NOTE TO MEDIA: QUIT BLAMING THE VICTIM!

Jonah Goldberg thinks that if Whittington doesn't die, Dick Cheney's poll numbers could go up.

Please explain to me why this idiot gets paid for his opinions. What is he saying, that Americans will be so enamored of Cheney's machismo as a fearsome bird hunter that his popularity will increase, even though he used such poor gun safety that he could have killed the guy if he'd had a 12-gauge instead of a 28? What, exactly, does Jonah find in the whole story that is complimentary to Cheney and that could result in higher positives?

The International Hunter Education Association says, "The most common causes of hunting accidents, according to Wentz, include: failing to correctly identify a target; careless handling of the firearm; the victim being out of the shooter's line of sight; the victim moving into the line of fire; the shooter stumbling and falling; and failing to check beyond the target."

Only one of the cited causes involves responsibility on the part of the victim -- that of moving into the line of fire. All the others involve the shooter. From the published accounts, Whittington did not move into the line of fire. He approached Cheney from behind, Cheney whirled around to shoot his bird, and Whittington was shot instead. Therefore, Cheney is fully and totally responsible for the incident, and it is unconscionable and inexplicable to me why the media continues to throw blame on the victim.

Tags: Dick Cheney, shooting incident, gun safety