The right is getting out of control

[Ardent15]

"It has to stop. That is, the hateful verbiage and visceral mob mentality that is growing in the right wing political theater. And though I know it's redundant, I must again emphasize that I know many Republicans and/or conservatives who have legitimate concerns about some of the policies of President Obama or the Democrats.

I also know that the vast majority of them as well as the Tea Party crowd haven't committed violent acts, nor do they condone them. And they have every right to protest and exercise their first amendment rights. I have protested concerning any number of issues over the years, where I believed our government was acting immorally or illegally.

Also, I applaud the Florida and Colorado Tea Parties telling their side to disassociate from violence. A few Republicans have done the same. However, the current ugly juggernaut is moving forward.

And GOP congressman egging on the unruly behavior of some of the Tea Party protesters on the Capitol steps last week fuels the fire. Here's just some of the repugnant occurrences that happened in the last few weeks. The following happened to Democratic congressman and women who voted for the Obama bill.

A congressman's brother had the gas line to his house cut - apparently the perpetrators had the wrong house. Bricks were thrown through windows of five people. Ten asked for police protection. Several had death threats to not only them, but their families. Several African Americans were called the "N" word and similar racial epithets and one was spat upon. One got anti-Semitic mail with white powder in it. Militia Central told a congressman he was targeted for assassination.

Posters were to be distributed showing a hanged Washington State Senator Patty Murray. I could go on. This is WAY beyond political differences. Some of this is criminal or borderline criminal. The lesser stuff is bloody uncivil and reminiscent of the hatred during our civil rights movement.

The GOP must do three things:

1. Unequivocally condemn bigotry and hate among their supporters, and make clear that those who embrace it have no place in their party.

2. Make clear that they will not tolerate fear-mongering and coded appeals to racism from officials in the Republican party, at any level.

3. Insist that violence and inciting violence must stop. At what point is the incitement from Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage and similar media protected by the first amendment? I don't know, but I'd argue that some of these people HAVE in fact yelled "fire" in a crowded theater.

But even if you feel they're media, and thus can say what they please, GOP politicians certainly need to be much more responsible. People like congresswomen Michele Bachman and Virginia Fox. Congressmen like Steve King and senators like Jim Demint and James Inhoff. And there are many more - too many to name here, who have promoted this garbage.

If this keeps up, some on the left may start fighting back. I wish they wouldn't, but CNN showed a supporter of Sarah Palin tackled and punched by someone. I denounce any violence from the progressives as well as the conservatives. I remember it was the left during Vietnam that sometimes let peaceful protest go too far. Now it's the right.

The political party or philosophy is irrelevant. We must be able to have a civil dialogue. We on the left had to accept the Bush administrations policies for eight long years, because like or not, he was victorious in the election. Obama won and the Democrats hold both congressional bodies. One or both of those bodies may, or may not change in November. But for now remember, voting has consequences.

*** If Mitt Romney is a presidential candidate for the GOP in 2012, he may face a hypocrisy problem. The Democratic health care bill is very similar to what Romney implemented in Massachusetts when he was governor. Obama and the Democrats even modeled some of the ideas after that plan. So how can Romney, in good conscience, attack the Democrats bill?

Romney and some in the GOP have said his plan was on a state level, whereas Obama's is on a national level. OK, that's fair. But the problem is there is film of Romney emphasizing his plan should go national for a number of reasons.

On the idea of a mandate, I can understand why people opposed to Obama's plan say, "We shouldn't be forced to buy something we don't want." Or, "It's unconstitutional."

But is mandating car insurance unconstitutional? Is being drafted?

The reason it must be mandated is that is what forces down the costs for everyone. If most everyone is in the pool, prices will drop. And of course their are subsidies for those who can't afford to pay the premiums."

http://www.paradisepost.com/opinion/ci_14800027

[Lost4words]

1. If you think thats bad, try the GD Forum!

its a joke, silly

[YOY]

2. Pffft. The DLC is the Right. They are just fine. Now the far-batshit-right?

Yeah...been out of control for years.

The left now? They have no control to be out of...but are still acused of it by people with no concept of what is a reasonable point-of-view versus what is truly batshit.