I am a Patriot, too, dammit.
I try and avoid politics on my LJ for the most part, simply because I have many friends I would prefer to not antagonize if I can avoid it, since we get along very well as long as politics doesn't come up. They are intelligent people, and even if I disagree with them, and they with me, we usually just "agree to disagree" and get on with our lives and try not to discuss politics since we'd rather not be angry at each other. We'll vote how we'll vote and that will be the end of it.
But, because not everyone is as enlightened as my friends, I'm breaking that rule today. Political rant below the break.
Please witness Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minnesota) on Hardball with Chris Matthews on MSNBC where she said the following: MATTHEWS: But do you suspect there are a lot of people you serve with -- well, he's the United States senator from Illinois, he's one of the people you suspect as being anti-American. How many people in Congress of the United States do you believe are ant-American? Is he alone or are there others? How many do you suspect of your colleagues of being anti-American.
BACHMANN: What I would say what I would say is that the news media should do a penetrating exposé and take a look. I wish they would. I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America? I think people would be - would love to see an expose like that.
Yes, that was a member of the House of Representatives accusing other members of Congress of being anti-American.
Sarah Palin, herself, at a rally in North Carolina this past Friday had the following to say:
We believe that the best of America is not all in Washington, D.C. We believe, we believe that the best of America is in the small towns that we get to visit, and in the wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, very pro-America areas of this great nation.
No word, of course, as to what areas of the country are anti-America, or fake America, although I think I can make a pretty good guess.
She also has been repeating the following line at her stump speeches:Our opponent is someone who sees America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists who targeted their own country.
This, is of course, demonstrably false, but no matter, the implication that Obama regularly hangs out with terrorists (and possibly is one himself) is still there.
I don't care if you disagree with me on a thousand issues. I don't care if you disagree with Obama on a thousand issues. Leave me alone, and vote for McCain and let it be done. I boggle at the idea that anybody could think that elected public officials are anti-American, much less another elected official. It smacks of McCarthyism. Calling liberals and progressives anti-American, and our candidate a terrorist is completely uncalled for. I do not take well to having my patriotism questioned, nor do I take well to the violence that ensues when such accusations start flying around willy-nilly.
For example: this? This is ridiculous. They slashed people's tires because they were at an Obama rally. This makes me afraid to put an Obama sticker on my car for fear that I'd wake up in the morning and not be able to get to work because my brake lines were cut, like they were for liberal supporters in Toronto.
And this? Is just sick and wrong. They shot a bear cub in the head, wrapped its head in Obama signs and dumped it on the highway to make a political point. A bad political point. (A black bear? To symbolize "the bear of communism"? Seriously?) There just aren't any words. It makes me sick.
People are shouting "Kill him!","Terrorist!" and “Treason!” at McCain/Palin rallies. At George Fox University in Oregon they found an effigy of Obama hanging from a tree. At a supposedly Christian college.
And finally, there’s this:
What was that about us being in a post-racist society?
This kind of shit doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The divisive "us vs. them" strategy and eliminationist rhetoric from those on the far-Right has got to stop.
Preferably before anyone becomes a martyr.
But, because not everyone is as enlightened as my friends, I'm breaking that rule today. Political rant below the break.
Please witness Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minnesota) on Hardball with Chris Matthews on MSNBC where she said the following: MATTHEWS: But do you suspect there are a lot of people you serve with -- well, he's the United States senator from Illinois, he's one of the people you suspect as being anti-American. How many people in Congress of the United States do you believe are ant-American? Is he alone or are there others? How many do you suspect of your colleagues of being anti-American.
BACHMANN: What I would say what I would say is that the news media should do a penetrating exposé and take a look. I wish they would. I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America? I think people would be - would love to see an expose like that.
Yes, that was a member of the House of Representatives accusing other members of Congress of being anti-American.
Sarah Palin, herself, at a rally in North Carolina this past Friday had the following to say:
We believe that the best of America is not all in Washington, D.C. We believe, we believe that the best of America is in the small towns that we get to visit, and in the wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, very pro-America areas of this great nation.
No word, of course, as to what areas of the country are anti-America, or fake America, although I think I can make a pretty good guess.
She also has been repeating the following line at her stump speeches:Our opponent is someone who sees America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists who targeted their own country.
This, is of course, demonstrably false, but no matter, the implication that Obama regularly hangs out with terrorists (and possibly is one himself) is still there.
I don't care if you disagree with me on a thousand issues. I don't care if you disagree with Obama on a thousand issues. Leave me alone, and vote for McCain and let it be done. I boggle at the idea that anybody could think that elected public officials are anti-American, much less another elected official. It smacks of McCarthyism. Calling liberals and progressives anti-American, and our candidate a terrorist is completely uncalled for. I do not take well to having my patriotism questioned, nor do I take well to the violence that ensues when such accusations start flying around willy-nilly.
For example: this? This is ridiculous. They slashed people's tires because they were at an Obama rally. This makes me afraid to put an Obama sticker on my car for fear that I'd wake up in the morning and not be able to get to work because my brake lines were cut, like they were for liberal supporters in Toronto.
And this? Is just sick and wrong. They shot a bear cub in the head, wrapped its head in Obama signs and dumped it on the highway to make a political point. A bad political point. (A black bear? To symbolize "the bear of communism"? Seriously?) There just aren't any words. It makes me sick.
People are shouting "Kill him!","Terrorist!" and “Treason!” at McCain/Palin rallies. At George Fox University in Oregon they found an effigy of Obama hanging from a tree. At a supposedly Christian college.
And finally, there’s this:
What was that about us being in a post-racist society?
This kind of shit doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The divisive "us vs. them" strategy and eliminationist rhetoric from those on the far-Right has got to stop.
Preferably before anyone becomes a martyr.