What Paul Ryan Can Learn From Paralympics
In my view, yesterday’s opening ceremony for the Paralympic Games, in London, was far superior to the podgy opening for the Olympics. Some 62,000 spectators and a television audience of more than 11 million people watched the curtain-raiser to the Games, which featured thousands of entertainers and athletes from across the world. It was thrilling! There were starring roles for the Queen, Professor Stephen Hawking, and a double amputee Afghan war veteran who stunned the crowd by riding a zip wire into the stadium. When I heard the organizers say that the Paralympic opening ceremony provided “a reflection of all impairment groups,” I thought to myself: now there’s a word that can be applied to Paul Ryan, who addressed the Republican National Convention last night. Except that Ryan does not try to overcome his deficit; he doesn’t even admit it is one. I’m talking, of course, about his relationship to the truth when it comes to President Obama‘s record. In that arena, Rep. Ryan suffers from “factual impairment,” which is a euphemistic way of saying he’s a liar.
