As anyone who has ever seen her perform knows, Kathy Griffin has a diseased mind. So that helps explain why she posted on the Internet a photo of herself holding a representation of a bloody severed head of President Donald Trump.
(We’ve decided not to link to it; but if you haven’t seen it yet and want to, it’s a Google search away.)
Many performers crave attention. But Griffin, a chronically unfunny comedian, shows a desperation for attention that helps explain the shocking and rude things she says. (One out of many examples: After telling a crass (and unfunny) joke, she was once booted out of the Apollo Theater in Harlem, a place where audiences are used to edgy material.)
Griffin is getting just about universal condemnation for her latest stunt, and she is now apologizing for it all over the place.
Let’s assume she’s sorry for what she did, or at least that she’s sorry for the consequences.
But somewhere in her off-kilter cerebrum she must have thought that this awful image would play well, at least in some quarters. Why?
It’s not right to blame other Trump critics for what Griffin did. But what she did raises a question, which has recurred frequently since Trump took office in January: What is it that Donald Trump is doing that so sets off so many members of our society that they do ridiculous things?
Note: The question isn’t: “Why do some people disagree with Donald Trump?” It’s not even: “Why do some people despise Donald Trump?” Instead, what we’re asking is: Why do so many people behave in such a disgusting way because of Donald Trump? Why do they debase themselves as a way to insult him?
As conservatives, we believe that left-wing prescriptions for society are wrong-headed and bound to lead to bad results and widespread unhappiness. Left-wingers disagree with us, of course.
But this type of behavior, which has comparison points all over the place, is worrisome.
Disagreements are necessary and healthy. Insanity isn’t.
