I'm sure some of you have read the news reports, but for those who haven't, or may have only caught three or four of the incidents of right-wing violence and intimidation leading up to and immediately following the health-care bill's passage, the following links should bring you up to speed.
Violence- Tucson, Arizona
The front door was smashed out at Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ congressional office last night.
- Rochester, New York
A brick was thrown through the glass doors of the Monroe County Democratic Committee's headquarters on University Avenue, the first such act of vandalism at the office, Chairman Joseph Morelle said Sunday."
- Niagara Falls, New York
The same day a brick crashed through her Niagara Falls office, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D) says her staff discovered an assassination threat aimed at her family members. The Democratic headquarters in Rochester was also targeted.
- Wichita, Kansas
Since then, vandals have struck several offices, including the Sedgwick County Democratic Party headquarters in Wichita.
- Pleasant Ridge, OH
Someone reportedly threw a fist-sized rock through the front window of the Hamilton County Democratic Party headquarters Sunday night after Congress passed the landmark health insurance overhaul.
- Charlottsesville, VA
U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello’s brother received a threatening letter in the mail on the same day that someone apparently severed a gas line at the home in Ivy.
Intimidation- Washington, DC
In the wake of his vote in favor of health care reform legislation, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), a strong opponent of abortion rights, has been on the receiving end of a string of extremely hostile and threatening messages, including death threats.
"Congressman Stupak, you baby-killing mother f***er... I hope you bleed out your a**, got cancer and die, you mother f***er," one man says in a message to Stupak.
"There are millions of people across the country who wish you ill," a woman says in a voicemail, "and all of those thoughts that are projected on you will materialize into something that's not very good for you."
- Washington, DC
A Colorado member of Congress has received threatening calls at her Washington office, according to NBC News. Rep. Betsy Markey's (D-Colorado) chief of staff confirmed her office had reported two separate incidents to the Capitol police and asked Fort Collins police to step up patrols around Markey's home and her district office.
- St. Louis, Missouri
A spokesperson for Congressman Russ Carnahan said a coffin featured in a weekend health care reform protest was placed on the Democratic lawmaker's front lawn Sunday night.
- Washington, DC
Clyburn Says Noose Depiction Faxed To His Office After HCR Vote
- Washington, DC
Stupak Receives Threatening Fax With Drawing Of Noose
- New York, New York
Law enforcement officials say a package with white powder was sent to Congressman Weiner's Queens office today.
- Erie, Pennsylvania
A threatening note addressed to Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper, D-Erie, was received by the Armstrong County Comissioner's office. The note read, in part, "You will never sleep through the night again."
To get a sense of exactly how unhinged these lunatics are, get a load of
this former Alabama militia leader, who's been widely credited with inspiring many of these attacks.
We can break their windows.
These windows are not far away from where you are reading this right now. In virtually every city and county in this land, there is a local headquarters of Pelosi's party -- the Democrat party. These headquarters invariably have windows. When the Sons of Liberty wanted to express their opposition to the actions of the King's ministers, they would gather in front of the homes and offices of his tax-collectors and government officials in Boston or New York and break their windows. Glass was expensive. The King's minions were often the most well-to-do. The Sons of Liberty hit them in their pocketbooks.
...
Break them NOW.
Break them and run to break again. Break them under cover of night. Break them in broad daylight. Break them and await arrest in willful, principled civil disobedience. Break them with rocks. Break them with slingshots. Break them with baseball bats.
But BREAK THEM.
The time has come to take your life, your liberty and that of your children and grandchildren into your own two hands and ACT.
It is, after all, more humane than shooting them in self defense.
Somehow, he remained quiet throughout the Bush years as many of his other liberties being taken away, but he's ready to go to war because a health-care bill was passed. For bonus irony, this stalwart defender against the creeping tide of socialism..... happily collects Social Security disability from the Government he loathes.
Lest you think this is an example of nutpicking, just a few bad apples, or whatever, here are some high-profile GOP leaders who've stoked the fires of this armed rebellion, either explicitly or with dog whistles intended to send a message while providing plausible deniability:
- Sarah Palin, Former GOP VP Nominee and Half-Term Governor of Alaska
Commonsense Conservatives & lovers of America: "Don't Retreat, Instead - RELOAD!"
- Sarah Palin, again
Sarah Palin is targeting -- yes, with gun sights -- House Democrats facing tough reelection fights who voted for health care reform. Palin's Facebook page now carries a map featuring 20 gun sights, one for each of the Democrats targeted this year by her political action committee SarahPAC.
- Rep. John Boehner, GOP House Minority Leader
"Take [Rep.] Steve Driehaus, for example," he says. "He may be a dead man. He can’t go home to the west side of Cincinnati."
- Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-TX
A Republican congressman from Texas on Monday admitted he shouted “baby killer” from the House floor as Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., defended his change of position on health care legislation on Sunday.
- The National Republican Congressional Committee
"Central and Southside Virginians are the ones who are going to have the bear the burden of increased taxes," Sere told The Roanoke Times. "What you're seeing is a frustration among his constituents who believe he's not listening to them."
- Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Fox News host Greta Van Susteren asked Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) yesterday about his “response” to the news that Stupak and others had been “threatened or intimidated.” Hatch immediately responded, “People are upset and really angry, and they’re tired of people making promises and not living up to them,” and only after additional questioning by Van Susteren, finally replied, “I think people have to quit doing things like that."
- Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA)
Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) condemned the “inappropriate behavior,” but blamed Democrats for “fanning these flames.” “I’m a bit concerned about how it’s been handled around here in a public way because I think it just tends to fan the flames,” he told The Hill.
Not all of these are explicit endorsements, but the intent is clear to anyone but the most deluded observer -- every one of these individuals either sympathizes with these terrorists, or wants to appear to be aligned with them to further their own political ambitions.
Folks, the pattern here is unequivocal. What has until now been a dangerous undercurrent of far-right zealotry against a fairly-elected Democratic President and congressional majority has turned into an all-out terrorist assault on government -- an assault that is being actively encouraged, supported, and in some cases explicitly endorsed by the highest levels of Republican leadership. GOP politicians, in attempt to achieve political gain by aligning themselves with the Tea Party crowd and its populist anger, are trying to milk these reactionary dead-enders for their votes, but in so doing, are emboldening them to take vent their frustration in ways that are going to get someone (or many someones) hurt or killed.
Now, everyone remembers all those left-wing protestors threatening the lives of and destroying the property of Republican legislators who voted for the Bush tax cuts and the Iraq War resolution, right?
Yeah, me neither.
Wars were started under false pretenses. Income was redistributed from have-nots and have-a-littles to the have-almost-everything-but-still-want-mores. Civil liberties were routinely denied. And all the left-wing did was carry a few signs, screamed some obscenities, and (oh noes!) called the President a liar.
But, after only a year of Obama's "socialist" and "totalitarian" agenda, the right-wing is ready to bring back the magic of the militia movement -- this time, with support of the Republican party. All because of the "tyranny" of voters electing Democrats to the Congress and Presidency.
I hope this rage fizzles out soon, but there's definitely something frightening happening on the far-right, and it needs to be taken seriously.
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