Articles like “Accusations Fly Between Parties Over Threats and Vandalism” in the New York Times today (3/26/10) are fairly useless. Are Republicans “fanning the flames with coded rhetoric,” as a Democratic lawmaker says, or is a Republican representative right that it’s Democrats who are “ratcheting up the rhetoric”?
Readers are really left to judge based on their own partisan predilections, since Times reporter Michael Cooper gives them almost nothing else to go on. The article reports that “some Democrats accused the Republicans of stoking anger on the right with their fierce language during the healthcare debate,” but it only gives one example: Sarah Palin telling her followers, “Don’t Retreat, Instead–RELOAD!”
It actually gets quite a bit fiercer than that–as Cooper would know if he read fellow New York Times reporter Timothy Egan’s blog post on the subject (3/24/10):
“Let’s beat the other side to a pulp!” Rep. Steve King, Republican of Iowa, shouted to the last stand of Tea Partiers on Sunday night. “Let’s chase them down! There’s going to be a reckoning.”
Lest anyone accuse Egan of taking King’s quote out of context, those words were immediately preceded by King’s suggestion that those sorts of action were a last-ditch alternative to secession (Think Progress, 3/22/10):
I just came down here so I could say to you, God bless you…. You are the awesome American people….
If I could start a country with a bunch of people, they’d be the folks who were standing with us the last few days. Let’s hope we don’t have to do that!
As a professional observer of the media for the past 20 years, I can confidently state that if a Democratic member of Congress went out to address a mob on Capitol Hill that had recently been spitting at lawmakers and chanting ethnic slurs, and urged them to beat up their opponents so they don’t “have to” launch a civil war, this would be a major news story.
Instead, a check of Nexis for King’s quote turns up a handful of stories–one by Rachel Maddow (MSNBC, 3/24/10), another by Terry Gross (NPR, 3/25/10), an op-ed piece in the Des Moines Register (3/26/10) and a blog post from the Cedar Rapids Gazette (3/23/10). Congressional Quarterly HealthBeat (3/22/10) had a piece, and the Bismarck Tribune (3/26/10) reprinted Egan’s post. There were also about a half-dozen pieces in the alternative press–and that’s all Nexis wrote.
Is it really not a significant development when a political leader–even a Republican political leader–starts urging his followers to beat their enemies to a pulp? Is that really something that can only be discussed in blog posts and op-ed columns?
While odious speech should be protected under the First Amendment, it should also be the case that those who advocate violence against their own elected colleagues should be made to wither under the hot spotlight of media accountability. Party leaders should condemn the statements, and he should be pressed for a retraction and apology.
There is another level at which the line between protected speech and violent action is less clear. The Supreme Court has generally protected hate speech, even that advocating violence, such as the call by a Klan leader to round up all blacks and Jews and ship them out of the country. But they have upheld hate speech convictions when the words led directly to action. When a right-wing blogger and former Alabama militia member urges people to throw bricks through the windows of Dems who voted for the health care bill, (as Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center reported in the interview with Terry Gross), and some hard-core followers go out and do exactly that, then there are possible grounds for legal sanction (not just for the property destruction, but against the speech of the person advocating the violence). Congressmen are not on the list of proected classes in hate speech laws, but it seems to me there are plenty of other legal grounds, enough to justify an investigation into what was said, who said it, and whether any of the perpetrators of the crimes considered themselves to be acting at the behest of these hate mongers. At least an announcement by the AG of a widespread investigation into the crimes and possible conspiracy seems important at this stage. There are some wacky, armed people out there, and it is scary to contemplate what just a few (like Timothy McVeigh) can do when riled by this kind of rhetoric.
We may need a massive march against hate soon. Germany taught us this kind of vigilantism and hate mongering can’t just be ignored.
Today’sPpretend-Republicans are just a bunch of Nutcases!
