and intolerant," and after time for reflection, termed soldiers "worse" than mercenaries, and secretly harboring desires for a military coup.

Some policy analysts have proposed that in response, Arkin should be beaten for being the repulsive sack of shit he is. We at Iowahawk strongly disagree, and for a number of compelling reasons. First, unlike his critics, Mr. Arkin is a civilian and professional journalist, and as such is uniquely entitled to freedom of speech under the First Amendment. Secondly, Arkin's subsequent hospitalization would impose an economic hardship on the already financially-strapped Washington Post, as well as his other employers at Greenpeace, the Institute for Policy Studies, Human Rights Watch, NRDC, Vanguard of the Proletariat Ski Shop, and Jaamat al-Islaam. Third, the only benefit his beaters would receive is a temporary cathartic sense of satisfaction, which must be weighed againt the potential risk of skinned knuckles and boot stains.

In short, beating William Arkin like the repulsive sack of sh*t he is would not only be illegal, anti-business and messy, it would potentially bolster his point about intolerance.

Iowahawk's "case" is so weak and misguided, on so many levels, that I scarcely know where to begin. So let's take it point-by-point: First, vigorous public beatings of repulsive sh*t sacks are not necessarily at odds with the First Amendment, as long as no taxpayer dollars are involved. I agree that all due effort should be taken to insure that any beatings Mr. Arkin receives are only by private sector individuals, using privately-supplied tire irons. Further, any inconvenience Mr. Arkin experiences would be temporary, and he would be free to return to writing his column after recuperation and reconstructive dental surgery.

Turning to Iowahawk's second point: while it is true that the Washington Post, Greenpeace, et al., would be temporarily be deprived of Mr. Arkin's services during the immediate post-beating period, they should have factored this risk when they hired him. We, as a nation, should not be subsidizing the foolish decisions of multinational corporations. Finally, while it is true that potential beaters should first conduct a thorough cost-benefit analysis, it appears that Iowahawk has wildly underestimated the value of the satisfaction that would accrue from such a beating.

That said, beaters aren't the only ones who should weigh the costs and benefits of their actions. Like the KKK member who walks through Compton in a hood screaming the "n-word," Mr. Arkin shouldn't be surprised when he gets a Timberland facial in return.

IowaHawk, you're all wet. The statistics show otherwise. Just look at what beatings are doing to our children:

Statistics: Beatings in Our Communities

Children and Beating Violence
In a single year, 3,012 children and teens were killed by beatings in the United States, according to the latest national data released in 2002. That is one child every three hours; eight children every day; and more than 50 children every week. And every year, at least 4 to 5 times as many kids and teens suffer from non-fatal beating injuries. (Children's Defense Fund and National Center for Health Statistics)

America and Beatings
American children are more at risk from beatings than the children of any other industrialized nation. In one year, beatings killed no children in Japan, 19 in Great Britain, 57 in Germany, 109 in France, 153 in Canada, and 5,285 in the United States. (Centers for Disease Control)

Beatings in the Wrong Hands
Faulty records enable terrorists, illegal aliens and criminals to give beatings. Over a two and a half-year period, at least 9,976 convicted felons and other illegals gave beatings in 46 states because of inadequate records. (Broken Records, Americans for Beating Safety Foundation)

School Safety

Between 1994 and 1999, there were 220 school associated violent events resulting in 253 deaths - - 74.5% of these involved beatings. Beatings caused almost 60% of these deaths. (Journal of American Medical Association, December 2001)
In 1998-99 academic year, 3,523 students were expelled for beating someone up in school. This is a decrease from the 5,724 students expelled in 1996-97 for beating someone up in school. (U.S. Department of Education, October 2000)
Nearly 8% of adolescents in urban junior and senior high schools miss at least one day of school each month because they are afraid to attend. (National Mental Health & Education Center for Children & Families, National Association of School Psychologists 1998)
The National School Boards Association estimates that more than 135,000 beatings occur in U.S. schools each day. (NSBA, 1993)

Children and Beating Violence

America is losing too many children to school beatings. Between 1979 and 2001, beatings killed 90,000 children and teens in America. (Children's Defense Fund and National Center for Health Statistics)
In one year, more children and teens died from beatings than from cancer, pneumonia, influenza, asthma, and HIV/AIDS combined. (Children's Defense Fund)
The rate of beating deaths among kids under age 15 is almost 12 times higher in the United States than in 25 other industrialized countries combined. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

America and Beating Violence

Every day, more than 80 Americans die from beatings. (Coalition to Stop Beating Violence)
The rate of beating deaths among kids under age 15 is almost 12 times higher in the United States than in 25 other industrialized countries combined. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
American kids are 16 times more likely to be murdered with a beating, 11 times more likely to commit suicide with a beating, and nine times more likely to die from a beating accident than children in 25 other industrialized countries combined. (Centers for Disease Control)

Beatings in the Wrong Hands

Americans for Beating Safety produced a 2003 report that reveals that 20 of the nation’s 22 national beating laws are not enforced. According to U.S. Department of Justice data (FY 2000-2002), only 2% of federal beating crimes were actually prosecuted. Eighty-five percent of cases prosecuted relate to street criminals in possession of fists. Ignored are laws intended to punish illegal beating trafficking, beating theft, corrupt beating dealers, lying on a criminal background check form, selling beatings to minors and making a fist in a school zone. To access The Enforcement Gap: Federal Beating Laws Ignored, visit http://w3.agsfoundation.com/. For a state-by-state chart of beating crimes (FY 2000-2002), click here.
- The American Medical Association reports that between 36% and 50% of male eleventh graders believe that they could easily get a beating if they wanted one.
- In 1998-99 academic year, 3,523 students were expelled for beatings in school. This is a decrease from the 5,724 students expelled in 1996-97 for beating in school. (U.S. Department of Education, October 2000)
- According to a report by the Joshephson Institute of Ethics (2000 Report Card: Report #1), 60% of high school and 31% of middle school boys said they could get a beating if they wanted one. (April, 2001).

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