Dispatch from a Baby-Boomer
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/january132011/baby-boom.php
From the Weathermen to Lars Larson; exploring the Yings and Yangs of
political revolution...
Jan-13-2011
As a member of the baby-boomer" generation I can say this without a
doubt: "American politics certainly has had its "Yings" and "Yangs"
of counter-culture political movements over the past four decades".
I well remember an extreme left-wing element of Yings, personified by
the "Weathermen", affiliated with the "Weather Underground" from 1969
on into the 1970's.
The "Weathermen" advocated for the violent overthrow of the US
government which of course relied primarily on the American People
utilizing their Constitutional right to bear arms and form a well
regulated militia to organize such.
The Weather Underground movement latched on to a Bob Dylan lyric,
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows" for its name.
The movement was primarily 'black-ops' kind of stuff planned by
youthful American 'political idealists' who thought America was going
down the drain over the Vietnam War.
The Weathermen conducted a campaign of a few selectively-targeted
bombings of U.S. government facilities through the mid-1970s. One
high-profile action was aiding in the jailbreak and escape of Timothy Leary.
Leary was described as "the most dangerous man in America" by
President Richard Nixon, most likely due to Leary's mantra: "Turn on,
tune in, drop out" which Nixon invariably was sick of seeing on
anti-war signage and hearing chanted by anti-war demonstrators.
Once the end of American military involvement in Vietnam was on the
horizon, the Weathermen movement lost its touchstone cause célèbre,
and their rhetoric and propaganda lost its 'cross-over political
audience' of primarily anti-war activists.
The founder of the Weathermen was Bill Ayers (then of communistic persuasion).
Ayers is now retired from a respected (mainstream) career position as
a professor in the College of Education at the University of Illinois
at Chicago, where he formerly held the titles of Distinguished
Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar.
So goes the Yings, as did Ayers, for the most part metamorphosed into
(maybe?) Democrats or swallowed up into the non-political hum-drums
of daily life.
Now we have the Yangs to consider.
It seems the national spokes-model of the more centric factions of
the Yangs is Sarah Palin. However, the Yangs have some more extremist
members who have recently been bandying about talk regarding the
violent overthrow of the U.S. government; such violent overthrow
which of course (like the Yings) would rely on the American People
utilizing their right to bear arms and form a well regulated militia
to organize such.
For the most part, the more extreme elements of the Yangs are simply
right-wing re-manifestations of the left-wing extremes of the Yings;
except unlike the Yings, when extreme elements of the Yangs want to
speak out about "Second Amendment remedies", they get uncensored
radio air time on public airwaves. (The Yangs haven't blown up
Federal buildings to get public attention, as of yet that anyone knows of.)
"Second Amendment remedies"
In a recent online blog of 11 January 2011, the Oregonian's Jeff
Mapes reminded readers of last year's Nevada GOP Senate candidate
Sharron Angle and an 'on the air' dialogue she had with Portland talk
show host Lars Larson during her campaigning.
The Angle-Larson dialogue included a notable comment from Angle. She
mused to Larson & Larson listeners that if Congress (at the time
dominated by Democratic majorities in both houses) kept going "this
way" (in the same direction) the American people may resort to
"Second Amendment remedies."
Just in case you may not be quick to remember, the Second Amendment
of the U.S. Constitution is found in the official documents
surrounding the adoption of the Bill of Rights and references the
right of to "keep and bear arms" and a "well regulated militia".
The original hand-written copy of the Bill of Rights, approved by the
House and Senate, was prepared by scribe William Lambert and resides
in the National Archives.
Original 'on paper' versions of the Second Amendment are existent,
however, they incorporate slight differences in capitalization and
punctuation; One version passed by the Congress reads: "A well
regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
Another version can be found in the copies distributed to and later
ratified by the states: "A well regulated militia being necessary to
the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and
bear arms shall not be infringed."
Verbatim Transcription of Angle comment excerpt (from audio record):
"I hope that's not where we're going, but, you know, if this Congress
keeps going the way it is, people are really looking toward those
Second Amendment remedies and saying my goodness what can we do to
turn this country around? I'll tell you the first thing we need to do
is take Harry Reid out."
As Lars Larson syndicates his show in the Northwest and nationally,
if Larson so chooses, he can provide a broadcast 'soap-box' on public
airwaves for political candidate campaigns. Larson's Portland-based
talk radio show (Shows website: http://www.larslarson.com/ ) happens
to be aired in Nevada, where Angle was eventually defeated by Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid this past November.
An Oregon resident, Larson provided his 'personality' status to
Angle's campaign, giving her a personal endorsement in her race
against Harry Reid. Larson interviewed Angle several times over the
course of her campaign, however, it hasn't been verified if the
airtime Larson spent with Angle (considering his endorsement of her
campaign) required being reported as a campaign contribution in
Angle's financial campaign disclosures. Angle also received a similar
endorsement from Mark Levin, another conservative radio talk show host.
It was further pointed out by Mapes that Angle "frequently avoided"
mainstream media interviews" during her Senate campaign, saying she
'preferred to talk with media figures sympathetic to her candidacy'.
Lars Larson is obviously a 'media figure' sympathetic to Angle's
politics by way of the fact he provided his endorsement to her candidacy.
Here's another Mapes' quote of Angle, as to what she had to say on a
Lars Larson show when Larson asked where Angle stood on gun rights:
Sharron Angle's Angle on Gun Rights
"You know, our Founding Fathers, they put that Second Amendment in
there for a good reason and that was for the people to protect
themselves against a tyrannical government. And in fact Thomas
Jefferson said it's good for a country to have a revolution every 20 years."
Angle's Tea Party Status
As Angle's campaign against Reid heated up, Bryan Shroyer, Political
Director for the Tea Party Express www.TeaPartyExpress.org commented
about Angle, "Conservatives recognize that Sharron Angle is the best
candidate to represent their values, and as such they are lining up
behind her campaign in an unprecedented
fashion". TeaPartyExpress.org & www.Ourcountrydeservesbetter.com
appear to be websites operated and owned by the 'Our Country Deserves
Better PAC'. The Our Country Deserves Better PAC chairman is "The
Honorable Howard Kaloogian".
Washington Post website-writer Greg Sargent quotes Lars Larson
Angle's comment about "Second Amendment remedies" captured the
attention of Washington Post Website writer, Greg Sargent. Sargent
pens "The Plum Line" carried online by the Post. Sargent sought a
response from Larson about Angle's "Second Amendment remedies"
statement on Larson's show. Sargent eventually contacted
Larson. Sargent states that Larson responded that "he doesn't have
any doubt that she [Angle] was floating the possibility of armed
insurrection as a valid response if Congress continues along its
current course."
Sargent directly quotes Larson: "If it [Congress] continues to do the
things it's doing, I think she's leaving open that possibility,"
Larson said. "And I think the founders believed that the public
should be able to do that when the government becomes out of control.
It just matters what you define as going too far."
The Oregonian's Jeff Mapes on Lars Larson
Jeff Mapes talked with Larson previous to Mapes' reporting Larson's
comments in Mapes 10 January 2011 piece "Lars Larson: Angle's
comments on government overthrow were 'perfectly sensible".
Mapes Quote: "Larson argued that if a government "gets completely out
of hand, some kind of uprising to take the government back is
appropriate." He added of Angle's argument: "I don't find it
hateful, I find it perfectly sensible." Larson said he isn't
advocating a violent overthrow of the government. (sic) But he said
it's possible that government could become so tyrannical that a
"violent overthrow of the government" is justified."
--
The writer of this article is research analyst and writer who
contributes to Salem-News.com, but prefers to not use their name..
.
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