Wouldn’t it be useful to compile a history of all the apologies, mea culpas, and self-flagulation engaged in by the Left during the Bush years. It seemed to me there was a prostrate Democrat on the alter of Congress every week denouncing Move On or apologizing to Republicans for some perceived or ginned up affront someone in the party had committed. Then, lets see the list of Republican apologies for the inflamatory remarks made on the floor or to the press. THAT shouldn’t take long.
Will it have to take a U.S. Senator or House Representative to be killed because of Senators and House members from both political parties not coming together and making public statements that doing actions of violence is NOT acceptable and will not be encouraged or tolerated in accordance with our laws. Is it not recognized by those adult American citizens using words suggesting violence and/or violent actions against elected American law makers or citizens, with whom they disagree, that they are “teaching” their children, grandchildren, and all American children the way they, American children, should react to those, including their parents, teachers, police officers, etc., with whom they disagree. Wake up American adults! Show you disaproval or approval in keeping with our Constitution and laws! You are “teaching” ALL our children.
Reminds me of the description of the ‘brown shirts in pre WWII Germany. Yell, scream, and assault.
The Republican party has got to go.
We don’t have to wait for a senator or representative to be killed by the republicans. Wellstone?!
As Groer Syck said above- The Tea Party Republicans are, as a dear family friend who was a German war bride and was required to be in the Nazi Youth Brigade as a girl, says they are the “Horst Wessel Street
Thugs”! For years she said that if there was a totalitarian takeover of the US it would be Fascist/Nazi rather
than Communist because the Facisists are religious people rather than the Communists who are atheists!
@Tom Gardner:
You will be ignored. The majority of white men are not really concerned about the potential consequences of ignoring this kind of hate speech. If they do, its just to pay it “lip service”. You see they foolishly believe that when violence erupts in this country only blacks and Jews would have to worry about their safety. Well all I can say to them is “keep on dreaming”.
I agree with the Wellstone comment. I thought it was murder from the beginning, and the investigation was a joke.
Interesting that Republicans are now saying that Democrats are “fanning the flames of violence”, because that’s exactly what Republicans and right-wingers are doing. Nothing new there, they are using their tried-and-true strategy of accusing the other side of doing exactly what they are doing, only when the other side “does it”, it’s bad. They seem to be using George Orwell as a source for their strategy, which should be reason enough to vote them back to their little worlds.
Whenever this issue is brought up on MSM, a false equivalence is made by Republicans, which I noticed most of the TV pundits have picked up. That is the hatred which the left had for George W. Bush, claim it is comparable to the tea-bagger’s hatred for Obama..
They don’t seem to remember that the left has not called for Bush’s assassination, but rather that he be arrested and tried for war crimes in the Hague. On the right, their leadership (talk radio and television personalities), and actual Republican congress-people are stirring up their followers and encouraging them to get their guns. It seems that the right, having lost the election, are determined to regain power through sheer intimidation, and the MSM is studiously ignoring this development.
Perhaps it is time for the perverse underside of America to be thrown up, all over itself… Both the Democrats and the Republican, both parties who support Israel (Obama is no better than Bush, just better bull), should go to the so-called holey land and fight it out with nuclear weapons, while everyone else watches on pay-per-view. Both parties support war, modernity, imperialism, and other niceties. If this is the beginning of an up rising, I could care less. Who can stop the times. I say, so mote it be.
