After 8 years of a president who would not talk to Americans like adults or only talk with a script and carefully vetted public audiences, we have surge of death threats against a president who speaks calmly and intelligently without notes in public. According to Ron Kessler, author of recently published book "In the President's Secret Service", death threats against President Obama have increased 400 percent from a year ago under President Bush.
This sick and irrational behavior is being augmented by disrespect, intolerance and fear-mongering by right-wing talk radio and TV bloviators like Rush Limbaugh. According to an AP report on Monday, a man carrying an assault weapon was among Obama protesters: "The man with the rifle declined to be identified but told The Arizona Republic that he was carrying the assault weapon because he could. "In Arizona, I still have some freedoms." I don't believe anyone is free to use threatening behavior to an American president. Period.
At time of the most severe economic crisis since the Depression, we are in desperate need of careful, public decisions. Republican members of Congress -- the Florida Republican delegation should take the lead: unite in a public statement averring violence and condemning the presence of guns by anyone near the President of the United States. Here is what I would say: honest disagreements expressed without violence in democratic forums are the hallmark of our national identity. Dial back the hatred. Dial it back, now.
8 comments:
"Here is what I would say: honest disagreements expressed without violence in democratic forums are the hallmark of our national identity."
I agree Bush was a moron, but have you suggested the above mode of behavior to Bill Ayers or Reverend Wright? Both side are trying to win the propaganda war at our expense until you recognise that you are part of this problem.
"I agree Bush was a moron, but have you suggested the above mode of behavior to Bill Ayers or Reverend Wright? Both side are trying to win the propaganda war at our expense until you recognise that you are part of this problem."
Neither of those people can be attributed with their supporters going to political rallies wielding assault weapons.
Your right sometimes they just bring harmless bombs. Take the blinders off their no saints on this planet.
This doesn't help their cause at all. Yes they can do it legally, but just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.
Instead of taking their guns away, which is a clear violation, someone in their ranks who is more sensible needs to step it up and tell them to knock off the knuckle head crap.
And this is coming from a new gun owner.
I also wonder how stuff like this would play if it was George Bush as the president. There's a small part of me thinking that there would be much more outrage against a person daring to bring weapons in the proximity of the commander in chief. Or they'd just be arrested according to the Patriot Act as suspected terrorists endangering national security.
Someone I know who is wise told me this.
"You know, there are a lot of good reasons to have a differing viewpoint from the one the president is promoting. Folks are certainly entitled to disagreement. As Jefferson would put it "not every difference of opinion is a difference of principle". That said, asshats like this and crazed nutbars like the birthers do a masterful job of marginalizing not just themselves, but the rational opposition as well.
If Republicans want to be taken seriously, they really do need to do a better job of distancing themselves from the knuckledraggers."
Sometimes I have to chuckle at your naivete Mr. Farago. With all your brilliance you actually believe a rational request to "dial back" the racial and political hatred directed at Obama will reach anyone fomenting it? Will Limbaugh listen do you think?
This is moving toward a moment of truth when good people fight the likes of Limbaugh. I didn't say debate him. I didn't say discuss the issues with him. I said fight him until one of us is silenced. One of us has got to go before we can have peace and democracy.
How do you have a serious debate about Health Care when right wing Republicans (falsely) tag elements in Obama's plan as filled with "death panels", is "evil", will result in socialism, funds abortions, is "Hitler-like", etc. These townhall types are not serious nor should be taken seriously about a very serious problem.
John Ise
Ha ha, they got you just as they got the corrupt press.
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/2009/08/assault-rifle-interview-outside-obama-event-in-phoenix-was-planned.php
"Ha, ha they got you..." I don't get your point.
The AR-15s in public event was staged by a bunch of nutbags. That's not shocking - you kind of figured that out when the guy doing the interview has a .32 on his hip too.
The intention is to intimidate and inflame. I frankly appreciate the Secret Service's restraint.
Of course, the irony is lost on right-wingnuts who fully agreed with GW Bush "town halls" packed with nothing but gushing supporters asking hard hitting questions like "how can we help you be even dreamier?" (a little poetic license but not far off the mark)
To boot, people who dissented - just wore T-shirts opposing Bush - were detained and even arrested. I guess the Founders got the order of the Bill of Rights backward when they put speech before militias "bearing arms."
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