Janet Reno’s ‘great opportunity’

“We have a great opportunity right now,” said Attorney General Janet
Reno, a day after 13 children and a teacher were massacred at Columbine
High in Littleton, Colo.

What in the world did she mean “great opportunity”? Was it an
opportunity for her bosses to get their mugs on TV? Was it an
opportunity to dispense more federal money on meaningless programs to
put counselors in the schools or to track potential student timebombs
through Big Brother databases or to pump more mind-control drugs into
government schools? Was it an opportunity to get the debacle of the
Balkans aggression off the front pages, which was in turn an opportunity
to get Chinagate off the front pages? Was it an opportunity to dispatch
a “crisis response team” from Washington to Colorado to demonstrate how
compassionate President Clinton is? Was it an opportunity to send $1.5
million in U.S. taxpayer money to pay for funerals and other costs
associated with the tragedy? Was it an opportunity to fast-track the
administration’s plan to further restrict your inalienable right to bear
arms? Or was it an opportunity to do all of the above?

I’ll tell you, I have never seen such shameless political
exploitation of tragedy in my life as I have with the Columbine
massacre.

Did you catch Al Gore Sunday giving another one of his patented
affectations (read: parody) of a southern black preacher?

“All of us must change our lives to honor these children,” Gore said.
“We must have the courage not to look away, in life or in death, from
those who feel despised and rejected. … Children look to us and learn
from us. We must teach them right from wrong.”

This, of course, from a man best remembered for his “no controlling
legal authority” excuse for flouting campaign laws using taxpayer time
and facilities. This from a man representing an administration
senselessly bombing civilian targets in a third-rate nation posing no
threat to Americans or any other foreigners and without any clear
objective or end strategy. This from a man playing second banana to a
known perjurer, liar, abuser of power, obstructor of justice, harasser
of women and suspected rapist. This from a man who wouldn’t know right
from wrong if it bit him on his kiester.
This from a man who chose to wear — and I kid you not about this — a
black trenchcoat to the memorial service for 13 kids and a teacher
murdered in cold blood by members of a black-clad gang known as the
“Trenchcoat Mafia.”

A great opportunity, indeed. How many times did Clinton appear on
television the day of the massacre? Does he think he’s a TV newsman or
the chief executive of the federal government? It may be hard for some
to imagine or accept, but I am convinced that this whole evil Clinton
administration actually looks upon incidents such as Columbine as
opportunities. Janet Reno’s verbal slip was simply a rare moment of
candor and honesty from an administration best characterized by
duplicity and deceit.

Yeah, it’s an opportunity, all right. Washington will be gunning for
your constitutional rights with all the emotionalism whipped up by the
massacre. It will be picking your pocket. It will be curtailing your
freedom. It will be grabbing new power and authority in the name of
safety and security. That’s the opportunity Janet Reno is talking about.

The Clinton crowd sees good news and bad news alike as opportunities
to grab and consolidate power. When there’s good news, they take credit
for it. When there’s bad news, they try to take advantage of it, use it
for their own purposes, make political hay out of it.

You may think these men and women want to help you, Littleton. You
may think they are acting compassionate when they say they want to pay
for your counseling and lost wages. You may think they are sincere when
they tell you how anguished they are and how they feel your pain.

Do not be fooled. Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Janet Reno look at your
pain, your grief and your tragedy selfishly, opportunistically,
politically. The American people have missed many great opportunities in
the last six years to see through the smokescreen of spin. Let’s not get
fooled again. Beware of politicians wearing black trenchcoats, sharing
your loss and bearing gifts.

Joseph Farah

Joseph Farah is founder, editor and chief executive officer of WND. He is the author or co-author of 13 books that have sold more than 5 million copies, including his latest, "The Gospel in Every Book of the Old Testament." Before launching WND as the first independent online news outlet in 1997, he served as editor in chief of major market dailies including the legendary Sacramento Union. Read more of Joseph Farah's articles here.