WHILE MINORITY ARE FIGHTING AND DYING
The idiot Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is preparing for a rebuttal to Pres. Obama’s State of the Union speech . She’ll speak on behalf of the racist Tea Party caucus. But it’s another speech she gave on Friday that has a lot of people talking, where she flubbed the facts on U.S. History. We’re Keeping Them Honest. Plus, see why the folks behind the hit TV show “Mad Men” are being added to our ‘RidicuList’. This idiot while Americans are fighting and dying is speaking against the country and President Obama! It is an outrage and a insult to minority American troop fighting and dying in two wars! Only to find out that when they return home to the United State a innocent UNARMED 7 year old black American citizen! Can be burn and shot to death by white American police officers. American troop will return to the United State to find that a 72 year old white senior citizen can be taser by a cop and knock to the ground and threaten to be taser again! All because she refuse to sign a ticket! Or a pregnant black woman driving her 7 year old child to school. Less then a block away she is stop for speeding she also refuse to sign the ticket! She was pulled out of her car taser three times while her son looked on screaming! They will return to find that three police officer kick in the door of a 92 year old senior citizen then shot her 6 time and shoot at her 39 killing her! Then planted drugs in her home and a gun in her hand. After finding out the WRONG home was raid! They will return to find out that in Philly cops can be caught on videotape beating and kicking and calling 4 INNOCENT American citizen racist slurs and are given a slap on the hand and a party paid by union fund! AGAIN… While American troops are fighting and dying for the liberation and human rights of Iraqi citizen. In America when and if they return they will find if they live in Arizona they will need papers to walk ,drive a car to live in their country. They will find that DWH( driving while Hispanic) is a way of life for Hispanic American citizen! They will also find that in Arizona ethnic study is not allowed in Arizona schools! If they are returning to Texas they will find that the school administration is changing American history to reflect a more conservative history! American troops will find a anti-American Tea Party full of hatred of the government FOR NO REASON other then the fact their is a black President! They will find that racist like Rand Paul want to re-write history and change the Civil Right Bill giving private company the right to keep black Americans OUT! They will find that a Governor Palin the idiot that quit her job is a spokesperson for a racist group attacking the President job and his administration. They will return to find that Fox News is attacking with hatred the United State of America and the President Of the United State daily! Just like the terrorist they are fighting oversea! Again all this is happening while American troops are fighting for the United State of America! SHAME ON US ALL FOR NOT BEING OUTRAGE!
SELECTIVE MEMORY
Today more then ever white Americans and the white control media has selective memory! Ron Reagan the youngest son of former President Ronald Reagan in his new book stated that President Reagan suffer from Alzheimer during the second term as President! If anyone has been reading my posts! I have been stating that forever. I remember Diane Sawyer interview with the late and former President Reagan. Several times during the interview she had to be stop because the former President lost his thought and COULD NOT answer Ms. Sawyer questions! The country witness this on Good Morning Americaâ┚¬Ã‚Â! Somehow America has selective memory! Remember OJ and the civil trail after the trail was over the media interview the jurors! A white female juror stated that she prayed to serve as juror to help the Brown and Goldman. A clear violation of a juror and should had evoked a mis-trail! But once again the white control judicial system has selective hearing! A 20-year-old black Lakeland man is facing two years in prison for writing a rap song called “Kill Me a Cop”. Antavio Johnson, who was on probation, has been sentenced to two years in prison after the song was discovered on a MySpace Web site. The Polk County Attorney’s Office charged Johnson with two counts of corruption by threat of a public servant.
Although the lyrics are offensive to many people, the head of the Tampa Office of the American Civil Liberties Union, Rebecca Steele, says she believes the song is protected speech under the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Also I must add that Mr. Johnson didn’t kill anyone and no cop died as a result of his song! Then there is Sarah Palin who put a map with crosshairs that target the very district 20 people living in the target area was shot. Six shot dead and 14 injure! Sarah Palin call the left wing media wrong for associating her action with the murder of the people in Arizona! Unlike Mr. Johnson Ms. Palin is not charge with NOTHING! But her map target the district where 20 people where shot 6 are dead!
Michele Bachmann the IDIOT!!!
Talk about pure stupid and total ignorance about American history Congresswoman Michele Marie Bachmann and Republican Sarah Palin. Give all white women a horrible name! Michele Bachmann in her response to President Obama â┚¬Ã…“ Nation Addressâ┚¬Ã‚ mis-stated American history about American Founding Fathers! For her information former President Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner and pure racist! Jefferson disliked seeing women take political roles, Historian Richard Morris wrote, “Abigail Adams excepted, Jefferson detested intellectual women. Annoyed by the political chatter of women in Parisian salons, he wrote home expressing the hope that ‘our good ladies … are contented to soothe and calm the minds of their husbands returning ruffled from political debate.'” While President, Jefferson wrote that “The appointment of a woman to office is an innovation for which the public is not prepared, nor am I. According to historian Stephen Ambrose: “Jefferson, like all slaveholders and many other white members of American society, regarded Negroes as inferior, childlike, untrustworthy and, of course, as property.
