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Violence is unacceptable – and un-American
The U.S. Capitol building (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
There are constructive ways to combat the actions of Congress that aren’t violent. Don’t cut gas lines and threaten to assassinate children.
Many conservatives threw a fit a year ago when a Homeland Security report expressed concern about the possibility of violence from right-wing extremists in America.
But look at what’s happening in the wake of the enacting of historic health-care legislation. A coffin was placed on the lawn in front of the home of Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo., yesterday. And it gets much worse than that. From Politico:
“This came after Rep. Tom Perriello’s (D-Va.) brother’s gas lines were cut, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) received death threats and Rules Committee Chairwoman Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) received a message saying snipers were being deployed to kill children of those who voted for health care overhaul.
Several other Democrats have had threats leveled against them, prompting a closed-door briefing of Democratic members by the FBI, Capitol Police and the House Sergeant at Arms.”
At least 10 House Democrats have reported “death threats or incidents of harassment or vandalism at their district offices over the past week,” the Washington Post is reporting. Bricks have been thrown through windows. Calls for the president’s assassination have gone out on Twitter.
Heath Haussamen
The violent acts and threats against the president and members of Congress who supported health-care reform legislation are not only unacceptable – they’re simply un-American.
We are a nation of fierce independence, and I know many who believe the health-care bill threatens that. But we’re also a nation of laws. The bill was approved through a Democratic process that started with the election of a Democratic majority in the House and Senate and of a Democratic president.
The pendulum swings. It’s been doing that since our nation was founded. It should be no surprise to anyone that Democrats would try to pass reform many conservatives don’t like, just like the previous administration succeeded in securing the approval of legislation that’s abhorrent to many, such as the Patriot Act.
‘Heaven forbid, someone will get hurt’
I don’t like that, because of the Patriot Act, my bank had to give extra scrutiny several years ago to my application for a home loan, including checking my name against a list of known or suspected terrorists. I personally think that’s an inappropriate intrusion by Big Brother into a private transaction between me and a bank.
But I’m not about to threaten to kill my member of Congress who voted for it, or even think about actually carrying out an act of violence. Instead, our system of government gives us several ways to challenge the actions of Congress. In fact, I just exercised one – my right to tell Congress I don’t like that provision in the Patriot Act.
There are constructive ways to combat the actions of Congress that aren’t violent. Don’t cut gas lines and threaten to assassinate children.
Rep. Phil Hare, D-Ill., was quoted by Politico as saying he knows several House Democrats who have told their spouses to live out of their home districts while the members are in D.C.
“If this doesn’t get under control in short time, heaven forbid, someone will get hurt,” Hare was quoted as saying. “My wife is home alone, and I’m worried for her. I am about to have my first grandchild. I don’t want to have to be worried.”
Republicans should condemn violence
As I have written, I share the sentiment of many who are concerned about the financial plague that threatens our nation: Our debt and deficit. I still suspect that we’re not yet on the road to recovery. I worry that our bailouts will be as successful as tossing money into a black hole.
And yet, there are arguments on both sides about whether the health-care bill will help or hurt the nation’s financial health. I personally don’t know. It’s complicated.
What I do know is that, like it or not, the bill was approved through the deliberative process that starts with elections, works its way through Congress and ends with the president’s signature. And I know there are lawful ways for those who don’t like that to act:
• Lobby for legislation that would repeal the bill.
• Work for candidates in the upcoming election who would repeal the bill.
• Challenge the bill in court.
America is too polarized. Hysteria runs rampant. Extremism is on the rise. Every Republican member of and candidate for Congress should combat the hysteria today by releasing a statement condemning these violent acts and threats.
Thankfully, the House minority leader has already done that. Republican congressional candidates in New Mexico should immediately follow his lead.
In the meantime, Democratic members who supported the bill should be very, very careful. This is a dangerous time.
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Unfortunately, elections haven’t fixed the crushing debt from Social Security or Medicare.
Neither will they likely fix the perpetual debt burden of this act.
Only will the fiscal collapse of America reverse the pattern of unsustainable obligations.
Let me begin by saying I am 100% against violence, we have a process to correct this it is called the elections. I do take exception with the implication that this is “Republicans” or “Right-Wing” folks. I say that because this leaves the impression that the Republican Paraty and its elected officials are some how at the root of this problem when in fact these are almost always individuals acting on their own or as a group with its own agenda. My point is I think these individuals are bad but it is equally as offensive to try and paint peole with a braod brush just because it is the thing to do at the moment? I woould bet all elected Republican Officials disagree with these actions, as do the Democrat elected officials lets not try to tie these folks to one party or the other they are acting on their own.
A few corrections to “Skeptic.” Jefferson was never “libertarian,” that’s a modern construct. Also, he’s right in saying it’s “ironic” that Jefferson changed his view once he became president. Or more accurately, it was more in tune with the times, since they weren’t fighting in a bloody revolution any longer, so it made no sense to be using that violent rhetoric. Just like it makes no sense today.
And check out the Whiskey Rebellion in the history books sometime, or the Federalist Papers (#15 especially.) The Federal Constitution was enacted so that the central government could legally coerce the states (legally) to pay their fair share of taxes to maintain a central government. All the Founders, by definition, signed off on this, by the way. They ceased to advocate violence against a violent King when they separated themselves from that kingdom. It’s just that simple.
