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On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 7:38 AM, c b <[email protected]> wrote: > nalysis > Let's put blame where it belongs: right-wing extremism > Let's put blame where it belongs: right-wing extremism > > * Print > * Email to a Friend > > assets/Uploads/_resampled/CroppedImage6060-sam.jpg > by: Sam Webb > January 10 2011 > > tags: violence, ultra-right, Arizona > teaparty6 > > In the wake of the senseless shooting in Tucson, Ariz., people and > politicians of various political inclinations have appealed for > goodwill, civil discourse and national unity. > > It is said, we have to turn down the rhetorical temperature. I support > these sentiments, as do most Americans. Who wouldn't in the wake of > the blood spilled and lives lost so tragically this past weekend? > > But matters can't be left here. Some others things must be said, and > if it ruffles civil discourse, so be it. > > Not everyone is equally to blame for ratcheting up of hate speech, > racist, anti-immigrant, anti-government rhetoric, and homophobia. > > Not everyone urged citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights > to settle differences. > > Not everyone joined in the relentless attack - now two years old - > against the first African American president in our nation's history; > an attack that is racist in its content and unprecedented in its > intensity. > > Not everyone uses, to borrow from New York Times columnist Paul > Krugman, "eliminationist rhetoric." > > Not every congressperson tells their constituents to be "armed and > dangerous," as Republican and tea party leader Rep. Michelle Bachman > did. > > Not everyone placed Rep. Giffords' district in the crosshairs on their > website's election map as Sarah Palin did. (She hurriedly removed the > image the day of the shooting.) > > And, not every American had a hand in creating the atmosphere of > intolerance and vitriol that currently exists, and resulted in the > attempted political assassination of the congresswoman and the > senseless deaths of six innocent people, including one young child. > > Most Americans of various political persuasions believe in, and live > out a moral code of tolerance and decency. They don't harbor hatred, > nor do they incite others to hate. They never advocate vigilante > politics or settling differences with a smoking gun. > > This contrasts with the modern-day fire eaters on right-wing talk > radio and television shows - not to mention their counterparts in > elective office - who trade on and get rich from volumes of hateful, > divisive and abusive rhetoric. (Fire eaters were the group of > extremist pro-slavery politicians from the South who urged the > separation of southern states by any means necessary) > > Civil discourse is a dirty word to them. Hate is what makes them tick. > It is what turns them on. It is their fix and they shoot it up and out > daily and hourly. Propagandizing hate is what pays them big salaries, > and inflates their egos. It gives them a sense of power over other > people. And it incites people - sane and deranged - to do harmful > things, including political assassinations. > > Rush Limbaugh and the like aren't talk show hosts; they're conveyers > of everything that is bad in our culture. Their redeeming > characteristics are zero, zilch. They have none! > > If I were asked to paint a portrait of a purveyor of hate it would be > Limbaugh's face and his gang of like-minded talk show hosts on radio > and Fox News in the near background. > > Take the hate and lies out of their talk and they have nothing to say. > > But some will assert, "Wait a minute. They didn't pull the trigger, > nor are they responsible for a young man who is obviously deranged." > > No quarrel here, but that isn't the issue. The issue is who created > the climate of hate and venom? Not the American left, not Keith > Olbermann or Rachel Maddow, not progressive Democrats! Can you imagine > Congressman John Lewis suggesting to his constituents that they "arm > themselves?" It would never happen! Never! > > The trail of evidence leads in one direction and to only one source: > right-wing extremism. > > And people should not be shy in saying this. We should pin the "tale" > on the real donkey! We should name names. Nothing is to be gained by > evenhandedness. In fact, in obscuring the truth, it is a disservice to > the American people. > > Truth is: it is misguided when someone on the progressive side does > this, for it clarifies nothing in the minds of millions, who are > looking for an explanation for this dastardly act. > > In this instance, and in every instance where people are feeling pain, > insecurity and uncertainty about which way to turn, the ideological > stock and trade of right wing extremism (the water boy of the most > reactionary sections of the ruling class and transnational capital) is > to mislead, to confuse, to mystify and to bamboozle the American > people. > > In the wake of this horrible episode of Arizona violence, we can > expect more of the same, but democratic-minded people should roll back > the fog, attach blame to those who are responsible for the politics of > hate and lies, and name names. > > Photo: Tea party rally sign threatening a Browning gun solution. > (JoelnSouthernCA/CC) > _______________________________________________ > pen-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l > _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
