Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

health-care overhaul foes resort to violence

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • health-care overhaul foes resort to violence

    Obviously, all but the super crazies on the left and right are going to condemn this, but they seriously need to condemn the right wing commentators, bloggers, Fox News, and a number of politicians for fanning the flames of hysteria, hatred, and violence over this bill. The level of intensity over this bill is utterly out of proportion to what the bill actually does; and the level of hatred towards those involved is only explained by either insanity or utter misguidedness. Boehner was on Fox News Channel and decried the violence, but both Boehner and Fox deserve some blame for it because they helped whip up the irrational hysteria and anger, though deception and outright lies.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...T2010032402500

    The pitched battle over health care has unleashed a rash of vandalism and attacks directed at politicians, with at least 10 House Democrats reporting death threats or incidents of harassment or vandalism at their district offices over the past week.

    n Wichita, someone broke the window of a county Democratic Party headquarters with a brick that had "No to Obama" and "No ObamyCare" written on it. Lyndsey Stauble, executive director of the Sedgwick County Democratic Party, said she went to work Saturday morning to clean up the shattered glass around her desk.

    Over the next 24 hours, thrown bricks shattered the glass doors and windows of party headquarters from Rochester, N.Y., to Cincinnati. A propane gas line at the Charlottesville home of Rep. Tom Perriello's brother was severed Tuesday after a self-identified "tea party" activist posted what he believed to be the Virginia Democrat's address on a Web site and urged opponents to "drop by" to convey their opposition to his yes vote on the health bill.

    A brick was thrown through the Niagara Falls district office of Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-N.Y.), who also received a threatening voice-mail message referring to sniper attacks. The front door to the Tucson district office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) was shattered. And Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), whose last-minute negotiations to bar federal funding of abortion helped secure the bill's passage, received a fax with a drawing of a noose and an anonymous voice mail saying: "You're dead. We know where you live. We'll get you."

    Some of the vandalism appears to have been instigated by an Alabama blogger, Mike Vanderboegh, who encouraged his readers to throw bricks at the windows of Democratic headquarters across the country. Vanderboegh, a former leader of the Alabama Constitutional Militia who is headlining an open-carry gun rally in Northern Virginia next month, issued a call to the modern "Sons of Liberty" on his libertarian political blog to break windows nationwide to display opposition to health-care reform.

    A vandal threw a brick into the glass doors at the Monroe County Democratic Committee's headquarters in Rochester overnight Saturday, attaching a note that quoted Barry Goldwater: "Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice."

    Vanderboegh did not respond to questions Wednesday from The Washington Post, but he took credit for the incident in an interview earlier this week with the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. "I guess that guy's one of ours," he told the newspaper. "Glad to know people read my blog."

  • #2
    And in the middle of all this, Palin posts on her Facebook page "Don't retreat - reload"

    That's just unbelievably irresponsible. And this isn't just some yahoo on the street protesting. Like it or not, Palin is considered a leader of the Republican party and she's adding fuel to the fire. Didn't we learn from past mistakes (like "bring it on") that this kind of rhetoric doesn't help anything? But here we go again with the cowboy redneck terminology. Ugh!. She's a horror.


    I am also not buying that the violence is solely caused by extremist bloggers. The RNCC and Glenn Beck and Hannity have been deliberately trying to whip up this hysterical frenzy of fear. The rhetoric has been ridiculously inflammatory and it's not surprising that a few unbalanced people are going to act out when incited that way.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Jeannie View Post
      And in the middle of all this, Palin posts on her Facebook page "Don't retreat - reload"

      That's just unbelievably irresponsible. And this isn't just some yahoo on the street protesting. Like it or not, Palin is considered a leader of the Republican party and she's adding fuel to the fire. Didn't we learn from past mistakes (like "bring it on") that this kind of rhetoric doesn't help anything? But here we go again with the cowboy redneck terminology. Ugh!. She's a horror.


      I am also not buying that the violence is solely caused by extremist bloggers. The RNCC and Glenn Beck and Hannity have been deliberately trying to whip up this hysterical frenzy of fear. The rhetoric has been ridiculously inflammatory and it's not surprising that a few unbalanced people are going to act out when incited that way.
      I was very happy to hear that Palin will be getting a reality show. She is perfect for that kind of thing. Hopefully, she will go away as a Republican.She would rock on Survivor Alaska...

      As far as the violence and threats, I dont think its a new thing. Politicians, celebrities and sports stars have to deal with crazies all the time. I think this is getting coverage to fuel the healthcare circus. Both sides are being ridiculous and childish. The current politicians are all a disgrace and should be replaced with people that actually care about the voters and taxpayers.

      Comment


      • #4
        Choice of words

        Originally posted by Jeannie View Post
        And in the middle of all this, Palin posts on her Facebook page "Don't retreat - reload".
        Is there any context in which "reload" would be used in this situation and not refer to a weapon? What a horribly poor choice of words. She should be ashamed. But sadly I'm sure she's not.

        Sue

        Comment


        • #5
          Obviously not appropriate

          Clearly, no one in their right mind could condone that type of behavior. It's way beyond inappropriate. However I would have to disagree with where you are placing blame.

          After all, I was yelled at the other day in a different thread that "no one is MAKING these people do ugly things".

          Guess the anger that everyone dismissed around here is real after all.

          Comment


          • #6
            Absolutely

            the Republican party bears some of the blame for this. Bush was without a doubt the most polarizing President in recent memory, but no one was throwing any bricks through windows or cutting gas lines. Palin, Beck, Tea Partiers, and even Michael Steele - shame on all of them. They have lost the art of civility, of disagreeing on policy but agreeing that we all have a right to our opinion (and our vote). And please stop telling me that the left has just as many loons. It isn't true. The level of right wing violent chatter has risen dramatically since Obama's inauguration - it is documented by the FBI, and there is real concern for his safety.