Jefferson published his views that blacks were inferior to whites in his book, Notes on the State of Virginia, saying blacks were inferior “in the endowments both of body and mind.” ! Supervising and owning hundreds of slaves, including their children, Jefferson believed that blacks were equal to lazy animals and were inferior to whites in reasoning, mathematical comprehension, and imagination. This was Jefferson’s rationalization for their condition of slavery. In effect, Jefferson believed that the difference between blacks and whites was “fixed in nature”, and was not dependent on their freedom or education.
Jefferson could see no way for African Americans to live in American society as free people, saying “Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that these people are to be free. [But] the two races…cannot live in the same government.” For a long-term solution Jefferson believed that slaves should be freed then deported to African colonies. Otherwise, he feared war and that in his words, “human nature must shudder at the prospect held up. We should in vain look for an example in the Spanish deportation or deletion of the Moors. This precedent would fall far short of our case.”[
NO PROTECTION FOR AMERICANS FROM POLICE ABUSE
Video from the “Dr. Phil” television show of a white Alaska mother forcing her adopted son to drink hot sauce and take cold showers prompted a police investigation that has led to charges of child abuse against the mother! This case got me to thinking about abuse America witness and say NOTHING! Things like Judge Judy a judge that yells at American citizen. Call litigants names and disrespects senior citizen calling people lazy if they receive disability! She is not a doctor! Judge Judy continue to disrespect American citizen without of being discipline or fire! On COPSâ┚¬Ã‚ many time cops go overboard and abuse suspects. Without care of the camera without fear of being fire! This example of what goes on everyday in America when police officers don’t get their way or in this case the “you will respect my authority” or I’ll take you to jail as did Deputy Dane Winn of the Bentonville Sheriffs Department did. In America you have the right not to talk to a police officer or answer any questions they ask except for your name, date of birth and address and all this information is on your drivers license and can be given to the police office and you never have to say a word. Politician have time to make it illegal and fine black people for saggy pants! But politician are silent when American citizen need protection under the law from law enforcement! Many people in authority watch these judge shows and COPS and say NOTHING!!!!
Mitt Romney is the worlds biggest Republican hypocrite next to Senator John McCain and the quitter Sarah Palin! First this is the Governor that President Obama model the healthcare reform plan after. That Romney propose and pass for Boston Mass.! But today Romney criticize President Obama healthcare reform plan for all Americans! But Romney wants to be President of all Americans! BUT HE DOES NOT WANT ALL AMERICANS TO HAVE HEALTHCARE!!!! When former President G. W Bush sent Americans to fight and die for nothing in Iraq! He didn’t eliminate Boston Mass Residents! Where is equality for all Americans???? When Romney appear on â┚¬Ã…“The Viewâ┚¬Ã‚ the hosts of â┚¬Ã…“The Viewâ┚¬Ã‚ DID NOT asked hard questions!
LIKE: 1.Why do the citizen of Boston Mass. deserve healthcare and the rest of the country does not!
2. Why is it OK for Mitt Romney to sit in a church that discriminate and calls black people less thanâ┚¬Ã‚¦FOR 15 YEARS!
3. Why didn’t the media attack Romney church like they did President Obama.
4. Why wasn’t Romney wife and children attack like Ms. Obama!
5. When Romney spoke about the Constitution! Why wasn’t he asked: Where was the Constitution when blacks where being hung from trees and no one ever charge? Why did America need a Civil Rights Billâ┚¬Ã‚ if the Constitution was already written?
