During this heated election season, I’ve heard several liberals reflecting in private discussions about the possibility of right-wing violence, particularly at campaign rallies. I generally agreed during those conversations that the wingnuts were pretty stirred up and anything could happen, but I couldn’t bring myself to concur that Brown Shirt-like, thug tactics were on the way. You don’t want to think of Americans, even those you seriously disagree with, turning into the U.S. version of Nazi-era thugs. Well, I was evidently wrong.
Last night in Lexington, Kentucky, before a scheduled debate between U.S Senate candidates — Democrat Jack Conway and Republican (and Tea Party fave) Rand Paul — right-wing thugs who support Paul physically attacked a liberal activist. Lauren Valle, a member of the liberal group MoveOn.org, planned to hand Paul a fake “award” for being a corporate tool. Instead, a group of Paul supporters dragged Valle to the ground and placed her head on a curb, where one of the gang stomped on her head. See the video below.
Here’s the even more shocking part: Rand Paul apparently has no intention of condemning the attack by his supporters. His campaign put out a statement calling the attack “incredibly unfortunate” and declaring, “Violence of any kind has no place in our civil discourse and we urge supporters on all sides to be civil to one another.” Given another chance to condemn the thuggery on Fox News this morning, Paul reiterated that the problem was people who were “not civil,” “it wasn’t something I liked,” and “So I hope in the future it’s going to be better.” Excuse me, pal, but when a group of your supporters jumps an opponent, a woman at that, and stomps her head onto a curb, it’s time for you to condemn the goobers involved, period.
During one of the conversations mentioned at the top of this post, I disagreed with a woman who said right wingers “are inherently thugs.” I hope I was right. Otherwise, it could be a long two years till the next election.
This article appears in Oct 26 – Nov 1, 2010.
And the left wing is never violent? Black Panthers anyone? G20 summits? Bill Ayers who publicly stated he didn’t think his group went far enough in committing violence against the government? Grooms, you seem like an educated, intelligent person so please stop with the “My side is better than your side” rhetoric. For every dumb Tea Party or Republican candidate you point out, there are easily 2 or 3 Dems who are just as stupid. Pretty much all politicians suck, that’s why they become politicians. And yes, Rand Paul needs to publicly condemn the idiots who did this, whether they were truly his ‘supporters’ or not. And just as all Muslims are NOT “extreme”, right-wingers are not all “violent thugs”.
SP:
Couldn’t you come up with any examples that occurred during the lifetimes of most of the people who read this paper?
You need to research the context of those people you cited. The Black Panthers were fighting the abuse of people of color that was so rampant in the South at the time, while the Republican Party was fighting against the efforts to pass civil rights legislation.
Bill Ayers was participating in a fight against a government that was conscripting our young men involuntarily into the military and sending them off to die in the immoral war in Viet Nam that none of them believed in.
The fact is that the Tea Party in inciting these thugs with their constant calls to “take back the country” from the evil Democrats who are turning into a socialist, fascist, police state.
DLP – so violence is ok when the context of it is deemed appropriate by the left? The G20 summits have occurred in the last few years. There was also the Ft. Hood massacre; the Beltway sniper in 2002.
If the Tea Party is ‘inciting’ thugs, then what do you say of Louis Farrakhan who promotes anti-white, anti-Semitic propaganda? Or Rev. Wright who preaches black liberation racist theology and hatred of America (and whose church BHO attended for 20 years)? There is also the “New” Black Panther Party that intimidates voters outside of polling places. Are these all ok?
Again, my point is you can’t play the game of ‘my party is better than yours’ when there are plenty of assholes on both sides.
SP, of course there are, always have been, and always will be assholes on both sides.
Today though, historical examples aside, its pretty obvious that one “side” is being much more antagonizing than the other. The Tea Party movement might not be openly inciting violence, but it is inciting plenty of blind rage. The fire of conservative anger is being intentionally and rather irresponsibly stoked by pundits and candidates…the last thing that a Tea Party candidate wants to do right now is to ask their base to calm down.
What did she do that they thought was a threat?
We are still free to express our opposition in public.
Mr. Grooms,
Consider this comment a formal demand that you express – in writing – similar outrage for the similar incident allegedly perpetrated by a Conway (Democrat) supporter against a Rand Paul supporter, which predictably has received far limited media coverage.
From The Kentucky Post:
“A Conway supporter stepped on the foot of a female Rand supporter, who recently had foot surgery, according to police.
The woman was wearing a surgical boot, but after the injury, her incision was cut open.”
http://www.kypost.com/dpps/news/political/2-fights-break-out-during-paul_conway-debate-_5305909
Let’s see that condemnation, right here, Johnny:
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stu – good point. I’d agree that the ‘fire’ of conservative anger is being irresponsibly stoked by pundits and candidates but it’s pundits and candidates on both sides that are stoking that fire. When you have idiots like Joy Behar calling Sharon Angle a b*tch on national TV, that does just as much to raise the ire of the right as Rush Limbaugh and all his rantings about the left. And lest we forget: the Tea Party was born out of the current administration being completely out of touch with the American people and what they want. If BHO had followed through on all his glorious campaign promises, maybe we wouldn’t be where we are today.
I would agree there is bullying and violence on both sides. The right wing has the longer and bloodier history of it, however, mainly because of violence against blacks and other minorities perpetrated by right-wing organizations like the Ku Klux Klan.
And while some killers (e.g. the UnaBomber) were affiliated with left-wing causes, much larger acts of violence (e.g. Timothy McVeigh) came from the right wing.
I personally wouldn’t characterize Louis Farrakhan, the Beltway Sniper and the Ft. Hood killer as “left wing.” They are religious extremists. In fact, fundamentalist Muslims are very right-wing in their attitudes toward government, women’s rights, and religious diversity. In that respect they are no different than fundamentalists Christians or Jews.
Hey, been away awhile. What happened to “Frank Griffin?”
Did the few, starving cells left in his former brain finally dry up and blow away?
Did he wake up one day to realize what a clueless, uninformed doofus he is, and slit his wrists?
Did his mail order bride finally leave him for a smarter, better looking American — that is to say, every other American male on the planet — thus leaving Frank a sad, blubbering, pathetic wreck?
Gosh I hope so!
To all of them!
Nomad,
Would that be the Ku Klux Klan of Senator Robert Byrd (D-Burning Depths Of Hell)?
That would be the Ku Klux Klan of right-wing conservatives, Voldemart, regardless of party. You will recognize today’s version by listening to the bitter, race-baiting, xenophobic hysteria that comes from Rush and Glenn and Sean and the Tea Party leaders. You know, the modern GOP.