            It is incredibly ironic to me that a unjustified WAR didn't bring out this kind of emotion, but HEALTHCARE does? Whose kidding who? This is personal hatred - not politics. Shame on anyone who fans that kind of flame.

            Pleaky

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by cherie View Post
              I was very happy to hear that Palin will be getting a reality show. She is perfect for that kind of thing. Hopefully, she will go away as a Republican.She would rock on Survivor Alaska...

              As far as the violence and threats, I dont think its a new thing. Politicians, celebrities and sports stars have to deal with crazies all the time. I think this is getting coverage to fuel the healthcare circus. Both sides are being ridiculous and childish. The current politicians are all a disgrace and should be replaced with people that actually care about the voters and taxpayers.
              No. This is not common. People attacking several Congressmen's offices and standing outside their HOMES and emailing and phoning physical theats because they voted for a piece of legislation about healthcare?????? The FBI is taking information from the Congressmen and I hope they round these people up and prosecute them if they can.
              These are not some googoo eyed stalkers of a celebrity or a one off critic of a single politician.


              As for Sarah Palin....I hope people go after her big time. With the gun sights on her map of Dems to go after??? What a disgusting person....yea she is perfect for the reality TV show circuit but not Survivior Alaska....How about Jacka** with Weapons?
              I used to think she was funny..as in laughing at her. THen I regreted the damage she did to serious women running for office. NOw I hope that she is escorted off of our screens by a resounding public chorus of you are disgusting...too much to hope for.




              And wrt to the other post above I don't care HOW angry you are about legislation you don't get to vandalize and threaten physical harm. But to your the point ---- The extent of and illegality of the conduct DOES NOT STAND AS PROOF OF THE LEGITIMACY OF THE GRIPES! One can not say *SEE SEE they are so angry ...there must be something really wrong here or they wouldn't be acting this way!*
              Sorry, that is total horse hockey. The only thing one can say is they are breaking the law.
              They have lost whatever credibility they had.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Pleaky View Post
                It is incredibly ironic to me that a unjustified WAR didn't bring out this kind of emotion, but HEALTHCARE does? Whose kidding who? This is personal hatred - not politics. Shame on anyone who fans that kind of flame.

                Pleaky
                It's interesting you should say that because I spent 8 years wondering why the democrats weren't MORE angry. Mostly they just took it. Now that I see the alternative, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

                Comment


                • #9
                  that would be me

                  Originally posted by novice5 View Post

                  and wrt to the other post above I don't care HOW angry you are about legislation you don't get to vandalize and threaten physical harm. But to your the point ---- The extent of and illegality of the conduct DOES NOT STAND AS PROOF OF THE LEGITIMACY OF THE GRIPES! One can not say *SEE SEE they are so angry ...there must be something really wrong here or they wouldn't be acting this way!*
                  Sorry, that is total horse hockey. The only thing one can say is they are breaking the law.
                  They have lost whatever credibility they had.
                  If you read my post clearly, you will see that I specifically said I don't condone their behavior so there is really no need to shout.

                  Several people on this board have repeatedly dismissed the fact that the American people are angry about this. I was mearly pointing out that they were wrong to be so dismissive.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by novice5 View Post
                    No. This is not common. People attacking several Congressmen's offices and standing outside their HOMES and emailing and phoning physical theats because they voted for a piece of legislation about healthcare?????? The FBI is taking information from the Congressmen and I hope they round these people up and prosecute them if they can.
                    These are not some googoo eyed stalkers of a celebrity or a one off critic of a single politician.


                    .
                    I do not condone violence or threats. I think both are the work of crazies. My point is that this stuff is not new. Its been going on since the beginning of time. We dont hear about all of it. Presidents have been assasinated. Anthrax in the mail... Anyone with power gets threats. I will bet that congressmen get many threathening emails and letters a day on any given day. There are lots and lots of crazies out there.

                    Comment


                    • #11

                      And wrt to the other post above I don't care HOW angry you are about legislation you don't get to vandalize and threaten physical harm. But to your the point ---- The extent of and illegality of the conduct DOES NOT STAND AS PROOF OF THE LEGITIMACY OF THE GRIPES! One can not say *SEE SEE they are so angry ...there must be something really wrong here or they wouldn't be acting this way!*
                      ITA with this, and I stand by my statement that the Glen Becks of the world, and even certain politicians and a certain news network, ARE responsible for fanning the flames because they fanned the flames with a lot of lies and absurd outrage about things that are only outrageous now that Barack Hussein Obama and the Demoncrats are doing them, taking this world down the road to socialist fascist poverty. These guys have spread so much bull-crud about everything from spending/deficits under Obama (vs. in the past) to alternately demonizing and defending Medicare that it makes me just appalled.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Oh, I completely see that people are angry. I just find many of the reasons for their anger to be pretty delusional or hypocritical or at best utterly ill-informed and their level of anger to be completely out of step with the scope of the things they are angry about.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          UPDATE: It is the democrats' fault ...

                          House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) angrily lashed out at Democratic leaders for their handling of reported threats against members of Congress Thursday, accusing them of "dangerously fanning the flames" by blaming the GOP and confiding that he has also been the recipient of threats.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            [B]B]"

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I don't know where you live, but in my small city war protesters caused disruption by blocking streets, harassing people and fighting with police.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X