TRUE AMERICAN HISTORY
Americans must get real about how this country was started! Why it got in the horrible condition it is in! We Americans must also tell the truth about American history! FRIST TRUTH: The majority (WHITE PEOPLE) where the first Americans to receive a Welfare /Affirmative Action Program in America. In the form of slavery! Government approve! Which cause the extreme have not and the extreme haves! So the statement â┚¬Ã…“pull yourself up by your boot strapsâ┚¬Ã‚ DOES NOT APPLY TO THE MAJORITYâ┚¬Ã‚Â! Whites where able to secure financial security for theirs elves and their families! The majority (WHITE PEOPLE) where able to secure land and property for their selves and their family! By denying minorities Americans the right to secure wealth and property! This practice continue TODAY indirectly by red lining minority neighborhood! SECOND TRUTH: White racism has disrespected every institution in America! The Constitution and non-whites! THAT IS A FACT!!! The results is 90% of America wealth is own by 1% of America’s population! White greed is destroying America’s economy and becoming the greatest! The result of white racism has rank America 17 in some area and 34 in others! White racism plus being the majority of America’s population equal disaster! THIRD TRUTH: The need for a â┚¬Ã…“Civil Rights Billâ┚¬Ã‚ was belittling the Constitution that should had protected all Americans civil rights! America’s Government and America’s judicial system is full of white racism and unequal treatment and discrimination!
Now some people will read this and call it racist WRONG!!!! I love all GOD’s people! BUT we as a people can’t change what we don’t acknowledge! If all Americans come together we can be the greatest country on earth!
RACIAL HATRED AND THE EFFECTS
It is so obvious that the racial history of America is always present when the white control media talks about President Obama accomplishments! Nobody is willing state that fact because it is ugly and sick! BUT TURE!!!! Especially given that fact that the effects of this recession if effecting the poor and the middleclass! In other words it’s time for good white people to stand up and speak out against hate and divide! Today I heard that jobs are on the rise for America. More jobs create then in the pass 50 years â┚¬Ã‚¦BUT and there is always a BUT! Then it’s always something negative reported by the white control media to belittle that progress! BP oil spill had nothing to do with President Obama’s administration BUT anything and everything negative was reported by the white control media and associate with President Obama administration! Their was hardly no reporting on the fact that President Obama negotiated. What was a 75 million cap for recovery to a 20 billion dollar recovery plan with BP! Then it’s the stimulus package that save the country and unemployment from shooting up to 13.5 unemployment! The Republican President and Republican congress create the problems that President Obama is fixing! BUT the white control media and that Republican Party has demonize all President Obama’s accomplishments and efforts! Hate and divide and white racism must stop ruling over GOD’s earth! It was his gift to all of us!
THE PRESIDENT RECOVERY PLAN!
NOTE: If you believe the Republican Party and the white control media President Obama has done NOTHING in the two years he has been President! LIE LIE LIE!!! There plan is to lie to the public and demonize President Obama effort for recovery! Like the stimulus package that Republicans voted for under Bush/Cheney and President Obama increase! Or immigration a plan was wrote up by Senator John Mc Cain and Senator Teddy Kennedy! Now Mc Cain is against a plan for immigration under President Obama! Republican hold up unemployment benefits for American citizen JUST BECAUSE! President Obama put together a plan for small businesses and Republican that said all along we need a plan for small businesses vote against President Obama’s plan!
1. President Obama change healthcare better then any of the 43 pass Presidents! Got a bill past that seven decade of politician could not do! Healthcare benefits cover adult children under their parent policy until 26 years of age! Before you where cut off at 22years old!
2. President Obama is closing the prison in Cuba prosecuting inmates that former President Bush claim where trying to kill Americans!
3. President Obama is closing down the needless war in Iraq bringing American troops home! A war started for NOTHING causing over 4,400 Americans troops deaths for NOTHING under Bush!
4. President Obama is investing billions into sending Americans to college thought taxes cut and funding
5. President Obama has successfully negotiate with Russia reducing arms for a better America and a better world for the future.
6. President Obama has started talk with other country on Global warming for a better America!
7 President Obama sign a stimulus package that kept millions American from losing their job kept police and firefighter employed company in businesses and stabilize the country headed for a recession!
