“Someone flopped a steamer in the gene pool
now angry mob mentality's no longer the exception, it's the rule…”
-NoFx “The Idiots are Taking Over”
“In Hagerstown, Md., last week, a man appeared at a town hall meeting hosted by Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.) with a sign that read "’Death to Obama’" and "‘Death to Michelle and her two stupid kids.’"
-Tim Rutten, Op-Ed “America the Delusional”
These quotes are both scary and relevant. As per my last topic, we have seen the rise in mob mentality in relation to the healthcare reform debate, and the slow, but assured loss of any kind of civilized debate. But, as I skimmed through the Lehrer Hour, CNN, Fox News and the Onion, I found that these verbally abusive protests have been only one element of the healthcare debate. From the footage I saw on these shows, there actually have been some clean, problem-solving town hall debates that have asked the right questions and received due diligent answers from their representatives. That is, people asked to be recognized, received the floor, inquired about their grievance and were answered by their representative. This is how someone should voice their opposition or support, and this is how constituencies should be addressed, in the town-hall meeting setting. Responsibility to create effective programs and governance is not 100% on the shoulders of representatives. If the people want their concerns voiced, they should take the initiative, and do it in a way that is civilized and stimulates discourse.
But, that is not the case for a fringe of the protest movement. There are some serious questions I would like to be answered by these fringe groups:
-Do you think you will gain credibility by associating Obama with Hitler? Hitler murdered 20 million people, including 80% of Poland’s Jewish community. He was an extreme nationalist. You call Obama un-American and not a citizen, and listen to Rush Limbaugh saying it would be good for America if he failed. How does this compare?
-Do you think people will believe you if you call Obama a Fascist or a Socialist? Do you even know the difference between Fascism and Socialism, or even what each of those government models entail?
-Do you really think Obama is going to take away your guns?
-Do you really believe Obama was not born in the US?
-Will you ever take what the President says seriously?
-Is there any way that the President can assuage your problems?
-What is your goal when you shout, boo, turn your back on and ignore your representatives?
-Do you know that pundits make a lot of money (10-100 times what you make), and yet you think they can talk to you on the same level? Do you know they’re talking to make money, not dispense information? Why do you think Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh have merchandise stores and Sean Hannity has a (pay-for-membership) dating site?
-How do you define a “true” American?
I know I won’t get answers to these questions. But, if I got 30 minutes to interrogate a group of these protesters, I would like to know what they are thinking. What goes on in side their head when they take the time to create a poster with Obama next to Hitler?
(Before you get all “you’re a hypocrite” on me, I would like to make something clear. I never supported, and never thought that protestors comparing George W Bush to Hitler had any substance at all. I think the comparison, then, was stupid and I think the comparison, now, is stupid. I hold both sides with the same regard: Ignoramuses.)
But, what is worse about these recent protests is their inability to progress. We do not progress on healthcare when you yell about birth certificates. We do not progress when you yell about fascism. We do not progress when you shout about teabags and taxes. But, there is a violent imagery and a scary foreshadowing that is accompanying these protests, and a lot of that has to do with the belief that Obama is going to take away people’s guns. A couple articles and op-ed pieces have covered the group of protesters who “carried” to an Obama speech in Phoenix, AZ. Arizona is a state where you can carry a concealed, or not concealed (depending on your mood, I suppose), weapon in a public place and not have a permit. This is very scary to me.
Let me tirade about gun issues for a second. I believe 100% that everyone in the United States has the right to own a gun. The government will not, and should not, completely restrict or take away anyone’s guns. With that said, there has to be standards and regulations that are put in place to ensure that people know how to use their guns, and ensure that those guns will not be used to break the law in any way, shape or form. These should not just include “safety tests” and background checks, but should include psychological evaluations and extensive review of person’s intentions to buy the gun. There needs to be oversight. Next, I have become appalled that the one thing that people in America are willing to fight and put so much effort into has been the right to own and carry guns. Think for a second, readers….OK? Ready for a forced revelation? GUNS ARE DANGEROUS OBJECTS! Yes, people are dangerous too, and people do kill people through other means, but guns, specifically are a medium of violence. How can such a large population of people be so passionate about something so inherently negative? How did America become defined by its gun ownership? What about knives, flame throwers, SAM missiles or mustard gas? Was it the second amendment? Do we just love to bear arms? Was it the belief that some huge force, invisible to see, overshadowing our rights, is going to come down and control our lives, so we better hoard our guns and wait for a “last-stand-in-front-of-the-bar” shootout like we see in countless movies? I have no idea.
Back to Phoenix. Yes, the law in Arizona says that you can carry a gun in a public place, so you have the right to do so. And, the law says you can carry that gun in a public place, even without a permit. So, you have the right to do so. But, this is a speech that is going to be made by the President of the United States. Coming to a Presidential speech with a gun will secure your right to be harassed. Get this into your thick skull: OBAMA IS NOT TAKING YOUR GUNS AWAY!!! And, heed Johnny Cash’s words: “Don’t take your guns to town, son. Leave your guns at home…”
Will these protests push a good debate into the dirges of hysteria? I believe we are on our way. Conservative talk show hosts and pundits are firing on all cylinders and bringing out the big guns (no pun intended) in order to dilute this healthcare push with irrelevant issues and false, hyperbolized statements about re-education camps for the overweight, killing grandma and Obama-the-Muslim so that any progress towards helping improve the health of Americans becomes as likely as Rush Limbaugh getting a brain (or losing weight). Will this help the Republican Party in the interim election? I believe it most likely will. But, will that help us reform our healthcare system, fight the war in Afghanistan, grow a Clean Energy economic sector, fix the economy and progress as a people. Absolutely NOT!
(SOURCES: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-rutten19-2009aug19,0,3225096.column) (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-guns18-2009aug18,0,2649181.story?track=rss) (NoFx, “The Idiots Are Taking Over”)
PS. Here's another fact. The guy who created those "Joker" pictures of Obama did not intend to have "SOCIALISM" written on them. They were co-opted by some wingnut who put the Socialism message on him/herself. The artist was even quoted as saying that it was immature to call Obama a Socialist. He even questioned who made it a sudden norm to characterize Socialism as evil.
(SOURCE: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-poster19-2009aug19,0,1347679.story)
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