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Americans Behaving Badly
By Jake Easton
Book Review - November 8, 2002
by Thomas Lindaman,
Editor for
CommonConservative.com
 n the aftermath of the September 11th tragedy, we saw a nation come together like never before in recent history. Americans united, letting racial, gender, and religious differences fall by the wayside as they heard the call from President Bush to stand tall.
But not everyone got the message. Jake Easton's book Americans Behaving Badly documents some of the outrageous antics of those who let partisanship and personal ambition get in the way of doing the right thing. Most of the events Easton writes about are fairly well-known, like Cynthia McKinney claiming George W. Bush knew about September 11th before it happened and didn't do anything to stop it. Others are not as well-known, such as the large number of metal detectors that were not plugged in after stricter airport security measures were passed.
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Easton's book breaks down each bad behavior into sections, ranging from celebrities to the media, from businesses and organizations to schools, libraries, and educators. Although the spotlight mainly shines on the inexcusable behavior of Democrats, Easton does not opt for one side blindly, attacking people like Jerry Falwell with equal fervor as Hillary Clinton.
| | "Although the spotlight mainly shines on the inexcusable behavior of Democrats, Easton does not opt for one side blindly, attacking people like Jerry Falwell with equal fervor as Hillary Clinton." |
This works in Easton's favor, as it negates what could predictably come from liberal reviewers of the book as being blind partisanship.
Another strength Easton has is his thoroughness. Every story is documented in one form or another, whether it be done directly in the section or in the research notes section at the end of the book. With any project of this magnitude comes the risk that the central theme of the book may get lost in the reporting of events. This is not the case with Easton. Each chapter, save for the "Heroes of September 11th" chapter, focuses on just what the title says: Americans behaving badly.
Something else that jumps out at you is the fact that in spite of all the negative events and statements made, Easton never loses faith that the majority of Americans do not share the sentiments of those this book exposes. This comes through with crystal clarity in the aforementioned "Heroes of September 11th" chapter, where Easton applauds the leadership and courage of both public figures and common people.
| "Jake Easton's Americans Behaving Badly is an interesting read because it didn't just focus on the obvious. It included little-known or unreported stories that somehow escaped scrutiny and shined the light of truth on them..."
| | One particularly touching story from this chapter involves President Bush and a badly burnt Army officer recuperating following the attack on the Pentagon. What was a simple salute from an officer to the Commander in Chief becomes a testament to both men's commitment to duty and respect for each other. Easton not only retells the story with vivid detail, but does it in such a way that literally tugs at the heartstrings. |
At the beginning of most of the chapters is an outrageous quotation from one of the particulars in that particular chapter. This acts as both a sign post of what to expect in the chapter and as a teaser to see what other things people have said. And Easton makes sure to give the context of the first quotation of the chapter in the chapter itself. This helps, since any statement can be taken out of context and made to seem outrageous even when it's not. Just ask Newt Gingrich about "wither on the vine."
Along with this, Easton devotes an entire chapter to recapping the outrageous and offensive statements from the stories he cites. This was the one weak part of the book because it seemed to be on the cusp of overkill. Although it was nice to have a handy reference guide to the inane comments made by everyone from Jerry Falwell to Barbara Streisand, for someone who remembered the previous chapters, it was boring. To his credit, however, Easton did throw in a few quotations that weren't used in the book. If he had either cut down on the quotations earlier in the book or focused on compiling all the quotations in this one chapter, it would have made the book that much stronger.
Jake Easton's Americans Behaving Badly is an interesting read because it didn't just focus on the obvious. It included little-known or unreported stories that somehow escaped scrutiny and shined the light of truth on them, ensuring everyone got a good look at how badly some Americans behaved.
Americans Behaving Badly is available for sale at
www.AmericansBehavingBadly.com and at all major bookstores.
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Copyright © 2002-2003 by Thomas Lindaman, Editor for CommonConservative.com
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Excerpts 
About The Book
Americans Behaving Badly exposes the outrageous behavior of liberal politicians, celebrities, the media, and those that exploited the September 11 attacks against America. 
This site provides a preview of the hundreds of news stories outlined in 