8. President Obama gave $4,000 deduction if you purchase a new energy efficient new car !
9. President Obama gave tax deduction to American citizen that purchase energy efficient applicants.
10. President Obama sign a bill to start off shore drilling that will bring jobs to Americans! And reduce dependents on oversea oil! Because of BP oil spill President Obama secure 20 billionâ┚¬Ã‚¦when the cap was 75 million!
11. President Obama approve 30,0000 more troops in Afghanistan and smartly put a time table on their return home. Even after the idiot Republican called him stupid for setting a deadline! SHOWING TRUE LEADERSHIP! He has a plan Bush & Cheney DID NOT!
12. President Obama pass the best credit card reform bill in America history!
13. President Obama put more regulation on the banking industry then any other President before him!
14.President Obama put together a plan for small businesses and Republican that said all along we need a plan for small businesses vote against President Obama’s plan!
15. Under President Obama fraud in healthcare has been expose and many people prosecute and the Buddy System under past Presidents crush!
16. Under President Obama he over turn don’t asked don’t tell for the military!
REMEMBER PRESIDENT OBAMA CAME INTO OFFICER AFTER 8 YEARS OF THE WORSE PRESIDENT IN AMERICA HISTORY. IN LESS THAN 26 MONTH THIS PRESIDENT HAS DONE MORE THEN ANY OTHER PRESIDENT GIVEN THE CONDITION THIS COUNTRY WAS IN
PROTECTING EVIL
Both the â┚¬Ã…“HBOâ┚¬Ã‚ special REAGANâ┚¬Ã‚ and the documentary on â┚¬Ã…“PBSâ┚¬Ã‚ The American Experience. That documented the Reagan Presidency! LIED! Or told half truths! Shamefully both neglected to tell that former President Reagan and Oliver North sold drugs to support the Contras! August, 1996, series in the San Jose Mercury News by reporter Gary Webb linked the origins of crack cocaine in California to the contras, a guerrilla force backed by the Reagan administration that attacked Nicaragua’s Sandinista government during the 1980s. Webb’s series, “The Dark Alliance,” has been the subject of intense media debate, and has focused attention on a foreign policy drug scandal that leaves many questions unanswered.
This electronic briefing book is compiled from declassified documents obtained by the National Security Archive, including the notebooks kept by NSC aide and Iran-contra figure Oliver North, electronic mail messages written by high-ranking Reagan administration officials, memos detailing the contra war effort, and FBI and DEA reports. The documents demonstrate official knowledge of drug operations, and collaboration with and protection of known drug traffickers. Court and hearing transcripts are also included. Both â┚¬Ã…“HBOâ┚¬Ã‚ and PBS left that part of history out!
THE LIE AMERICAN LIVE
America is seeing the results of a male only white only ruling country! The results of living in a white racist mentality run country is detrimental to all Americans! Hate and divide DOES NOT WORK! Discrimination DOES NOT WORK! Raising the cost of houses in America just to keep minority Americans out! HAS WORKED AGAINST ALL AMERICANS!!! Voting white only DOES NOT WORK!!! Reagan and Bush 1 and 2 DID NOT WORK FOR THE COUNTRY!! Sending American military to Iraq FOR NOTHING â┚¬Ã‚¦WAS WRONG!! 4,400 Americans lost their lifes FOR NOTHING!!! Bush 2 turn a surplus into 13 trillion dollar debt! Started two wars NOT PAID FOR! Sending American jobs oversea was done by many white Presidents! This practice was and is detrimental to all Americans! Today problem can be directly link to white racism white greed and white hate and divide mentality! Today whites are seeing that attacking the first black President is base on that racist mentality that has stop this country from being the greatest country on earth! The white control media and the white TV host of Fox News are White American Verbal Terrorist AGAINST AMERICA!! Today more then ever this country needs white leadership base on respecting all GOD’s people! We as American have live a LIE! All male all white is best WRONG WRONG WRONG!!! GOD create all men equal and the white man said he was WRONG!
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