Ever since Barack Obama became president, it seems like the right-wingers in this country have gone crazy. The racists have slithered out from under their rocks and the militants and other nutjobs have emerged from their windowless basements. They think that now the country has an African-American president, they can convince other Americans that their sick ideas are mainstream.
And sadly, Fox News, talk radio and fringe right-wing politicians like Michele Bachmann, Steve King and Sarah Palin are encouraging these nuts to take action against their government and the officials that represent that government. In an effort to take advantage of these miscreants for their own purposes (either ratings, money or re-election), these leaders have engaged in hate rhetoric and tried to label anyone who disagreed with them as an enemy of America.
Cooler heads have tried to counsel that this kind of hate rhetoric is dangerous and could encourage some troubled individuals to engage in violence, but to no avail. As long as these political and entertainment figures can get what they want from riling up the teabaggers, militant groups and racists, they are not going to stop their dangerous behavior. Instead, when it happens they will just deny any responsibility and carry on -- because facts are not as important as getting what they want.
Consider the case of Brian Dean Miller in Dallas. I sincerely doubt that Miller (43 years old) would have acted as he did without encouragement (at least in his view) from those he perceives as authorities. He may well be a nut, but his nuttiness was given legitimacy by the hate speech of the ultra-right.
Let me pause here and say that I am not condemning every conservative as a purveyor of hate speech. Many are not, and have a right to their conservative views. But there are enough on the ultra-right who do engage in hate speech that it gives some nuts the idea that they can follow hate speech with hateful actions and violence and it'll be justified.
Miller is a self-labeled domestic terrorist. He threatened the life of President Obama and all federal employees. He feels like he was justified in his actions by the passage of the health care reform laws, and I'm sure he thinks he's some kind of hero carrying out the right-wing agenda.
Miller went on-line and posted on Craigslist. He titled his post "Obama Must Die". Then he went on to say, "I am dedicating my life to the death of Obama and every employee of the federal government. This is war. Join me. Or don't. I don't care. I'm not laying down anymore. Today I become a terrorist."
He then went back on-line later and dared readers to turn him in to the authorities saying "feel free to notify them if it helps you sleep better tonight. You should tell them I threatened to kill the president and destroy the U.S. government. Maybe you would like to quote the post as your evidence." Fortunately a fellow Texan took him up on his dare and called federal authorities.
Miller was arrested at his home in Dallas (where he lived with his mother). When the federal agents asked him if he wanted to kill the president, he replied, "Yes, I would kill him, if I were a different person. I would kill them all."
Would Miller have tried to carry out his threats? Nobody can know. There weren't any guns in his home when he was arrested, but that doesn't mean much. Guns are very easy for anyone to get in Texas. I'm just glad he was arrested before he hurt a federal employee (or made an attempt on the president's life).
Unfortunately for Miller, it doesn't really matter whether he intended to carry out his threats or not. It is a federal crime to threaten the life of the president, punishable by five years in prison (and there is no federal parole) and a $250,000 fine. This right-wing jerk will now be doing some time in a federal prison, where I expect he can get his fill of teabagging (although not the kind he probably would like).
It's time to tone down the hate speech. Political foes are not enemies of America -- whether they be on the right or the left.
"It's time to tone down the hate speech."
ReplyDeleteOne way to do that is by setting the tone yourself. Inflammatory name calling like "teabaggers" and "Ron Rubio" (it's Marco Rubio; he's a proud Cuban-American, not a cartoon character on "Family Guy") does nothing but ratchet up the tension.
Calling out specific incidents of violence and racism is legitimate, and I support you there, as should any decent person. But painting the whole movement as stupid, racist and xenophobic without ever addressing their legitimate concerns is bigoted. Insinuating that Tea Partiers want to do away the all taxes (i.e. no streets, sidewalks, traffic lights, police, fire fighters, etc.) is dishonest.
In short, keep the rhetoric civil and focused, no matter how inflammatory the other side may get. Someone has the break the cycle, Ted.
CT-
ReplyDeleteThe Ron Rubio was just an honest mistake on my part and has been corrected. I don't know what happened to my brain, because I knew his name.
I have to disagree about the rest. I have never threatened the teabaggers in any way, and it was the implied and real threats that I was referring to. I shall continue to call them teabaggers because I have little respect for them.
The first time you called Marco Rubio "Ron" (in the post "Even Republicans Think Arizona Law Is Wrong"), I gave you the benefit of the doubt. This was the second time.
ReplyDeleteI've pretty much given up on breaking you of the habit of name calling. I'll give it one more try, and then I'm done.
Suppose someone who feels threatened by militant segments of the black community were to say, "I have never threatened the n*ggers in any way, and it was the implied and real threats that I was referring to. I shall continue to call them n*ggers because I have little respect for them."
OK or not OK?
It's not OK because you are referring to their race - something they cannot change and had no choice about. But my teabaggers label doesn't refer to race - just political stupidity.
ReplyDelete