Yesterday a white supremacist shoots up the National Holocaust Museum, killing a guard. Last week, it was right wing nut job killing an abortion doctor in his church. In April a guy worried that “Obama was going to take his guns” shoots and kills three Pittsburgh police.
Sure it was funny when Michelle Bachmann says something crazy, the Texas Governor says he wants his State to secede, or thrice-divorced, drug addicted Rush Limbaugh tries to lecture Democrats about values. But clearly the right wing ranting about President Obama is unfortunately causing the more unstable elements of the loony right to start killing people. Even Shepherd Smith of Fox News(!) said over the air that he was upset about all the hate e-mails he was getting.
The First Amendment allows the wing-nuts to say what ever they want about Obama and the state of the world. It’s what makes this country great. However, these commenters have to take responsibility for the actions that their hate speech has generated. Bill O’Reilly can’t use the airways for years stating that Dr. Tiller should be taken out and then wash his hands of all culpability when someone actually does the deed. Right-wingers who tolerate and encourage white supremacists now all of a sudden have blood on their hands. It would be nice if they would man up and admit their responsibility in these heinous actions. I won’t hold my breath.
Free - very good post. There is a serious anger management problem in society today for many reasons that I won't go into here.
Instead of debating opinions with civility or simply "talking it out," these wing-nuts spew hate with anonymous e-mails and comments on blogs and other web sites.
This hate unfortunately spews over into action on many occasions, as it has recently. As we have seen throughout history, these actions only spur more hate, and the cycle contines.
Like you, I will not be holding my breath that it will end soon.