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Unhinged
By Lt. Ripley | April 6, 2009
In efforts to polarize and marginalize their political opponents, Lefty blogging sites have taken to blaming conservatives (and free speech) for the lunatic that killed three police officers over the weekend. Aside from the obvious fact that he wasn’t “conservative”, it’s interesting to note their departure from defending violent nutjobs and crazies. The difference is that while conservatives and every day Americans condemn murder, the left defends it when done in the name of progressive causes. If this guy had been spouting equality, defense of the spotted owl or Allah Akbar, chances are that we’d be having a very different conversation right now.
So the howling on the left is happening not because three brave men died, but because they are pushing for a connection between Glenn Beck, Limbaugh, Tea Party protests, Obama bashing, conservative concerns, and an unhinged individual who hates Zionists and probably should be on stabilizers. It’s marketing to polarize their political opponent, and an attempt to justify censorship and shutting down of free speech on the right.
Ed Morrissey of Hot Air said it best:
People on both sides like to take non-political tragedies and manipulate them for their own purposes. The Binghamton shooting occurred just before we went on the air Friday, and I remarked that both sides tried to use the Virginia Tech shooting to their advantage, and that I expected something similar from Binghamton. Some people refuse to acknowledge that lunatics do lunatic things, and it has nothing to do with the honestly-held policy beliefs of millions of Americans. Those who would use such horrifying tragedies to smear their political opponents are completely unworthy of engagement, and utterly despicable to boot, regardless of which side they’re on.
Using smear tactics to shut down policy discussion is reprehensible, and something we should recognize when it happens. Like when Jay Stevens attempts to label Rep. McGee’s reasonable pro-life stand as a violent call to arms:
Certainly (I hope) this was overheated rhetoric — start a war over abortion? — but if a Montanan lays waste to a health-care clinic that provides abortions to women who want them, how responsible is McGee? Wouldn’t the senator deserve some censure?
And yet…there is no reprimand for McGee from anyone, neither his fellow legislators, nor the newspapers that are supposedly serving our communities. Shouldn’t someone — besides a partisan hack blogger, I mean — step forward and let McGee know that a violent solution to a political problem won’t be tolerated and demand that he recant his statement? Shouldn’t we let these people know that extremism won’t be tolerated in a democratic society?
A Pro-life belief is now labeled extreme and won’t be tolerated? His message seems to reflect a genuine belief that conservative action and rhetoric is dangerous and produces violent results (no matter the issue). This is extremely disturbing as it condemns the political beliefs of a third of the country, while excusing the violent results of their own political action.
The potential results of passionate political debate should never be measured by the occasional disturbed individual nor should the left attempt to make tenuous connections in an effort to smear sincerely held beliefs. This isn’t an issue with the ideas nor the pundit, else George Washington and Thomas Paine themselves would be censored in today’s environment. I think it’s time to stop demonizing the message and messenger, and place blame for violence where it belongs- on the unhinged.
Topics: Blogosphere, Things That Suck, Media, Society and Culture, Zombie Apocalypse, Stupid things the Left does/says, Manbearpig |
4 Responses to “Unhinged”
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April 6th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Does the absurdity of your posts even cross your mind before you hit submit? In the same paragraph that you cry about the unfairness of linking the conservative moment to a clearly conservative gunmen, you claim that the political left in this country defends murder? Drrr.
Maybe you “readers” (that’s a good one) deserve to see McGee’s whole quote:
McGee said Republicans attempted to work with Democrats on these issues but it did not seem to take. He also compared abortion with slavery and predicted an upheaval comparable to the Civil War. “You bet there will be,” McGee said.
That’s not a call to arms? Little known fact: the Civil War involved people shooting each other. Maybe an elected representative should use slightly less heated rhetoric and leave the nonsense to conservative bloggers who hide behind pseudonyms.
April 7th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
I wasn’t linking cop killers to pundits on the left. I was linking to demonstrations (fueled by lefty dollars) defending cop killers. It happens, look at the links.
And he’s a neo-Nazi… Not a conservative. I realize that liberals are so far removed from actual conservative people that they are unable to tell the difference, but I can assure you that there is one.
And McGee is not advocating violence. He was predicting upheaval comparable to civil war due to abortion. I don’t happen to agree with him, but he’s certainly not the cause of any violence. Unless you think that those that attempt to foresee the future are themselves the cause.
April 7th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
A few thoughts, pending the site’s approval.
I’m glad to see you are lifting more of Glen Beck’s rationalizations for calling the man something other than a conservative. Who’s left in your imaginary conservative movement now? This site continually calls out moderate conservatives, now you’re throwing out the extreme right. Are they only three conservatives in America Glenn Beck and the two pseudonyms that write here?
Does it seem wrong to condemn attacking conservatives in general before then claiming that the monolithic Left all supports cop killings? Does that seem at all hypocritical? Moronic? Absurd?
You’d have a lot more credibility (because above zero would be an increase) if you didn’t use the rhetoric that you pretend to critique in the very same post you pretend to critique it.
Should an elected Representative use more reasonable language than McGee did? I, because I respect the democratic process, think so. You, on other hand, seem to think no matter what anyone says–as long as they meet your very narrow definition of conservative–can should say whatever they want, the hell with the consequences.
April 8th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Who belongs to a movement/ideology is a subject of debate for all of us. I’ve never thrown out a moderate (let alone a “moderate conservative”- wtf is that??), only expected my legislators to vote the way I want and act civilly (ie. don’t cuss others on air), or I complain- something we should all do (and be informed enough to do).
At this point you are cherry picking and dramatizing my words, but whatever. I am simply pointing out that crazies exist, and that people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Even if the guy isn’t a conservative, it’s a valid point.
And no, I don’t think anything a conservative says is ok just because of their political ID… Straw Man much? Your entire third paragraph was a good example of it.
In fact, I am more critical of those of my own party, which you admitted, but you don’t really care… do you. Instead of acknowledging that there are those on YOUR SIDE who defend murderers, that conservatives are NOT giving this guy a pass (quite the opposite, but pointing out that WE are NOT the cause of a neo-nazi Alex Jones lovin’ truther gone mad), and admit that the left is pushing this so that they can claim that people like Beck are dangerous and should have their free speech curtailed, instead of these things, you are content to build up straw men, attack me instead (including my “credibility” which is bizarr-O considering I’m just a blogger) and otherwise act butthurt.
Weird considering that it’s your side (the one with the money, resources and power) using this nutjob to launch a political attack on us. Strange world we live in, eh?