Some weeks ago (one month the day to be precise) the author wrote, "Could the Far Right Be Incited to Go From Raucousness to Violence", OpEdNews, February 26, 2010.
As a follow up to that piece, this past week has seen an increase in the number and severity of "incidents", mostly surrounding the health care legislation President Obama signed into law this past Tuesday.
These "incidents" were aimed primarily at Congressional Democrats in the House who voted for the final bill. They included the following:
Louise M. Slaughter D. N.Y. received a call stating "snipers would kill the children of the members who voted for health care reform." A brick was thrown smashing a window at her Niagara Falls district office.
Representative Bart Stupak D. MI. received "hate messages" that jammed the phone lines in his office.
Steve Driehaus D. OH. Received death threats after Representative John Boehner R. OH., the House Minority Leader said, "Driehaus could be a dead man if he voted for the bill."
A propane gas line was cut at Congressman Tom Perrillo's (D. VA.) brothers home when a web site mistakenly published (what they thought was) the address of the Congressman. Perrillo also received a threatening letter (also received at his brother's home).
Related to these and other incidents," Law enforcement offered more protection to at least 10 law makers, a measure usually only afforded party leaders."[1]
In an editorial [2], "Protests out of bounds", the editors wrote, "Democratic Party offices across the country have been vandalized. A coffin showed up in one Democrats yard" while "protesters hurled racial and anti-gay epithets at Democrats on their way to the pivotal vote, and in one case spit on a Congressman."
A Republican National Committee website has House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "surrounded in flames."[3]
A Facebook page connected with Sarah Palin "pictures the cross-hairs of a gun sight over the districts of Democrats who voted for the bill."[4]
One could say all the general volatility surrounding health care reform just erupted (on the far right) with some sporadic spasms of random violence and that now that health care reform is the law of the land (and soon to be "old news"?) the far right will now "pack up their bags and accept defeat gracefully" without continuing rancor and bitterness.
One could also say, the passage of health care is just the opening salvo. Sarah Palin had a "tweet" that read, "Don't Retreat, Instead RELOAD!"[5] Aimed at opponents of health care to fight on, (hardly calls to accept defeat "gracefully" and move on).
And that's just it, move on to what? Just where will our far right wing brothers,("Tea Partiers", conspiracy theorists and anti- government gun toters et.al aroused by right wing commentators and Republican political "opportunists" who scoff at and indulge the extremists behavior [while they openly cheer it on]) be in the days, weeks and months ahead?
Well enough with the vapid speculation. What is clear is this phenomenon on the far right is not going to fade into oblivion any time soon, particularly with this being an election year. And to put it bluntly and succinctly, these people on the right wing fringe are dangerous and taking things into their own hands. They're going way beyond the shouting down rhetoric of last summer with acts of physical intimidation and violence. The right wing commentators, from Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and those their ilk continue to up the ante taunting and ridiculing anyone who disagrees with them. Meanwhile many Republicans are hitching their wagons (to exploit politically any gains they might garner) as supporters (and benefactors) of the wacko right excesses.
This cancer may or may not metastasize into full blown insurrection, but that possibility can not be dismissed out of hand. There's blood in the water and these sharks are circling.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