Why these faux patriots insist on fomenting violence – and doing it while hiding under the banner of the GOP – is beyond reason.
Violence IS unacceptable to me.
But it is very much American.
We were, of course, born of a violent Revolution.
And the main contributor to our Constitution and ideals of our Nation wrote this:
“God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty…. And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure. ”
The irony with Jefferson is that once he actually became president, he was not nearly so Libertarian.
What is the “proportion to the importance” of an additional $trillion per decade in debt when
Medicare and Social Security are so much larger? Sadly, not so much.
What Jefferson did not forsee was that government would become the biggest threat
by giving the people what they wanted. And perhaps that is what Aristotle fortold in the quote:
“Republics decline into democracies and democracies degenerate into despotisms.”
Here is one of the goals of the organization, We the People Foundation: “The arms resolution calls for the citizenry to coordinate with their local county Sheriff in establishing a Constitutional Militia, inherently separate from the state National Guard. Such militia would be a constitutional defense force, comprising all citizenry capable of bearing arms and under proper authority, in defense of themselves and the states.” This could result in unnecessary violence.
The Kansas City Star reported: “”Mike Vanderboegh of Pinson, Ala., former leader of the Alabama Constitutional Militia, put out a call on Friday for modern “Sons of Liberty” to break the windows of Democratic Party offices nationwide in opposition to health care reform. Since then, vandals have struck several offices, including the Sedgwick County Democratic Party headquarters in Wichita”. He is openly encouraging violence.
Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/03/22/1830379/democratic-offices-vandalized.html#ixzz0jDZlQA8t
Heath, you know I love you man, but in one paragraph you go from talking about how “Hysteria runs rampant” and “Extremism is on the rise” and then call for Republican leaders to denounce the resulting violence, without mentioning their contributions to the rampant hysteria and rising extremism.
You have the House Minority Leader on the balcony of the Capitol telling people that the HCR law is Armageddon, and will “ruin our country.” You have GOP.com redirecting to a site where the House Speaker is surrounded by flames. Sarah Palin’s PAC is using crosshairs to “target” members of Congress up for election. The Republican Party and its leaders have been the ones fanning the flames, from death panels to calling reform socialism to the aforementioned Armageddon remark. They portrayed the legislation as the coming end of the world: is it any wonder people took their words seriously and chose to act out?
I can appreciate the ideologue of a libertarian. It is in fact the only hope that the conservative party in America has to effectively frame a successful debate.
But the GOP is over run with the Neo Conservative, rather than present an argument, they prefer to press fear, and panic.
This behavior marginalizes their efforts in embracing the rest of the American populous. They are in fact the means of their own demise.
As usual, FOX makes the news, and runs with their own version of the story. There is no evidence that “The Left” is implicated in the gunshots through the window of a building one of Eric Cantors fundraiser occupies, much less confirmation that the shots were even gunshots or intentional.
Possible shot fired at office building of Cantor consultant
By AP
Published: March 25, 2010
Updated: March 25, 2010
A possible gunshot was fired through the window of the downtown Richmond Main Street building that houses the offices of one of Rep. Eric Cantor’s top political consultants, a source says.
There was no immediate confirmation that it was a gunshot. There were no injuries or other details immediately reported. It’s not clear whether the damage was inflicted —it may have been last night or two nights ago.
Richmond Times-Dispatch web site :http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/
This is an excellent article. John W. Gardner, an original American thinker and an author of Self Renewal, Morale and Excellence wrote: “Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world’s ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all.” We need to stand up against and renounce extremism whether on the right or left in our democratic society that calls for moderation and fair dealings and recognizes the complexity of human nature.
Dr. J is right. Here’s the link to a FOX News report about the Cantor incident – http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/03/25/rep-cantors-richmond-campaign-office-shot-overnight/.
Violence against Democrats and Republicans is equally wrong. This must stop.
Now the left is shooting bullets into Eric Cantor’s office. And if any of you think the left is totally peaceful and not violent, this essay may refresh your memories and give you some vivid pictures of progressives at protest:
http://www.zombietime.com/zomblog/?p=621
I still remember the mantra we used in the late 60s and early 70s to keep our VietNam War protests peaceful, it comes from Mahatma Gandhi and says: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” If all of us who want to express our objections to government actions that ignore our views would remember that, things would be much better and we could have a civil discourse about policy issues.
Thanks, Heath. Well put. // I disagree (peacefully) with those who say “both sides are to blame.” I can’t think of any organization on the Left that is as dangerously violent AND commands so much mainstream attention — even ‘respect’ (throwing up now) — as the Mad Hatters and others. Weather Underground? Not even 40 years ago. EarthFirst!ers? Never called for blood in the streets. So, who on the Left is so violent and blood-thirsty? Who on the Left balances the Radical Right? peace, mjh
Well said Heath. This kind of thing, of course, has happened before, like after the invasion of Iraq and all the threats to Bush, etc. I still think it disappointing that our politics continues to be practiced in a way that polarizes and divides our great nation. Both political parties are at fault in doing this and encouraging their supporters to practice polarization, class warfare, us vs. them rhetoric, and encouraging playing political games and treating votes as political wins or losses, thus ignoring the American people. This kind of politics has to stop, and many of us who voted for a certain presidential candidate who promised that are still waiting.
You can listen to some of the violent phone calls received by legislators (most of them had to have obscenities bleeped out) on this episode of the Rachel Maddow show:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#36027892