By: The David
As I write this, I am furious. It may be that when we are angry it is not the best time to be writing one’s thoughts, but on this occasion, I think it may be the very best time.
I just watched a woman being stomped.
I just watched a woman being stomped at a political rally.
I just watched a woman being stomped at a political rally being held for the Tea Baggers’ favorite and self-styled Libertarian, Rand Paul.
Stomped! That is no exaggeration. She was thrown to the ground by a group of bullies, one of whom directed his foot to her head. Anyone who sees the taped evidence of what happened has to experience a visceral reaction. I watched it and became physically ill. I became nauseated.
It could have been worse, but someone in the crowd can be heard telling the man who was using his foot to stop. Another voice calls get the police, but at least during the life of the tape, no police are in evidence. This happened in Lexington, KY.
My question is this: Who or what have we become? It has seemed to me that there is a total lack of civility in the electioneering we are seeing during this mid-term process. There is unbridled hate being directed toward those who are not in agreement with the Conservative Republicans and the Tea Baggers. This hate is so blind, so all- pervasive and so unthinking that it is now being unleashed on any citizen who disagrees with a candidate favored by this ilk. Civility is no longer a part of the political process where name-calling, character assassination and threats have become daily occurrences. The so-called elite of the “take-back-my-country” group preach hate as a matter of course.
We are all allowed to disagree with the government, and that can be a good thing. But the hate against this administration is so strong, and the threat of violence against this president so worrisome, that he has become the most guarded president in history.
What these people who throw out their slogans of hate need to realize is that a genie has been loosed on the population, and there will be no way to put that genie back into its bottle. Precedent has been set. This is not a genie that will grant three wishes, but is a vile spirit spawned of their hate, wearing jack-boots and carrying a gun.
Guns are in evidence, carried openly by supporters in so-called “Rand Paul Open Carry Rallies.” Politics, guns and hate are a poisonous combination. The open visibility of fire arms is not only the product of those who despise all authority, but also a legacy of every cowardly politician who has been so invested in his or her self-perpetuation as an office holder, that limits could not be placed on where the carrying of fire-arms is appropriate and where such weapons are a clear and present danger to all.
The woman who was man-handled at the Paul rally is a member of “Move On.” This organization disagrees with Mr. Paul. Disagreement is not license to violate the rights of any person to voice their views. Mr. Paul needs to denounce the actions of his followers. He needs to be aware that he has inspired a new low in American Politics…. and if not a new low, at least a new low for these times. He also needs to realize that unless the rhetoric is cooled by all those who rant against Washington and provide no answers but only unrest, then the next step will come when one of his followers unholsters his or her gun, takes aim and commits murder. Should this occur, the blame for the resultant tragedy will be his and all others who saw and did not act. If those so-called leaders cannot police their ranks and will not turn their followers away from the violent path, if they will not repudiate these actions and make that repudiation sincere, then those of us who vote must use that vote to be absolutely certain that NONE of these people attain the elective office they seek.
We must also pressure every politician out there to stop the character assassination, the attempts to dehumanize their opposition and the use of words and phrases that encourage violence of any kind to mar the political process. We must pressure them to look at their followers and to tell those followers to leave their guns and military drag at home, that the political rallies are only that and not an invitation to open warfare.
We do not need to be bear witness to the murder of an innocent at a rally via repeated cable broadcasts. It may be good for their ratings, but it will be bad for our souls and for the soul of this Country. It is time to say, STOP!
You know, there was a time when I would have called for a “return of civility to politics” (as if there ever was such a thing), but today I seriously don’t give a shit anymore – now that the elections are nothing but a tired run-on joke that back the two-headed beast that is the U.S. government, I see *any* sign of genuine anger and discontent as an improvement (even the violent ones – at least there’s honesty in those acts).
Who knows, perhaps one day the rigged election rallies just might devolve into full-scale riots – which may finally strip away all this nation’s delusions of democracy once and for all: removing these illusions from the public mind just might pave the way for a revolution against the corrupt establishment – and when this nation finally burns there will be room for something new to be born out of the ashes…
One word. Disgusting! Come on America. We can do better than that.
H E I L Paul!!!!!!
as Rush Limpballs explained all last week, from what I have read, it was that bitch’s own fault, the guys who attacked her were just expressing their patriotism and 1st Amendment rights .. she is the problem, not them .. and he has an audience .. and a following .. and influence in the politics of today, after all, he had one of his weddings at the home of Supreme Court Justice (?) Clarence Thomas and his Tea Party wife …….
The only thing I fault the woman that got stompped on for is not being ready to meet force with force – had she readily produced a weapon when the “tea party” mob threatened her, she might not have gotten such an ass-beating…
Because of their degree of forcefulness, i suspect that if the Tea Party were to dominate the elections, they would introduce a government of the militia. They have no tolerance for opposition and no agenda beyond personal power. To join them is to only bed down with abusers and hate mongers. To stand against them, it probably is best to have at least a heavy cast iron frying pan close by. We should not have to expect forceful reaction to our freely held opinions, but it has come down to it. The bullies are out on the playing field just waiting to kick some asses. We can run and hide. We can lie down and take it or we can meet them head on with our fists swinging.
AFAIC, this i just part and parcel of US elections. It’s the right wing sending out a message that come election day, they will come after you.
Voter suppression is what this was bout. MILLIONS of votes — mostly those most vulnerable — are purged every election cycle.
the question is: what’s the response. I’m not willing to pick up a gun. Fighting for freedom is like fucking for virginity.
There has to be a political response to these abuses.
[quote=Eddie]the question is: what’s the response. I’m not willing to pick up a gun. Fighting for freedom is like fucking for virginity.
There has to be a political response to these abuses.[/quote]
No there really isn’t – if you’re not willing to pick up a gun, anything you are willing to do is only a half-measure that will accomplish nothing of any lasting significance.
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, any true form of “democracy” this nation may have once had is dead – the elections are merely a vestige that hangs on, convincing the masses that their voice still matters in policy making (which is controlled by an oligarchy right now). This is *exactly* the situation the founders forsaw when they put that 2nd. Amendment clause into the Constitution: but by now most modern are too cowed and soft to even think about exercising it – as rising up in revolt takes actualy, physical work and the basic instinct to kill one’s enemies (things modern man in general has become too weak and squimish for)…